Amessage from the City of Newcastle Sunday night stated that “the official beginning of spring is one month away but the weather doesn’t pay attention to the calendar.” They also said, “Emergency Management will be monitoring the weather throughout the day and provide information updates as needed.”
As storm chasers watched funnels forming both to the west and to the east of Newcastle, the City wanted to remind area residents that they can be notified when there is severe weather in the area, or there is some other type of important matter.
Residents can sign up for the City’s mass notification service known as CivicReady by going online to the City of Newcastle website and clicking on the “storm notifications” button. There you will find a sign-up for either telephone voice alerts, text or email.
The City also posts notices to their page on Facebook including notices about the opening of the Community Storm Shelter. They note that no pets are allowed in the shelter because of safety concerns, and the shelter has a limited capacity so if it is full some people may be denied access.
“Once a tornado-warned storm is approaching the Newcastle area, the shelter doors are closed and locked down for the safety of occupants. You will not be able to enter the shelter once the doors are locked,” states the City. “Flashing lights on the outside of the shelter indicate an open or closed status. A green light means the shelter is open. A red light means the shelter is closed.”
The Community Storm Shelter is located between the Police and Fire Stations on North Carr Drive The City further states, “Please take shelter in your home or with a neighbor once a tornado-warned storm is rapidly approaching Newcastle or is in progress.”
Emergency Management offers these additional severe weather tips: “Now is the time to prepare for severe weather. Make sure outdoor items that could be thrown about with the wind are secured. Make sure storm shelters are cleaned out and ready to go if needed. Have at least three ways to receive emergency weather notifications. Make sure you have working flashlights as power outages will be possible.”
They also noted that you should plan ahead to charge your electronic devices and prepare for any power outages.
