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| SPC Day 2 Outlook valid for Friday, April 15, 2016 |
Hazardous weather is possible across much of eastern Colorado Friday afternoon and this weekend and we encourage everyone to take a look at their emergency plans and procedures to make sure they are ready for possible weather emergencies. According to NOAA Storm Prediction Center, “Severe storms with large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes will be possible across parts of the central and southern high plains beginning in the late afternoon.” The area mentioned includes much of eastern Colorado (see graphic courtesy of www.spc.noaa.gov).
Meanwhile, according to the NOAA National Weather Service office in Boulder, CO, a Winter Storm Watch is in effect for the Front Range Foothills of Colorado for late Friday night through late Saturday night with the potential for heavy snow from the Palmer Divide to Wyoming.
So, what should you be doing today to prepare for the threat of severe weather tomorrow?
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| Screen shot of Red Cross Emergency app |
“The single most important thing that a person can do to be better prepared for emergencies is to download the Red Cross Emergency app,” said Michael Masto, Regional Disaster Officer for the Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming. “Once it is downloaded though people need to know how to use it.”
The Emergency app is a single ‘go-to’ source for everything from home fires to hurricanes. It includes content from a group of award-winning Red Cross apps with additional information about what to do in case of 14 different types of emergencies and disasters. Users can customize more than 35 emergency alerts based on their location and where loved ones live.
The all-inclusive Emergency app will provide you with instant access to emergency alerts, life-saving information, and ways to contact family and friends in one free, easy-to-use app for smart phones and tablets.
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| Screen shot of Family Safe feature available in Red Cross Emergency app |
The app includes the “Family Safe” feature that allows the app user to notify loved ones who are in an area affected by an emergency or disaster. The recipient can instantly see the alert details as well as specific “what to do now” steps, and then respond with either “I’m safe” or “I’m not safe.”
To find out more about the Red Cross Emergency app and to download it go to redcross.org/apps.
We urge you to examine your family emergency plan, including your emergency communications plan before severe weather strikes. Take the time now because you might not have the time when severe weather strikes.
Below are some additional links that will help you to be better prepare and better informed about severe weather.
NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) – www.spc.noaa.gov
National Weather Service Northeast Colorado – www.weather.gov/bou
National Weather Service for Southeast Colorado – www.weather.gov/pub
Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Information – www.redcross.prg/prepare
Red Cross Emergency app – www.redcross.org/apps