Saline County Emergency Management in partnership with the National Weather Service and the Kansas Division of Emergency Management are participating in “Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week” this week, March 5th – 9th.
Kansans live with the threat of severe weather year round; Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week is the ideal time to start preparing for severe weather. Families should practice their severe weather safety plan at home, work, school or other public locations that they frequent. They should develop a safety plan for times when they are participating in outdoor activities as well as a plan for times when they are at home. Each Kansan should know where to go should severe weather strike their location.
Saline County will participate in the annual statewide tornado drill that will take place on Tuesday, March 6th at 10:00 am by activating the Outdoor Warning Sirens within the county. This drill will also take place over the NOAA weather radios throughout the area to encourage families and businesses to practice their preparedness plans. Should severe weather occur in Saline County during the test time frame the sirens will not be activated. Testing of the Outdoor Warning Sirens occurs in Saline County on the 1st Monday of each Month, weather permitting. If weather conditions are poor, the test is rescheduled for the 2nd Monday of the month.
All businesses are encouraged to participate in this test by exercising their facility tornado plans and procedures. We strongly urge residents and businesses not to rely on the outdoor warning sirens when they are indoors. We encourage residents and business owners to acquire NOAA weather radios for their homes and businesses to receive the most current and accurate weather information. We will be partnered with KAKE news Tuesday, 13 March, 2018 at Walgreens located at Broadway and Crawford Streets. The event will be from 3pm until 6pm. We will be programing weather radios for the public free of charge. Radios will be available for purchase at Walgreens for those who need a new radio. Members of the Saline County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), an all-volunteer group, will also be participating in the event.
Please join our countywide effort by promoting preparedness within your facility and to your employees and their families. For more information on emergency kits and safety in storms, visit www.ready.gov or contact the Saline County Emergency Management Office at 785-826-6511.
