Pine Mountain Georgia Fire Department Safety

Be Safe During Severe Weather

Located in west-central Georgia, Pine Mountain is in a tornado-prone area. Recent history has shown that Pine Mountain can also feel the effects of hurricanes both from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms occur every spring – damaging houses, uprooting trees, and causing motor vehicle accidents. The violent storms have even been responsible for causing injuries and deaths.

When a tornado or severe thunderstorm is approaching, you might only have a few short moments to make live-or-death decisions. Planning ahead is a smart move.

 Understand the Terms

 WATCH - A thunderstorm or tornado “watch” means conditions are favorable for development. Keep alert for the possibility of developing severe weather. This is a good time to remind family members of safer places to get in your home. This is also a good time to make sure your disaster supply kit is handy.

WARNING - A thunderstorm or tornado “warning” is issued when such a storm has been sighted on indicated by weather radar. If you are in the warning area, get your disaster supply kit and go to the lowest floor of your home and take shelter in an interior room. Remain there until the storm has passed. If you reside in a mobile home, or you are caught in a car, get out and take shelter in a depression or ditch if you can find one. Do not seek shelter under an overpass, in a drainage pipe, or under trees.

Tornado danger signs can include:

• An approaching cloud of debris even though a funnel might not be visible.

• The sky might have a yellowish cast.

• The wind may die down and the air may become very still.

• Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm.

• It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

• The tornado funnel could be obscured by dark storm clouds and rain.

 The Pine Mountain Fire Department recommends you keep a Disaster Supply Kit that includes the following:

• Flashlight and extra batteries

• Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries

• First aid kit and manual

• Bottled water

• Emergency food items such as snack bars and prepackaged food that does not require refrigeration.

• Manual can opener

• Essential medicines

• Cash and credit cards

• Sturdy shoes

 Develop an emergency communication plan in case family members are separated from one another during severe weather. This can easily happen when adults are at work and children are at school. Have a plan for getting back together if separation has occurred.

Disclaimer:
The materials on and in this site are provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law, all warranties express or implied including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are denied. There is no warrant that the functions contained in the materials on this site will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected or that any site or the servers that make such materials available are free of viruses, spyware, adware or other harmful components, although all efforts have been made to assure that they are. There is no warrant or any representation regarding the use or the results of the use of the materials on this site in terms of their correctness, accuracy, reliability or otherwise. The user assumes the entire cost of all servicing, repair or correction should any become necessary or desired.