Most of us may think of fall as a relatively calm season bursting with color from beautiful foliage, filled with laughter and fun from hayrides and corn mazes, and stuffed to the gills with turkey and pumpkin pie. It’s understandable for us to assume that tornadoes only happen in the spring and hurricanes only form during the summer. For the most part, these assumptions are correct. However, as we’ve been reminded this week, hurricanes and tornadoes are indeed a fall weather hazard too. In addition, wildfires, intense winds, flooding, droughts, early season snow and more can also occur during the fall months.
Along with keeping our amateur radio equipment ready for emergency use, we should also get ready for fall weather with the following preparedness tips from the National Weather Service. Stay safe this fall!
1. Know Your Risk: Check the Weather Forecast Daily
Start your day with weather.gov, whether it’s on a computer, phone or social media. Check the forecast before you leave home so that you’ll know what to expect during the day.
2. Take Action: Prepare for Weather Hazards
To be weather-ready, it takes more than just knowing the forecast. You must be prepared for it. Get ready with an emergency supplies kit and a family communications plan. An emergency supplies kit is merely a box containing vital supplies that you may need during an emergency, such as food, water and medicine, while a family communications plan lists alternative ways of getting in touch during an emergency.
3. Be A Force of Nature: Share Your Weather Preparedness Story
You are influential. Take a photo of your emergency supplies kit and share it on social media, or simply go next door and talk to the neighbors about what to do if a storm strikes. Building a Weather-Ready Nation is a job for all of us. If you’re looking for things to share, see the info-graphics and social media plans in the sidebar. They’re free to take and share with your family and friends.