Selma Tornado Anniversary 2024

One Year Anniversary Event
Selma Alabama Tornadoes
Date: Saturday, January 13, 2024
Time: 10:00 am- 12:00 pm 
Location: Arts Revive (3 Church Street, Selma, AL)

There will be severe weather preparedness training stations covering a variety of topics, including:

Home Safety Kits with Kristiana Allen (Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Consortium)

• Building a budget friendly kit
• Discuss where kit should be stored, how many days to prepare for, changing items when necessary, ensuring that everyone in family should be able to access emergency kit

CPR & First Aid with Vaughan Regional Medical Center

• Basic training with mannequins including proper chest compressions and rescue breathing
• Choking rescue training; Heimlich maneuver
• First aid basics; discuss items included in first aid kit, apply bandages, etc.
• How to respond to heart attacks, seizures, severe anaphylaxis, etc.
• Outline steps to take in the event of a severe bleed

Chainsaw Safety with Selma Fire Department 

• Chainsaw Anatomy; a display of chainsaw components, explaining the functions and maintenance requirements
• Safety briefing that covers personal protective equipment, safe operation, and potential hazards
• Hazard assessment; explain how to assess the area for potential hazards before starting work
• Chainsaw Handling Demonstration
• Cutting Techniques
• Maintenance Tips; how to safely and efficiently clean and maintain the chainsaw
• How to respond to chainsaw-related emergencies like kickback

Sheltering with Birmingham Weather Forecast Office 

• Tell your story
• Safe Sheltering Tips
• Sheltering Map Activity

How to find where you are on a map with Meteorologist James Spann

• Utilize maps to determine location in order to stay safe during severe weather events
• Blank Map Guessing Activity

Receiving Weather Alerts-Weather Radios and Cell Phone Alerts with Dr. Justin Sharpe (National Severe Storms Lab)

• Explore different ways to receive emergency alerts
• NOAA Weather Radio Demonstration
• Set up emergency alerts on your phone
• Discuss the importance of sharing location for most accurate alerts

Get to Know Your Weather Forecasting Office

• Introduction to BMX office team members and the role that they fulfill
• Discuss tornado prediction and detection equipment and technology

Children’s Station with the American Red Cross of Central East Alabama

• Pillow Case Project
• Ready 2 Help Card Game
• FEMA’s “Prepare with Pedro” Coloring Activity