Missouri observes Severe Weather Awareness Week from March 3-9, 2013. This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather you might experience in your area. Missouri’s most common natural hazards are tornadoes, thunderstorms and floods.
One of the worst natural hazards to hit Missouri was a mile-wide tornado that touched down in Joplin on May 22, 2011. Winds blowing at 200 miles per hour caused extensive damage. Tornadoes can occur at any time, but usually occur between 3pm and 9pm and can strike quickly with little or no warning.
Viewer Tip: Know how to prepare before, during and after severe weather to keep yourself and your family safe. Visit www.ready.gov/missouri for more details on severe weather in Missouri and information on how to be prepared. Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week with a first-aid kit, flashlight with batteries, extra glasses and prescription medications, blankets, toiletries and a battery-operated radio. For tips on how to update your emergency kit, visit www.ready.gov/maintaining-your-kit.
March 3-9, 2013 is also National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. NOAA is asking you to “Be a Force of Nature” by not only preparing yourself, but also encouraging your social network to prepare by texting, tweeting, or posting a Facebook status update.
(Source: National Weather Service, “Weather Awareness Events Calendar,” http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/severeweather/severewxcal.shtml; FEMA, “These are the days when we needed a plan,” http://www.ready.gov/today)
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