{"id":17836,"date":"2026-03-27T10:08:36","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=17836"},"modified":"2026-03-27T10:08:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:08:36","slug":"the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-urges-you-to-plan-ahead-for-spring-severe-weather","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-urges-you-to-plan-ahead-for-spring-severe-weather\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Urges You to Plan Ahead for Spring Severe Weather"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>March 9, 2026<br \/>\n<strong>Media Contact:\u00a0<\/strong>Dr. Zelalem Attlee, <u><a href=\"mailto:Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov\">Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Urges You to Plan Ahead for Spring Severe Weather<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 9-13<\/em><\/p>\n<p>WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 As spring approaches, warmer temperatures return \u2014 and so does the risk of severe weather. During Severe Weather Awareness Week, observed March 9-13, the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District urges you to plan ahead before storms strike.<\/p>\n<p>Spring storms can bring a variety of severe weather hazards including tornadoes, thunderstorms with lightning and flooding. The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District offers tips to keep you safe during severe weather events.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/tornadoes\">Tornadoes<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/tornadoes\/about\/index.html\">Tornadoes<\/a><\/u> can form with little or no warning and bring winds more than 200 miles per hour.<\/p>\n<p>If you are indoors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Go to a basement or storm shelter.<\/li>\n<li>If you do not have a basement, choose an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor, away from windows.<\/li>\n<li>Do <strong>not <\/strong>stay in a mobile home.<\/li>\n<li>Remain sheltered until you are sure the storm has passed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are outdoors:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Seek shelter in a sturdy building immediately.<\/li>\n<li>If driving, go to the nearest safe structure if possible.<\/li>\n<li>If no shelter is available, lie in a low area away from trees and objects that could become airborne.<\/li>\n<li>Do not shelter under bridges or overpasses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Virginia\u2019s <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vaemergency.gov\/severe-weather-awareness\">Statewide Tornado Drill<\/a><\/u>\u00a0will take place on Tuesday, March 10 at 9:45 a.m.. Residents, schools, and businesses are encouraged to participate and practice their safety procedures.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/thunderstorms-lightning\">Thunderstorms<\/a><\/u><\/strong><strong> and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/lightning\/safety\/index.html\">Lightning<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Thunderstorms can form quickly, bringing strong winds and dangerous <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/lightning\/faq\/index.html\">lightning<\/a><\/u>. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles from a storm.<\/p>\n<p>To stay safe:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Trim trees and secure loose outdoor items before storms.<\/li>\n<li>Go indoors at the first sign of thunder or lightning, and bring pets inside.<\/li>\n<li>Stay away from windows.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid using electronics or anything plugged into an outlet.<\/li>\n<li>Stay out of showers and away from plumbing.<\/li>\n<li>Remain indoors for at least 30 minutes after the last thunder.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you cannot get indoors, avoid water, tall trees, and metal objects such as fences or bleachers. If someone is struck by lightning, call 911 immediately.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/floods\">Flooding<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Floods are the most common disaster in the United States. <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/floods\/about\/index.html\">Floodwater<\/a><\/u> can contain debris, chemicals, and other hazards.<\/p>\n<p>Key safety reminders:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Never walk, swim, or drive through floodwater. Turn Around, Don\u2019t Drown!<\/li>\n<li>Six inches of moving water can knock you down; one foot can sweep away a vehicle.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid bridges over fast\u2011moving water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Severe Weather Awareness Week is an opportunity for you to review safety plans, refresh emergency kits, and learn how to stay informed before storms strike. Severe weather can develop quickly. Taking simple steps now can help protect you and your family.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/02\/familyemergencyplan1_0.pdf\">Have a plan<\/a><\/u><strong>. <\/strong>Talk with your family about where to go and what to do if severe weather occurs. Make sure everyone knows the safest places in your home and how to communicate during an emergency. You can create a family emergency <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/plan-form\">plan online<\/a><\/u>.<\/li>\n<li><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/01\/DisasterChecklist-1.pdf\">Build an emergency kit<\/a><\/u><strong>. <\/strong>A disaster supplies kit includes the basic items your household may need if you must shelter in place for several days. This may include water, non\u2011perishable food, flashlights, batteries, medications, and important documents. Guidance on what to include and where to store your kit is available at <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/kit\">gov<\/a><\/u><em>.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Stay informed. <\/strong>Reliable alerts save lives. Use a weather radio, the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/fema-app\">FEMA app<\/a><\/u>, or local alert systems to receive timely <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/alerts\">warnings<\/a><\/u>. Check the settings on your mobile device to ensure you can receive <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ready.gov\/alerts#wea\">Wireless Emergency Alerts<\/a><\/u>\u00a0(WEAs). Make sure you understand the difference between <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/lwx\/warningsdefined\">watches and warnings<\/a><\/u>\u00a0so you know when to take action.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you have questions about weather safety, please contact Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District at <u><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rrhd.org\">www.rrhd.org<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"># # #<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>March 9, 2026 Media Contact:\u00a0Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Urges You to Plan Ahead for Spring Severe Weather Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 9-13 WARRENTON, Va. \u2013 As spring approaches, warmer temperatures return \u2014 and so does the risk of severe weather. During Severe Weather Awareness Week, observed March 9-13, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":444,"featured_media":0,"parent":16853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[655,1576,711,1617,1616],"class_list":["post-17836","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-flooding","tag-lightning","tag-severe-weather","tag-thunderstorm","tag-tornado"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Urges You to Plan Ahead for Spring Severe Weather - Newsroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/2026-regional-news-releases\/the-rappahannock-rapidan-health-district-urges-you-to-plan-ahead-for-spring-severe-weather\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Urges You to Plan Ahead for Spring Severe Weather - Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"March 9, 2026 Media Contact:\u00a0Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov. 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