Maryland Severe Storms Awareness Week begins on Monday, March 16, and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is teaming up with the National Weather Service and local emergency managers to promote citizen awareness and preparedness. During spring, Maryland is at risk for flooding, damaging winds, tornadoes, hail, and lightning. All of these hazards typically occur in our State every year; however, residents can \u201cbe weather prepared\u201d by ensuring that they know how to get a warning, have a plan, and practice safety tips.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaryland Severe Storms Awareness Week is an important reminder about the negative effect that hazardous weather can have on Marylanders and their homes,\u201d said Governor Larry Hogan. \u201cOftentimes, the safest action during a strong storm is common sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t attempt to drive across flooded roadways during or after a storm. Get and stay indoors if you hear thunder or see lightning,\u201d added Clay Stamp, Executive Director of MEMA, the Governor\u2019s emergency management agency. \u201cAnd if you need to leave the house due to damage or an emergency, make sure to bring your emergency kit and a charged cell phone with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service (NWS) emphasizes that the mid-Atlantic region is at risk for flooding, damaging winds, tornadoes, hail, and lightning storms every year. \u201cMaryland experiences severe storms regularly during the spring,\u201d said NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Christopher Strong. \u201cOur area is particularly at risk for flooding, and we also see hailstorms and even tornadoes. In fact, Maryland has had over 100 tornadoes in the past ten years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NWS and MEMA work closely together and with local government agencies to identify and monitor severe weather systems, develop preparedness plans and safety information, and coordinate the response to these storms.<\/p>\n
Residents can also take actions to remain safe by practicing the following tips:<\/p>\n
Additional information can be found on the NWS \u201cWeather Ready\u201d website at weather.gov\/baltimore\/weatherready<\/a> and the MEMA website at mema.maryland.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n Residents can also download the free MARYLAND Prepares mobile app at mema.maryland.gov\/Pages\/mdprepares.aspx<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maryland Severe Storms Awareness Week begins on Monday, March 16, and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is teaming up with the National Weather Service and local emergency managers to promote citizen awareness and preparedness. During spring, Maryland is at risk for flooding, damaging winds, tornadoes, hail, and lightning. All of these hazards typically occur Read the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,4],"tags":[313,314,315,215,312,266],"class_list":["post-1289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events-2","category-news-releases","tag-floods","tag-lightning","tag-national-weather-service","tag-preparedness","tag-severe-storms","tag-tornado"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t