This is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

Nearly three inches of rain fell across much of southwestern Connecticut over the last 24 hours, marking the heaviest one-day rainfall since last September 6 (2.34"). The official total of 1.72" yesterday at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford broke the previous record for the date of 1.64" set in 1969. Certainly, we needed the rain, but we are still running below normal for April and this year. Here is a sampling of some of the rainfall totals from across southwestern Connecticut:

• Norwalk: 2.90"
• Redding: 2.75"
• Stamford: 2.73"
• Stratford: 2.59"
• Orange: 2.35"
• Bridgeport: 2.15"

There weren't any reports of serious flooding, but there were some power outages due to the gusty winds during the storm. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are teaming up during this week to save lives from severe weather by encouraging the public to know the risks, take action, and be a force of nature by taking proactive preparedness measures and inspiring others to do the same.  The week of April 22 to April 28 is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week.

In late April last year, tornadoes raked the central and southern United States, spawning more than 300 tornadoes and claiming hundreds of lives. That devastating outbreak was only one of many weather-related tragedies in 2011, which now holds the record for the greatest number of multi-billion dollar weather disasters in the nation’s history. The country has already experienced early and destructive tornado outbreaks in the Midwest and South this year, including a significant number of tornadoes last weekend.

May is the peak season for tornadoes so it is important to take action now. “The damaging tornadoes that struck this year, causing widespread devastation as well as loss of life, also spurred many heroic survival stories,” said NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D. “In every one of these stories, people heard the warning, understood a weather hazard was imminent and took immediate action. We can build a Weather-Ready Nation by empowering people with the information they need to take preparedness actions across the country.”

“One of the lessons we can take away from the recent tornado outbreaks is that severe weather can happen anytime, anywhere,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “While we can’t control where or when it might hit, we can take steps in advance to prepare and that’s why we are asking people to pledge to prepare, and share with others so they will do the same.”

According to the NOAA Web site, to “be a force of nature,” NOAA and FEMA encourage citizens to prepare for extreme weather by following these guidelines:

* Know your risk: The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where you live and work, and how the weather could impact you and your family. Check the weather forecast regularly and sign up for alerts from your local emergency management officials. Severe weather comes in many forms and your shelter plan should include all types of local hazards.

* Take action: Pledge to develop an emergency plan based on your local weather hazards and practice how and where to take shelter. Create or refresh an emergency kit for needed food, supplies and medication. Post your plan where visitors can see it. Learn what you can do to strengthen your home or business against severe weather. Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio. Download FEMA’s mobile app so you can access important safety tips on what to do before and during severe weather. Understand the weather warning system and become a certified storm spotter through the National Weather Service.

* Be a force of nature: Once you have taken action, tell your family, friends, school staff and co-workers about how they can prepare. Share the resources and alert systems you discovered with your social media network. Studies show individuals need to receive messages a number of ways before acting – and you can be one of those sources. When you go to shelter during a warning, send a text, tweet or post a status update so your friends and family know. You might just save their lives, too.

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. You may find NOAA on Facebook and Twitter. FEMA's mission is to support its citizens and first-responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Paul