Plainville, KS 6/15/92

Other Weather Tips Lightning Safety Lightning Strike Detector Tornado Safety Severe Thunderstorm Safety Winter Weather Safety NWS: Heat information

Click here to view a slideshow of the Hoisington Tornado aftermath.

Southcentral Kansas and northcentral Oklahoma have more tornadoes per square mile than any other place in the WORLD! Knowing what to do and where to go can save your life--but only if you do it. The WeatherLab Team from KSN News 3 has put together some tips that can help you and your family.

From MSNBC:

TORNADO WATCH
This means that tornadoes are possible in the watch area. This is a good time to brush up on what you would do if a tornado is spotted. You may also want to get some things together to take to your tornado shelter should you need to go there.

TORNADO WARNING
This means that a tornado has been observed by either by radar or by a spotter in the field. It is time to take action IMMEDIATELY! Get to your tornado shelter and stay there until the danger has passed. DO NOT go outside to try and see or videotape the tornado. This can cost you your life!

TORNADO SHELTERS
The best tornado shelter is an underground shelter such as a basement or a cellar. If you are using a basement, you should go to the center of the room, and get under the stairwell or a heavy piece of furniture such as a pool-table or work-bench. This will protect you from falling debris.

If your home doesn't have a basement, or you live in an apartment, you should go to the lowest level and get inside a small, interior room. The most important thing is NO WINDOWS! Closets and bathrooms are ideal choices. It may be helpful to take some pillows, blankets or even a mattress in the room with you to protect yourself from flying debris.

If you live in a mobile home or find yourself in a car, the safety rule is very simple: GET OUT! Both of these are too light to withstand the powerful winds within a tornado. If you live in a mobile home park, go to the park's tornado shelter. If you don't have a shelter, or you are in a car, get well away from the vehicle and lie flat in a ditch or depression.

BE PREPARED
Make sure you are ready for severe weather by putting together an emergency preparedness kit and keeping it in your shelter or safe area. The kit should include the following items.

HOW KSN NEWS 3 HELPS YOU DURING A TORNADO WARNING
During a TORNADO WARNING, the KSN WeatherLab Team will be with your family on television and radio. We will ALWAYS break into programming when a TORNADO WARNING is issued by the NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, in Wichita, Dodge City, Goodland, Topeka, Hastings, NE. In addition, we will keep you up to date on what warnings are in effect with the KSN Storm Ticker, at the bottom of your screen. The KSN Storm Ticker will keep you posted on where the warning is in effect, when the warning expires, where the immediate threat is, and where the storm is moving.

Photographs courtesy of Aaron Blaser and Mike Phelps of WindStorm Enterprises, Wichita Kansas.