GEMA Reminds Georgians Never to Underestimate Thunderstorms
GEMA's Ready Georgia campaign offers tips to help residents stay safe during Severe Weather Awareness Week
(ATLANTA) – Because they are so common, Georgians often don’t realize the hazards thunderstorms can bring. All thunderstorms have the potential to be dangerous because they can produce strong winds, lightning, tornadoes, hail and flooding. Feb. 5 is Thunderstorm Safety Day, part of Severe Weather Awareness Week. Governor Nathan Deal, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA), and NWS urge all Georgians to learn how to prepare for and respond to thunderstorms.
Throughout Severe Weather Awareness Week, officials are encouraging Georgians to take one simple action each day to get prepared. During Thunderstorm Safety Day, they recommend checking your patio or yard to make sure there is nothing that could blow away during a storm. This includes checking your trees for dead or rotting branches, and removing them to prevent storm damage.
The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes. Nearly 10 percent of thunderstorms are classified as severe, meaning they have winds of 58 mph or higher, hail at least three-quarters of an inch and may produce a tornado.
According to the National Weather Service, we can expect 45 to 55 days with thunderstorms each year in Georgia. However, they occur most frequently in the spring and summer months, peaking in July. Approximately 10 percent of all thunderstorms in the U.S. are classified as severe.
All Georgians are encouraged to recognize severe weather, develop a plan, and be ready to act when threatening weather approaches:
To prepare for a thunderstorm, you should do the following:
- Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.
- Remember the 30/30 lightning safety rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.
What you should do if a thunderstorm is likely in your area:
- Postpone outdoor activities.
- Get inside a home or building,.
- Remember, rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide no protection from lightning. However, the frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal.
- Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.
- Shutter windows and secure outside doors. If shutters are not available, close window blinds, shades, or curtains.
- Avoid showering or bathing. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity.
- Use a corded telephone only for emergencies. Cordless and cellular telephones are safe to use.
- Monitor NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for the latest weather forecasts, or download the Ready Georgia mobile app.
Avoid the following:
- Natural lightning rods such as tall, isolated trees in an open area.
- Hilltops, open fields, the beach, or a boat on the water.
- Isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.
- Anything metal — tractors, farm equipment, motorcycles, golf carts, golf clubs and bicycles.
To help families prepare, Ready Georgia, a statewide emergency preparedness campaign established by GEMA, offers the tools needed to make an emergency supply kit, develop a communications plan and stay informed about potential threats. Visitors to Ready Georgia’s website, www.ready.ga.gov, can create an online profile to receive a tailored plan for the entire family that includes the specific amount of supplies to put in their household Ready kits. They can also find local emergency contact information, learn about Georgia-specific disasters and read preparedness testimonials from local sports stars. Children’s games and activities can be found on the ReadyKids page, and households with elderly or disabled family members and pets will also find specific information on preparing for severe weather. For preparedness on the go, families can also download Ready Georgia’s free mobile app to learn how to prepare for emergencies, create family communications plans and more.
For more information on how to prepare for severe weather visit, www.ready.ga.gov or www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc or download Ready Georgia’s free mobile app. To learn about specific risks in your area, contact your local emergency management agency.
About Ready Georgia
Ready Georgia is a statewide campaign designed to educate and empower Georgians to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks, potential terrorist attacks and other large-scale emergencies. The campaign is a project of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security and provides a local dimension to Ready America, a broader national campaign. Ready Georgia aims to prepare citizens for maintaining self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours following an emergency, and uses an interactive website, free mobile app, broadcast and print advertising and public awareness media messaging to reach its audiences. Ready Georgia is also on Facebook and YouTube.