For Release February 15, 2000

AGRI-VIEWS
by Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent

Although it’s only the middle of February, it isn’t too early to start thinking about severe spring and summer weather. We’ve all had that same late spring situation. You’re outside, away from the radio or television (or now days, away from your Internet connection). It’s late afternoon and those massive clouds come building and swarming up out of the west southwest. As they get closer you see some funny clouds down low. Gosh, is that rain, or is that a tornado? Is that a wall cloud or just some fast moving scudder clouds? Is it anything to worry about?

Severe weather planning is not just something that we do the first time we see dark clouds building to the west. It’s an ongoing planning and preparation process that needs to occur almost year around. We live in tornado alley, there’s no escaping that. Although the odds of you or your home are pretty slim of ever really being hit by a tornado, you still need to pay attention and be prepared.

It’s often been said, that a tornado won’t hit where two rivers come together. Well, that’s all well and good, and I’ll bet that there never has been a tornado right at the location where the Smokey Hill and Republican rivers join to make the Kansas. But how far out does that "alleged zone of protection" cover? From the newer housing developments on the west side of Junction City to that river confluence it is over four miles. Not only that, the entire west side of Junction City is up on a hill. Historically, we know that there has been a tornado in the vicinity of Marshall Army Air Field. That location is much less than four miles away from the river confluence. I’ll take my chances with good planning and not depend on folklore!

Perhaps one of the best places to start with this severe weather planning process is the tornado spotter training coming up Wednesday night, February 16th. This meeting is held at the 4-H/Sr. Citizen Center at 1107 South Spring Valley Road. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. The meeting is hosted by the Geary County Sheriff’s Office and many people think that it is for law enforcement personnel only. On the contrary, it is open to the public and I strongly encourage as many people to show up as possible.

At this meeting, folks from the National Weather Service office in Topeka come out and talk about the basics of severe weather and how to differentiate between funny looking clouds and serious funnel action. They always have the newest and most fascinating photos and video of severe storms and the damage they can do. There are good printed materials to take with you as well. Being the weather fan that I am, I don’t miss one of these meetings.

The next step is to purchase a weather radio. There are two basic types of emergency radios. One picks up the frequencies of the National Weather Service the other is a standard AM/FM radio that is tuned to a local station and turns itself on whenever a severe storm alert tone is sounded. If you don’t have one or the other, you should get one. In the past we have been on the edge of the areas that are covered by the National Weather Service radio frequencies. In the right part of the county or with an external antenna you could sometimes pick up the broadcasts. There is a new transmitter going in south of Abilene, though, that will give excellent weather radio coverage to this area. It probably won’t be on the air until midsummer, but it is coming and will greatly improve the severe storm awareness for this area.

Severe storms are a fact of life for residents of Kansas. While they are nothing to be afraid of, severe storms are to be respected. Start taking the time now to learn about them and prepare for them, just in case.

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