Allen County Office of Homeland Security news release announcing Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness Week.
Allen County Office of Homeland Security Supports Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness Week, March 14-20, 2021
Allen County, Indiana (March 12, 2021) – The Allen County Office of Homeland Security is supporting Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Indiana during March 14-20, 2021. Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness Week is a statewide effort designed to increase awareness of the severe weather that affects everyone and encourages individuals, families, businesses and communities to know their risk, take action, and be a local leader in preparedness for others.
Being prepared to act quickly could be a matter of survival. This was especially evident during the EF3 tornado that struck the Woodburn area on August 24, 2016. Earlier that day, forecasters only called for a slight risk of severe weather. By the end of the afternoon, 22 tornados had touched down in Indiana and Ohio, several causing severe damage. The largest of which was the Woodburn tornado.
Individual preparedness and public partnerships saved lives that day. Only one minor injury was reported. Early warning, weather radios, Storm Spotters, tornado sirens, intense local media coverage of the changing conditions, and a Weather Ready Allen County helped to ensure that residents had the accurate and timely information they needed to make life-saving decisions in seconds.
Knowing your risk of severe weather, acting and being an example are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared to save your life and assist in saving the lives of others.
Know Your Risk: The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect you here in Allen County. Learn more about hazardous weather hazards on our Severe Weather page.
Take Action: Before storms strike, develop your emergency plan and be informed about emergency alerts. Have at least two separate sources of trusted weather alert information. When you receive an alert, be ready to act.
Lead: Share your preparedness story with your friends and family. Letting others know that you are prepared will prompt them to prepare as well. Studies show that many people use social media in the event of a disaster to let relatives and friends know they are safe. This is an important trend because people are most likely to take preparedness steps if they observe the preparations taken by others. Social media provides the perfect platform to model preparedness actions for others.
Being weather ready is a whole of community effort. A better-prepared, more-resilient Allen County begins with you. Know about the risks of severe weather in Allen County. Develop your plan. Be ready to act and be a leader of preparedness in Allen County.