ARE YOU PREPARED? Do You, Your Family,  Civic Group, Church, Business, Organization have Advance Severe Weather and Disaster Plans in place? Do you have a designated place ready to go to in the event Severe Weather or a Disaster strikes? Does each member of your family know where to go and what to do in the event of Severe Weather or Disaster?  Do you have enough emergency supplies stored in your safe location for each person in the event of an emergency? Do you know what amounts of water, lights, blankets, personal needs, first aid kits, and other supplies are needed and recommended? If you are a business, church, group, or any other organization, are all of your members or employees aware of what to do and where to go? Is the Designated Safe Location clearly marked and easily accessible at your business and / or public building? Is someone at your organization responsible for monitoring the weather situation when there is a potential for Severe Weather? Do you and your organization have an Emergency Warning Radio that will automatically alert you in case of a potential Severe Weather Event? If it is not plugged in and the batteries are not good, it can not help save your life. Are your Emergency Plans regularly reviewed and practiced by you, your family, and organization? Just a few minutes practicing and going over your plans, may very well be the difference between no injuries and possible severe injuries or death.   Families who once had a house, all its contents and their family treasures, their vehicles, family pets, and even sometimes other family members may be lost, all in mere seconds. Often times, whole neighborhoods or towns may be destroyed, leaving dozens, or even hundreds at a loss for anything meaningful left in their lives. What if this were your house, your neighborhood, one of your family members or friends?  W here would you go? What would you do? What do you do to start over? Lives are forever changed in an instant when these type disasters strike.   WATCHES WARNINGS Know the Difference WATCH Tornado Watch: Tornadoes are possible in your area. Remain alert for approaching storms. Know what counties or parishes are in the watch area by listening to NOAA Weather Radio or your local radio/television outlets. Severe Thunderstorm Watch: Tells you when and where severe thunderstorms are likely to occur. Watch the sky and stay tuned to know when warnings are issued. WARNING Tornado Warning: A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Issued when severe weather has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar. Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property to those in the path of the storm.     DISASTER KITS   A DISASTER SUPPLIES KIT SHOULD INCLUDE: A 3-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day) and food that won’t spoil one change of clothing and footwear per person one blanket or sleeping bag per person a first aid kit, including prescription medicines emergency tools, including a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and a portable radio flashlight and plenty of extra batteries extra set of car keys and a credit card or cash special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members.                 Since we are recognized as a true Non-Profit Charitable 501 (c) (3) Organization as defined by the IRS and our staff and workers are all volunteer, you can be assured that your donation will go directly to help those in need.          Will you please make a tax deductible donation so that we can continue to help those in need? Please follow the Donations link below or the one above for more detailed information. Your genorosity now will allow us to immediately help those when they need it most.     Thank you,   Dennis Sherrod Chairman Alert 1 Weather, Inc.     Our goals are to help anyone, anywhere, in their hour of need.   Our needs are large and many to meet the continuous needs that these people require just to survive one day to the next as they seek a way to carry-on and start over with their lives.

In the United States: Tornadoes... Cause an average of 70 fatalities and 1,500 injuries . Produce wind speeds in excess of 250 mph. Can be one mile wide and stay on the ground over 50 miles. Lightning... Causes an average of 80 fatalities and 300 injuries each year. Occurs with all thunderstorms. Strong Winds... Can exceed 100 mph. Can cause damage equal to a tornado. Can be extremely dangerous to aviation. Flash Flooding... Is the #1 cause of deaths associated with thunderstorms...more than 140 fatalities each year. Hail... Causes more than $1 billion in crop and property damage each year.   Tornadoes. . Tornado Facts A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms within the funnel. The average tornado moves from southwest to northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction. The average forward speed is 30 mph but may vary from nearly stationary to 70 mph. The strongest tornadoes have rotating winds of more than 250 mph. Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land. Waterspouts are tornadoes which form over warm water. They can move onshore and cause damage to coastal areas. When and Where Tornadoes Occur Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year. Tornadoes have occurred in every state, but they are most frequent east of the Rocky Mountains during the spring and summer months. In the southern states, peak tornado occurrence is March through May, while peak months in the northern states are during the late spring and summer. Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 and 9 p.m. but can happen at any time. Tornado Myths and Truths MYTH: Areas near lakes, rivers, and mountains are safe from tornadoes. TRUTH: No place is safe from tornadoes. A tornado near Yellowstone National Park left a path of destruction up and down a 10,000 foot mountain. MYTH: The low pressure with a tornado causes buildings to “explode” as the tornado passes overhead. TRUTH: Violent winds and debris slamming into buildings cause most structural damage. MYTH: Windows should be opened before a tornado approaches to equalize pressure and minimize damage. TRUTH: Leave the windows alone. The most important action is to immediately go to a safe shelter. MYTH: If you are driving and a tornado is sighted, you should turn and drive at right angles to the storm. TRUTH: The best thing to do is to seek the best available shelter. Many people are injured or killed when remaining in their vehicles. MYTH: People caught in the open should seek shelter under highway overpasses. TRUTH: Take shelter in a sturdy reinforced building if at all possible. Overpasses, ditches, and culverts may provide limited protection from a tornado, but your risk will be greatly reduced by moving inside a strong building. **Tornado Safety Rules** In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such as a basement. If an underground shelter is not available, move to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor and get under a sturdy piece of furniture. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Stay away from windows. Get out of automobiles. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car; instead, leave it immediately for safe shelter. If caught outside or in a vehicle, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. You should leave a mobile home and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy nearby building or a storm shelter.  Lightning... Lightning Facts Lightning causes an average of 80 fatalities and 300 injuries each year. Lightning occurs in all thunderstorms; each year lightning strikes the Earth 20 million times. The energy from one lightning flash could light a 100-watt light bulb for more than 3 months. Most lightning fatalities and injuries occur when people are caught outdoors in the summer months during the afternoon and evening. Lightning can occur from cloud-to-cloud, within a cloud, cloud-to-ground, or cloud-to-air. Many fires in the western United States and Alaska are started by lightning. The air near a lightning strike is heated to 50,000°F--hotter than the surface of the sun! The rapid heating and cooling of the air near the lightning channel causes a shock wave that results in thunder. How far away is the Thunderstorm? Count the number of seconds between a flash of lightning and the next clap of thunder. Divide this number by 5 to determine the distance to the lightning in miles. In recent years, people have been killed by lightning while: boating standing under a tree riding a horse swimming riding on a lawnmower playing soccer golfing talking on the telephone fishing in a boat bike riding loading a truck mountain climbing Lightning Myths and Truths MYTH: If it is not raining, then there is no danger from lightning. TRUTH: Lightning often strikes outside of heavy rain and may occur as far as 10 miles away from any rainfall. This is especially true in the western United States where thunderstorms sometimes produce very little rain. MYTH: The rubber soles of shoes or rubber tires on a car will protect you from being struck by lightning. TRUTH: Rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from lightning. The steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal. Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside. MYTH: People struck by lightning carry an electrical charge and should not be touched. TRUTH: Lightning-strike victims carry no electrical charge and should be attended to immediately. Contact your local American Red Cross chapter for information on CPR and first aid classes. MYTH: “Heat lightning” occurs after very hot summer days and poses no threat. TRUTH: “Heat lightning” is a term used to describe lightning from a thunderstorm too far away for thunder to be heard.

** Lightning Safety Rules **   Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms are imminent. This is your best way to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation. Move to a sturdy building or car. Do not take shelter in small sheds, under isolated trees, or in convertible automobiles. Stay away from tall objects such as towers, fences, telephone poles, and power lines. If lightning is occurring and a sturdy shelter is not available, get inside a hard top automobile and keep the windows up. Avoid touching any metal. Utility lines and metal pipes can conduct electricity. Unplug appliances not necessary for obtaining weather information. Avoid using the telephone or any electrical appliances. Use phones ONLY in an emergency. Do not take a bath or shower during a thunderstorm. Turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage. If Caught Outdoors and No Shelter Is Nearby Find a low spot away from trees, fences, and poles. Make sure the place you pick is not subject to flooding. If you are in the woods, take shelter under the shorter trees. If you feel your skin tingle or your hair stand on end, squat low to the ground on the balls of your feet. Place your hands over your ears and your head between your knees. Make yourself the smallest target possible and minimize your contact with the ground. DO NOT lie down. If you are boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter immediately! Remember, if you can hear thunder – you are close enough to be struck by lightning! Straight-Line Winds... Straight-line winds are responsible for most thunderstorm wind damage. Winds can exceed 100 mph! One type of straight-line wind, the downburst, is a small area of rapidly descending air beneath a thunderstorm (see center of ). A downburst can cause damage equivalent to a strong tornado and can be extremely dangerous to aviation. A “dry microburst” is a downburst that occurs with little or no rain. These destructive winds are most common in the western United States  Flash Floods/Floods. . . Flash floods and floods are the #1 cause of deaths associated with thunderstorms...more than 140 fatalities each year. Most flash flood fatalities occur at night and most victims are people who become trapped in automobiles. Six inches of fast-moving water can knock you off your feet; a depth of two feet will cause most vehicles to float.   ** Flash Flood Safety Rules ** Avoid walking, swimming, or driving in flood waters. Stay away from high water, storm drains, ditches, ravines, or culverts. If it is moving swiftly, even water six inches deep can knock you off your feet. If you come upon flood waters, stop, turn around, and go another way. Climb to higher ground. Do not let children play near storm drains.  Large Hail. . . Strong rising currents of air within a storm, called updrafts, carry water droplets to a height where freezing occurs. Ice particles grow in size, becoming too heavy to be supported by the updraft, and fall to the ground. Causes more than $1 billion in damage to property and crops each year. Large stones fall at speeds faster than 100 mph.  Who’s Most At Risk from Thunderstorms? From Lightning: People who are outdoors, especially under or near tall trees; in or on water; or on or near hilltops. From Flash Flooding: People who walk or drive through flood waters. From Tornadoes: People who are in mobile homes and automobiles.     Since we are recognized as a true Non-Profit Charitable 501 (c) (3) Organization as defined by the IRS and our staff and workers are all volunteer, you can be assured that your donation will go directly to help those in need and we will be able to continue our programs such as this.    Will you please make a tax deductible donation so that we can continue to help those in need?

Dennis Sherrod - Director / Chairman                                                                                                         Email:  Dennis@Alert1Weather.org

Alert 1 Weather, Inc.                                                                                                                                                   205-853-8683  - Main
P.O. Box 9473                                                                                                                                                              205-335-1894  - Cell
Birmingham, AL. 35220