Free Water Safety Sessions Coming Up In Augusta

A local organization is hosting free water safety sessions on Saturday, April 20th. The S.P.L.A.S.H. Summit will be held at The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Augusta. The Izzy Scott Foundation has partnered with the Kroc Center to raise awareness and ensure kids are safe when they swim.

This water safety session is a free event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The S.P.L.A.S.H. Summit will include water safety sessions for ages 5 to 17, with registration required. The event will also include guest speakers, a resource fair, food, and more.

Registration for the safety sessions can be done at AugustaKroc.org. Sessions are limited, and some are already filled.

It's important to note that these are not swim lessons.  The sessions will educate children on the importance of water safety, including following pool rules, recognizing water-related emergencies, and how they can help if an emergency arises.

The water safety sessions are hosted by experienced instructors.  They will cover topics like safe swimming areas, basic rescue techniques, and build their confidence. This will provide your child with life-saving skills and also give them the knowledge to make safe decisions in water settings.

The Izzy Scott Foundation is also sponsoring 100 free swim lessons for kids 18 months and older. Swim lesson sign-ups will begin on Saturday, April 20th at the water safety event. The lessons will be given to the first 100 sign-ups.

The Izzy Scott Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It was founded by the family of Israel "Izzy" Scott. Izzy was a fun-loving kid from the Augusta area who tragically lost his life while learning to swim.  As a result, the foundation was formed to help share Izzy's story and promote water safety.

Learn more about the Izzy Scott Foundation and donate or volunteer HERE.

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is located at 1833 Broad Street in Augusta. It is a community center with over 100,000 square feet of programming space. It's located on a 17-acre site near the Augusta Canal.

Joan Kroc is the name behind the community center. Her vision for a safe gathering place led to the creation of the first Kroc center in San Diego, California.

Joan passed away just over a year after the opening of the first Kroc Center, but left $1.5 billion to the Salvation Army to build more centers across the country. Ther are now 26 of these centers nationwide.

The Kroc Center in Augusta includes an indoor water park, chapel/theater, banquet hall, classrooms, and a conference room. It is a place for everyone in the community, with arts, worship, education, recreation, and more.

Learn more about The Salvation Army Kroc Center of Augusta HERE.

Nobody likes dealing with severe weather. But, it's part of life. Depending on where you live in the United States, you might come up against hurricanes, tornados, severe thunderstorms, blizzards and more. I've certainly had my fair share of severe weather events. Probably my most vivid memory was being in an ice storm, which knocked power out for about a week where I lived, including during Christmas. It was freezing cold, so my family and I had to go to a hotel that was out of town. Needless to say, our Christmas plans were totally different that year. So, what are some severe weather safety tips that may safe your life?

Before we get to the main tips, let's get through some basics. Stay informed when a severe weather event is approaching. It's simple but important. You don't want to be caught off guard when bad weather strikes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service both have information that they provide leading up to and during a severe weather event. So, make sure to get the latest information in the case of any weather emergency. Local meteorologists also have good information, but the main alerts come from the National Weather Service.

Another mistake some people make is not taking "watches" seriously. For example, you might see that there's a severe thunderstorm watch in your area and think, oh, it's just a watch, I can go out for a walk. Don't do it. "A watch is used when the risk of a hazardous weather or hydrologic event has increased significantly, but its occurrence, location or timing is still uncertain," the National Weather Service explains. We'll get more into the specifics of a watch, warning and advisory later in this story.

Let's get into some severe weather safety tips that may safe your life.

A weather advisory, watch and warning all need to be taken seriously. So, what do they mean? According to the National Weather Service, "a warning is issued when a hazardous weather or hydrologic event is occurring, imminent or likely." A watch is where "the risk of a hazardous weather or hydrologic event has increased significantly, but its occurrence, location or timing is still uncertain." Finally, an advisory means, "hazardous weather or hydrologic event is occurring, imminent or likely."

During a severe thunderstorm, and any severe weather event, the best thing to do is stay inside and sheltered. "The best defense against thunderstorms is to stay inside a sturdy building or shelter that can protect you from deadly lightning, large hail, damaging winds, flooding rain and tornadoes," the National Weather Service says. Also, you don't want to risk getting hit by lightning, like in the image below.

During a tornado, get underground if possible. If you don't have a basement, get to the lowest floor possible. Also, during a tornado, watch for flying and falling debris. The National Weather Service advises to "use pillows, blankets, coats, helmets, etc. to cover up and protect your head and body from flying debris."

Be prepared. Have a good emergency kit, both in your house and your car. For the car, "An emergency kit should include booster cables, shovel, tow rope, sand or cat litter, and a flashlight with extra batteries," the National Weather Service says. "Do not forget a first aid kit, non-perishable food, and blankets or sleeping bags."

This one my mom and dad always tell me to do. And, they're right. "Keep your gas tank near full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel line," the National Weather Service advises.

Heat can make for a severe weather event, too. So, dress appropriately when it gets really hot. "Lightweight, light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures," the National Weather Service says. They add to guzzle lots of "water or non-alcoholic fluids."

Sometimes, you just have to leave ahead of the storm to be safe. In the case of a hurricane, the National Weather Service says to "leave immediately if ordered." They also say that if you are allowed to stay, to "take refuge in a small interior room, closet or hallway on the lowest level during the storm. Put as many walls between you and the outside as you can," and "stay away from windows, skylights and glass doors."

Weather isn't just about thunderstorms and tornados. Air quality is a big part of weather events these days, too. Be on the lookout for air quality alerts in your area. If you have respiratory issues, you should wear a mask when out and about in bad air quality. You should also say inside if the air quality is especially bad.

Even on a perfect weather day, if you're at the beach, there are risks. The NOAA states, "To stay safe, you need to stay aware of the weather, the ocean, tide, and what is going on around you." They add, "Storms, such as thunderstorms, tropical storms, and hurricanes far out at sea can create dangerous waves and currents at the beach, even on a sunny day!"