COURTESY: NWS/NOAA

If there was one extreme weather preparedness action you want your loved ones to take, what would it be? For many, that one action is to know ahead of time where their safe place is located. On April 6, 2022, please join the National Weather Service and its Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors to take a “selfie” and post with the hashtag #SafePlaceSelfie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fWbGpG1zfs One of the most essential preparedness actions anyone can do is to identify their safe locations from various extreme weather threats. Knowing where to go ahead of time can minimize hesitation and ensure your decisions are good ones even under great duress. To encourage everyone to take some time and identify their safe places, we ask that you post a “selfie” photo using the hashtag #SafePlaceSelfie and challenge others to do the same by tagging them in your post -- other family members, friends, colleagues at school or work, or others in your social network. Imagine a “Weather-Ready Nation” where everyone knows where to go or where not to go, and when extreme weather is forecast, makes decisions to ensure their safety. Here are some helpful tips as you take a big step toward greater preparedness: Step #1: Think about what hazards are relevant to your area and those locations where you spend lots of time.

These can be frequent hazards like lightning, flash flooding, or extreme heat, or can be rare but high-impact hazards such as a tsunami.
Don’t limit yourself to just one selfie post. Take selfies in various locations dependent on these different hazards. For instance, your car can be an effective refuge from lightning, but is a dangerous option during a tornado warning or flash flooding. Home, office, school, gym, and athletic fields are all great locations to identify your safe place.
Maybe your most common hazards aren’t exactly weather events -- wildfires, rough surf/rip currents, earthquakes. These are all good hazards to know your safe place.

Step #2: Get Creative.

Have pets or children? Get them involved in the creative process. Have a pet? What is your plan for them if extreme winds threaten your home? Make things fun by including things you have in your emergency kit.
Bend the rules by thinking beyond just a physical location. For example, your safe location may be anywhere you have access to lifesaving warnings (e.g., NOAA Weather Radio, FEMA or commercial app) or could be your proximity to safety (e.g., swimming near lifeguard stands or with a swim buddy)

https://twitter.com/NWS/status/1511690606652895243 Step #3: Challenge others by tagging them in your post.

“Hey, @______, where is your safe place when extreme weather threatens?”
Encouraging others to participate makes you a force multiplier that could result in saving lives.

Step #4: Follow the action throughout the day.