Be prepared for severe weather

Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, March 4, 2020

We are entering that time of year when severe weather can break out suddenly.

Tift County is under a flash flood warning as this edition of the paper is being prepared.

The best time to prepare for bad weather is when the weather is good, and so we want to share some planning strategies and tips from Ready Georgia.

1. Make A Plan

You’ve got to make a plan to have a plan.

Sit down with your family and iron one out.

Figure out how to contact one another in the event of an emergency and how to reconnect if necessary.

Establish a family meeting place to go in case your house or apartment is too damaged. Pick a place that’s easy to find and familiar.

Identify what unique needs your family would have in an emergency: pets, caring for older family members, special needs members, etc.

If possible, obtain an extra supply of any necessary medications family members take.

2. Prepare for thunderstorms and lightning

Thunderstorms can bring with them strong winds, lightning, tornadoes, hail and flash flooding.

An average thunderstorm lasts 30 minutes and is 15 miles in diameter.

Damaging thunderstorm winds occur about 75 days a year in Georgia. Most common in the summer months, they can nonetheless occur throughout the year.

Prepare by removing dead or rotting trees and branches from your property, securing any outdoor object that could blow away, shuttering windows and closing doors.

Prepare for tornadoes by determining in advance where your family will take shelter. Underground shelters are best; if not possible, then an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible is the best option.

Lightning kills a few Georgians per year, so during a thunderstorm, get inside.

If you can’t get inside a building, get inside a car.

Do not take shelter under a tree, on top of a hill or in an open field.

If you can’t get inside, get to the lowest area nearby and make yourself as small a target as possible.

Stay inside for at least 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.

After a thunderstorm passes, avoid storm damaged areas, downed power lines and flooded roadways.

3. Make a kit

Create a ready kit, including: a gallon of water per person per day, a three-day supply of food, can opener, battery powered or hand crank radio, an emergency charger for mobile devices, flashlight and extra batteries, first aid kit, whistle, face mask, wrench or pliers, moist towelettes, local maps, garbage bags and plastic ties.

Additionally, consider getting together prescription medications and glasses, pet food and supplies, important family documents, cash, sleeping bags or blankets, a fire extinguisher and matches.

4. Watch out for flooding

While floods generally develop over a period of days, flash floods can occur with little or no warning, reaching full peak in only a few minutes.

Know your area’s flood risk (contact your local emergency management agency or visit floodsmart.gov) and consider flood insurance.

Keep valuable family documents in a waterproof container.

If advised to evacuate by local officials, evacuate.

Move to higher ground.

Do not try to drive through standing water. More than half of flood victims are in vehicles swept away by moving water. A foot of water can float a car and two feet can sweep an automobile away.

Stay out of flood water if at all possible. Six inches of fast moving water can knock a person off their feet. Additionally, the water could be contaminate or electrically charged.

If a flood occurs, do not return home until local authorities say it is safe. Even after flood waters recede, there could still be danger of weakened roads or bridges collapsing, buildings being unstable or drinking water being contaminated.