County offers tips as another ice storm looms
Readiness, spotter training and a special siren test
Even as more than 10,000 DTE customers waited to get power restored on Wednesday, the National Weather Service predicted one more ice storm on Friday and Saturday.
County officials urged residents to be prepared for harsh weather.
The county will be conducting a siren test at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 22 as part of a statewide tornado drill. The test will activate the county’s 275 outdoor warning sirens.
Typical spring weather can include high winds, hail, lightning, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms. Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 19 through 25, is a time to review emergency procedures and get ready for stormrelated hazards As the recent ice storms showed, downed power lines can create havoc.
People can sign up for the county’s emergency and disaster alert system, OakAlert, oakgov.com/ emergency-management. The county sends OakAlert members information ranging from significant road closures and disruptions to county services as well as safety messages related to health, chemical spills and active assailant situations.
“Knowing what you will do, where you will go and how you will communicate with family and friends in the case of an emergency is key to staying safe,” said Dave Coulter, the county’s executive.
As part of the statewide tornado drill, the county’s emergency management office will work with the National Weather meteorologists to practice sending and receiving alerts. The drill includes a test broadcast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Radio system. Radio alerts include instructions to find immediate shelter and monitor the radio for details as the emergency progresses.
Every time a siren test is conducted, either the one on March 22 or the monthly tests on the first Saturday of the month, people who signed up for “OakAlert” will get a test message. The message serves as a reminder to practice responding to emergencies.
To follow the alerts, people can either download the FEMA mobile app or keep a weather radio on hand. Most weather radios can be operated using a plug, batteries or a hand crank.
The county’s emergency sirens emit a steady threeminute tone when a tornado has been sighted or strongly indicated on radar. The sirens also sound when severe thunderstorms have sustained winds reaching 70 mph or higher. Each siren can be heard from about a mile away, with the goal of getting the attention of anyone outside. Some people indoors may also hear the sound.
FEMA mobile app or purchase a weather radio to get alerts about incoming severe weather.
Anyone interested in learning how to spot severe weather by watching cloud formations can attend one of three upcoming SKYWARN spotter training sessions from the National Weather Service being hosted by the county.
Trained weather spotters can report their observations to the NWS, which expands meteorologists’ ability to assess severe-weather conditions they see via radar or satellite.
The class covers:
• Basics of thunderstorm development
• Fundamentals of storm structure
• Identifying potential severe weather features
• Information to report
• How to report information
• Basic severe weather safety
“Having spotters in the field who can verify what we and the National Weather Service are seeing with our weather instruments can be extremely important,” said Thom Hardesty, the county’s emergency management and homeland security director.
Pre-registration is not required for the free, 90-minute SKYWARN classes, which are open to all ages, but NWS officials note people 13 or older typically get the most out of the training.
The classes are from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, at the Novi Civic Center, 45175 10 Mile Road in Novi; 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 13 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 11, with both those classes held at the Waterford Oaks Conference Center, 2800 Watkins Lake Road in Waterford.
Visit www.oakgov.com/ emergency-management to learn more. Hardesty’s office also posts information on Twitter and Facebook. Look for @OakGov.HS to get preparedness tips and emergency information.