Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 133, Number 22, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 29 May 2014 — Page 3

1 Diona Eskew Pilot News Croup MARSHALL COUNTY Rain is essential to the growth of spring flowers and green grass. Thunder and lightening are also common sounds and sights during the spring season. Sometimes the storms become severe and lead to threatening high winds and tornadoes. During those dangerous weather times it is important for everyone to be prepared. The Marshall County Emergency Management Agency, law enforcement agencies and Skywam Storm Spotters work together with the National Weather Service (NWS) to deliver accurate updated information to citizens. It all starts with the Doppler radar from the NWS or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Individuals at the NWS monitor the radar and report to the public when severe weather is possible. Director of the Marshall County Emergency Management Agency Clyde Avery is responsible for keeping a close eye on the radar to make local reports. When a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning or watch is issued by the NWS it can be confusing what to do. Avery explains, "A watch means watch the sky dangerous weather is possible. A warning means dangerous weather is happening and people should seek shelter immediately." The radar is the first indication of weather issues but it is only effective at determining the weather above the ground. That is where the Skywam Weather Spotters become vitally important to the NWS and the general public. ' "The volunteer spotters are able to see things the radar cannot. They are the ones that go out into the are? a storm is brewing and report their findings back to the NWS," Avery said. Skywam spotters work on a volunteer basis. They do training both online and in a classroom setting to learn the most up to date weather information. Most spotters have some type of weather instruments on their vehicles to get accurate information about wind speedy barometric and other data to report, to the NWS. Matt McFarland of Bremen decided to go through the training after he witnessed the devastation of the October 18, 2007 tornado that hit Nappanee. "I have always been interested in the weather. After I saw the devastation in Nappanee, I knew that I wanted to be more involved and try to help people be prepared," McFarland explained. That is when he went to www.skywam.org to learn more about severe weather. John Sellers, of Plymouth, is also a volunteer spotter through Skywam since the early 1990'5. For Sellers studying the weather has been a part of his interest since an early childhood experience. "My friends and I used to drive around and watch storms when we were teenagers," Sellers admitted. "It wasn't the smartest thing we did but it peaked my interest to learn more." As spotters both McFarland and Sellers have weather equipment on the top of their vehicles. The devices are used to collect data that they can report to the NWS. "I have an anemometer on my jeep that measures wind speeds," said McFarland. "Any wind speeds over 55 miles per hour I report. I plan on buying a weather station irt the future for more data collection." The weather station that McFarland referenced is what Sellers uses. It not only has the anemometer but also a thermometer to record the temperature, a barometer to record the barometric pressure and a hygrometer to measure the relative humidity (the percentage of water vapor in the air). These devices are purchased by the spotter at their own expense. The information that they can provide can be priceless to the NWS and the public. "We report the wind speed and direction, dew point, amount of rain fall and barometric pressure of the location we are in to the NWS so that they have accurate and specific information for that area," Sellers explained. 'They can use that information and compare it with other information they have received to get a more clear picture of what the weather is doing. That allows them to predict more accurately what the weather will do next." The spotters participate in regular training to keep their skills up

All about severe weather safety

to date. There are online courses and in person seminars held every year and more advanced training courses are also available. For McFarland, "My biggest fear is getting struck by lightening. You can see a tornado coming and get out of the way but lightening has no warning." The spotters have received training and volunteer to be the eyes and ears for local authorities as well as the NWS. They use cell phones, weather equipment and HAM radios to stay connected and make reports. Untrained individuals should not go out into a storm. "I have seen the devastation that tornadoes can produce," Sellers said. "As a spotter we know we need to always be looking for a way out of any situation we encounter. When we are out watching the weather we never want to get in a location that we can't get out of, being trapped when a storm is approaching can be a scary thing." Sellers makes a yearly trip 'out west' each year to watch and document storms. Included in the visit is a stop in Wakita, Okla. the location the blockbuster film Twister was filmed in. Wakita is also the home of the Twister Museum. "It is a lot different to see a storm out west,” Sellers said. "The distance between the storm and you can be many miles. Here in Marshall County you can't see a storm coming far away like that. That is why it is so important to be prepared in advance." WHAT TO DO IN A STORM At the time of a weather watch being issued individuals should prepare to get to their shelter area. "It is important to have a plan of action for severe weather long before it actually occurs," Avery emphasizes. "You should know where you are going to go and what you will do in advance so that when it happens you are ready to go." Ideal shelter areas are the basement of the house (lowest level possible) or an interior room away from windows. Avery also recommends having an emergency kit prepared in advance. The kit should contain flash lights and spare batteries, basic firist aid sdp .plies, extra medication for individuals that are on maintenance medication, a battery powered radio, bottled water and some non perishable food items. Individuals with children should also make sine to have items they need in the kit such as bottles and formula, diapers, a change of clothes and other necessities. It is also a good idea to keep a spare pair of shoes handy in the event the storm takes place in the middle of the night. "Having an emergency kit is very important because it is not a matter of 'if it is a matter of 'when' it happens," explained McFarland. "Even more important is having a plan and practicing that plan. Families need to discuss the plan and practice together just like a fire drill." Children may become scared if they are not aware of what is going on. When families practice their plan together it can lessen the confusion during a real emergency. Children that know where they are suppose to go and why are more likely to follow directions with less resistance. Family pets may run away during severe weather. Avery suggests keeping a recent photo in the emergency kit. That photo can be used to show at local shelters or in other ways to help locate the pet after the weather has cleared. When individuals are in there storm safe location, like the basement, there is more they can do to increase their safety. "The key is to protect vital organs like the head and stomach area," Avery advised. "Individuals can group together under a table or other heavy piece of furniture or wrap themselves in a blanket. Anything is better than nothing." Individuals that live in manufactured or modular homes are at a higher risk fluring severe weather and tornadoes. The home

is not built into the ground making it susceptible to damage during high winds. During a tornado the structure could become airborne. If an individual lives in that type of housing Avery recommends they plan to go to a location with a basement when a severe weather watch is issued. "Don't wait

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Storm chaser John Sellers of Plymouth poses with his granddaughter in front of his vehicle equipped with a weather station

for a tornado warning because there may not be enough time," Avery said. If the individual cannot leave they should seek an interior room and protect themselves as best as possible. Having a weather radio in the home or business is highly encouraged by Avery, the NWS and local weather spotters. The weather radio is available with a variety of options but a basic weather radio is enough. The majority of them plug into the wall and have a back-up battery for if the power goes out. When there is a severe iveaflter alert the radio will pl?y a loud tqne followed by a voice message with details. "People need to make sure they get their radio programmed for the area in which they live," Avery stated. "They do not come out of the box ready for the person's specific county. The transmissions from the NWS are delivered by county. It is also a good idea to have surrounding counties programmed in. In Marshall County the majority or our sever weather comes from the west so having Starke or Pulaski County programmed too can give even more advanced warning." There are some smart phone applications that can warn of severe weather as well. Avery encourages that individuals relying on those for their weather information make sure that the phone will emit a sound loud enough to wake the person in the storm occurs in the middle of the night. The Marshall County EMA, Amateur Radio Club and Walgreens are teaming up to provide the community weather radio programming. "Wrlgreens will nave radios available for individuals to purchase and we'll be available to program them," said Avery. The event will be on May 31 beginning at 9 a.m. to around 1 p.m. at the Plymouth Walgreens. In addition individuals can contact the EMA office about getting their radio programmed at another time. After the severe weather has passed it is important to pay attention to the surroundings when exiting shelter. "If there nas been a lot of damage there could be down power lines, broken glass and other debris on the ground," Avery warns. "As soon as you can account for everyone, if it is safe to do so, move to a safer location. An emergency shelter, local church or

Advance News • Thursday, May 29, 2014

a friend or family member's home that is not damaged." If there are emergency personnel in the area, let them know that who is or is not accounted for. Emergency crews work hard to rescue and offer assistance to those Ifi need. Do not go into a non stable structure to search for someone let the emergency worker know so that they can search for the individual. Following a severe weather event the NWS will send out a crew to assess the damages. The damages will be photographed afrd dotfhmented. In the event of extreme damages there'is'li rtumce thaf areas could receive additional aid and funding for repairs. The best things to do when severe weather is predicted: "Be aware of what is going on around the area. Listen to the weather reports," said Sellers. "Pay attention to the weather reports and be ready to act on your emergency plan," added McFarland. "A lot of people don’t take the necessary precautions to take care of themselves and protect their family," Avery said. "People hear the watch and warning alerts and don't follow them. They need to take action to protection themselves and stay safe. Follow the advice of the NWS, don't go outside to see, get the basement." MARSHALL COUNTY/ NAPPANEE AREA TORNADOES The NWS classifies tornadoes on a scale called the Fujita Scale. It was updated in 2007 to the Enhanced F-Scale (EF). The scale is a set of wind estimates based on damage caused in the tornado path. The scale ranks from 0-5 based on three second wind gusts. An EF-0 will Register wind gusts between 65-85 mph; EF-1 gusts are between 86-110 mph; EF-2 wind ’gusts register between 111-135 mph; 136-165 mph wind speeds for an EF-3; an EF-4 wind speeds are between 166-200 mph and anything over 200 mph is an EF-5. The wind speeds are similar to the original F-scale system. The most memorable, and also the most devastating tornadoes in Marshall County were the Palm Sunday tornadoes on April 111 1965. In the March 30,1985 edition of the Pilot News

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Beth Reaker wrote a reflective piece about the incident. "In newspaper accounts that filled the pages for many days after the storm, it was estimated that the storm caused approximately two million dollars in damages across Marshall County and Koontz Lake." The tornado hit north of LaPaz, split into two tornadoes, and destroyed the new construction of 1 LaVille High School. One of the oldest reports of a tornado in the county was from a June 1, 1916 article iri the Republican (newspafpter). The article reported that Plymouth was nit by a tornado in the south east side of town where Ogden Manufacturing received significant damage to the outbuildings. The Twin Lakes area also reported damages. A tornado that hit the Ferrisville Mobile Home park in Inwood on March 20, 1976 left a death toll of 10 and many more injured. There were 13 mobile homes completely destroyed according to a Pilot News arbcle from the 22 of March. A few day before (March 12) a tornado hit Plymouth and caused damages to First United Methodist Church and Treats Squire Shop. In 1974 a tornado touched down near Tippecanoe damaging nearly 20 homes although the most damage was in Fulton and Kosciusko County. A total of six people lost their lives and 77 individuals were injured. According to an article in the Pilot News the Amateur Radio dub members assisted in maintaining communications between stricken areas and the Red Cross. •1954-June 01 Argos EF-2 • 1p56- August 12 Argos EF-3 •1959- May 30 Plymouth EF-1 •1961- June 13 Plymouth EF-2 •1965- April 11 LaPaz EF-3 Fatalities 10 injuries 82 •1966- April 20 LaPaz EF-1 •1967- October 24 Between LaPaz and Bremen EF-1 •1969- June 30 Plymouth EF-1 •1973- May 28 Plymouth EF-1 •1973- December 04 Lake of the Woods EF-1 „ •1976- March 12 Plymouth EF-1 •1976- March 20 Inwood EF-2 Fatalities 0 Injuries 10 •1981- October 17 Bourbon EF-0 •1993- June 08 Culver and Bremen EF-1 •1994- August 13 Etna Green EF-0 •1995- June 07 Bourbon and Etna Green EF-1 Fatalities 0 Injuries 3 i *1996- April 19 Plymouth EF-1 , •2001- October 24 Argos EF-1 Fatalities 0 Injuries 14 •2007- August 15 Argos EF-1 •2007- October 18 Nappanee EF-3

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