January 31, 2011

County and Fire Department await storm

      Johnson County Emergency Management officials along with White River and Greenwood Fire Departments are awaiting what the National Weather Service is calling a "Catastrophic Winter Storm" to encompass the county starting the evening of January 31st and running until the evening of February 2nd.  The NWS has issued a Winter Storm Warning for our area and a Blizzard Warning for areas approximately 60 miles north including Lafayette and South Bend.  In our area, the NWS is expecting a total of 1-2 inches of ice accumulation accompanied by increasing winds, which could possibly bring large trees and power lines down.  If your power were to go out, please do not go outside and attempt to restore it yourself.  If you see a downed power line, please call Johnson County REMC, Duke Energy or Indianapolis Power and Light depending on where you live.  Even though power lines are down and your power is off doesn't mean that those downed lines are not energized.  We would also like to remind you not to run any type of generator or outdoor grill indoors due to the possibility that these units will put off dangerous carbon monoxide which can be deadly.  If you need any emergency help other than fire or medical needs, the Johnson County Emergency Operations Center will be operational starting at 0500 on February 1st.  White River Township FD and Greenwood FD will be staffing their EOC starting at 0800.  Remember, if you have any emergency medical needs during the storm, please call 911.  If you need any other assistance, please call the Johnson County EOC at 317-736-9064.  You can also check on continuous updates with Johnson County's Emergency Management website at  www.johnsoncountyema.org/ema.  If you need information on supplies recommended for your family during a storm, please visit www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html.  We would like to remind everyone to have their family preparedness plans in place. They should also remember that should they loose power at home, they should leave their water running at a thin stream to prevent the lines from freezing. If they need to evacuate their house to go to a shelter, they should take their medications, blankets, pillows, and other necessary items with them.  Be Safe.

                                  

                                                          
   

---