If a tornado was bearing down on Michigan’s Great Southwest would you even know what to do? Does your family have a plan for what to do before, during and after severe weather strikes that have the potential to ramp up during the spring season?
Governor Rick Snyder has proclaimed April 16th through the 22nd to be Severe Weather Awareness Week. As a result, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division of the Michigan State Police is encouraging businesses, organizations, families, and individuals to be a part of a voluntary statewide tornado drill at 1:00pm Eastern time on Wednesday, April 19th. Place it on your corporate calendar, in your private calendar or wherever you will be reminded to take part.
While tornadoes can occur any time of the year, they are especially common during the late spring and early summer months. As one of nature’s most violent storms, they can devastate homes and property in just seconds. The average lead time for tornadoes to develop is 10 to 15 minutes, which means citizens need to be ready to react quickly when a warning is issued.
As planning gets underway for the Statewide Tornado Drill, everyone should determine in advance where they should go if a tornado were to strike, and to have a plan for all common locations at home, work, and school as well as keeping an emergency kit available in those areas.
You can visit the link below for more information about tornado preparedness in the meantime. A few minutes for solid planning and preparation can mean the difference between life and death.
Here’s the link: http://www.Michigan.gov/miready
