We have a FILLABLE form for that! Makes it even easier to have all of the emergency information in one place. Great to create the plan with other family members, too. Children, seniors and pets in mind. Then it's time to practice. It's awesome when you undertake this important task for your family. A great way to spend National Preparedness Month! Thank you, #PortageCountyOH! #PortagePrepares #NPM2022 #lastinglegacy #beready
DID YOU KNOW? ABOUT LIGHTNING...
We're lasering in on lightning today, Day 5 of Ohio's #SevereWeatherAwarenessWeek 2022! Because human beings are terrestrial and most of their possessions are on the Earth where lightning can damage or destroy them, cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning is the most studied and best understood of the three types, even though in-cloud (IC) and cloud-to-cloud (CC) are more common types of lightning. Lightning's relative unpredictability limits a complete explanation of how or why it occurs, even after hundreds of years of scientific investigation. About 70% of lightning occurs over land in the tropics[25] where atmospheric convection is the greatest. (Thank you Wikipedia!)
Lightning: What You Need to Know
⚡️NO PLACE outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area!!
⚡️If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
⚡️When you hear thunder, immediately move to safe shelter: a substantial building with electricity or plumbing or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with windows up.
⚡️Stay in safe shelter at least 30 minutes after you hear the last sound of thunder.
Indoor Lightning Safety
⚡️Stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity.
⚡️Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths and faucets.
⚡️Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.
⚡️Do not lie on concrete floors, and do not lean against concrete walls.
Last Resort Outdoor Risk Reduction Tips
️If you are caught outside with no safe shelter anywhere nearby the following actions may reduce your risk:
⚡️Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks
⚡️Never lie flat on the ground
⚡️Never shelter under an isolated tree
⚡️Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter
⚡️Immediately get out and away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water
⚡️Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power
Heads up #PortageCountyOH! As a part of #SevereWeatherAwarenessWeek, TOMORROW, March 23rd at 9:50 AM is the State Wide Tornado Drill. Be sure to practice your tornado drill in your homes, office space, or anywhere you may be when a #tornado may strike. Within #PortageCountyOH you can find tornado outdoor warning sirens in Paris Township, Deerfield Township, the City of Aurora, the City of Ravenna, and Kent State University.
Check out this short video we put together with the help of our partners over at the Portage County Sheriff's Office!
How do you remember the differences between a #TornadoWatch vs a #TornadoWarning? Tell us over at #PortagePrepares in the comments down below!
US National Weather Service Cleveland OH
Ohio Emergency Management Agency
DAY 2 of #SevereWeatherAwarenessWeek in Ohio! Today we focus on what to do before, during and after a severe #thunderstorm. Thunderstorms are dangerous and include lightning. They can create or cause powerful winds over 50 mph, hail and flash flooding and/or tornadoes. What to do when you sense a storm coming on?
ALWAYS REMEMBER TO FIND SHELTER IF THERE IS A THUNDERSTORM WARNING.
🟥 When thunder roars, go indoors! Move from outdoors into a building or car with a roof.
🟥 Pay attention to alerts and warnings.
🟥 Avoid using electronic devices connected to an electrical outlet.
🟥 Avoid running water.
🟥 Turn Around. Don’t Drown! Do not drive through flooded roadways. Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
What if you are outside?
🟥 If boating or swimming, get to land and find a sturdy, grounded shelter or vehicle immediately.
🟥 If necessary, take shelter in a car with a metal top and sides. Do not touch anything metal.
Here is an information sheet you can download to share with family as you make your emergency plans and building your home emergency kit:
ready.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/thunderstorm-information-sheet.pdf
#PortageCountyOH #PortagePrepares #severeweathersafety #severestormsafety #WhenThunderRoarsGoIndoors #TurnAroundDontDrown
Hey there, #PortageCountyOH! Did someone say #WarmWeather? With temperatures increasing, keep in mind that the temperature of the water is following slowly behind. With the help of the Portage County Sheriff's Office and the Portage County Water Rescue Team, #PortagePrepares was able to put together this short video about the dangers of cold water.
Portage County Safety Council
Portage Park District
City of Kent Fire Department
Ohio Emergency Management Agency
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Aurora Chamber of Commerce, Ohio
Streetsboro Area Chamber of Commerce
Kent Area Chamber of Commerce
Ravenna Chamber of Commerce
With severe weather season right around the corner, it is likely that #PortageCountyOH homes will see some damage. #DidYouKnow that you can report storm damage directly to our office? Check out this video from our Deputy Director, Brett Lee to learn how! Head over to our website at https://www.portagecounty-oh.gov/homeland-security-emergency-management for additional information.
Get ready, #PortageCountyOH! As a part of our new virtual tabletop exercise series, today we are covering a #WinterStormWarning. Check out the video below for the scenario and let us know in the comments what you would do.
“Your family has settled down for dinner. A family member mentions that a Winter Storm Warning has been issued for Portage County. You look out of the window to see snow covering the ground. You know that recently temperatures have been below freezing. Another family member heads to the pantry and notices there is enough food for one day, but not enough to be snowed in. Then suddenly, the power goes out.”
Portage County Safety Council Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce Streetsboro Area Chamber of Commerce Kent Area Chamber of Commerce
Good morning #PortageCountyOH! The Portage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is kicking off a new series of virtual tabletop exercises here on #PortagePrepares.
Comment down below what kind of scenarios you would like to see in the future!🌪⛈☃️🔥☀️
Come out and join us at Rootstown high school !
NATIONAL LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK IN OHIO ~ JUNE 20-26
In an annual coordinated effort with the US National Weather Service Cleveland OH, the OH Weather Awareness and #PortagePrepares are promoting June 20-26 as National Lightning Safety Awareness Week and encourage all Ohioans to know what to do before, during, and after thunderstorms.
When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!
According to the NWS, every year in the United States, there are approximately 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes, and roughly 300 people a year are struck by lightning. Of those struck, an average of twenty people are killed, and others may suffer lifelong disabilities.
The NWS, Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) and Portage Prepares encourage Ohioans to have an emergency plan for not only severe thunderstorms, but for all weather hazards. All Ohioans are encouraged to follow the noted safety precautions:
⚡Make listening or reading weather reports a part of planning your day. If the weather forecast calls for thunderstorms, you may need to postpone your trip or outdoor activity.
⚡Know the difference between a Thunderstorm Watch and a Thunderstorm Warning.
⚡“When thunder roars, go indoors!” Stop outdoor activities and seek a safe, enclosed shelter immediundeately. This includes all water activities.
⚡Remember the 30-30 Rule. After observing lightning, start counting to 30. If you hear thunder before reaching 30, go indoors. Suspend outdoor activities for at least 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.
⚡If shelter from the storm is not available, crouch down low, with as little of your body touching the ground as possible. Lighting can cause electric currents along the top of the ground that can be deadly up to, and exceeding, 100 feet away.
OCSWA is comprised of 16 agencies and organizations that are dedicated to teaching Ohioans severe weather safety and preparedness.
#PortageCountyOH
Portage County EMA app adds coronavirus information feature
The #PortageCountyOH Emergency Management App has a new COVID-19 feature...updated scientific and medical information from the CDC, local news and resources, FAQs, CDC alerts and more! Download the app for free at the iPhone App Store and Google+ for Androids. With the FREE app, you also receive weather alerts and can access EMA social media, local weather, weather radio and traffic. It has a section with contact information for local safety forces. You can also put your family emergency plan at the app and get helpful preparedness info. One more way you can be prepared! #PortagePrepares #COVID19 #COVID19OhioReady
Is it hailing where you are? #PortagePrepares
Wishes that good #weather follows you and yours today and throughout the coming year! Happy holidays. 🎄 From the staff at the #PortageCountyOH Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and #PortagePrepares.
Traveling N on I-71... Remnants of #Flo #Florence #Firenza have arrived in Ohio! US National Weather Service Cleveland OH #PortagePrepares #ohwx
Drink Water
#PrepareNow because it's supposed to be another hot one today! Make sure you are drinking water, staying out of the sun, and keeping cool the best you can.😀
🐪
#hydrate #NatlPrep
Right outside the Health & Safety trailer with the Portage County Health Department. We're demoing tornados is a bottle. Come find us on Freedom Street at the #RandolphFair16. We're next to Maplewood Career Center. #PortagePrepares
#RavennaCruiseIn Keepin' the Peace
Carter meets up with his friends at Ravenna Police Department during the #RavennaCruiseIn.
Thanks, Streetsboro Fire Department, for the great safety tips. Here's another way to enjoy fireworks! Happy Independence Day, Portage County!