November 13-19, 2011 is Winter Weather Awareness Week.  Winters in Indiana can cause blizzards, heavy snows, ice storms, freezing rain, and sleet, as well as causing injuries and damage to your home.

As of July 1, 2011, all counties in Indiana will be following the same guidelines for travel advisories under a new state law (click here for the advisory levels) Also, check the links below for further winter weather preparedness.

The eighth annual National Preparedness Month will kickoff this September, using the slogan: "A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare." The campaign seeks to transform awareness into action by encouraging all Americans to take the necessary steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

Individuals and groups can now register to become NPM coalition members by visiting http://community.fema.gov. Once registered, members have access to a toolkit that includes suggestions for activities and events, templates, articles, banners and customizable materials. (From the FEMA News Desk; Released July 20, 2011)

Visit ready.gov or the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for more information on National Preparedness Month.

>On Wednesday April 20, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced the implementation of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS)—a robust terrorism advisory system that provides timely information to the public about credible terrorist threats and replaces the former color-coded alert system.

NTAS alerts provide a concise summary of the potential threat including geographic region, mode of transportation, or critical infrastructure potentially affected by the threat, actions being taken to ensure public safety, as well as recommended steps that individuals, communities, business and governments can take to help prevent, mitigate or respond to a threat. NTAS Alerts will include a clear statement on the nature of the threat, which will be defined in one of two ways:

• "Elevated Threat": Warns of a credible terrorist threat against the United States
• "Imminent Threat": Warns of a credible, specific, and impending terrorist threat against the United States

NTAS threat alerts will be issued for a specific time period and will automatically expire. Alerts may be extended if new information becomes available or as a specific threat evolves.

For more information on the National Terrorism Advisory System or to receive NTAS alerts, visit www.dhs.gov/alerts.