NOUS42 KCHS 071100
PNSCHS
GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-081100-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
600 AM EST FRI DEC 7 2012

...WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA AND 
GEORGIA...

TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS WINTER WEATHER PREPAREDNESS PLANS.  

WINTER STORMS AND EXTREME COLD RARELY IMPACT SOUTHEAST SOUTH 
CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. HOWEVER...THESE EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED 
IN THE PAST AND WILL OCCUR AGAIN IN THE FUTURE...PERHAPS EVEN THIS 
WINTER. WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK OFFERS AN EXCELLENT 
OPPORTUNITY TO PLAN AHEAD SO YOU CAN MITIGATE AND SURVIVE THE 
DISRUPTIONS CAUSED BY SNOW...FREEZING RAIN AND EXTREME COLD. 

DURING WINTER STORMS...YOU SHOULD AVOID AUTOMOBILE TRAVEL IF 
POSSIBLE BECAUSE ROADS CAN BECOME ICY AND DANGEROUS. IF YOU MUST 
TRAVEL...USE EXTREME CAUTION BECAUSE ROUTINE ACTIONS SUCH AS 
BRAKING...TURNING AND CHANGING LANES CAN BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT 
AND CAN GREATLY INCREASE THE PROBABILITY FOR COLLISIONS AND OTHER 
ACCIDENTS. ASSUME THAT ROADS WILL BECOME IMPASSABLE OR THAT YOUR 
VEHICLE WILL BE DISABLED. CARRY EMERGENCY SUPPLIES SUCH AS EXTRA 
WARM CLOTHES...A THICK BLANKET...A FLASHLIGHT...BATTERY POWERED 
RADIO...EXTRA BATTERIES...WATER...MEDICATIONS AND A FIRST AID 
KIT...SAND OR ROAD SALT...A SHOVEL AND A TOW CHAIN OR ROPE.

AT HOME...PREPARE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD WITH NO POWER. STOCK WATER 
AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD...AS WELL AS FLASHLIGHTS...A BATTERY-POWERED 
RADIO AND EXTRA BATTERIES. ENSURE AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF NEEDED 
MEDICATIONS. STOCK UP ON PET FOOD. IF YOU HAVE A FIREPLACE...STOCK 
UP ON WOOD IN CASE YOUR REGULAR HEAT SOURCE REMAINS OUT OF ORDER FOR 
AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. 

DURING SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORMS AND COLD OUTBREAKS...AUTHORITIES 
MAY OPEN HEATED SHELTERS. IF NECESSARY...PREPARE TO RELOCATE TO A 
NEARBY WARM SHELTER BEFORE THE WINTER STORM OR COLD AIR ARRIVES. 

WHEN TRAVELING TO COLDER LOCATIONS...CHECK WEATHER CONDITIONS IN 
ADVANCE. BRING ALONG APPROPRIATE CLOTHING AND DEVELOP A PLAN IN CASE 
YOUR TRAVEL PLANS ARE DISRUPTED BY A WINTER STORM.   

YOUR RESPONSE TO OUR OUTLOOKS...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES 
CAN DICTATE THE SUCCESS OF OUR SERVICES.  
  
FOR ADDITIONAL WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK INFORMATION...CHECK OUT 
OUR WEB PAGE AT WWW/ERH.NOAA.GOV/CHS/. ALSO...LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AT 
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.CHARLESTONSC.GOV. YOU CAN 
ALSO FOLLOW @NWSCHARLESTONSC ON TWITTER.  

THIS INFORMATIONAL STATEMENT OFFERS ONLY A SAMPLE OF WINTER WEATHER 
PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS. YOU CAN VIEW OTHER EXCELLENT SOURCES OF WINTER 
WEATHER PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION AT 
WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/WINTER/INDEX.SHTML...WWW.FEMA.GOV AND
WWW.REDCROSS.ORG. 

$$