Prepare Kansas

Tag: #tornado

Get prepared: Severe Weather Awareness Week, March 6-10, 2017

The National Weather Service in Topeka encourages all Kansans to participate in a Tornado Drill @ 10am Tuesday March 7.

Everyone is encouraged to participate in the drill by practicing seeking secure, safe shelter from a tornado. This test will be broadcast over NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio and many local television and radio stations. Local officials may also sound their warning sirens. Area residents, businesses, and schools are urged to treat the drill as if it were an actual tornado warning.

Learn more at http://www.weather.gov/top/swaw

 

 

Plan and practice a tornado drill

You may not always have advance warning that a tornado is approaching your location. You may not be at home. Taking the time to identify where you would go for the best protection for every place where you spend a lot of time (for example, home, work, school, house of worship) and how you would get there is part of being prepared.

PrepareAthon_Web_Badge_Join_In_TornadoBut it is not enough. Actually practicing is as important. The following suggestions are from the FEMA guide, How to Prepare for a Tornado.

  • Identify a shelter or other protective location beforehand.
  • Practice moving quickly to the protective location.
  • Take note of how long it takes you to get there.
  • Consider those with disabilities and those with access or functional needs.

Be prepared: Know the risk

Tornadoes are one of the six most common hazards. Other common hazards include earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and winter storms.

Although they can occur at any time of the year, tornadoes most often occur during the spring and summer. They are most likely to hit between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. but they can — and do — occur at all hours of they day and night.

As shown below, three Kansas counties experienced 4-7 F3 or EF3 or greater tornadoes between 1996 and 2013. Many others experienced 1 – 3. Click on the graphic below to learn how to prepare for a tornado.

Know the risk Tornado activity by county 1996 2013