Georgia's Winter Preparedness Week (Dec. 4-8)

FOREST PARK, Ga. — Dec. 4, 2023 — The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS), in partnership with the National Weather Service, announced the start of Winter Weather Preparedness Week (Dec. 4-8). Georgians are encouraged to learn about winter weather threats, review or create a family communications plan and consider what items are best for their Ready Kits in preparation for the potential inclement weather this winter.

“Now is the ideal time to start thinking and preparing for any emergency this upcoming season due to the winter months in Georgia being so unpredictable,” said GEMA/HS Director Chris Stallings. “In previous years, we’ve seen extreme cold, snow, ice and freezing rain, which is why we encourage everyone to use Winter Weather Preparedness Week to prepare and educate themselves on how to respond before, during and after winter weather occurs.”

Winter Weather Preparedness Week is designed to raise awareness of winter weather hazards and reinforce understanding of winter weather terminology. GEMA/HS will distribute winter weather preparedness information via social media channels and provide toolkits to local emergency management directors for sharing this information in their counties all week long during the campaign.

Each day of the campaign will address the following topics:

• Monday, Dec. 4: Winter Weather in Georgia – learn about winter weather hazards that can impact the state of Georgia.
• Tuesday, Dec. 5: Winter Weather Terminology – learn about winter weather "alerts" (watches, warnings and advisories) and what they mean.
• Wednesday, Dec. 6: Winter Weather Preparation Tips – learn how to best prepare for winter weather events, and put together a Ready Kit while making a plan before winter weather strikes.
• Thursday, Dec. 7: Winter Weather Driving Tips/Safety – learn "best practices" for driving (if necessary) in winter weather conditions and how to pack a mobile Ready Kit.
• Friday, Dec. 8: Winter Weather Outlook for 2023-24 season – resources for learning where and how to stay informed of weather forecasts.

"Knowing winter weather terms can certainly help individuals when it comes time to put a personal preparedness plan into action," said Forest Park Fire and Emergency Services Chief Latosha Clemons. "From space heater safety to winterizing your vehicle, we want all of our residents to be ready – especially as we start to enter the colder months."

Individuals are encouraged to visit gema.georgia.gov/plan-prepare/ready-georgia for more information on winter weather preparedness tips.

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