Cumberland County: County Observes Severe Weather Preparedness Week

Press release from the Cumberland County:

Mar 03, 2022

Cumberland County Emergency Services urges residents to practice tornado safety and practice their emergency plans during Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 6 – 12. Cumberland County joins the National Weather Service and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety in observing severe weather awareness.

Severe weather in North Carolina typically occurs in March, April, May and June and can occur with little to no warning. During their regular meeting Feb. 21, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a proclamation in support of Severe Weather Preparedness Week.

“Spring is around the corner and so is the potential for severe weather,” said Cumberland County Emergency Management Coordinator Garry Crumpler. “Severe thunderstorms can develop rapidly and include a variety of weather conditions such as hail, flash floods and tornadoes.”

The best way to prepare for quick action is to have a family emergency plan, assemble a supply kit, and stay alert by listening to local radio, television or a National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) radio for information on severe weather.

Residents are also encouraged to participate in the statewide tornado drill on Wednesday, March 9, at 9:30 a.m. The National Weather Service will broadcast the tornado drill over NOAA weather radio stations and the Emergency Alert System.

“Practicing what to do is part of being prepared and knowing what to do when severe weather strikes,” said Crumpler. “The time you take now to prepare will make the difference if and when disaster strikes.”

Now is the time to be prepared. Visit weather.gov/wrn/spring-safety for severe weather season safety and preparedness tips and information. For a helpful toolkit to get started on your emergency plan, visit ready.gov/plan. Children and teenagers can learn preparedness with interactive games and activity books at ready.gov/kids.

Sign Up For Cumberland Alerts

You can receive Cumberland Alerts on your phone. The service provides many features in an easy-to-use-format. Users will be able to personalize their notifications by selecting the location-based weather alerts they want to receive as well as how they would like to receive those alerts. Additionally, users will receive geographic-based alerts for situations such as law enforcement activity, missing persons and more. Alerts can be sent by voice or text communication to multiple devices including computers, land lines, cell phones and tablets.

When an alert is issued, a notification about a potential safety hazard or concern will be sent to subscribers by the communication path for which they registered. Users can confirm they have received the message and will not be contacted by any subsequent methods regarding that notification. If a user does not confirm, the system will continue to reach the user using all the contact paths they selected.

For more information about severe weather in Cumberland County, subscribe to Cumberland Alerts at cumberlandcountync.gov/alerts. Follow the County’s social media at facebook.com/CumberlandNC.

This press release was produced by the Cumberland County. The views expressed here are the author’s own.