We’re likely done with blizzards for a while, but now it’s time for Iowans to focus on being prepared for the challenges of the warm weather months ahead.
This is the start of Severe Weather Awareness Week. Meteorologist Kenny Podrazik at the National Weather Service, says today’s focus is on flooding and flash flooding, while tomorrow, it’ll be on watches, warnings and how you get them.
“Wednesday will be tornado day, so we’ll be concentrating on tornadoes with a statewide tornado drill beginning at 10 AM, simulating how the National Weather Service and all of our partners cover a tornado watch and tornado warnings,” Podrazik says. Last year, 55 tornadoes were reported in Iowa, well ahead of the 28 reported the previous year. The average is 46.
Tornadoes can strike any month of the year, but Iowa’s peak months are April, May and June. “Thursday, we’ll be covering severe thunderstorms,” Podrazik says. “They’re sometimes just as potent as tornadoes, with large damaging hail and very strong winds, they can be prevalent across Iowa.” The emphasis Friday will be on family preparedness for severe weather.
Five offices of the National Weather Service will be coordinating this week’s events in Iowa, those in Des Moines, Omaha, the Quad Cities, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Learn more at: www.weather.gov.
(Reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)