Flood Awareness Week: March 16-22, 2014

National Flood Awareness Week is March 16-22, 2014. Many people feel that if they don't live in a flood zone or near a body of water they aren't susceptible to flooding. However, floods can happen anywhere and anytime. How can you prepare ahead for a flood? Here are a few tips:

• Review your insurance policy to make sure you have the proper level of protection.
• Have copies of imortant documents in a secure and water proof place or outside your home.
• Take photographs or a video of your possessions.
• Save receipts of expensive items. 
• When a flood watch is issured, be sure to monitor potential flood hazards on the radio or internet.

LEARN MORE AT NOAA.GOV

Metro Atlanta Events for March 2014

March 1st: Beer, Bourbon and BBQ at Atlantic Station

March 17th - 23rd: Inman Park Restaurant Week

March 19th: Zac Brown Band at the Columbus Civic Center

March 21st - 23rd: Spring Atlanta Home Show at Cobb Galleria Centre

March 21st - 23rd: Atlanta Ballet Presents Modern Choreographic Voices at Cobb Energy Preforming Arts Center

March 21st - 23rd: Disney on Ice - Princesses and Heroes at Columbus Civic Center

March 22nd: George Strait - the Cowboy Rides Away Tour at Phillips Arena

March 25th: Best of Atlanta Party at Cobb Galleria Centre

March 28th - April 6th: Atlanta Film Festival

March 29th: Scooby Doo Live! Musical Mysteries at the Fox Theater Atlanta

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week: Stay Tuned for Weather Alerts

It's day 5 of National Severe Weather Preparedness Week and today's topic is "Stay Tuned for Weather Alerts".

Here is what NOAA.gov says about how to stay tuned for weather alerts:

A NOAA Weather Radio, or NWR, is more than just a radio. It’s a life-saver – broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest NOAA National Weather Service office across a nationwide network of radio stations.

87-year-old Wilma Nelson of Woodward, Okla., recently experienced the power of a NOAA Weather Radio when a devastating tornado struck her town of 12,000.

“I thought, ‘I’d better get out of here,’” she told CBS News, saying that when her NOAA Weather Radio woke her up, she moved quickly into a closet that she had “all prepared” in advance. Nelson’s granddaughter-in-law, Janelle Semmel, said that the advance outlooks and warnings issued by the National Weather Service saved lives. “We took it very seriously, because of the buildup that they had been talking about all week of the chances of storms that we had here,” she said.

READ MORE FROM NOAA.GOV

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week: Make a Plan

It's day 4 of National Severe Weather Preparedness Week and today's topic is "Make a Plan".

Here is what NOAA.gov says about making a plan:

When severe weather strikes, the difference between life and death can be summed up in as little as two words: Be prepared. Making a plan for what you and your family will do when severe weather strikes is an important step in being prepared and building a Weather-Ready Nation.

As part of National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, NOAA and FEMA urge everyone to develop a Family Emergency Plan.  Before disaster stirkes, sit down with your family and decide how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go and what you will do in case of an emergency.

While there are basic elements that should be a part of any plan, it’s important to also tailor your planto the individual needs of you or your family. This is especially important for the elderly or those with disabilities or special medial or dietary needs.

As part of tailoring your plans, consider working with others to create networks of neighbors, relatives, friends and co-workers who will assist each other in an emergency. Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, pets, or specific needs like the operation of durable medical equipment. Create your own personal network for specific areas where you need assistance.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

FAQ: What's a Watch? Video from NOAA

"What's a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch?" "How's it different from a warning?" "What actions should be taken when a watch is issued?" Get the answers to these frequently asked questions here!

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week: Know Your Risk

This week is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. Today's focus is on knowing your risk. Check out this great article from NOAA.gov on how you can know your risk...

Each year, people are killed or seriously injured by tornadoes and other types of severe weather, despite advance warning. In May 2013, tornadoes devastated portions of Oklahoma. This outbreak included the deadliest tornado of the year on May 20 in Moore, Oklahoma where an EF5 tornado struck (winds in excess of 200 mph). The Moore tornado is estimated to have caused approximately $2 billion in property damage. Know your risk during National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, March 2-8.

Gather information about hazards by contacting your local emergency management office, American Red Cross chapter and National Weather Service weather forecast office. Knowing and understanding this information ahead of time will help you prepare by understanding what types of disasters could occur and how best to respond and protect yourself. It is also critical to learn your community’s warning signals and emergency plans.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

National Severe Weather Preparedness Week 2014

CHAMPION SUPPORTS SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK

Champion is proud to support National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, March 2-8, 2014. Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Severe Weather Preparedness Week is a nationwide effort designed to increase awareness of the severe weather that affects everyone and to encourage individuals, families businesses and communities to know their risk, take action, and be an example.

Being prepared to act quickly could be a matter of survival. This is especially evident during the threat of severe weather. The deadliest and most destructive tornado of 2013, an EF-5 on May 20 in Moore, Oklahoma, and caused more than $2 billion in property damage. Even though severe weather was anticipated days in advance, many in the impacted areas said they did not have a plan and were caught unprepared.

While spring tends to produce more tornadoes, they're not uncommon in fall. On Nov. 17, a late season tornado outbreak that struck seven Midwestern states became the most active tornado day of 2013 with a total of 74 tornadoes.

Knowing your risk of severe weather, taking action and being an example are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared to save your life and assist in saving the lives of others.

Disaster preparedness is very important to Champion and we are encouraging all of our employees to take the following steps:

Know Your Risk: The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where you live and work, and how the weather regularly, obtain a NOAA Weather Radio, and learn about Wireless Emergency Alerts. Severe weather comes in many forms and your shelter plan should include all types of local hazards.

Take Action: Before storms strike, develop a family communication plan, create or purchase an emergency supplies kit, and participate in a local event on April 30 through America's PrepareAthon.

Be an Example: Share your preparedness story with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. Letting others know that you're prepared will prompt them to prepare as well. Studies show that many people use social media in the event of a disaster to let relatives and friends know they are safe. This is an important trend because people are most likely to take preparedness steps if they observe the preparations taken by others. Social media provides the perfect platform to model preparedness actions for others.

Being weather ready is a collective effort. It takes the whole community to effectively prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against damages caused by tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and other severe weather.

Champion Construction Systems is proud to support the goals of National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. By preparing our communities, we are able to build a Weather-Ready Nation - one that is resilient in the face of extreme weather.

Learn more at www.weather.gov and www.ready.gov/severe-weather or the Spanish-language web site www.listo.gov. Follow the National Weather Service @nws and FEMA @readygov on Twitter.

Check Out Our Nature's Fury Board on Pinterest

Follow Champion Construction Systems's board Nature's Fury on Pinterest.

What to Do Before You Lose Power

In the recent ice storm, many Georgians lost power. Some families had no power for up to 4 days. Often experiences like this can help us be better prepared for the next time. Here are a few tips from Ready GA on how to prepare before you lose power.

• Juice up. Make sure all electronics are plugged in so they can be charged to full capacity. If it is safe to go to your vehicle, make sure the car chargers for your devices are accessible so you can utilize your car as a source of power, if needed.
• Keep a flashlight handy. Be sure to have flashlights at the ready, and look around the house now for extra batteries to power it if needed. Flashlights are the safest light source during a power outage, but if you opt to use candles, check out these safety tips to reduce your risk for a house fire.
• Locate your power company’s number and store it in your phone. If and when the power outage occurs, you will need to inform them. Do not call 911 to report a power outage.
• Plan for fun. Having a ready supply of board or card games to play with your family or friends is a great way of avoiding boredom and staying positive in the event of a power outage. There are thousands of suggestions online for activities to keep kids entertained. Check those out now and gather supplies so you’re ready to go if the lights go out.
• Do some baking. While you still have electricity, go ahead and cook a few foods that will be easy to store and eat later. Muffins, fruit breads and other treats like brownies and cookies will be especially welcome if you are without power long enough to tire of canned food items.

These are some things that my family and I did before we lost power and we were really glad we did.

READ MORE TIPS FROM READY GA