2018 North Carolina Severe Weather Preparedness Week

North Carolina Severe Weather Preparedness Week
March 4-10, 2018
Statewide Tornado Drill scheduled for Wednesday, March 7 at 9:30 AM

March 4-10, 2018 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in North Carolina. During the event, the National Weather Service and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety will implement a severe weather safety campaign to all of North Carolina’s residents.

This year's North Carolina Severe Weather Preparedness Week will combine multiple awareness weeks while focusing on tornadoes, large hail, lightning, flash flooding, and damaging straight-line winds.

Schools and government buildings statewide will hold tornado drills Wednesday, March 7, at 9:30 a.m. to practice their emergency plans. Test messages will be broadcast on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios and the Emergency Alert System. All North Carolinians are encouraged to participate in the drill.

For more information, visit https://www.weather.gov/rah/2018ncswpw

North Carolina Weather Resources (courtesy readync.org) :
North Carolina Department of Public Safety severe weather preparedness page:  https://readync.org/EN/Index.html

Be Informed:  https://readync.org/EN/Informed.html

Make a Plan:  https://readync.org/EN/Plan_MakeAPlan.html

Build a Kit:  https://readync.org/EN/Plan_GetAKit.html

Get Involved:  https://readync.org/EN/Involved.html

ReadyNC mobile app:  https://readync.org/EN/DOWNLOADAPP.html

Additional Weather Resources:

NOAA Weather Radio: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/

Wireless Emergency Alerts: https://www.weather.gov/wrn/wea

Nationwide Awareness Weeks: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/severeweather/severewxcal.shtml

Spanish-language: https://www.listo.gov

Cargo Containers Lost off North Carolina

On Mar. 4, 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a warning to mariners of navigation hazards after about 70 cargo containers fell off of a cargo ship about 17 miles off Oregon Inlet, North Carolina.

On Saturday night March 3rd, 2018, the cargo ship Maersk Shanghai contacted watchstanders at Sector North Carolina’s command center via VHF-FM marine radio channel 16, notifying them that they lost approximately 70 to 73 cargo containers due to high winds and heavy seas.

The Coast Guard urges all mariners to transit this area with caution.

source: U.S. Coast Guard 5th District

Delaware River Restoration Fund Grants

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) recently announced 13 grant awards totaling $2.28 million for water quality restoration and habitat conservation in targeted regions throughout the Delaware River watershed.

Grantee organizations have committed $4.19 million in match, generating a total conservation impact of more than $6.47 million.

The grants were awarded through the Delaware River Restoration Fund, a partnership between NFWF and the William Penn Foundation.

This is the fourth year the fund has administered grant awards; this year, additional support was provided by the U.S. Forest Service.

“The 2017 grants from the Delaware River Restoration Fund represent a continued commitment to restoring water quality and habitats in this iconic watershed,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO at NFWF. “The William Penn Foundation’s unparalleled investment in the Delaware River watershed and the important work of these grantees will benefit a range of native species, from eastern brook trout to golden-winged warblers.”

The Delaware River Watershed covers 13,539 square miles of land and water, running from the Catskills in New York through Pennsylvania and New Jersey, ultimately emptying into the Delaware Bay.

Grant projects take place in a variety of landscapes across the watershed and ultimately benefit water quality locally and for those downstream.

From 2013 through 2017, the William Penn Foundation has provided $8 million in grant funding for NFWF to administer competitively through its Delaware River Restoration Fund.

source: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival 2017

This year's Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival will be held May 20th & 21st, 2017 at Sandy Point State Park near Annapolis, Maryland. The net proceeds from this show will go to help local charities.

2017 Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival Festival Lineup:

Saturday

The Mavericks
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Walter Trout
Samantha Fish
Toronzo Cannon
Frank Bang and the Cook County Kings
Sweet Leda

Sunday:

Jonny Lang
Robert Randolph and the
Family Band
Ana Popovic
The William Bell Band
Mississippi Blues Child Mr. Sipp
The Apocalypse Blues Revue
Swamp Candy


Tickets are on sale now at www.bayblues.org.

Shamrock Marathon 2017 - Virginia Beach

Approximately 30,000 runners from all 50 states and several countries will come together along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront March 18-19 for the Annual Shamrock Marathon Weekend.

The three-day event features a Sports and Fitness Expo, races and challenges to accommodate all ages and skill levels, and a huge finish line celebration on the beach.

Registration is still open for the Yuengling Shamrock marathon (26.2 miles), the Anthem Shamrock half marathon (13.1 miles) and the TowneBank Shamrock 8K (4.97 miles).

Visit ShamrockMarathon.com to register.

source: City of Virginia Beach