Tsunami Preparedness Week
March 22 – 28 is Tsunami Preparedness Week ! If you live in a coastal area, now is a good time to familiarize yourself with tsunami safety procedures. While tsunamis cannot be predicted, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offers suggestions for what you can do before , during , and after a tsunami that could save your life and the lives of others.
One of the best ways to prepare is by knowing and understanding hazard-specific alerts and warnings. NOAA's tsunami warning centers issue four levels of tsunami alerts : Tsunami Information Statement, Tsunami Watch, Tsunami Advisory, and Tsunami Warning.
According to NOAA, there may not always be time to wait for an official notice, so it is important that you understand natural warnings! These include strong or long earthquakes, a loud roar from the ocean, and a sudden rise and fall of the water. The ocean could also drain away suddenly showing the ocean floor, reefs and fish like in a very low tide . If you experience any of these warnings, move to high ground or inland away from the water and follow instructions from local officials.
For more information about tsunamis, check out this NOAA poster and share it with family and friends.
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UPS Employees Get “Ready and Prepared” with America's PrepareAthon!
Disaster preparedness is important to UPS (United Parcel Service), which supports several efforts to prepare its employees and facilities worldwide throughout the year. Last year, they asked Bill Ingham, a UPS employee and the manager of the Oldham County, Kentucky CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program to present information on disaster preparedness and America's PrepareAthon! ? to his coworkers at their worldwide air hub at the Louisville, Kentucky International Airport.
On September 18 and 25, Bill set up an America's PrepareAthon! information booth and engaged more than 500 employees in discussions on disaster preparedness as they began and ended their shifts at the UPS facility. He showed employees how to register for and participate in America's PrepareAthon! and talked to them about the most common types of hazards in their communities and how to prepare for them. Bill stocked his booth with Federal Emergency Management Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brochures, posters, sample emergency kit supplies, and a power point presentation.
Bill also shares information about disaster preparedness with his community throughout the year through a variety of different venues. For example, he is helping to plan a preparedness community education fair. He also works with local businesses to set up preparedness information booths at their locations each year during National Preparedness Month in September.
Bill takes his involvement with America's PrepareAthon! and disaster preparedness seriously. While he knows that not everyone he talks to may read the materials he hands out, stock up on water or batteries, or create a family disaster plan, he believes that if he can get through to even one person, it makes it all worthwhile.
Bill plans to continue to support America's PrepareAthon! wherever asked, whenever possible and by whatever means in order to help achieve his personal goal that every American be "ready and prepared.”
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Become a TsunamiReady Community
Calling all community leaders and emergency managers - Is your community TsunamiReady? Schools, playgrounds, hospitals and homes are often built in areas vulnerable to tsunamis. That's why the National Weather Service created the TsunamiReady Program . This program helps cities in coastal areas prepare for potential consequences of a tsunami and minimize losses.
View the TsunamiReady Communities map to see if your community is one of 180 that are participating in the program. To be recognized as TsunamiReady, communities must meet several requirements, including:
- Establishing a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center;
- Having more than one way to receive tsunami warnings to alert the public; and
- Developing a formal tsunami plan.
For the full list of criteria and to download an application, visit the TsunamiReady website .
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Dates for Your Calendar!
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