With National Tsunami Awareness Week observed March 24–30 this year, there’s no better time to think about taking precautions before any type of disaster strikes.

Recommendations from FEMA include:

• Be informed. Be aware what your risks are in the area you live and know what to do for specific threats like tornadoes, hurricanes or wildfires.

• Have an emergency plan.  Before an emergency happens, sit down together and decide how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go and what you will do in an emergency. Keep a copy of this plan in your emergency supply kit or another safe place where you can access it in the event of a disaster.

• Prepare an emergency kit with basic supplies such as water, a three-day supply of non-perishable food items, a battery-powered or hand-cranked radio, flashlight and extra batteries, first-aid kit and whistle to signal for help.

OnStar Crisis Assist can help

When severe weather, natural disaster or other emergencies strike, OnStar Crisis Assist can put you in touch with family and friends.

The OnStars Crisis Assist team will work with you to:

• Contact emergency responders, if needed, and direct them to your location using GPS satellite technology.

• Provide real-time crisis information and centralized assistance for food, water and hotel accommodations along with info on road closures, power outages and weather updates.

• Find available shelters or hotels.

Crisis Assist also lets you take advantage of all OnStar services — at no additional charge, no matter what service plan you have — if you’re impacted by a crisis.

Learn more about how OnStar’s Crisis Assist service works.

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Jacqueline Teeters always liked Halloween, but the one she experienced a couple years ago was a bit more scary than usual.

She was traveling in full costume from Houston to Dallas to attend a family Halloween party. “I know driving 5 ½ hours to attend a party sounds a little excessive,” she says, “but I hadn’t seen my family and friends in a long time and I figured it was a good opportunity to see everyone.”

When Jacqueline was about two hours out of Dallas, she noticed something different with her Turn-by-Turn directions on her 2009 Chevy Silverado. “I thought something might be wrong so I pushed the OnStar button to find out where the nearest Chevy dealership was,” she says. “But when the Advisor checked my location, he told me to look out the window to my left. I saw some really dark clouds in the distance.”

What Jacqueline didn’t know when she pushed her OnStar button was that OnStar tracks severe weather. The OnStar Command Center is manned by a team dedicated to monitoring weather and crisis events at all times, 24 hours a day, according to Mary Ann Adams, OnStar Crisis Incident manager. The team receives several weeks of specialized emergency training and can access information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“The Advisor calmly told me that I was going to hit some pretty bad weather but that I should keep going and not stop,” says Jacqueline. “He kept repeating that: ‘Don’t stop now. If you keep going, you will drive out of the storm’s path.’”

OnStar Advisors have real-time access to weather information, so Jacqueline’s Advisor knew that she would be able to avoid the worst of the storm if she kept driving in the direction she was headed.

Without OnStar: Jacqueline would have taken shelter under an overpass.

Jacqueline says that within minutes, the black clouds got lower in the sky, sheets of rain started pouring down and the wind really whipped up. “All I wanted to do was pull over and take shelter under an overpass and wait out the storm. And that’s exactly what I would have done if it hadn’t been for the OnStar Advisor.”

With OnStar: Jacqueline drives out of harm’s way.

“The only reason I didn’t stop was because the OnStar Advisor had been so insistent that I keep driving,” she says. “He was very firm about that. He told me if I kept going I would safely drive out of the storm. I was so scared but I listened to him and I kept driving and, after several miles, the sky started to lighten up and I knew I was going to be OK.”

Jacqueline arrived at the party safely, and when she got up the next morning, she heard on the news that a tornado had touched down in the exact area where she had wanted to stop.

“I know I am alive today because of that Advisor,” she says. “He was fantastic. There’s no way I’d ever not have OnStar. It’s more than worth it.”

Find out what to do if you’re caught in your vehicle during a tornado.

Did you know in severe weather, subscribers get full access to all OnStar services, including Navigation and Hands-Free Calling — no extra charge? Find out more about OnStar Crisis Assist.

The best advice is to leave your vehicle for sturdy shelter or lower ground, or drive out of the tornado’s path if it is not directly bearing down on you.

Here are some tips on what to do if you are in your vehicle and a tornado is approaching:

• The only time you should stay in your car is if the tornado is already on top of you and the roadway is the lowest ground you can get to. Park as quickly and safely as possible, out of traffic lanes. Keep your seatbelt on. Crouch as low as possible away from the windows and cover your head with your hands and a coat or blanket, if possible.

• If the tornado is visible and far away, and you’re not stuck in a traffic jam, you may be able to drive out of its path. Watch the tornado closely for a few seconds, comparing its path to a fixed object in the foreground, such as a tree, pole or other landmark. If it appears to be moving to your right or left, it is not moving toward you. You should escape by driving at right angles to its track.

• If the tornado appears to stay in the same place, growing larger or getting closer —but not moving either right or left — it is headed right at you. You must take shelter away from the car — and quickly. If you can’t get to a sturdy shelter, lie flat in a low spot, as far from the road as possible to avoid flying vehicles.

• Do not seek shelter under an overpass. The area under an overpass actually acts like a funnel. Winds can be worse, flying debris can be deadly and the overpass could collapse.

Remember, the lower the ground, the better protection. The higher the ground, the stronger the winds. And never think you can outrun a tornado.

Don’t forget that in any weather-related emergency, specially trained OnStar Crisis Assist Advisors are available to help subscribers find evacuation routes, gas stations and shelter. If you need help during severe weather or a crisis, press your blue OnStar button or red emergency button. During such situations, OnStar can provide a quick and central point of contact when you need emergency assistance, navigation help, information, help connecting with loved ones or other assistance. As a subscriber, these services are available to you at no additional charge.

For more weather tips, visit NOAA and Ready.gov.

Did you know what to do if caught in your car during a tornado, or did any of these tornado safety tips surprise you?

All coastal residents should be prepared with a plan for what to do if a hurricane is forecast. Ready, a public service campaign created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, offers these tips:

Before a hurricane:

To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.

• Know your surroundings.
• Learn the elevation of your property and whether it is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will be affected when a storm surge or tidal flooding are forecast.
• Identify levees and dams in your area and determine whether they pose a hazard to you.
• Learn community hurricane evacuation routes and how to find higher ground. Determine where you would go and how you would get there if you needed to evacuate.
• Cover all of your home’s windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8” marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
• Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
• Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.
• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.
• Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
• Determine how and where to secure your boat.
• Install a generator for emergencies.
• If you’re in a high-rise building, be prepared to take shelter on or below the 10th floor.
• Consider building a safe room.

During a hurricane:

• Listen to the radio or TV for information.
• Secure your home, close storm shutters and secure outdoor objects or bring them indoors.
• Turn off utilities if instructed to do so. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.
• Turn off propane tanks.
• Avoid using the phone, except for serious emergencies.
• Moor your boat if time permits.
• Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purpose such as cleaning and flushing toilets.
• Find out how to keep food safe during and after an emergency.

You should evacuate under the following conditions:

• If you are directed by local authorities to do so. Be sure to follow their instructions.
• If you live in a mobile home or temporary structure — such shelters are particularly hazardous during a hurricane no matter how well fastened to the ground.
• If you live in a high-rise building — hurricane winds are stronger at higher elevations.
• If you live on the coast, on a floodplain, near a river or on an island waterway.

If you are unable to evacuate, go to your wind-safe room. If you do not have one, follow these guidelines:

• Stay indoors during the hurricane and away from windows and glass doors.
• Close all interior doors — secure and brace external doors.
• Keep curtains and blinds closed. Do not be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm — winds will pick up again.
• Take refuge in a small interior room, closet or hallway on the lowest level.
• Lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object.
• Avoid elevators.

OnStar Crisis Assist will be there to help

Take a few minutes to watch the OnStar Extreme Weather Driving Tips video. It provides safety tips and explains how specially trained OnStar Crisis Assist Advisors are available to help subscribers find evacuation routes, gas stations and shelter during a weather-related emergency.

If you need help during severe weather or a crisis, press your blue OnStar or red emergency button. During such situations, OnStar can provide a quick and central point of contact when you need emergency assistance, navigation help, information, help connecting with loved ones or other assistance. As a subscriber, these services are available to you at no additional charge.

For more information about hurricanes and how to keep your family safe, visit ready.gov/hurricanes.

See how OnStar was there for Beth Jones when she needed to contact family members after Hurricane Gustav, and how OnStar helped Ken and Cynthia Logan when they were evacuating during Gustav, and what happened to Bethany Grizzaffi when she found herself directly in the path of Hurricane Ike.

Have you or a family member ever experienced a hurricane firsthand?