There is a common joke in Kansas – and many parts of the country – that goes something like this: If you don’t like the weather right now, just wait a few minutes, because it will change! How many times do we start out the day with one type of weather and end the day with something completely different!
Weather in Kansas can change pretty quickly, so it’s important to know what to do in any situation in order to remain safe.
It starts with preparedness. We all should have a plan, including such things as just knowing how you get your weather alerts. You may get those from a weather radio or other sources, such as news media. And then, talk to your family.
It is a good idea for everyone to practice what they would do if faced with a real weather emergency. Parents can practice the plan with children well in advance of severe weather threats; doing so helps to ease children’s anxiety in a real emergency.
Practicing and having a plan saves lives. That is especially true in rural areas where appropriate shelter may be many miles away, a scenario many Kansans may be in.
Keep a weather safety kit that includes such items as non-perishable food, medicines, blankets, boots, extra clothes, helmets, weather radio, batteries, a charging device for phones and even a map to track the path of the storm while listening to news reports.
The best place to wait out severe weather is always the lowest, central location in the home. If you only have a first floor – and not a basement – the ideal spot is a centrally located hallway or bathroom. Stay away from windows.
If caught outside, don’t go under trees during thunderstorms and don’t try to out-run tornadoes in your car. A ditch is a safe place to go if you’re outside. Get down in the ditch; debris will typically blow over you. If you’re in a place without a ditch, get down on the ground as low as you can so you don’t have things hitting you.
For specific weather emergencies:
Lightning
• Get inside. Avoid porches and over-hangs. Stay away from windows.
• Stay off electronics that are hooked into a wall, including computer and cell phone.
• Stay out of the shower, or other water sources.
Tornado
• On average, Kansas has 95 tornadoes per year. There has been as few as 17 tornadoes reported in 2020 and 190 in 2008.
• The peak time for tornadoes in Kansas is April through June, often referred to as tornado season.
• Tornadoes can occur any time of year and are solely dependent on atmospheric conditions.
• A basement or lower level of the house – away from windows – is always the safest spot to wait out a tornado warning.
High winds
• Kansas gets approximately 600 wind damage reports annually.
• High winds – defined as those over 55 miles per hour – create problems not only by downing trees, but by making driving conditions and visibility more difficult.
• As with tornadoes, the safest place during a wind storm is inside in a central location, away from windows.
Hail
• In an average year, there are more than 1,000 reports of hail in Kansas. Severe hail is defined as 1 inch or more in diameter.
• One-inch hail can cause injury, damage to cars, and even damage house siding and roofs.
Flooding
• Know your proximity to a flood plain to determine your risk, know the low-lying areas and where water runs.
• Away from home – and especially when driving – the risks due to flooding are much greater. On the road, the best advice is “turn around, don’t drown.”
• Six inches of water can move a car effectively.
• The road under the water may not be intact and could damage or disable your vehicle
More information about staying safe during many weather emergencies is available online from the National Weather Service.
More information on Kansas weather conditions, including up-to-date forecasts, is available online from https://mesonet.k-state.edu/
Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.
