Monsoon Awareness Week to Begin June 7

PHOENIX - Governor Jan Brewer has pronounced June 7 - 11, 2010, Monsoon Awareness Week to heighten public awareness of Arizona's "rainy season" from June 15 through September 30 and reinforce the year-round value of emergency preparedness.

"The Monsoon brings rains and fleeting reprieve from the summer heat," said Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) Director Lou Trammell. "But those same thunderstorms preface other hazards. It's just as important to protect yourself against flash flooding, dust storms and lightning as it is to prepare for a summer downpour."

Monsoon thunderstorms strike hard and fast often in the late afternoon or early evening hours. They can amass rapidly and dart across the State at a sprint, producing lightning and straight-line winds and causing washes to run and low-lying roads to flood.

ADEM joins the National Weather Service; the Arizona departments of Health, Insurance and Water Resources; and the Salvation Army in encouraging the public to prepare for the Monsoon season and pursuant dangers by taking basic preparedness precautions.

· Prepare a Plan - Write and rehearse family communication and evacuation plans that identify a family meeting place, account for special needs like prescriptions and the family pet, and include local emergency numbers and an "out-of-town" contact.

· Make a Kit - Gather enough non-perishable food and clean water to sustain your family for at least 72 hours. Suggested kit items include first aid supplies, a flashlight, a weather radio with extra batteries and toiletries.

· Be Informed - Identify threats in your community. For instance, does the road into your neighborhood washout after a heavy rain? Also, visit and bookmark www.azein.gov as an Internet favorite for real-time emergency updates and preparedness information.