I love those National Weather Service training sessions.
Chief meteorologist Chance Hayes from the Wichita National Weather Service is informative and entertaining.
I finally got a chance to put all of Hayes’ yearly training to usage Monday evening.
While I was traveling from Great Bend, I witnessed what appeared to be a funnel cloud forming to the east in Rice County.
Just as I was thinking for a moment, my wife called to warn me I was approaching an area that was under a tornado warning.
Sure enough, after I traveled a mile or two, I saw that the funnel cloud had transformed into a full-fledged tornado in southern Rice County and I could provide an exact location.
I saw the cloud rotating and tornado debris hitting the ground. I pulled off the road and identified my location in Rice County. I estimated the location of the tornado, which was south and east of my location in Rice County.
The information was passed on to Rice County emergency managers.
The best number to call for weather information is 1-800-367-5736, a direct line to the Wichita National Weather Service.
You want to provide your location, time of the call, the tornado’s location, features, type of intensity and movement.
You can also pass weather information via Twitter with the hashtag #kswx .
The tornado passed within two miles to my hometown of Nickerson.
My wife’s brother had his country cabin destroyed, but the best news was that Precious the Cat survived the tornado.
Now, we know why cats require nine lives.

Jim Misunas