Severe Weather Awareness Week on Feb. 27-March 5

Severe Weather Awareness Week, Feb. 27 through March 5, is a time when Lombard residents are encouraged to practice emergency preparedness and response procedures for all types of severe weather events that could occur in our area.

Residents who take the time to educate themselves on possible threats are twice as likely to be prepared than others, according to Chuck Riforgiate, Lombard Fire Marshal. “In the event of severe weather, you can be your own first responder if you've taken simple steps to prepare, plan and get informed,” he said.

The Lombard Fire Department offers the following tips in preparation of severe weather:

• Be sure every family member knows important phone numbers for schools, offices, home and emergency services.

• Identify an out-of town contact. It might be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call in town, so an out-of-town contact is in a better position to communicate among separated family members.

• Identify a meeting place near your home where family members can meet if separated during severe weather.

• Identify a meeting place away from your home where family members can meet if your neighborhood in not accessible.

• Map out evacuation routes in case you are ordered to evacuate and always keep at least a fourth of a tank of gas in your car.

• Know your insurance policies and whether your home is in a flood zone.

• Find out what type of disasters could occur and how you should respond.

• Learn Lombard's' severe weather warning signals. The warning tone, or alert, is 3 to 5 minutes of a steady blast. This means that there is a possible danger, for example, a tornado or severe weather approaching. This should not be confused with the siren heard on the first Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. This is the time chosen when all warning systems are tested in the state.

• Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify severe weather, such as advisories, watches and warnings.

They are as follows:

Advisories are in between a Watch and Warning. The expected weather condition has a likely chance of occurring, but typically an advisory is used for “less” severe type of weather conditions. A Wind Advisory might be issued or a Freezing Rain Advisory issued instead of a High Wind Warning or an ice Storm Warning.

Watch essentially means a “chance” this condition will happen and usually covers a large geographical area for a lengthy time period.

Warning means the said weather is already occurring or is likely to occur and to take proper protective measures. Warnings are usually issued for much smaller geographical areas and usually for shorter, more definite time periods.

• Monitor NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, television and the Internet to stay informed of severe weather conditions.

The office of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is an excellent resource to assist residents with emergency preparedness and the planning process.

For more information, visit www.state.il.us/iema/disaster/disaster.htm.