It was late in the night on February 28th, or, more accurately, the early morning on March 1st, when a tornado warning was issued for parts of northern Allen County, Indiana into northwest Paulding County. National Weather Service doppler radar had indicated a rotating thunderstorm embedded within a squall line that was rapidly moving into northwest Ohio. The environment late that evening into the overnight hours was conducive to tornadic activity in any severe thunderstorm that was well-established, so any signs of rotation could have indicated the presence of a tornado. Fortunately, there were no tornadoes produced by the storm, but the line did lead to scattered reports of wind damage across northeast Indiana and parts of northwest Ohio.
Back on August 24, 2016, a rare late-summer tornado outbreak impacted northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio. Several supercell thunderstorms brought tornadoes from Kokomo up to Defiance. The strongest tornado of the event was observed over in the Woodburn area, rated as a strong EF-3, while an EF-2 tornado was reported several miles north of Antwerp and yet another one reported near Defiance. These tornadoes were not expected just several hours prior to their development.
Both events were considered unusual and rare for the area. Normally, our peak season for severe weather doesn’t begin until April and early May. The first event occurred unusually early in the year due to abnormally warm weather in February and the second event occurred unexpectedly because summer time severe weather events can be unusually difficult to forecast (for more information about the August 24, 2016 outbreak, the Ohio State University Meteorology Club will be hosting a severe weather symposium on March 24, 2017, where the event will be discussed by one of the speakers). Because of the possibility of rare and unusual events, it is extremely important to become well-prepared for quickly changing inclement weather.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when preparing for the possibility of dangerous weather is knowing the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. The Storm Prediction Center, in conjunction with the National Weather Service (both federal agencies), issues a tornado watch when conditions become favorable for the development of tornadoes across a certain area. When a tornado watch is issued, there is really no need to panic, because a tornado watch does not guarantee that a tornado will hit any given location. It just means that when thunderstorms do form, they have a higher probability of producing a tornado across a certain region. Another type of tornado watch, known as a Particularly Dangerous Situation Tornado Watch, is issued when the Storm Prediction Center is highly certain that thunderstorms in a given region will produce tornadoes. PDS Tornado Watches are extremely uncommon, and even more so for our area. However, there have been a number of instances in the past 10 years when parts of the area have been under a PDS Tornado Watch.
A tornado warning, however, is issued by a National Weather Service office in a specific region. The National Weather Service office that forecasts for our area is the National Weather Service office in Syracuse/North Webster, Indiana. When a tornado warning is issued, this indicates the probability that a particular thunderstorm will produce a tornado. This means that the thunderstorm has already formed and exhibits characteristic signs of producing a tornado. Most tornado warnings are issued when doppler radar indicates rotation within a thunderstorm. A rotating thunderstorm has a higher probability of producing a tornado closer to the surface. A few tornado warnings, however, are issued when a tornado has actually been spotted on the ground. Either way, it is important to act quickly when a tornado warning is issued, because a tornado can form very quickly in a rotating thunderstorm, even if the tornado has not yet been spotted. With today’s technology, it is possible for the National Weather Service to give an advanced warning time of 15 to 20 minutes before a tornado forms or arrives at a specific location. It is important that people find shelter quickly or move to a safer spot when a tornado warning has been issued.
When preparing for severe weather, it is also important to have an emergency plan in place. Make sure that you have access to appropriate shelter in the case of a tornado, such as a basement, a lower level of the house, or a room closer to the center of the house, such as a bathroom without windows. If you are driving during a severe weather situation, whether it is a dangerous thunderstorm or a tornado, it is never safe to get out of your car. One of the most dangerous things to do is get out of your car and take shelter underneath an overpass. Overpasses do not protect from the dangers of a tornado, as the enclosed space can actually cause an acceleration of the winds in a tornado and possibly fling debris at anyone taking shelter. If you are driving and a tornado has been observed, reported or a tornado warning has been issued, the best plan of action is to continue driving until one can find safe shelter or try to drive at right angles to the storm. The latter option requires knowledge of the movement of the storm and a weather radio to give updates. There are phone apps that you can acquire that can help you with tracking a storm during a severe weather situation.
Tornadoes are not the only types of weather that pose a risk to safety. The biggest threat from thunderstorms is actually the threat of lightning. Lightning is very dangerous and virtually unpredictable. Lightning kills about 49 people every year across the United States. Because of this, it is important to find appropriate shelter when any thunderstorm hits, not just a strong or severe thunderstorm. The most dangerous places to be when a thunderstorm approaches include wide open fields, golf courses, and any place that is higher in elevation (i.e. a mountain, the top of a building, etc.). It is never safe to take shelter under an isolated tree during a thunderstorm. It is also important to stay away from electrical sources inside during a thunderstorm, especially one with a higher frequency of cloud-to-ground lightning.
As mentioned already, it is better to be prepared well before any storms have formed and well before any potential for severe weather is present. In order to stay well-informed, the National Weather Service recommends purchasing an NOAA weather radio, which is available from virtually any superstore chain like Walmart or other tech stores. An NOAA weather radio is a continuous broadcast of NWS forecasts, warnings and alerts across most of the United States. Another way to be prepared for severe weather is to make sure that you have a back-up generator in case of power outages. Finally, make sure you have an updated list of contacts in your phone and that you have an appropriate backup plan in the case of inclement weather.
The Paulding County EMA’s office want everyone to be educated during Severe Weather Awareness Week (March 19-25). Many diligent hours are being done with rewriting and revising the mitigation plan for Paulding County in regards to severe weather. This endeavor will help the county acquire a much needed upgrade to the outdated outdoor warning sirens including expansion to other areas of the county.
For more information about severe weather, the National Weather Service website, www.weather.gov and the Storm Prediction Center’s website www.spc.noaa.gov also provide information on severe weather and weather preparedness. Another good resource is www.weathersafety.ohio.gov.
