Gov. Kicks off Ready Georgia Campaign and Severe Weather Awareness Week

Gov. Sonny Perdue announced Ready Georgia, a new statewide campaign that will be led by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA).  Governor Perdue unveiled the campaign during a ceremony proclaiming February 3-9 as Severe Weather Awareness Week (SWAW) in Georgia.  "Preparation for a large-scale disaster can protect Georgians from undue harm and even save lives," said Governor Sonny Perdue.  "Individuals and families need to be the first line of defense and that means taking steps now to prepare. Ready Georgia is a valuable tool for all of our citizens."

The Ready Georgia campaign is designed to educate and engage Georgians to "think, prepare and act" in advance of natural and man-made disasters and provides a local dimension to Ready America, a broader national campaign.  The campaign aims to prepare citizens for maintaining self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours following an emergency.

The campaign uses media messaging created and donated by the Ad Council to reach its audience through an interactive Web site (ready.ga.gov), online community toolkit, television and radio advertising and the Ready mascot, "Rex," which is designed to engage children of all ages and raise public awareness.

"We have the resources to help people prepare," said Charley English, GEMA and Homeland Security director. "It is important that leaders encourage people to do the right thing - to protect themselves and their loved ones."

Jim Shortal, director of crisis management at The Home Depot, the premier campaign sponsor, presented a Ready kit to Governor Perdue that included a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio, a flashlight and a first aid kit, among other disaster necessities.

To help Georgians prepare, The Home Depot will launch a charitable program later this year to assist low-income residents afford Ready kit items. The company also plans to create seasonal in-store Ready kit displays and have Ready checklists available at all Georgia locations throughout the year. The Home Depot also plans to have emergency preparedness information available on its Web site and to sponsor several other Ready events including a scavenger hunt focused on educating families about how to prepare for disasters.

SWAW is supported by Governor Perdue in cooperation with GEMA, the National Weather Service (NWS) and Georgia's 161 local emergency management agencies.  Governor Perdue also urged Georgians to focus on a specific topic during each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week:

• Sunday, February 3 - Family Preparedness Day
• Monday, February 4 - NOAA Weather Radios
• Tuesday, February 5 - Thunderstorms
• Wednesday, February 6 - Statewide Tornado Drill
• Thursday, February 7 - Lightning
• Friday, February 8 - Floods and Flash Floods
• Saturday, February 9 - SKYWARN

For additional information about severe weather and how you can prepare, visit http://gema.state.ga.us. To learn more about Ready Georgia, visit http://ready.ga.gov.