A Pacific storm system will track through the Northwest U.S. today then across the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Thursday into Friday. Areas of moderate to heavy snow and gusty to high winds are expected. In the eastern U.S., a storm system will continue tracking across the region today with widespread showers and thunderstorms. A wintry mix will be possible in the Northeast U.S. Read More >
Kansas experiences a wide variety of summertime severe weather, including: tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail, and flash flooding. Residents are encouraged to review their severe weather safety plans. Practice what you would do as if the event was REAL.
Tornado Drill
The National Weather Service in Wichita will conduct a Tornado Drill @ 10AM Tuesday, March 7th. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the drill by practicing seeking secure, safe shelter from a tornado. This test will be broadcast over NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio. Local officials may also sound their warning sirens. We encourage everyone to abide by local health and safety guidelines related to COVID19 during the tornado test. If that's not possible then simply sheltering in place or discussing where you'd go and what you'd do are other options.
We will be focusing on several different severe weather safety topics through the week.
See the listings below along with our 2023 Preparedness Week Packet (pdf) for more great information.
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Monday Preparedness |
Tuesday Tornado |
Wednesday Lightning |
Thursday Hail/Wind |
Friday Flood |
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Preparing for an event starts now! |
Tornadoes pack some of the fastest winds on Earth and are deadly to anyone caught in their path. Kansas averages 95 tornadoes per year but has seen up to 187, with the peak tornado season running from April to June. |
Every lightning strike can be deadly. Lightning strikes the U.S. 25 MILLION times and kills 47 people on average each year. Many of these deaths occur outdoors and are preventable. |
Damaging winds and large hail are two other weapons in a storm's arsenal. Hail can exceed softball size and straight-line winds can down trees & destroy property. They often garner less respect than tornadoes, but are just as deadly. |
Floods kill more people in the United States each year than any other thunderstorm-related hazard. Many flood deaths are the result of people driving into flooded roads. |
| Public service announcements courtesy of Bill Kurtis | ||
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Interested in Learning More About Severe Storms?
Check out our weather identification training schedule
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