Being prepared for severe weather starts with knowing when danger is headed your way, and Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) wants to make sure more families have a reliable way to receive those warnings.

EMA will hold a free weather radio giveaway on Wednesday, August 26, from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the Macon Mall.

Weather radios provide alerts directly from the National Weather Service, helping people receive critical information about tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flash flooding, and other emergencies, even when they may not be watching television or checking their phones.

“Having multiple ways to receive emergency alerts can make a major difference when severe weather strikes,” says EMA Director Spencer Hawkins. “We want people to have the tools they need to get important information quickly and take action to keep themselves and their families safe.”

Radios will be available while supplies last, with a limit of one per household. In an effort to make sure as many households as possible have a radio in it, anyone who received a free weather radio during the February giveaway will not be eligible to receive another radio at this event.

The giveaway is part of Macon-Bibb County’s recognition of National Emergency Management Awareness Month throughout August and EMA’s ongoing work to help residents prepare before an emergency happens.

Residents are also encouraged to have multiple ways to receive emergency notifications, know where they will go during severe weather, and have an emergency plan in place for their household.