Wednesday
Oct212009
Georgia Winter Weather Awareness Week November 16th - 20th, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 10:49AM 
Winter storms are considered “deceptive killers” because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. Seventy percent of fatalities related to ice and snow occur in automobiles, and approximately twenty-five percent of all winter-related fatalities are people caught off-guard in the storm. Prolonged exposure to extreme cold can cause frostbite or hypothermia. Powerful winter storms can also have thunderstorms associated with them. These storms can dump as much as three inches of snow or one inch of ice in an hour. So how can you prepare for winter weather?
- Monitor radio/TV or NOAA Weather Radio.
in Champion, Champion Construction Systems, Community News, Emergency Planning, Georgia Winter Weather Awareness Week, Storm Damage, Water Damage, atlanta ga, champion construction, disaster, disaster planning, disaster preparedness, home, ice, newnan ga, north atlanta, november, safety, sharpsburg, snow, winter, winter storm, winter weather, winterize, wintertime Email Article
Champion, Champion Construction Systems, Community News, Emergency Planning, Georgia Winter Weather Awareness Week, Storm Damage, Water Damage, atlanta ga, champion construction, disaster, disaster planning, disaster preparedness, home, ice, newnan ga, north atlanta, november, safety, sharpsburg, snow, winter, winter storm, winter weather, winterize, wintertime Email Article 
The recent disastrous floods affecting many parts of Georgia has truly been an eye-opening experience. As a company that deals with insurance claims, it was astounding to see how many homeowners were blindsided by the lack of flood insurance coverage in their policies. I can only imagine how devastated and helpless these individuals felt when presented with the loss of material possessions and possible displacement from their homes without any money to pay for restoration or replacement.
Many Champion employees, including the owner’s group, have had the opportunity to help some of the victims of this disaster by volunteering time on the weekends for the past month to help organize efforts getting victims governmental assistance as well as lending storm damage expertise, experience and equipment in quickly drying out the structures of homes in the Douglasville, Stone Mountain, Decatur and surrounding Metro-Atlanta areas.
I have had the pleasure of helping with this relief effort and it gives me a sense of accomplishment to be able to help those in need. When catastrophic things happen, we have the tendency to feel helpless. We want to do something, but we don’t know what or how. Now, on the weekends, I know that I am going to go to someone’s home, hear their story and sympathize with them. But I also know that I can help them do something about it because I’m going to assess the damage, mark it for demolition, sanitize it and set equipment so that the first phase to restoration will be put in motion. And that, readers, is far more satisfying than any paycheck could ever be.
Chloe L. Hudson-Senior Contents Technician
Every year in the United States, about 3,000 people lose their lives in residential fires. Most fire victims die from inhalation of toxic smoke and gases, not as a result of burns. Most deaths occur during the night while victims are sleeping. So, that is why smoke alarms are considered one of the best and least expensive means of providing early warning of potentially deadly fires. In fact, the risk of dying in a residential fire is twice as likely in homes without functioning smoke detectors. The key here is "functioning". You could easily have one or more "non-functioning" units in your home.
That is why the US Consumer Product Safey Commission recommends testing smoke alarms at least once a month to make sure they are operating properly. Make replacing the batteries a seasonal routine when you reset the clocks for Daylight Savings Time to ensure that your alarm is working. As you insert the new battery, take a second to test the alarm. So, next week head your shopping list with "batteries for smoke detector" so that when November 1 rolls around and it is time to reset the clocks, you will have no excuse whatsoever to avoid changing out those batteries. Remember, don't wait for a fire in your home to test your smoke alarm. Do it now!
Kathy Reets - Co-Founder and Owner
I thought I'd post some helpful websites that will help any that were affected by the recent Georgia flooding.
"Take Charge of Your Recovery" 
