Grab your cell phones and head to your severe storm shelter! It’s Safe Place Selfie Day! This campaign was created by The National Weather Service to drive awareness about the importance of having an action plan in place for when severe weather strikes.
WQAD is an ambassador of the weather service’s Weather-Ready Nation, an outreach and education program dedicated to raising awareness about severe weather safety. Each year through classroom and small group visits, it is our mission to make sure that every individual in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities is prepared for when severe weather strikes.
Tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, floods, lightning, all of these hazards pose a substantial risk to life and property each year.
Here are some helpful suggestions from the National Weather Service:
- Think about all of the possible hazards that you would need to seek shelter from, not just tornadoes. Storm shelters, safe rooms, and basements are all good places, but what other locations could be utilized in a different type of emergency?
- Do you have a NOAA Weather Radio? Emergency kit? Family communication plan? Don’t rely on cell phone communication to be present after a storm has passed. Be ready to seek alternative methods of communication. Have a predetermined central meeting place in case your family becomes separated from one another.
- Are the contacts in your phone up to date? Make sure you have all the crucial phone numbers stored, along with insurance information.
Practice, practice, practice! It’s the easiest way to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Join the movement and show us your Safe Place Selfie! We’ll feature them Thursday morning on Good Morning Quad Cities.
-Meteorologist Andrew Stutzke
