If you hear

the severe weather alert sirens next Wednesday morning, don't be alarmed.

It's just a test.

But the test,

combined with severe weather drills at local schools, is part of how Fayette

County will observe Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Fayette is

particularly susceptible to severe thunderstorms and straight line winds,

which can cause enormous amounts of damage, said Capt. Pete Nelms, spokesman

for the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services. Thunderstorms

can touch off a number of house fires due to lightning strikes and also

cause downed trees to become road hazards.

"Although

severe weather can strike at any time, the peak time is mid-February through

June," Nelms said.

In case of

severe weather alerts, residents should seek shelter in hallways nearest

to the center of their homes, Nelms said. Such areas are typically the

strongest shelter in any structure, he added.

Another way

to stay safe is to be alert when local media warn that a severe weather

system could be heading Fayette's way, Nelms said.

"We also

recommend using a NOAA weather radio," Nelms said. The radios, which

come in different brands and models, send out loud alerts before broadcasting

special messages from the National Weather Service about potential severe

weather.

More sophisticated

models can be programmed to announce alerts that are issued only for Fayette

County. Previously, the radios picked up alerts for the entire state and

annoyed the users so much that they would unplug the unit, Nelms noted.

The radios

are generally sold at stores like Radio Shack and Wal-Mart, Nelms said.

He urged residents to buy theirs now because when a severe weather event

threatens Fayette, they quickly fly off store shelves.

A recent grant

from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency purchased 300 NOAA weather

radios for public buildings such as schools, day care centers, government

buildings and some churches, Nelms said.

The county's

severe weather alert siren system depends on three units mounted near

areas most susceptible to severe weather: manufactured home communities.

Two more such units should be installed before summer, Nelms added.

The test slated

for next Wednesday will be postponed to the following Friday, Feb. 22,

if severe weather is nearby Wednesday, Nelms said.