AMU Emergency Management Health & Fitness Public Safety Resource

Thunder in the Plains–it’s Coming!

April in the MidWest plains region has been pretty mellow this year. [link url=”https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/severe-weather-forecast-outbreak-tornadoes-april-24-30-2016″ title=”All indicators are that this calm before the storm will end today“], and get worse as the week goes on. Preparedness is now job one. So let’s review some resources concerning storm and tornado preparedness.

FEMA leads the way in general preparedness with its [link url=”https://community.fema.gov/” title=”America’s PrepareAthon“] initiative. Here you can find a variety of resources, including guidance evaluating risk, signing up for warning systems, how to find local weather information, etc. This is a program that develops a local grassroots initiative, so what you learn, DO share with your community.

The Weather Channel remains one of the premier preparation resources. [link url=”https://weather.com/” title=”Resources available include“] severe weather predictions, daily and weekly forecasts, current high quality interactive radar mapping, and a full library of preparedness knowledge and wisdom.

Your state emergency management agency is dedicated to the mission of keeping you and your served public safe. [link url=”https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/” title=”Texas“], [link url=”https://www.ok.gov/oem/” title=”Oklahoma“], [link url=”http://www.kansastag.gov/kdem_default.asp” title=”Kansas“], [link url=”https://nema.nebraska.gov/” title=”Nebraska“], [link url=”http://www.adem.arkansas.gov/AEM/index.php” title=”Arkansas“], and [link url=”http://sema.dps.mo.gov/” title=”Missouri“] state EMAs can be found in these highlighted links.

(Aside comment: Look at how horrible Kansas’ page is. The emergency management program is run by lawyers that administer the highway toll system!?! Give me a break! That’s what you get when you have a [link url=”http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/03/gop-must-answer-for-what-it-did-to-kansas.html” title=”governor that is dedicated to destroying the functionality of his state“] for the purpose of enacting conservative governing principles that don’t work, and that physically endanger the public. Yet another reason to be embarrassed about living in Kansas. Sad but true.)

So that’s a brief overview of resources available. If you drill down further in your search, you will find resources available at your local county and city level that will provide even more detailed and useful information. Use them well.

But the primary message today is this: If you’re in any of the states listed above, the time for relaxation and complacency is over. For at least the next week, it’s time to go to yellow alert or DEFCON three or however your agency or your family views threat situations. And there’s no time to waste.

“The right time to find your flashlight is before the lights go out.”–Ian Mitroff.

Stay safe, be well, serve the public proudly, and see you at the other end of the week.

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