THIS WEEK IS SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK IN INDIANA.
EVERYONE HAS A CRITICAL ROLE IN SAFETY DURING SEVERE WEATHER. WE WILL DISCUSS ROLES OF KEY PLAYERS AND PLANNING FOR SEVERE WEATHER.
THOUGH SEVERE WEATHER CAN HAPPEN ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR YEAR…IT OCCURS MOST OFTEN FROM APRIL TO JULY. SO…MANY PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES BEGIN DURING LATE WINTER PRIOR TO THE MAIN STORM SEASON.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES TRAIN VOLUNTEERS CALLED SKYWARN SPOTTERS. THESE SPOTTERS REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABOUT WHAT THE STORMS ARE DOING. THESE REPORTS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNING PROCESS. SKYWARN SPOTTERS LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY…REPORT AND STAY SAFE FROM SEVERE WEATHER. SEE YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITE FOR SPOTTER TRAINING DATES AND LOCATIONS.
TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS ARE KEY PLAYERS IN WEATHER SAFETY BY BROADCASTING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATCHES AND WARNINGS TO THE PUBLIC. THEY ALSO PROVIDE IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION IN PROGRAM SPECIALS…OUTREACH FUNCTIONS AND DURING THREATENING WEATHER. THE
MEDIA ALSO REPORTS ON RECOVERY EFFORTS AND WAYS TO GET HELP IN RECOVERY. STATIONS ALSO RELAY THE STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL WARNING.
NEWSPAPERS ARE INVOLVED TOO BY PROMOTING SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK AND CARRYING STORIES OF DAMAGING OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENTS.
STATE AND COUNTY HOMELAND SECURITY AGENCIES ALSO PREPARE FOR SEVERE WEATHER. THESE FOLKS PLAN AND PREPARE FOR DISASTERS AND HELP IN THE RECOVERY EFFORTS WHEN NEEDED. HOMELAND SECURITY WORKS WITH OTHER OFFICIALS TO COORDINATE ACTIONS FOR ALL TYPES OF HAZARDS. COUNTY
HOMELAND SECURITY ALSO HELPS ARRANGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SKYWARN SPOTTER TRAINING IN THEIR COUNTY AND SUPPORTS LOCAL MEDICAL FACILITIES…SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES WITH WEATHER SAFETY PROCEDURES.
STATE…COUNTY AND LOCAL HIGHWAY…LAW ENFORCEMENT…FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES AS WELL AS THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AND SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS ALSO PLAN AHEAD FOR WEATHER EMERGENCIES. COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS ARE CONSTANTLY MONITORED TO ENSURE PROPER
OPERATION. THE INDIANA STATE POLICE DISSEMINATES NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WATCHES AND WARNINGS TO THE COUNTIES. MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL RECEIVE SKYWARN SPOTTER TRAINING…PARTICIPATE IN STORM SPOTTING…AND AID CITIZENS WHEN DISASTERS OCCUR. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE THE FIRST RESPONDERS AFTER STORMS CAUSE PROBLEMS.
SCHOOLS…THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS. THAT ROLE IS TO KNOW HOW WEATHER MAY THREATEN…TO HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION…TO EXERCISE THE PLAN…AND THEN TO USE IT WHEN SEVERE WEATHER STRIKES.
EVERYONE MUST REMAIN AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER…ACTIVELY MONITOR SOURCES OF WEATHER INFORMATION DURING WATCHES…AND TAKE ACTION WHEN WARNINGS ARE ISSUED OR STORMS THREATEN.
ON MONDAY…WE WILL DISCUSS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS AND WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD DO LONG BEFORE ANY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OCCURS.
