It is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Kentucky and the National Weather Service in Paducah is urging preparedness as we head into one of our most active weather seasons for stormy weather.
In a conference that was live-streamed to the NWS Paducah Facebook page, meteorologists were joined by local officials to provide informational resources and discuss upcoming awareness events. Meteorologist Derrick Snyder pushed the importance of having numerous ways to receive warnings, just in case the power goes out or your phone dies. He says a battery-operated weather radio is a great resource.
That’s especially important to have at night, as nighttime severe storm and tornado events can be particularly dangerous, due to people sleeping and tornadoes being hard to track in the dark.
Snyder says go over your severe weather plans now with your family, especially children, and take the time to clean out your sheltering area, and when severe weather is approaching, be ready to act immediately.
Staying weather aware is even more important during the spring severe weather season, as the atmosphere is perfect to spin up a severe storm or a tornado very quickly.
Warning Coordination Meteorologist Christine Weilgos says she understands that a lot of locals have storm anxiety due to past events, but staying tuned into to local media stations and the National Weather Service during springtime is the best way to stay as up-to-date as possible.
The best medicine for storm anxiety is getting prepared before severe weather occurs, so you’re not caught in a bad place if the worst should happen. Have an emergency bag containing important documents, a good supply of medicine, clothing and more.
The spring severe weather season is when western Kentucky sees over 40 percent of its usual tornado county each year. The National Weather Service will run a test of the emergency broadcasting system during a tornado drill set for 9:07 a.m. on Friday.