This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Ohio. Officials want to remind us how important it is to be weather aware this time of year when severe weather becomes more common.
But Sandy Mackey of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency tells WYSO’s Mike Frazier that severe weather awareness is important all of the time.
The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Sandy Mackey: Severe weather can happen any time of the year, from blizzards and winter weather to summer weather with tornadoes and significant storms. So we always say know your risk, know the risk for your area, and understand the terminology.
Know the difference between a watch and warning. A watch means you can be prepared that inclement weather can impact your area that day, and a warning means to be prepared to take action, and if you take action that means immediately. If you have a warning issued from your area you want to take action and seek shelter immediately. So knowing the terms is really important, and signing up for community warning systems, and different alert methods that you can get.
Find out what works best for your family and make sure everybody is on the same page as to how to get alerts for your household.
Mike Frazier: Do you recommend folks getting a weather radio?
Mackey: Oh, absolutely. I think a weather radio is one of the best things that you can have. They can be battery operated, so you can unplug them from the wall and take them to your shelter location with you. But they can also be a hand crank radio. Those are great. I have one myself and we keep that in the basement, so if we go downstairs, we can crank the radio up and it will play information and we can hear what's going on. It also has a light and a couple of little features that you can use as well. Having a weather radio is an excellent first of communication, and we also suggest having multiple ways to receive emergency communications and alerts.
"We want you to understand the hazards for your area and prepare for them in advance."
Frazier: Who determines when tornado sirens are sounded during severe weather?
Mackey: That’s another great question because we get that asked frequently. The sirens are jurisdictionally located. That means that each area, each county, is responsible for their siren system. They are the ones that decide when they will be sounded and if they're going to be sounded for tests. Not all counties will sound their siren for a test.
Frazier: Why do some communities have tornado sirens and some don't?
Mackey: That again is jurisdictionally a decision that they make on their level. If they want to have a siren or they desire to have that, they think they have a need for it, then they can certainly do that and they can work through their processes in their county.
Frazie: Do you have anything else you want to add about Severe Weather Awareness Week from Ohio's perspective?
Mackey: I would say that when we have severe weather, they can produce heavy rain, lightning, they can even bring tornadoes. And those different types of storms can also have consequences. And the consequences can be power outages, flooding, injury, and even death.
The reason that we say, "please, take the time to create a plan, practice your plan and create a go-bag so that you can evacuate quickly if you need to and have all the items that you'll need," is because we want you to be safe. We want you to understand the hazards for your area and prepare for them in advance.
Mackey says that a great resource of planning for severe weather is at WeatherSafety.Ohio.Gov, where you can learn how to prepare a survival kit, how to shelter from tornadoes, and what to do after a tornado hits your community.
And if a tornado warning is issued for your area, remember the acronym DUCK: go DOWN to the lowest level; Get UNDER something; COVER your head; and KEEP in shelter until the storm has passed.
A tornado drill is planned for Wednesday morning just before 10 a.m. when tornado sirens will sound across the state. This drill may be postponed in the event of a severe weather threat that day.
