Franklin County Supports Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Illinois

Franklin County Government is proud to support Severe Weather Preparedness Week, March 4th – 10th, 2018.

BENTON – Franklin County officials are teaming up with the State of Illinois and the National Weather Service to support Severe Weather Preparedness Week; a statewide 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. On February 28th, 2017, a massive EF-4 Tornado scared the landscape of western Franklin County leaving behind a path of destruction that destroyed three homes. Director of Emergency Management Ryan M. Buckingham is encouraging residents to take three simple steps to be better prepared for severe weather:

Step 1: Know Your Risk: The first step to becoming storm ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where you live and work, and how the weather could impact you and your family. Check the weather forecast regularly, obtain a NOAA All-Hazards Radio, and learn about Wireless Emergency Alerts. Severe weather comes in many forms and your shelter plan should include all types of local hazards.

Step 2: Take Action: Before storms strike, develop a family communication plan, create or purchase an emergency supplies kit and NOAA All-Hazards Radio. You can also sign up for free text alerts from Franklin County Emergency Management Agency by texting your zip code to the number 888777.

Step 3: Be an Example: Share your preparedness story with your friends and family on social media. 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. Being weather ready is a collective effort. It takes the whole community to effectively prepare for, protect against, respond to, and recover from the damages caused by tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and other severe weather.

Contact:

Office of the Director of Emergency Management Ryan M. Buckingham 618-439-4362 information@franklincountyema.com
Office of the Director of Emergency Management Office: (618) 439-4EMA  24 Hour Emergency: (618) 438-4841 www.franklincountyema.com – information@franklincountyema.com

“We are proud to support the goals of Severe Weather Preparedness Week” said Director of Emergency Management Ryan M. Buckingham. “We hope citizens and visitors will take advantage of the activities we have planned for the week and better prepare for severe weather”, added the Director.

Local events scheduled for this week include:

 Free NOAA All-Hazards Radio Programming – Have you purchased a NOAA Weather Radio but need help programming it? Let us help! Officials will be at the following locations to program radios throughout the week:

Monday, March 5th – Wal-Mart (West City) – 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Tuesday, March 6th – Cowboy Up Auto (Christopher) – 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Wednesday, March 7th – Kroger (West Frankfort) – 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Thursday, March 8th – Cowboy Up Auto (Christopher) – 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Friday, March 9th – Rural King (West City) – 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

 Monday, March 5th – SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training – Sponsored by Franklin County EMA, West City Fire Department and National Weather Service starting at 6:00 PM at the West City Community Center located at 201 S. Browning Street in West City. This event is free and open to the public. Come out and learn how to detect and report severe weather!

 Tuesday, March 6th – A Statewide Tornado Drill will commence at 10:00 AM. Local warning systems will be activated to allow residents and business owners the opportunity to practice their severe weather preparedness plans.

Share this information with your friends on social media using the hash tag #SWPW18! Join us on Twitter @FCEMA and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FCEMA. Learn more about Franklin County Emergency Management Agency at our website at www.franklincountyil.gov/FCEMA.