As we all were reminded on February 29, severe weather can happen at any time in Kansas, and now is the time to start putting yourself back in that mindset.
A statewide Severe Weather Awareness Week is planned starting Tuesday, with a tornado drill planned for the entire state that afternoon around 1:30 p.m. Laurie Harrison, Riley County Emergency Management Coordinator, also advises citizens to review severe weather plans at school, work and at home as well as update their supplies kit by replacing canned goods and look at their expiration dates. Also, she recommends making sure their NOAA weather radios have new batteries.
“What are you going to do when severe weather strikes?” she asks. “It’s a great time just to get prepared.”
Tuesday night provided an opportunity to those wishing to learn more about storm spotting, as the first storm spotter training meeting of the year was held in Manhattan. Pat Collins, Director of Riley County Emergency Management, stresses why this kind of training is important to the community and to Emergency Management.
“I think to the key to the talk last night was people need to just not rely on one way of being notified,” Collins told KMAN News. “There are multiple ways of being notified (of severe weather). Because there could be a glitch in one of those, you don’t want to miss out.”
Collins also warned people not to rely on the tornado sirens, as those are mainly to alert people outside of coming dangerous weather.
For more information on what to do in case of emergency weather situations, or to find out times for storm spotter meetings, call the Riley County Emergency Management office at 785-537-6333.
