SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS: EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT

The Division of Emergency Management, Texas Dept. of Public Safety urges Texans to prepare for severe storms before they strike. Your family should have an emergency supply kit on hand, maintaining supplies in water resistant, easy to lift containers you can move rapidly if necessary This supply kit is appropriate for severe weather events and other emergencies as well. It should include:

• First aid kit
• Cash & credit card (power outages mean banks and ATMs may be unavailable)
• Battery operated radio
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Important documents and records, photo IDs, proof of residence
• 3 day supply of non-perishable food, one gallon of bottled water per person per day, coolers for food and ice storage
• Fire extinguisher
• Blankets, sleeping bags and extra clothing, extra shoes & socks
• Helmet (bicycle helmet), for each family member
• Extra prescription medications, extra written copies of prescriptions, hearing aids, and other special medical items
• Eyeglasses and sunglasses
• Extra keys
• Toilet paper, clean up supplies, duct tape, tarp, rope
• Can opener, knife, tools
• Booster cables, road maps
• Special supplies needed for babies, older adults and pets

Remember to change perishable supplies and water every six months.

For more information on Severe Weather Awareness Week, see the Division of Emergency Management Web site: www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem  and the National Weather Service Southern Region Headquarters, Fort Worth, Web site: www.srh.noaa.gov

WHEN FLOODWATERS COVER THE ROAD, BACK UP!

The Division of Emergency Management, Texas Dept. of Public Safety urges drivers to exercise extreme caution during severe rain events.

Flooding is the most common cause of weather-related deaths in Texas. As little as six inches of water can knock adults off their feet. Vehicles aren't safe either. When drivers see water across across a road, they need to back away and choose a different route.

Never drive through water on a road. Water can be deeper than it appears and water levels can rise very quickly. Floodwaters erode roadways. A missing section of road, even a missing bridge, will not be visible with water running across the area.

If a car stalls in floodwater, get out quickly and move to higher ground. Floodwaters may still be rising and the car could be swept away at any moment.

Water displaces 1,500 pounds of weight for every foot that it rises. In other words, if a car weighs 3,000 pounds, it takes only two feet of water to float it. Cars can become death traps because electric windows and door locks can short out when water reaches them, trapping occupants inside.

TORNADO MYTHS:

Myth: Areas near rivers, lakes and mountains are safe from tornadoes.
Fact: No place is safe from tornadoes. In the late 1980s, a tornado swept through Yellowstone National Park leaving a path of destruction up and down a 10,000 ft. mountain.

Myth: The low pressure with a tornado causes buildings to "explode" as the tornado passes overhead.
Fact: Violent winds and debris slamming into buildings cause most structural damage.

Myth: Windows should be opened before a tornado approaches to equalize pressure and minimize damage.
Fact: Opening windows allows damaging winds to enter the structure. Leave the windows alone; instead, immediately go to a safe place.

OTHER THUNDERSTORM HAZARDS

These dangers often accompany thunderstorms:

Flash Floods:  Number ONE weather killer - 146 deaths annually
Lightning: Kills 75-100 people each year
Damaging Straight-line Winds: Can reach 140 mph
Large Hail: Can reach the size of a grapefruit - causes several hundred million dollars in damage annually to property and crops

• Division of Emergency Management
• National Weather Service Southern Region Headquarters, Fort Worth
• Wind Science & Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech University
• Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979