[Archived] City of Alexandria Urges Residents to Be Prepared for Storms and Severe Weather

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 3, 2008     

City of Alexandria Urges Residents to Be Prepared for Storms and Severe Weather

• Sandbag Information for Old Town Businesses

The City of Alexandria urges residents to be prepared this weekend for severe weather that may bring heavy rains, high winds, and flooding from storms currently developing in the Atlantic. Residents are encouraged to make a plan, ensure they have adequate emergency supplies, and stay informed about severe weather that could significantly affect the region.

Being prepared requires making an emergency response plan. The plan should also ensure you and your family knows how to contact each other during an emergency, and identify a meeting place in case family members are separated and unable to return home. For more information on developing a family or business emergency plan, visit alexandriava.gov/citizencorps.

Essential services could be lost during severe weather. Residents who experience power outages must call Dominion Virginia Power at 1.888.667.3000 to report the outage. Each call is important for providing Dominion with information about specific power outages.

Having adequate supplies is essential in an emergency. Emergency supplies should include the following items:

• a three- to five-day supply of water (one gallon per person, per day)
• a three- to five-day supply of nonperishable food and a manual can opener
• first aid supplies
• a week’s supply of medications
• a flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries
• adequate supplies for infants and pets
• a list of contact numbers for family members, friends, doctors

Emergency messages will be posted on the City’s Web site, City of Alexandria Channel 70, and sent to the local media. Residents may also subscribe to emergency alerts through eNews (enews.alexandria.gov), a free City service that sends electronic messages to mobile phones, pagers, or e-mail.
For more information on preparing for emergencies, please visit www.alexandriava.gov or the Virginia Department of Emergency Management at www.vaemergency.com.