WeatherTogether is a member of the NWS WRN Ambassador program. One of the responsibilities of this program is to relay severe weather safety information given to us by the National Weather Service through this program.

Two links the National Weather Service wanted us to share are the articles on Be a Force of Nature and WRN Ambassador Success Stories. I hope you’ll take a moment to look over those two articles and enjoy reading them.

Below is another email we received from the NWS this week with some additional severe weather safety information relevant for this time of year we wanted to share with you and hope it will be beneficial to you as we kick off summer and as the tropical season begins to ramp up.

–Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors–

Summer officially arrived today (June 21) just after midnight.  Summer means vacations and spending more time outdoors enjoying recreational activities and cooling off at the beach, lake or pool.

Summer is also an important season to know your risks when outdoors, be prepared, and to take the appropriate action.  On June 1, the National Weather Service launched its Summer Safety Campaign: https://www.weather.gov/wrn/summer-safety.

Here are a few hazards that we want to highlight and encourage all of our WRN Ambassadors to engage their employees, social media networks, communities and beyond.

Lightning

Historically, the most lightning deaths occur in the months of June and July.  The most important message everyone should know is if you can hear thunder, you are in danger.  That is why we ask all our WRN Ambassadors to use the slogan “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors”.  New this year for the deaf & hard of hearing community “When You See a Flash, Dash to Safety.”  Visit weather.gov/lightning for lightning safety content.

Extreme Heat

Many parts of the country are already experiencing heat waves.  Always look for ways to reduce exposure to extreme heat and ensure young children and pets are especially protected.

For preparedness information on extreme heat, please go to weather.gov/heat.

Rip Currents

There have been way too many tragic stories recently of drownings due to rip currents. Rip currents can be a clear and present danger when entering the ocean (and even the shores of our Great Lakes).  Simple actions like staying out of deeper water during elevated rip current conditions, and always swimming within lifeguard areas can save your lives.  During summer vacations, many tourists are unfamiliar with the rip current danger, so spreading the word even across interior states can help reduce loss of life.  Visit weather.gov/ripcurrent for safety resources.

Tropical Activity and Heavy Rainfall

Though hurricane season just started three weeks ago, we already have our third named system (for the latest information on these threats go to www.hurricanes.gov)

An immediate threat to the U.S. is Tropical Storm Cindy, which is forecast to drop heavy rainfall this week over parts of the Gulf Coast and inland areas that are already saturated.

Below is an infographic that describes the inland flooding threat from tropical cyclones.  If your organization has interests in the Gulf region, we encourage you to use this graphic to help people prepare for the flood risk.

Thank you for helping build a Weather-Ready Nation.

Follow us @WRNAmbassadors

Earth Networks recently released two great articles this week, one on activities to do on the first day of summer, another on lightning safety awareness week. Both are excellent articles to read, especially the article on lightning safety awareness week which contains some valuable information on lightning safety.