March 2nd through March 6th marks the annual Severe Weather Preparedness Week for Missouri and Kansas. As 2 states who have been through numerous severe weather events, I think it's best that I share how I prepare and how you can too. Follow me all week as I talk about the many things to know and how to prepare for natural phenomena!
March 2nd: Have a Plan
When severe weather strikes, every second counts.
You've got to have a plan before, during, and after severe weather events, be it an intense snowstorm or a tornado emergency.
Before any severe weather event, it's best to look at the forecast ahead. The National Weather Service offers SEVERAL free tools to everyone such as extended forecasts, radars and maps, and severe weather outlooks. Let's talk about the last one first.
Severe Weather Outlooks
Severe weather outlooks are essentially severe weather forecasts. Usually Day 1 through Day 3 are the most that NOAA can predict, with Day 4 through 8 being futurecasted. These outline the most threatening severe weather events: wind, hail, and tornadoes.
Here's an example of March 2 (Day 1):
Mostly generalized thunderstorms, so not much to worry about.
If there was any yellows or pinks, I'd be concerned.
The best place to view this information is on the Storm Prediction Center's website at spc.noaa.gov. This page gives you access to storm report data that's been sent in by storm spotters, meteorologists, and even the general public.
Alternatively, I use severeweatheroutlook.com. While they have SPC products, they also have a live tornado/severe thunderstorm tracker called TornadoHQ. This provides you with up-to-date(ish) warnings when they're issued and you can also read through the EAS-generated warning. Super helpful and I'd recommend checking them out!
Phone
We all carry one, and these can be very useful in relaying information that is crucial to organizing and executing severe weather plans. Ensure your phone is set up to receive wireless emergency alerts from the National Weather Service.
Most phones also have a default weather app, either through The Weather Channel, AccuWeather, etc. These apps are helpful in providing crucial weather information including current watches and warnings. One app that I use is Emergency by the American Red Cross. It's a free app for Android and iOS devices, fully-featured with locations you want to track for severe events, preparedness checklists, alerts, and other helpful information.
The app is available for free in the Google Play store and the App Store.
Weather Radio
The BEST and #1 resource for severe weather data. I really wish more folks utilized this.
NOAA's National Weather Service radio provides 24/7/365 coverage of current conditions, hazards, watches, warnings, and advisories. Any VHF receiver that can tune within the 162MHz band is most certainly eligible to receive this information.
Of course, NWR comes with an additional capability that blows everything else out of the water - Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME). If you've lived in the United States, you know what the Emergency Alert System sounds like. Those three bursts of scary-ahh robot noises are actually headers that contain information that could save your life. Radios with specific hardware (or software!!!) can decode these messages within three tries or less, and even before the warning message is issued, can notify people of any watches, warnings, or advisories. Specific area codes are put in the EAS headers so weather radios with these programmed codes will go off if severe weather is pending or ongoing.
Afterthoughts
One thing that I'd recommend is familiarize yourself with severe weather terms and warning signs. For example, a well-defined hook shape on radar most likely indicates a tornado either on the ground or about to touch down. Darker colors on radar usually indicate heavy rain, or in some cases it can also indicate hail. Finally, familiarize yourself with Doppler radar, as Doppler can plot information such as wind speed, wind direction, etc. These values could indicate rotation or even strong wind gusts.
In addition, monitor any and all Skywarn frequencies. Skywarn is comprised of amateur radio operators who volunteer to chase storms and report severe weather.
If you ask me, the best tool for your weather arsenal is a NOAA Weather Radio. This simple device, with service provided free from the US Government, could most likely save your life when all else fails.
Stay tuned for tomorrow, where we'll talk about the dangers of flooding!
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