Spring Weather

By Cathy Shouse

The arrival of spring breezes in like a breath of fresh air.

weather is wise preparation. We caught up

Beier emphasized that weather preparedness is up to each individual. His department and other agencies will do their part, but awareness is not something anyone else can do for you.

“Be responsible for your own preparedness,” he said. “I believe preparedness is a state of mind. You must want to be prepared. You must take the time to learn about what severe weather hazards you may face and what you can do to prepare yourself, your family, your neighborhood, or your business for the impacts of severe weather.”

He listed questions to consider: Do I have small children? Pets? Senior adults in the home? Mobility-impaired or other special needs individuals?

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s Get Prepared website has information you can use to better understand the hazards and how to prepare for them. Get Prepared: Nature Safety (in.gov)

For those of us who are within the range of the warning system, Beier said there is important information to keep in mind. Sometimes the language used and even the sirens going off can be misunderstood, so education is the first step.

“We only activate the outdoor emergency warning sirens for an actual tornado warning,” Beier said. “If you hear the outdoor emergency warning sirens, you should act immediately. Take shelter, then seek additional information. We do not use them for thunderstorms, straight-line winds, or other levels of weather.”

On the other hand, not everyone will hear the sirens, so pay attention to other information you might receive. Keeping upto-date on current methods of how the public is informed of weather dangers is crucial. The systems will change and may undergo updating in the future. Beier expects the outdoor emergency warning sirens to become less of our warning system as mobile technology and other more-effective technologies become more widely used and available. The outdoor sirens will likely still be used as part of the overall alerting and communication toolbox, but their role will continue to diminish over the coming years.

A Watch means “get ready.” Consider how severe weather could affect your current schedule, then develop common sense courses of action. Do you take an umbrella? Start the grill earlier? Hold off or take a shorter bike ride? Do you monitor the weather conditions more often during a watch? Where would you go for safety? Where are your family members? Can you communicate with them quickly?

Once the warning is issued, there is no time to plan and consider what you might do, could do, or should do. You get ready during the watch. A warning means the severe weather is in the county right now. You need to act now, then seek additional information throughout the event.

Beier shared a story to think about. “Following the F-3 Tornado that came through Eastern Allen County in August of 2016, I spoke with a young couple whose home was destroyed; leveled to the foundation. They knew severe weather was in the area, but their life experience told them, ‘It never happens here, we’ll be alright.’ They had a short conversation regarding whether to take shelter in the basement or just sit down and have dinner that was prepared and ready. They decided to eat. Before the first bite, they heard a noise, and went to the front window to see the roof being torn off of the building across the street. They ran to the basement, reached the second to last step before their home above them was wiped off the foundation. They were not seriously injured, they were lucky. Dinner can wait. A warning means ‘Act Now!’”

Just as organizations practice for unexpected events, families and businessowners may want to hold meetings to make plans in case of inclement weather. Remaining calm and making good decisions will be important, and assigning duties ahead of time may make all the difference. a

By Cassie Beer, Fort Wayne Women’s Fund Director

According to the World Economic Forum, it will take 100 years for the gender pay gap to close. March 15th will mark the day when, on average, women will have earned what their male counterparts earned from January to December of the previous year. Equal Pay Day was originally created by the National Committee on Pay Equity in 1996 as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men’s and women’s wages.

In Indiana, the average pay gap between a man and a woman is $12,460. For Allen County, that number is $15,590. The numbers get worse when we look at diverse communities:

• May 3rd: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Women Equal Pay Day. AAPI women are paid 75 cents for every dollar paid to white men.

• June 15th: LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Day: Without enough data to make calculations, this day raises awareness about the wage gap and economic inequity experienced by LGBTQIA+ people.

• September 8th: Moms’ Equal Pay Day. Moms are paid 58 cents for every dollar paid to dads.

• September 21st: Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. Black women are paid 58 cents for every dollar paid to white men.

• November 30th: Native American & Indigenous Women’s Equal Pay Day. Native women are paid 51 cents for every dollar paid to white men.

• December 8th: Latina’s Equal Pay Day. Latinas are paid 54 cents for every dollar paid to white men.

In the latest Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, only 8% of companies had a woman chief executive, and only 24% of companies had women executives who were considered above