Tornado sirens will be tested across the state on Tuesday, as Kansans prepare for severe weather season.
Weather permitting, the sirens will sound at 1:30 p.m., said Amy Miller, Barton County Emergency Management director.
“We encourage the schools, hospitals and businesses to practice their emergency drills,” Miller said.
Barton County Communications will issue a watch, and law enforcement officials will go to their designated routes.
Capt. Bob Robinson at the Great Bend Police Department said that after next week, sirens will be tested every Tuesday at noon.
“We don’t do that if it’s overcast or there’s severe weather,” he said. Communities also skip the tests of pole sirens if it’s too cold, because the startup is hard on the electric motors.
Robinson said residents should remember that Great Bend’s sirens are intended as warnings for people who are outdoors, and may not be heard in homes. Residents are encouraged to watch current news reports or purchase weather radios.
In Great Bend, there are two sirens at the airport, and one each at the Expo, on Fourth Street, the Eisenhower Courts area, 24th and Cleveland, 10th and McKinley, Brit Spaugh Park, the police department and at Fifth and Chestnut.
Tornados aren’t the only severe weather threat.
Based on past years, Kansas can expect severe storms, flooding and flash floods in the coming months. To urge Kansans to start planning for springtime weather-related emergencies, Gov. Sam Brownback will sign a proclamation today, designating March 3-7 as “Severe Weather Awareness Week in Kansas.” The proclamation coincides with the national Severe Weather Awareness Week.
“It just makes sense to plan ahead and heed storm warnings,” said Brownback. “This winter, when snowstorms were forecast, Kansans by and large did the wise thing and stayed off the roads as much as possible and made sure their emergency kits were stocked. Even though warmer weather is coming, we need to continue to be prepared and alert to the possibility of severe weather.”
According to the National Weather Service, Kansas had 56 tornadoes in 2013, including 15 in one day. Although 45 of those tornadoes hit in May, Angee Morgan, deputy director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, said that does not mean May is the most dangerous month for severe weather.
Tornados are ranked by the Enhanced Fujita or EF scale. EF0 and EF1 tornados are considered weak, EF2 and EF3 are strong, and EF4 and EF5 are violent.
“Our first tornado hit (at 6:38 p.m.) April 7 in Russell County,” said Morgan. That EF0 tornado was 0.48 miles long and 50 feet wide. “The last one was Aug. 13 in Lane County. That’s 128 days from the first to the last. And although 2013 was the quietest season since 1994, that doesn’t mean this season will be the same. Our advice is to always be prepared.”
The strongest tornado of 2013 was an EF4 on May 18 in Pawnee County.
Kansas tornado statistics by county for 1950 through 2013 show Barton County had 95 tornados, two fatalities and 38 injuries during that 63-year period. Ellsworth County had 49 tornados, 0 fatalities and 0 injuries; Pawnee County had 49, 0 and 1; Rice, 43, 0 and 6; Rush, 49, 0 and 8; and Stafford 69, 3 and 5.
Morgan said a home emergency kit should include everything needed for each family member to survive for a minimum of three days without power. Kits should include one gallon of water per person per day; nonperishable, high energy foods; a battery powered NOAA weather radio; flashlights; extra batteries; a safe, alternate heat source; blankets; medications and other essentials. Additional information about preparing an emergency kit may be found online at www.ksready.gov.
Morgan also advised everyone to have emergency plan for their home or place of business and ensure that everyone knows the plan.
“If you don’t have a storm shelter, make sure you know where the nearest shelter is,” said Morgan. “Designate a place to meet in case you become separated or how you will communicate if land lines and cell phone towers are knocked out. Review safety rules regarding downed power lines and broken gas lines. Once you have your plan in place, practice it so everyone knows what to do.”
To help get more people involved in emergency preparedness, KDEM has instituted an online “Kansas Preparedness Challenge.” Completing each monthly challenge makes participants eligible for a prize drawing. Go to www.ksready.gov and click on the “Kansas Preparedness Challenge” link to get started.
For more information on emergency preparedness, go to www.ksready.gov, www.redcross.org, or www.fema.gov.