HISTORIC TRIANGLE — The National Weather Service and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management are promoting March 4-8 as Virginia Severe Weather Awareness Week.
Each day during the week, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management will share a different topic with preparedness tips and ways to stay safe on social media.
The National Weather Service has asked emergency management, public safety officials, local media and Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors to join forces in improving the nation’s readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience against severe weather during the upcoming season.
Daily topics cover watch versus warning, tornados, severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and outdoor weather safety.
According to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, knowing what types of disasters we can face here in Virginia is only the first step in being prepared. Having a preparedness plan is vital. Each emergency is different, but starting with the basics will help you and your family be ready when the time comes.
Emergency plans, tips for preparedness and contact information for James City County, Williamsburg and York County are available on their government webpages, as well as through the Virginia Department of Health.
A free, virtual Skywarn class, established by the National Weather Service, will be available on Monday, March 4 at 1 p.m. Skywarn is a volunteer program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters that help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service. Registration is required.
In addition, a statewide tornado drill is scheduled to take place at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 7.
