Severe Weather Awareness Week is a chance to review weather procedures for the spring storm season. This week, HutchPost.com will review various types of severe weather and how you can be safe if such weather approaches. We’ll cover a different topic each day to keep you informed.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A lot of agencies work hard to keep you safe and informed during severe weather season.
The National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Norman, Oklahoma, will issue the watches across the country as well as in our area. The National Weather Service will issue any warnings for severe thunderstorms, tornadoes or flooding.
Although the NWS has radar, it also depends on spotters and emergency management offices to gather the information for public consumption.
Spotters are one of the most important components for covering severe weather because they are the eyes on the ground for the weather service, emergency management and even emergency agencies.
Scott Roberts is one of those storm spotters used by the Wichita National Weather Service Office. He also has his own website: ksstorm.info. He admits that a good part of his job is getting to the storm’s location.
He admits that, most of the time, it’s boring just getting to a location across south-central Kansas, but says there is a serious side too.
“The real reason I’m out there is to provide information to the National Weather Service, ground truth from underneath the storm,” Roberts said. “Unless there is somebody underneath that storm telling the weather service what they’re seeing, the weather service doesn’t know what’s happening between that radar beam and the ground.” He calls it ground truth.
Radar can indicate where possible rotation of winds, large hail and the intensity of the rains are located, but spotters are still needed to gather that ground truth.
When storms strike in Reno County, an Emergency Operations Center is opened.
Todd Strain, an emergency management specialist, says the center is opened to receive information. “We can receive reports here from our spotters out in the field and relay that information to the National Weather Service,” Strain said.
Strain also explained how that information is used locally. “If (the storm) gets large enough that we need to coordinate a response, say a particular part of the county has been hit, we already know about it and we can begin to send responders to that area to help mitigate whatever is happening.”
Hutch Post and Eagle Communications have radar to help warn you about approaching storms. Warnings pop up on the radar as they are issued, making it easy to get information online and on air quickly.
The best thing residents can do is pay attention to all watches and warnings. Storms can form quickly and strike your area. Have a plan for safety with your family, have an emergency kit including water and some non-perishable food. Have a battery operated radio or storm radio so you can stay informed about what’s happening.
Stay up to date during storm season with Hutch Post and Eagle Communications stations (My 93-1, Country 102.9 and KWBW – 1450 AM/98.5 FM).