Prepare for Fall Storms #WRN #Skywarn #AltusOK

Altus --- As National Preparedness Month comes to a close, area emergency managers call on residents to be weather aware during the fall storm season.

"Area residents should continue to have a 72-hour kit," said Wayne Cain, Jackson County Emergency Manager.  "Keeping the supplies rotated through the year is important as well."

Oklahoma's fall storm season has brought tornadoes to Tulsa in December, according to Lloyd Colston, Altus Emergency Management director.  He noted that, historically, there is no month in which Jackson County has not had a tornado reported.

Citizens are encouraged to have three ways to get weather warnings.  Those include:

*  All-Hazards radio broadcast from the National Weather Service with a specially designed receiver that has a specific area message encoder technology.  Information may be found at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/.

*  Alert Altus allows users to get text and email warnings for the Altus area.  Information and signup is at http://altusok.gov/alertaltus

* Local radio and television stations broadcast severe weather alerts.  A battery powered AM-FM radio or television set will be important during power outages.  Media also have text and email weather alerting applications.

*  Local amateur radio operators relay reports to the National Weather Service Office in Norman.  Radio scanners can be used to listen to the reports.

October Climate Information for #AltusOK from @OKmesonet

Shown as October 2016
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Periods of Record Temps #1903-2010 Precip #1903-2012 Snow #1903-2012 # - large gaps in record	Key * - Record since tied Highlight = Oct record All Temps in deg F All Precip in inches Sig Prcp Freq = Pct of days with >= 0.1" precip	Oct. Averages High Temp 78 F Low Temp 50 F Avg Temp 64 F Precip 2.85" Snow 0.0"				1 T Avgs: 85/54 Sig Prcp Freq: 6% Extremes: High T 104 (1977) Low T 39 (1985) Precip 1.46 (1941)
2 T Avgs: 85/55 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 102 (2000) Low T 40* (1975) Precip 1.12 (1986)	3 T Avgs: 84/55 Sig Prcp Freq: 12% Extremes: High T 104 (2000) Low T 40 (1975) Precip 2.15 (1955)	4 T Avgs: 83/56 Sig Prcp Freq: 15% Extremes: High T 102 (1928) Low T 38 (1979) Precip 3.57 (1953)	5 T Avgs: 82/55 Sig Prcp Freq: 14% Extremes: High T 98 (1937) Low T 37 (1932) Precip 3.45 (1919)	6 T Avgs: 82/55 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 99 (1937) Low T 35 (2001) Precip 2.31 (1930)	7 T Avgs: 80/53 Sig Prcp Freq: 16% Extremes: High T 101 (1979) Low T 31 (1952) Precip 1.13 (1919)	8 T Avgs: 80/53 Sig Prcp Freq: 16% Extremes: High T 99 (1979) Low T 34 (1976) Precip 1.54 (1919)
9 T Avgs: 81/52 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 99* (1928) Low T 26 (2000) Precip 4.44 (1918)	10 T Avgs: 80/51 Sig Prcp Freq: 11% Extremes: High T 96 (1963) Low T 27 (2000) Precip 1.66 (1926)	11 T Avgs: 79/52 Sig Prcp Freq: 7% Extremes: High T 97 (1954) Low T 34 (1932) Precip 1.43 (1931)	12 T Avgs: 79/52 Sig Prcp Freq: 12% Extremes: High T 95 (1979) Low T 28 (1977) Precip 1.71 (1960)	13 T Avgs: 80/53 Sig Prcp Freq: 11% Extremes: High T 100 (1954) Low T 34 (1986) Precip 3.73 (1923)	14 T Avgs: 79/52 Sig Prcp Freq: 14% Extremes: High T 99 (1928) Low T 34* (1969) Precip 1.89 (1960)	15 T Avgs: 78/51 Sig Prcp Freq: 23% Extremes: High T 97 (1917) Low T 35* (1914) Precip 3.31 (1915)
16 T Avgs: 78/51 Sig Prcp Freq: 16% Extremes: High T 96 (1917) Low T 30 (2001) Precip 1.80 (2006)	17 T Avgs: 77/50 Sig Prcp Freq: 12% Extremes: High T 98 (1972) Low T 31* (1976) Precip 1.05 (1942)	18 T Avgs: 77/49 Sig Prcp Freq: 12% Extremes: High T 95 (1972) Low T 33 (1948) Precip 4.16 (1965)	19 T Avgs: 77/48 Sig Prcp Freq: 4% Extremes: High T 95 (1940) Low T 25 (1989) Precip 1.40 (1983)	20 T Avgs: 75/48 Sig Prcp Freq: 12% Extremes: High T 95 (1979) Low T 25 (1976) Precip 7.10 (1983)	21 T Avgs: 76/48 Sig Prcp Freq: 18% Extremes: High T 95 (2003) Low T 32 (1917) Precip 1.96 (1972)	22 T Avgs: 75/48 Sig Prcp Freq: 15% Extremes: High T 93 (1939) Low T 29 (1990) Precip 2.76 (1986)
23 T Avgs: 73/47 Sig Prcp Freq: 20% Extremes: High T 92 (2003) Low T 28 (1917) Precip 1.33 (1977)	24 T Avgs: 73/45 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 95 (2003) Low T 27 (2005) Precip 1.25 (1949)	25 T Avgs: 73/46 Sig Prcp Freq: 9% Extremes: High T 91 (1939) Low T 28 (2005) Precip 2.18 (1923)	26 T Avgs: 73/45 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 93 (1950) Low T 26 (1957) Precip 2.60 (1918) Snow trace* (1913)	27 T Avgs: 72/44 Sig Prcp Freq: 12% Extremes: High T 91 (1930) Low T 26 (1997) Precip 0.74 (2000)	28 T Avgs: 72/45 Sig Prcp Freq: 8% Extremes: High T 90 (1937) Low T 26 (1925) Precip 1.95 (1991)	29 T Avgs: 73/45 Sig Prcp Freq: 11% Extremes: High T 92 (1950) Low T 20 (1980) Precip 1.50 (2009)
30 T Avgs: 72/45 Sig Prcp Freq: 13% Extremes: High T 90 (1963) Low T 17 (1917) Precip 1.90 (1979)	31 T Avgs: 70/44 Sig Prcp Freq: 21% Extremes: High T 88* (1944) Low T 17 (1993) Precip 1.88 (1940) Snow trace (1941)

Where is the Disaster Kit when you NEED one? #AltusOK #OKready

Ready Where You Are: Disaster Kit Storage

You never know where you’ll be when an emergency occurs, so it’s a good idea to be ready wherever you are.  That means preparing supplies for your home, work, and vehicle.

The Ready Campaign has information about creating a disaster supply kit for each location.

For your home:

• Create a kit containing enough food, water, and supplies to last at least three days; and
• Keep the kit in a designated place and make sure family members know where it is.

For your work:

• Be prepared to shelter in place for at least 24 hours;
• Include food, water, and other necessities like medicines in your kit. Keep the kit in one container and be ready to grab and go; and
• Have comfortable walking shoes in case an evacuation requires walking long distances.

For your vehicle:

• Include jumper cables, flashlights, clothing, and a first aid kit; and
• Consider having a fully charged cell phone and phone charger, flares, baby formula, and diapers if you have a small child.

Give the Gift of Your Time #AltusOK #OKready #NatlPrep

The local American Red Cross and Salvation Army can always use volunteers.  There's a volunteer recruitment effort on September 20 at the local chapter office on Willard.  Call 5804825303 for details. Community service is often one of the most rewarding ways to spend free time. During my year as a national service volunteer, I learned that giving time to your community or other communities is one of the most gratifying things you can do. Giving your time to help communities across the country to be more prepared is incredibly important. There are many ways to do so: Join a local Citizen Corps Council  Join a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Volunteering with your local American Red Cross chapter This week is a great time to consider spending some time serving your community as Sunday, September 11th was commemorated as a day of service--honoring the first responders and civilians that lost their lives 15 years ago.   Whichever volunteer opportunity you choose to partake in to help prepare your community, your community will be both better prepared and thankful for it.

Do you have a Safe Shelter? #OKwx #AltusOK

Room for Safety

Safe rooms are a good way to protect you and your family or employees from hurricanes or tornadoes. Having a safe room for your home or business can help provide “near-absolute protection”  from injury or death caused by the dangerous forces of extreme winds. Are you interested in building a safe room for your home or small business? Download FEMA P-320 Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room For Your Home or Small Business, and FEMA P-361 Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms. These publications help home or small business owners assess their risk and determine the best safe room for their needs. To learn more about safe rooms, visit fema.gov/safe-rooms. You can also check out this list of FAQs. If a safe room in not available during a hurricane, the best protective action is to evacuate before the hurricane makes landfall. Otherwise, seek the best available shelter: Go to a small, interior, windowless room such as a closet or bathroom on the lowest level of a sturdy building; for a hurricane, make sure the room is not subject to flooding; Cover yourself with any materials that may provide protection from debris, such as cushions, a sleeping bag, or a blanket; and Kneel down and bend over into a ball, and cover your head and neck with your arms. To learn more about how to protect yourself and your family during severe weather, visit the America’s PrepareAthon! website.

National Preparedness Month Week Three: Preparing Through Service #AltusOK #OKstandard

September 11 – 17 is week three of National Preparedness Month. The theme for this week is “Preparing Through Service.” Need ideas for how you can participate? There are several things you can do, including: Make a plan with neighbors; Plan a Whole Community event; Volunteer for Citizen Corps or join a local Community Emergency Response Team; or Learn more about the Youth Preparedness Council and join next year. We encourage you to participate in this national campaign to prepare individuals, families, and communities across the nation. Check out the 2016 National Preparedness Month Social Media Toolkit to find valuable resources to promote the weekly theme, including community service graphics and special social media messages to share with family, friends, and colleagues.

Does your Child have an "In Case of Emergency" CARD?

ICE Cards for Kids

Looking for a way to make disaster preparedness fun for kids? Check out the new PSA from Save the Children and 20th Century Fox featuring characters from the upcoming movie Ice Age: Collision Course! The children’s rights organization and film distributor recently teamed up to encourage parents to create In Case of Emergency (ICE) cards for their children so families can quickly reunite after a disaster.

Make an ICE card with phone numbers of family and friends you can call in case of an emergency. Print the free cards at home, put one copy in your child’s bag, and keep another copy for yourself. 

Disasters can strike when you least expect them. Plan ahead to stay connected to those you love. Create your ICE card today!

Join the September 11 National Day of Service & Remembrance #AltusOK #OKready @CitizenCorp #Prep2Serve

One way to show your support for National Preparedness Month is through volunteering. Volunteers can play an important role in their communities by helping first responders after a disaster. Join thousands of Americans participating in the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance to honor those who lost their lives during the September 11, 2001 attacks. The National Day of Service is also dedicated to survivors and those who served their communities following the attacks.  Find volunteer opportunities in your area today!  

Also, @Citizen_Corps will host a Twitter chat on Friday, September 9 at 1 PM ET discussing the importance of volunteering and ways you can support your community. Join the conversation using #Prep2Serve.