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Air Force kicks off PrepareAthon

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chad Grabofski and Staff Sgt. James Greenshields
  • 375th Civil Engineer Squadron
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  April 30 is America's PrepareAthon day of action where people perform drills, exercises, training sessions, and other events.

This is the perfect opportunity for people to get ready for when a disaster strikes.
This year the Air Force has initiated a six-week long informational campaign with preparedness activities before and after each event.

The informational campaign is shown below with each week having its own topic of preparedness.

Week 1--Through April 16: Winter Storms

It may be April, but the winter storm season is not over. Illinois experiences an average of five severe winter storms during the November to April period.

There have been as many as 18 storms during the 1977-78 season and as few as two in the 1921-22 season.

January is the worst month for severe winter storms. The earliest one to ever hit Illinois was on October 28-30, 1925, and the latest was May 1-2, 1929.

The winter of 2013-14 is on record as the worst weather conditions in Illinois in nearly 40 years.

Temperatures statewide were the fourth coldest on record, and 28 people died from exposure to extreme cold.

Most winter storms that affect Illinois do not develop in or near the state; rather, they take shape up to thousands of miles away. The most damaging storms for Illinois are those that originate in Colorado and move just south of Illinois.

Cold air north of the storm center in the Great Lakes or upper Midwest then feeds into the storm, causing the snow or ice.

Week 2--April 17-23: Tornado

Illinois is in tornado alley. "Tornado Alley" is a nickname given to the area in the southern plains of the central U.S. that consistently experiences a high frequency of tornados. Tornado season is generally from March through August, although they can occur at any time of year. The most notable tornado in our area was an EF (Enhanced Fujita) 4 that touched down in the Granite City area in 2011. This tornado had winds between 166-200 mph, strong enough to completely destroy buildings. In May 2013, the St. Louis area was hit with nine tornadoes in the same week which caused widespread power outages and structural damage.

Week 3--April 24-30: Lead up to the National PrepareAthon Day

With PrepareAthon day being April 30, week three will focus lead up to the day by getting our message out through informational booths at the Exchange throughout the month. PrepareAthon is a grassroots campaign for action to increase community preparedness and resilience. There are many ways to be prepared. You can test communication plans, assemble or update your supplies, plan with neighbors, make your property safer, or do a drill with your family.

Week 4--May 1-7: Shelter-in-place

If a shelter-in-place is to be implemented, do you know where your work location's SIP location is? When was the last time that your facility's SIP kit was inventoried? It is suggested you exercise your facilities SIP plans regularly to ensure all of your occupants understand the procedures.

Week 5--May 15-21: Earthquakes

Some very powerful earthquakes occurred along the New Madrid fault (approximately 150 miles south of Scott AFB) in the Mississippi Valley in 1811-12. The effects from these 8+ magnitude earthquakes caused church bells to ring in Boston, nearly 1000 miles away.

Another major earthquake, above 6.5 on the Richter Scale, along the New Madrid Seismic Zone will be catastrophic in the Midwest and could affect the entire country. The majority of all road, rail, natural gas and oil pipelines, and electrical grids that pass from west to east through the United States pass through the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

Over 21 states could be affected by direct damage and many more could suffer from interruptions of power, food, and other necessities moved from one side of the country to the other.

Week 6--May 22-28: Floods

Flash floods are the No. 1 weather-related killer in the United States and accounts for 90 percent of all natural disasters. In an average year, 100 people lose their lives in floods.

Flood damages average more than $2 billion. Flooding can happen slowly during the day or night.

It doesn't have to be raining heavily for flooding to happen. You may find yourself cut off from your house when it's time to go home.

Mascoutah Lake, adjacent to 161 flooded the roadway and caused a bus to be swept off the road in January 2016.

In April of 2013, flooding closed several streets on Scott Air Force Base. Severe weather dumped 5.2 inches of rain in five hours which led to unit leaders granting early release of workers due to deteriorating driving conditions.

Be ready by making a plan before a disaster strikes. Additional information regarding America's PrepareAthon or disaster preparedness can be found at www.beready.af.mil, www.ready.gov, www.redcross.org or your Scott Emergency Management Flight at 256-4831.

The Emergency Management Informational booth will be set up at the Exchange entrance from noon-3 p.m. April 18 and from 9 a.m.-noon April 30.