Why Prepare? 2005 Hurricane Season 18 tornadoes as a result of Katrina March 2007 tornado outbreak 21 tornadoes strike in worst outbreak in GA history Nine people died Sumter Regional Hospital destroyed April 2007 wildfires Worst wildfires in GA history, over 500,000 acres burned 2008 drought Worst drought in GA history; State of Emergency declared March 2008 tornado outbreak 11 tornadoes touch down, including first in history to strike downtown Atlanta 2008 Mother’s Day tornadoes At least 20 tornadoes touch down, including a rare EF-4 tornado Four people killed Spring 2009 flooding, tornadoes 46 counties receive federal disaster declaration Spring 2009 H1N1 50 died, 800 hospitalized September 2009 Flooding Federal disaster declaration for 23 counties Ten fatalities Approximately 125 roads closed Douglas County residents without water for a week January 2011 Winter Storm Brought up to 7 inches of snow, freezing rain and a half inch of ice Travel disrupted for several days, inaugural activities scaled back State of emergency issued April 2011 Tornadoes Fifteen tornadoes including a rare EF-4, 9 th in GA history Fifteen fatalities More than 2,000 homes damaged Presidential disaster declaration for 25 counties Summer 2011 Wildfires 320,000 acres burned over two months Fire Management Assistance Declaration issued for Racepond and Sweat Farm Again fires in Brantley, Charlton and Ware counties 250 people evacuated More than 1,300 firefighters responded from around the U.S. and Canada

Mission of Ready Georgia To educate and empower Georgians to take care of themselves for at least three days after a disaster Campaign theme: Prepare, plan and stay informed Call to action: Create a Ready profile

Survey Says Annual survey reveals although progress has been made, most Georgians aren’t ready for a disaster When asked what sort of tools would be most helpful when preparing, people said A detailed list of supplies Evacuation routes, shelter locations, emergency preparedness guides

Now There’s an App for That Android QR Code iPhone QR Code

Ready Georgia App Create, update and share Ready Profile

Ready Georgia App Dashboard Sharing – “Today in Hazard History”

Ready Georgia App Local info with sharing

Launch Marketing Plan Traditional Media Press release distributed statewide, emergency management/tech trades, mobile/digital/marketing media Social Media Changed Facebook logo to include app image Created custom QR codes Beginning on launch day, did Facebook status updates/Tweets on “top 10 app features”

Launch Marketing Plan Website/Blog Added button on Ready Georgia home page Created new internal page with infographic detailing app features Linked to app page from other pages Blog from Director English

Launch Marketing Plan Video Event Launch Live webcast introduced by Director English and Dr. Fitzgerald Screencasted demo enabled camera to zoom on app for good visuals Media and partners invited to SOC or tune in online Live Q&A Pro-bono support from Broadcast Atlanta

Success! Launched on Sept. 21, 2011, and the next day it was the No. 2 weather-related app in iTunes The first month, the number of Ready profiles created rose by 235% Since the app launched, mobile visits to the website increased 320% Over 37,000 downloads

Ongoing PR Aggressively promote the app when severe weather threatens (app usage goes up accordingly) Promote it year-round at events, speaking engagements, social media, press releases Mobile advertising pilot during NPM 2012; Facebook ads when severe weather threatens Get best results when the app is mentioned on local TV news

Ongoing PR New Partnership with Verizon Wireless Joint press release highlighting Ready Georgia app, preparedness apps during September, National Preparedness Month In-store tutorial on Ready Georgia and other severe weather apps In-store displays promoting severe weather preparedness

Success! Nearly 20 states and Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police interested in app Garnered four awards, including Honorable Mention for FEMA’s 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards

Questions? Lisa Janak Newman (404)