TOPEKA, Kansas - The Kansas Division of Emergency Management provided information to the public at various locations in Topeka throughtout Severe Weather Awareness Week to help individuals prepare for weather disasters and other emergencies.

The last meeting is Friday, March 12, 2010, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at West Ridge Mall.

Prepare an Emergency Kit
All Kansans are urged to practice their own severe weather safety plan at home, work, school or other locations during this week of awareness. Individuals should know where to seek shelter should severe weather threaten and know how long it will take you to reach that shelter. Attentive preparation is a duty that should be practiced all year long, and not just during storm season.

"Our state's first responders are dedicated and professional," Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and the adjutant general said. "But they can't be everywhere at once. It's up to each of us to be prepared to get along on our own for a while until help can arrive. I urge everyone to prepare a home emergency kit and make an emergency response plan for your family. Then practice it. Make sure everyone knows where the emergency supplies are. Brush up on your first aid skills. And talk to your neighbors about a 'mutual aid' agreement. A good neighbor is one of the best things a person can have when an emergency strikes."

Although the threat of a tornado seems to receive the most attention, thunderstorms and high winds frequently cause more damage and occur more often than tornadoes. Flooding, particularly flash flooding, claims the lives of more people than any other weather emergency.

For more information on emergency kits and safety in storms, go to www.ksready.gov, www.accesskansas.org/kdem, and www.fema.gov.