Plan Now for Severe Weather This Summer
Because it’s Severe Weather Awareness Week in Michigan.
2016 was notable for its lack of severe weather in southeast Michigan. Monroe County saw the region’s only tornado on August 28, though it was brief and caused very little damage. The National Weather Service issued relatively few watches and warnings compared with an average year. NWS Meteorologist Rich Pollman says he’s concerned that may have lulled people into a false sense of security.
“We had a record low year for severe weather, and so our guard may be down just a little bit,” Pollman says.
April 16-22, 2017 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Michigan. Pollman says it’s a good time to make or review weather safety and emergency plans at home, work, or school. He says that preparation is vital whenever the NWS issues a severe weather watch or warning.
“When a warning is issued, that means the event is happening, or is imminent,” Pollman says. “We try to give about 15 minutes of lead time for our tornado warnings, and up to 25 minutes of lead time for our severe thunderstorm warnings.”
The weather service’s Detroit-Pontiac office will issue watches when conditions favor the formation of severe weather, and usually a few hours before it’s expected to develop. WDET and other broadcasters relay those watches and warnings on the air as quickly as possible, and will also spread the word through social media. Pollman says a weather alert radio is another critical device for receiving those bulletins. Pollman says it’s like having a personal warning alarm siren in your home.
“It’ll make an alarm sound that’s designed to wake you up,” Pollman says. “We say it’s as important to have in the home as a smoke detector.”
Weather radios can be programmed to receive alerts for specific counties. Pollman says cell phones can also receive emergency alerts and let you know if severe weather is happening wherever you are.
Click on the audio player to hear the conversation with WDET’s Pat Batcheller.
Severe Weather Awareness Packet 2017 by WDET 101.9 FM on Scribd
