Emergency Preparedness

1. Determine Your Risk: 

• Howard County has a history of thunderstorms, lightning, hurricanes, and tornados.  You can find detailed information on natural hazards risk in Howard County in the Community Hazard Handbook.   
• Up-to-date weather information for your area can always be found on National Weather Service Website. 

2. Strengthen Your Home & Gather Supplies 
3. Get Tech Ready and Watch the Weather
4. Make a Plan and Take Preventive Action

• Keep your cell phone charged when you know inclement weather is in the forecast and purchase backup charging devices to power electronics. 
• Download the FEMA app.  Get weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States. 
• Sign up for you community’s warning system. 
• Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) 
• NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) 
• Everyone in your household should know and understand your plans. 
• Include the office, kids’ day care, and anywhere else you frequent in your plans. 

Thunderstorms & Lightning:

• Cut down or trim trees that may be in danger of falling on your home. 
• Consider buying surge protectors, lightning rods or a lightning protection system to protect your home, appliances and electronic devices. 

Hurricanes:

• De-clutter drains and gutters. 
• Bring in outside furniture and other outdoor items that could blow away.
• Consider hurricane shutters to protect your windows. 
• Have enough supplies for your household in your go bag or car trunk, including medications, disinfectant supplies and pet supplies. 

Tornadoes:

• Identify and practice going to a safe shelter for high winds, such as a safe room built using FEMA criteria or a storm shelter built to ICC 500 standards. 
• FEMA hosts the Safe Room Helpline, responding to inquiries concerning FEMA’s safe room publications and guidance. Inquiries can be sent to Saferoom@fema.dhs.gov or made by calling 866-927-2104.

Thunderstorms & Lightning:

• When thunder roars, go indoors! 
• Protect your property.
• Never lie flat on the ground.
• Turn Around. Don’t Drown! 
• Remember 30-30 rule: After you see lightning, start counting to 30. If you hear thunder before you reach 30, go indoors. Suspend activities for at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.

https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-indoors

Hurricane:

• Go to your basement or an inside room, without windows, on the lowest floor.
• If outside, go to a low-lying area such as a ditch and lie flat. Protect your head and neck with an object or with your arms.
• If you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and local officials tell you to evacuate, do so immediately.  
• Locate the nearest shelter and different routes you can take to get there from your home. If shelter locations in your area have not been identified, learn how to find them in the event of a storm.

https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/be-safe-after.html

Tornado:

• Do not try to outrun a tornado in a vehicle.  If you are in a car or outdoors and cannot get to a building, cover your head and neck with your arms and cover your body with a coat or blanket, if possible. 
• Don’t stay in a mobile home during a tornado. Mobile homes can turn over during strong winds.
• If you don’t have a basement, go to a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level during the storm

https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/tornadoes/during.html#taking-shelter

• Pay attention to authorities and weather forecasts for information on whether it is safe to go outside and special instructions.
• Be careful during clean-up.  Wear protective clothing and use appropriate face coverings or masks if cleaning mold or other debris.
• Save phone calls for emergencies.  Phone systems often are down or busy after a disaster.  Use text messages or social media to communicate with family and friends.
• Document any property damage with photographs.  Contact your insurance company for assistance. 
• Let friends and family know before you leave and when you arrive.
• Don’t drink the water. Bring water and non-perishable food.  Avoid drinking tap water and flushing your toilets until you hear the “all clear” and you know that your sewer or septic system is in good working order.
• Photograph the damage. Take detailed photographs before you begin cleaning up. This can help your insurance company when they’re assessing the damage
• Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water.  Watch for fallen power lines and trees.  Report them immediately. 
• Do not wade in flood water.
• People with asthma and other lung conditions and/or immune suppression should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can be smelled.
• Contact your healthcare provider if you are sick and need medical attention.
• Charge devices and consider getting back-up batteries in case power-outages continue.
• Fill up your gas tank and consider downloading a fuel app to check for outages along your route.
• Walk the perimeter. Take note of any out-of-place electrical wiring, gas smells, or loose debris that may fall. If you notice downed power lines or a gas smell, call your hydro or gas company before entering your house.
• When in doubt, throw it out. Food and drinks inside your fridge or freezer may need to be tossed when you return home — especially if your house lost power or was exposed to heat, ash, smoke, or any of the chemicals used to put out fires.
• Save receipts for additional living expenses. Keep receipts for transportation, stays at a hotel or rental property, and any other costs you wouldn’t normally face while living in your own home.
• Contact your insurance agent/company.

Severe Weather 101 - NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory

Prepare for Thunderstorms & Lightning

Prepare for Hurricanes

Prepare for Tornadoes

Evacuation – Before, During, and After

Staying Safe in a Tornado 

National Hurricane Center

National Lightning Safety Awareness Week 

Kids: Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and Word Search Puzzle (PDF)