Severe Weather Awareness Week Begins Today

Daytona Beach, FL – The state of Florida sees almost every type of severe weather from thunderstorms and lightning and hurricanes to extreme heat and dangerous tidal forces. This year, the focus of Severe Weather Awareness Week is how to stay safe. There will be a different theme every day on the floridadisaster.org website.  Closer to home, you can find information at volusia.org. Tom Cisco, Operations Coordinator for Volusia County Emergency Management (VCEM), says the most important thing is to be prepared.  He says tornadoes can be particularly difficult because you don’t get much warning. "One of the biggest things you can do is have an NOAA weather radio that will alert you of a tornado warning. Then, just know where you’re going to go. If that means you’re going to go to your bathroom, get in the tub and cover yourself up, that should be your plan. Let your whole family know your plan." A statewide tornado drill is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3, 2021, at 10 a.m. Participation is voluntary. The tornado warning will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and will be encoded as a weekly test for this drill. Hurricanes are another weather event where you should really have a plan in place, according to Cisco. "Now’s the time you need to have a plan. You need to decide whether you’re going to stay and ride it out if you feel like you’re safe or you’re going to leave. Know that decision beforehand." Also, "When we, as Emergency Management public officials ask people to evacuate, we really want you to evacuate for your safety." Cisco said that the county will be publishing links each day to the information on the state’s website. There will also be information pertinent to Volusia County residents. To download the County’s emergency app from the Google app store or the Apple app store. You can also follow VCEM on Facebook and Twitter. To get the latest from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Melbourne, click here.