Jan. 22 was the three-year anniversary of a tornado in Albany that killed five people. Feb. 13 will be the 20-year anniversary of a tornado in Camilla that killed 11. Smack between those dates is Severe Weather Awareness Week, which begins Monday.

Earlier this week, Gov. Brian Kemp — in coordination with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency and the National Weather Service — issued a proclamation calling on Georgians to educate themselves and understand the threats of severe weather during the week.

Hurricane Michael showed us how bad weather can get. That was in October 2018, but storms early in the year have proved very dangerous too. Spring storms often bring high winds, hail and lightning; tornadoes are a serious concern.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) has dedicated each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week to a different action or threat.

Monday is Family Preparedness/NOAA Weather Radio Day. Purchase a life-saving NOAA Weather Radio and choose an out-of-state friend as a “check-in” contact to call if your family gets separated. Free weather apps for your cell phone can also alert you to dangerous weather. 

Tuesday focuses on thunderstorm safety. Learn the difference between a thunderstorm watch and a thunderstorm warning. 

Wednesday is all about tornado safety. Expect a tornado drill that day. Determine in advance where you will take shelter in case of a tornado warning. 

Thursday focuses on lightning safety. Learn the 30/30 rule. If after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder, go indoors. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder. 

Friday is about flood safety. Copy important documents, seal them in a watertight container and add them to your Ready kit. 

Speaking of the Ready kit, if you don’t already have one, there are instructions on what to pack at gema.georgia.gov/plan-prepare/ready-georgia. Check it out.

We don’t want a hurricane. We don’t want a tornado. We don’t want a flash flood. What we want is irrelevant. As we and our neighbors across South Georgia know too well, storms happen.

Use this week to learn how to be prepared before they happen here.