Emergency Preparedness / 2022 / August
August 2022 Message
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This is the time of year when many of you are new to the area, and new to the Southeast. You may have done some research on what to expect here, so you may know that in our area there are two major natural phenomena for which we always need to be prepared.
Hurricanes:
June to December is hurricane season. As our stake is not coastal, we are sheltered from some of the more devastating effects of hurricanes, but we still may experience powerful wind, rain, and possibly tornadoes as a result of them. Those lead to toppled trees that can damage buildings and power lines. Heavy rain can cause dangerous flash floods. How to prepare? This linked document is an extremely handy resource and full of great information about ways to prepare. Having 72-hour kits, a supply of non-perishable food, and emergency lighting supplies are all basic and excellent ways to be prepared for a hurricane.
Ice Storms:
From about December to March in North Carolina there is always the chance of an ice storm. Rather than gentle blankets of snow, it's more common for our area to experience freezing rain and sleet, which can coat road surfaces and make driving very dangerous. When the ice coats power lines and trees, the result can be fallen trees and power outages. Read more about North Carolina winter weather here. How to prepare? Again, 72-hour kits, a supply of non-perishable food, and emergency lighting (and heating) supplies are excellent things to have ready. Learning how to drive on ice may also be important for you.
North Carolina has a lot of online resources to help us be prepared. Find many of them here.
Just as Proverbs encourages us to be like the ant and gather up the harvest while it is abundant (Proverbs 6:6-9), now is the time to prepare for potential future emergencies that are particular, and not uncommon, to our area.
If you are new to our state, welcome! If you have lived here for years, what have you experienced that can help you in future storms? New or old, may we all prepare now in the ways that we can.
Sincerely,
Chris and Holly Earls
Stake Emergency Preparedness Coordinators