Next week is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa, and officials are encouraging residents to prepare themselves, their families, and their homes for the potentially hazardous conditions that come with spring and summer. The Carroll County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is participating in the week, which runs from March 24 through March 28, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the National Weather Service (NWS). Carroll County EMA Coordinator Jeff Cullen says most Iowans are familiar with severe weather events, but they often have done little to prepare for an emergency.
Each day of the week will focus on a different hazard: lightning safety on Monday, tornado safety on Tuesday, general preparedness on Wednesday, hail and wind safety on Thursday, and flood safety on Friday. Carroll County Communication Director Jason Hoffman says the dispatch center is often flooded with calls when these scenarios occur, so people must know when and when not to dial 9-1-1.
A statewide program that Carroll County participates in is Alert Iowa. Hoffman says it is an easy-to-use system that people should sign up for notifications on emergent weather scenarios.
More information on registering for Alert Iowa can be found included with this story online at www.carrollbroadcasting.com. Cullen says a big part of Severe Weather Awareness Week is the statewide tornado drill scheduled for Wednesday, March 26, at 10 a.m.
For residents who are interested, the National Weather Service is hosting a free storm spotter training course on Thursday, March 27, at the Carroll Fire Station on Bella Vista Drive from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There is no need to register, and Cullen says anybody who wants to learn more about what to watch for during severe weather events should consider attending. Carroll Broadcasting will have more from Cullen and Hoffman on each of the days’ topics next week. Links to emergency preparedness resources are included below.
______
https://homelandsecurity.iowa.gov/programs/alert-iowa
