Agenda - 12-06-2004-6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 6, 2004 Action Agen a Item No. -q SUBJECT: Winter WeatherAwareness Week Proclamation DEPARTMENT: Emergency Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Proclamation INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Griffin, 968-2050 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 PURPOSE: To designate the week of December 5 through 11, 2004 as Winter Weather Awareness Week in Orange County. BACKGROUND: The National Weather Service and the Governor of North Carolina have proclaimed the week of December 5 through 11, 2004 as Winter Weather Awareness Week. The Orange County Department of Emergency Management encourages all residents to use this time to educate their families about safe practices indoors and outdoors when winter weather threatens. According to the Raleigh Office of the National Weather Service, North Carolina receives multiple types of winter weather each year. While snow is normally the best symbol of winter weather, its counterpart, ice, remains a dangerous hazard. Significant accumulations of precipitate ice, in the two forms of sleet and freezing rain, can cause power outages, trees to fall, telephone pole breakages, and hazardous roadways. Even minor accumulations of ice on roadways can create dangerous conditions far motorists. The deadly "black ice" is nothing more than a clear, thin sheet of ice, so clear in fact, that the road appears wet. This phenomenon occurs frequently on bridges and overpasses. Motoring residents are reminded to have a mechanic check their vehicles to make sure the vehicle is ready for cold weather. All Sport Utility Vehicle drivers need to be aware that your four wheel drive vehicle will slide on ice just as easily as a two wheel drive vehicle. Drivers of those vehicles must resist being lulled into a false sense of security, and maintain extra vigilance in remembering to drive safely.