Severe Weather Preparedness Week runs from Sunday, March 3 - Saturday, March 9, 2019. To bring awareness to this effort in 2019, Pitt County Emergency Management (PCEM), in partnership with the Pitt County Health Department (PCHD) and Pitt County Schools has scheduled various activities throughout the entire week. These efforts include:
Tornado Drills: A statewide tornado drill is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 9:30am. Pitt County Emergency Management Interim Director, Jim McArthur, will join Pitt County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker and the staff of Pactolus Elementary School for this drill. All officials present will available to the media beforehand, between 9:00am-9:20am. Pactolus Elementary is located at 3405 Yankee Hall Rd, Greenville, NC 27834.
Carolinas Outbreak 35th Anniversary Event: On March 28, 1984, Eastern North Carolina experienced one of its most deadly and destructive tornado outbreaks in recorded history. Dubbed “The Carolinas Outbreak,” these storms devastated several portions of Pitt County. According to the National Weather Service, 11 individual tornadoes touched down in North Carolina, with a total of 57 fatalities across the Carolinas and Georgia. During Severe Weather Preparedness Week, Interim EM Director, Jim McArthur will join former emergency responders to release a special video discussing their experiences and reflections, now 35 years beyond this event.
Social Media and Website: Both the PCEM and PCHD Facebook pages (@PittCountyEM and @PittCountyHealthDepartment) will feature posts and videos containing important safety information, related to the daily theme. These posts will also be shared on the Pitt County Facebook and Twitter pages. Additionally, the homepage of the Pitt County Website will also display information on its homepage.
Banners: A 6’ wide vinyl roadside banner announcing the week will be on display at the County Administrative building in Greenville, with several smaller signs posted in County facilities at various locations throughout the County.
These recognitions serve as part of the ongoing dedication PCEM staff have to keeping residents informed, prepared, and safe in all kinds of inclement weather.
