Posts Tagged ‘disaster preparedness’

Tornado Drills in Virginia

February 8th, 2011 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in tornado insurance

Emergency management officials in Virginia are planning to hold a tornado drill across the state.

A joint effort between the National Weather Service and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the drill is scheduled for March 15, 2011 at 9:45 AM EST.

Representatives of the emergency management department feel that it is vital that citizens know what to do if a tornado warning is issued in their area. 62 tornadoes, they say, have struck Virginia in the last three years, causing nearly $48 million in damage and injuring more than 220 people.

Registration for the statewide drill and instructions for conducting a tornado drill of your own are available online, and the Department of Emergency Management website. Roughly half a million Virginians have already signed up.

Knowing what to do in a tornado is at least as important as knowing whether your homeowners insurance policy includes tornado coverage.

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Insurance Briefs: National Disaster Preparedness Month Celebrated in Alabama

September 2nd, 2010 by Iris | Comments Off | Filed in flood insurance, insurance news

Alabama kicked off its observation of National Preparedness Month yesterday with the city of Birmingham hosting “Be Ready Day” in Linn Park. The event, according to Alabama Governor Bob Riley, features emergency workers, representatives from faith-based organizations, and other volunteers who will demonstrate disaster preparedness to adults and children.

This is just the first in a month-long series of events. Later in September, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville will host “Be Ready Camp” for sixth-grade students, while all through the month houses of worship have been asked to include information about disaster preparedness on their websites and in their bulletins.

The programs will culminate in Ready Sunday on September 26th.

Governor Riley says the programs will remind all families to listen to official warnings, have a communications plan, and have an emergency supply kit always at the ready.

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