Region prepares for tornado season

By Mike Ford, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Wednesday, March 26, 2008 (6 months, 2 weeks ago)
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The sky takes on a tone somewhere within the range of orange to red. Large hail begins to fall and low-lying clouds become dark. Such are the looming signs of tornado activity.
According to Van Wert County Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security Director Rick McCoy, April through mid-July is the spring tornado season. The National Weather Service issues warnings and watches when twisters develop or conditions make one possible.
“A watch means the atmosphere is getting primed for possible development and the weather service will issue that, usually 2-4 hours ahead of time, telling people to listen for later statements later in the period the watch is in effect,” he said.
“A tornado warning is issued when one is indicated on Doppler radar or a spotter has potentially seen a tornado.”
When alert sirens and/or broadcast media announce a tornado warning, McCoy says residents should take appropriate actions.
“In your home, get to the center of the basement and get under something sturdy. If you don’t have a basement, go to the center of your home in a small, enclosed room. If you’re in a mobile home, get out of it ahead of time. Look for a tornado warning in the next county to the west or if storms become severe and they’re saying there’s a chance tornados could develop, get out of the mobile home and go to a more sturdy structure,” he said.
Many times, such weather can develop suddenly at a time when shoppers are shoulder-to-shoulder. McCoy says the center of a large retail store is not safe because that is where the roof can collapse. He also says this is true of churches and gymnasiums.
In the work place, employees should go to a designated location if time allows. Otherwise, he recommends getting under heavy equipment.
If one is traveling when a tornado appears, a ditch is the safest place to lie with one’s head covered. Stronger winds can bring flying debris through the area under overpasses and bridges. Therefore, such places should be avoided.
Tornado watches and warnings are determined in light of weather patterns in which air masses clash, according to McCoy.
“Winter is fading away but we still have cold air coming down from Canada. We also get warm, moist air coming up from the Gulf of Mexico, then we have cold fronts coming from the west. A storm will develop and when winds from the southwest blow toward it, that’s what gets it rotating and that’s how tornados develop. When thunderstorms are coming, people need to watch to see what direction the wind is coming from. If it’s coming from the southwest, the storm is going to be more violent,” he said.

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