September National Preparedness Month

For the past five years, the Ready Campaign and its partners have received a Presidential proclamation designating September National Preparedness Month (NPM). The City of Amarillo will join the nationwide coalition and will issue a proclamation on Tuesday, Sept. 4, raising awareness for emergency preparedness in our community. The Amarillo/Potter/Randall Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Office in Amarillo have scheduled a variety of activities in September to promote disaster preparedness. Emergency preparedness is the responsibility of every citizen and it takes a team effort to ensure that we are ready for any disaster. Only, by working together as a team, can we be truly ready for emergencies and disasters. Help us become a disaster resilient community and get the ball rolling on getting you and your family prepared to handle any emergency.

Local Activities Planned During September:

•  Sept. 2 – 8 ‘Get the Ball Rolling’ Highlight

•  Sept. 4 (5:30PM) City Commission Meeting Preparedness Proclamation

•  Sept. 9 – 15 ‘Make a Kit’ Highlight

•  Sept. 16-22 ‘Have a Plan’ Highlight

•  Sept. 25 (10AM-2PM) Disaster Preparedness Day at SAMs at I40 & Ross: Come by and pick up disaster preparedness info

•  Sept. 23 – 29 ‘Be Informed’ Highlight

•  Sept. 28 (11:30AM) All Out Warning Systems Test

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West Nile Virus

The Texas Department of State Health Services is urging people to take precautions to reduce the risk of contracting West Nile virus, a mosquito borne illness. There has been a higher than usual number of human West Nile cases in Texas this year due to the warm winter and recent rains, particularly in the North Texas region. Up to 80 percent of people infected with West Nile virus will have no symptoms and will recover on their own, however, some cases can cause serious illness or death. People over 50 and those with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of becoming ill if they become infected with the virus. Click here for the latest human illness case counts by counties.

Your best defense is to practice these habits, known as the “Four Ds”:
   • Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
   • Dress in long sleeves and long pants when you are outside.
   • Stay indoors at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
   • Drain standing water where mosquitoes breed. Common breeding sites include old tires, flowerpots and clogged rain gutters.

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The Heat Continues...

Stage 1 of the City of Amarillo Drought Contingency Plan has been enacted. Tuesday, July 31, set an all-time single-day water consumption record for the City at 92.1 million gallons. The month of July also goes down as the highest ever monthly water consumption for the City with 2.39 billion gallons being consumed. The Consumption Reduction Goal for Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan is a 5% reduction in consumption. To help towards that goal, the voluntary Watering Schedule is as follows: Designated days for outdoor watering are Sundays, Tuesdays or Thursdays if your address ends with an odd number and Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays if your address ends with an even number.

July has been a hot one. Rainfall totals amounted to only 0.26” for the month of July, which is 2.58” below normal for the month. Although the month of July brought high temperatures mostly in the 90s, there were eight total days where temperatures reached at or above 100 degrees and only three days were in the 80s. Current consensus is that the chance of El Nino developing by this fall is at least 65%. El Nino conditions would likely mean more precipitation, higher snowfall amounts in the winter, cooler temperatures, and more tornadoes in the spring across the Panhandles.

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New Federal Signal 508 Siren Installed

Just off the production line, a brand new Federal Signal 508 siren was installed on May 17, 2012 at Belmar Elementary School. This is the first siren of this type in at least the entire state of Texas. The siren replaces a Federal Signal 2T22, produced in the early 1950s to late 1980s that lately had been having continous technical issues.

View Video of Installation

So how does the new siren compare? Below are some comparisons between the new siren (508) and the old siren (2T22). The new 508 siren will give us an extra 5620 ft. of coverage from the old 2T22 and an extra 900 ft. from the 2001-130s.

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Severe Weather & Local Frequently Asked Questions

When will the sirens be activated? The Office of Emergency Management will activate the Outdoor Warning Sirens on a steady tone for 5 minutes when a Tornado Warning is in effect, a funnel/tornado has been sighted by an official spotter, and/or a tornado has been radar-indicated. When sounded, you should immediately move to shelter and listen to local radio or television stations for emergency warning information. Our office currently operates over 89 outdoor warning sirens that are designed to alert people who are outdoors of a potential emergency in the community. Outdoor Warning Sirens are NOT designed to be heard indoors.

Are there Public Community Shelters? In Amarillo there’s no place for the public to go that’s sanctioned by the city. The problem is the size of Amarillo makes it harder to keep everyone safe. Part of that is that our community is so much bigger and more spread out. There’s a real risk if people drive to shelter when the warning is issued and they will be put into a higher risk situation than if they just taken shelter in their own home or own location. Wind speeds of less than 100 mph can easily flip a car and there have been numerous cases of vehicles being carried up, dropped, and more commonly penetrated by flying debris. Over a third of the people killed by the Mid-May 2008 tornado outbreak died in a vehicle.

Where should I go if a tornado threatens? The best place to seek shelter is in a basement, storm shelter, or saferoom. If one is not available, use a small interior room, bathroom, closet, or hallway on the ground floor of your home or business. Mobile homes offer little protection in a tornado. If you do live in a mobile home, find a sturdy building nearby.

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Happy New Year!

The Pantex Area Emergency Preparedness Calendar is developed every year to provide safety information to those who live or work within a ten mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) around the Pantex Plant. Whether a hazardous materials release or a radiological emergency at the Pantex Plant, or tornadoes, winter storms, or wildfires, the calendar provides a basis for citizens to become better prepared. Click on the picture to download and print a copy of the 2012 calendar. And from the Amarillo / Potter / Randall Office of Emergency Management, Happy New Year and here’s to a happy and safe 2012!

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Texas Winter Weather Preparedness Day 11/10/11

Today is Winter Weather Preparedness Day. Yep it will be in the 70s this weekend but as we all know, our weather in the Texas Panhandle is constantly changing. Take the time today to prepare and get your home and vehicle ready for winter weather. Check out our OEM Winter Weather Preparedness sheet here for more information.  Things to Conisder:

• Winter Storm Disaster Kits - Check up on your supplies and don't forget to put one in your car as well.
• Frozen pipes - Take 5 minutes to wrap exposed pipes with insolation tape. Fill tubs or bathtub size bladders with water before a storm in case power goes out or you don't have running water.
• Power outages - Keep LED flashlights on hand. They use much less battery. Plus if you have solar powered lights outside, bring them in at night for additional lighting. An inverter for your car will also let you plug into your car for electricity. Make sure your car is out of the garage.
• You can check up on the latest updates on winter weather through our local NWS office. Stay tuned to your NOAA Weather Radio. You can listen online at the link to the right on our website or tune in to 1610AM around Amarillo. You can also call the Amarillo NWS office at 806-335-1121.
• Wondering if you should venture out? Check out the TXDOT Road Conditions first. You can also call TXDOT at 1-800-452-9292.

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