Today marks the start of the first ever National Severe Weather Preparedness Week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently partnered to designate April 22-28, 2012, as National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, and is calling upon all Americans, in every area of the country, to Be a Force of Nature. The City of Arlington is committing to Being a Force of Nature and pledging to know our risk, take action, and be an example for our families and community by sharing the steps we took. Because we live in an area prone to tornadoes, flash floods and severe thunderstorms the recent severe weather and tornado outbreaks reminded us that this weather can strike anywhere and at any time.

Just last year, there were more than 1,000 weather-related fatalities and more than 8,000 injuries. Building a Weather-Ready Nation requires the action of every individual and community because severe weather knows no boundaries and affects us all, so Be a Force of Nature! Be a Force of Nature by making a public pledge to be prepared at Ready.gov/severe-weather.

What can you do to Prepare?

Knowing your risk, taking action and being an example by sharing your knowledge and actions with your social network are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared and assist in saving lives.

Know Your Risk: Every state in the U.S. has experienced tornadoes and severe weather, so everyone is exposed to some degree of risk.

Pledge and Take Action: Be Force of Nature by taking the pledge to prepare at Ready.gov/severe-weather. When you pledge to prepare, you will take the first step to making sure that you and your family are prepared for severe weather. This includes filling out your family communications plan that you can email it to yourself, putting an emergency kit together, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and getting involved. Visit Ready.gov/severe-weather for more on family preparedness for severe weather.

Be an Example: Once you have taken action and pledged, share your story with your family and friends. Create a video and post on a video sharing site, post your story on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, comment on a blog, or any other social media site you're on. Technology today makes it easier than ever to be a good example and share the steps you took to help us achieve the vision of a Weather-Ready Nation.

Join us today and pledge to prepare for the severe weather in our area.

Information on the different types of severe weather such as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flooding is available at www.weather.gov and www.ready.gov/severeweather or the Spanish-language web site www.listo.gov.