This year the Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 20-26, 2016 and the Ohio Statewide Tornado Drill is Wednesday, March 23rd at 9:50 am. Severe weather is common in Ohio especially in the spring. Every year our members are confronted with many types of severe weather that can and do created risks to both lives and property. Properly preparing for the inevitable severe weather is really the only way to prevent or mitigate these hazards. Here is an excerpt from the attached National Weather Service's (NWS) Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Lightning... Nature's Most Violent Storms: "This preparedness guide explains thunderstorms and related hazards and suggests life-saving actions YOU can take. With this information, YOU can recognize severe weather, develop a plan, and be ready to act when threatening weather approaches." For current Severe Weather updates go to: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/ Here are some links for additional information: http://www.weathersafety.ohio.gov/ http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/ http://www.redcross.org/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/mobile-apps http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures.shtml James Hale, ARM-P, ARM-E Risk Control Consultant County Risk Sharing Authority 209 East State Street Columbus, OH 43215 614.246.1630 FAX 614.220.0209