It's Severe Weather Awareness Week

The warm, mild winter this year doesn’t indicate that spring weather will follow suit. So to help Kansans prepare for anything Mother Nature throws at them, this week has been designated as Severe Weather Awareness Week in the state.

A statewide tornado drill has been planned for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Most of the counties in Kansas will conduct a drill at this time. 

A handful, however, in extreme eastern/northeast Kansas will hold the drill at 1:30 p.m. Those counties, which include Atchison, Doniphan, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami and Wyandotte, are under the NWS Kansas City service area and officials want to keep the Kansas City metro area together with the state of Missouri, which plans to hold the test at 1:30 p.m.

If severe weather is imminent for any community on Tuesday, the tornado drill will be cancelled for that community, it was reported.

Gov. Sam Brownback signed a proclamation on Feb. 26 designating March 14-18 as Severe Weather Awareness Week in order to prompt Kansans to begin thinking about severe weather season, bringing with it the potential for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, high winds, hail and flooding.

During the week, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management urges Kansans to check their emergency kit supplies for their home, office and vehicle, and review their emergency plans to make sure they are prepared for whatever severe weather is thrown their way.

“It doesn’t take a lot of time or a lot of money to ensure you and your family are prepared,” said Angee Morgan, KDEM deputy director. “If you don’t already have an emergency kit, start now by buying a few extra batteries and high-energy snacks during your weekly shopping.  Throw a change of clothes, an old pair of glasses and a pair of shoes in your kit.”  

Residents are also advised to check the status of their current first aid kit. 

“Doing a little bit each week makes it easier to prepare for unexpected events, particularly when you get the entire family involved in gathering the supplies and making an emergency plan,” Morgan said. 

Morgan said some of the questions to ask yourself this week include:

* If you don’t have a specially-constructed storm shelter or a basement, do you know what part of your home is the safest?

* Do you know how to safely shut off the gas or electricity? 

* If you become separated, do you have a meeting area? 

* How will you communicate with family members who may not be at home when a disaster hits or your loved ones who will be wondering about your safety? 

“These are the things you will need to think about when making your plan,” Morgan said.

According to the National Weather Service, the first tornado of 2015 occurred in Kansas on April 2 in Labette County and the last tornado was recorded on Nov. 16. 

Last year, there were 33 days with more than one tornado reported. The most tornadoes reported in one day was 22.

In all, there were 126 confirmed tornadoes in the state last year, which is 85 more than what hit the state in 2014. On average, Kansas experiences 96 tornadoes a year.

 Since 1950, a total of 31 tornadoes have been reported in Jackson County, resulting in four fatalities and 17 injuries, according to the NWS. 

 The last tornado to touch down in Jackson County was on May 15, 2015. At 6:24 p.m. that day, a tornado touched down two miles east-southeast of Netawaka, according to the NWS. The tornado was on the ground for just two to three minutes, and no damage was reported. 

During the month of February, the city of Holton received less than an inch of precipitation, and noted highs in the 70s on four different days. 

More information on emergency preparedness and building an emergency kit can be found online at HYPERLINK "http://www.ksready.gov/"www.ksready.gov.