Middle Georgia prepares for weekend severe weather
The Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency handed out NOAA weather radios at City Hall on Friday.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Severe weather is expected to hit Middle Georgia Saturday night into Sunday morning, and Middle Georgians spent Friday preparing.
Macon-Bibb County residents waited in line at City Hall to pick up free NOAA weather radios. Spencer Hawkins, Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director, says the radios provide users instructions on what actions to take depending on the severity of the storm. He encourages those who missed out on the radio giveaway to purchase one now.
“They just alert for Bibb County,” Hawkins said. “And when there is a severe weather watch or warning, whether it’s a tornado watch or warning, or a severe thunderstorm watch or warning, or severe weather like that, they will alert. And they will alert loudly. They will speak through the device and tell you what’s going on and what you need to do to stay safe.”
Mike Thompson, the owner of Mike’s Tree Service, says before following weather updates inside the comfort of your home, you should prepare for the storm outside out of it.
“Go out and look for dead trees, or if you’ve got trees leaning over the house,” Thompson said. “Raise the canopy of the trees and try to get them cut before they fall.”
Thompson’s Warner Robins-based tree removal company has seen an influx of calls this week due to the forecast. He says dead trees around homes don’t require strong wind to become a major issue. Thompson says this can be avoided by finding a licensed tree removal specialist to take care of the yard work ahead of time.
“Any time you’ve got a tree leaning towards the house, it’s always important to hire a professional, local person to do your tree work,” Thompson said.
Thompson says people often make the mistake of procrastinating ahead of storms, but he says he and his crew will be around to clean up what may have been missed.
“We’ll be working all weekend to help people with whatever needs they have,” Thompson said.
The Macon-Bibb EMA will also work overtime, keeping people up to date on weather events. Hawkins says everyone should take the storm seriously and have a plan.
“We always encourage people to have a multi-layered approach to preparedness and awareness,” Hawkins said. “And so, with MBC alert, with the smartphone app, with the radio you can stay weather aware and know what’s going on.”
Now is also a good time to download the free 41NBC AccuWeather weather app from your app store of choice. You can set alerts for your mobile device based on your location.
