Even though the largest number of tornadoes strikes Kansas in May, weather forecasters say it's never too soon to prepare for severe weather.
"Once March rolls around, things can really get going in a hurry," said Scott Whitmore, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "It's never too early to get ready, especially in this part of the country."
The Leavenworth County Fairgrounds just west of Tonganoxie sustained heavy damage in the May 2000 tornado that swept through the town. This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Kansas. "It's never too early to get ready, especially in this part of the country," said Scott Whitmore, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
This week marks Severe Weather Awareness Week in Kansas, a time weather experts designate to educate the public about the coming season, which invariably will include a collection of twisters and severe thunderstorms.
Also included in the week is the statewide tornado safety drill, scheduled for Tuesday, when people can practice what they would do if a tornado were upon them.
Another feature of Severe Weather Awareness Week involves spotter-training classes, seminars during which meteorologists explain the mechanics behind severe weather, discuss safety procedures and also show safe ways to become a tornado spotter.
"We don't really encourage people to go chase tornadoes," Whitmore said. "But if you're interested, we'll give you training on how to do it in a safe manner."
A spotter class will be presented at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds, 19th and Harper streets. Other nearby classes will be conducted at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday in Topeka at Washburn University's Stoffer Science Hall.
Northeast Kansas had five reported tornadoes in 2000, according to an NWS survey. The largest, which marked the beginning of tornado season in Kansas, occurred May 11 and began in southern Jefferson County and ended in Leavenworth County, passing directly over Tonganoxie.
"We've all heard that until you experience one, you can never understand the power and the damage they can cause," said Velda Roberts, a Tonganoxie resident. "You can sometimes get inundated by the number of watches, but you get shocked back into reality once you see the devastation.
The Tonganoxie tornado was measured as an F-1 relatively weak when compared with the F-5 tornado that killed 16 people on June 8, 1966, in Topeka.
Tuesday marks the 11th anniversary of a tornado that ripped through Hesston, in south-central Kansas. That one also an F-5 cut a path about 100 miles long, Whitmore said.
In addition, a number of tornadoes in the South have caused massive destruction and several deaths.
"That's why we want to practice this, because it's only a matter of time before they head north" Whitmore said. "If the real thing does happen, you won't have to worry about what you'd do."
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