somoutreach

Weather Safety

General Definition and Importance

Weather safety consists of two main things: being prepared and being weather aware. Some hazards like tornados, lightning, and hail can happen in a flash but others like temperature extremes and flooding can still catch people off guard. Different hazards require different preparations such as tornado safety warrants a weather safety bag whereas lightning safety requires knowing the safest place to be. All weather safety plans should be tailored to you to keep you safe. For example, a weather safety bag needs to include a weather radio and a flashlight but may also need to include medications. Knowing what actions to take and how to prepare for different weather hazards is important in order to keep yourself, your friends, and your family safe.

Key concepts

Oklahoma State Standards

We found that understanding Weather Safety is relevant to meeting the 2020 Oklahoma Academic Standards below:

K.ESS3.2 Ask questions to understand the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for and respond to severe weather.

Some kinds of severe weather are more likely than others in a given region.
Weather Scientists forecast severe weather so that the communities can prepare for and respond to these events.
People depend on various technologies in their lives; human life would be very different without technology.
People encounter questions about the natural world every day.

3.ESS3.1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.

A variety of natural hazards result from natural processes.
Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but can take steps to reduce their impact.
Engineers improve existing technologies or develop new ones to increase their benefits (e.g., better artificial limbs), decrease known risks (e.g., seatbelts in cars), and meet societal demands (e.g., cell phones).