ROCKFORD (WREX) — This week is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Illinois. As March 3rd's overnight tornado in Nashville, TN reminds us, severe weather season can come early and strike fast. Use this week as a reminder to review your severe weather safety plan before severe weather season reaches northern Illinois.
Recent example:
An EF-3 tornado struck Nashville around 12:45 am March 3rd, and ripped apart sections of the city in only 15 minutes. This tornado is a reminder of 3 things:
- Tornadoes can strike large cities and major population centers. There is a myth that tornadoes cannot strike big cities like Chicago. That is simply not true.
- Tornadoes can strike fast. If there is a warning for your area, get to shelter immediately. As mentioned above, March 3rd's tornado was in and out of Nashville in around 15 minutes.
- Have multiple ways to get severe weather alerts, and make sure they are loud enough to wake you up in the dead of night.
Weather radios are a great way to get severe weather alerts. They are loud enough to be heard throughout the day or night, and work without Wi-Fi or a cell phone signal. Use a weather radio in addition to a smart phone app like the 13 Weather Authority app to get alerts no matter where you are.
Severe weather season in northern Illinois:
Tornado season typically runs from April to June in northern Illinois. This time of year is when the weather gets hotter (adding more instability in the atmosphere needed for strong thunderstorms), but cold air is still in the region. The clash between these two extremes leads to strong thunderstorms. Tornadoes usually form late in the day (generally 3 pm to 10 pm), when the day is at its warmest.
Later in the summer, we transition to more of a flash flood season. Humid air boosts how much rain may fall, resulting in heavy rain and floods. Overnight thunderstorm complexes can also bring damaging winds early in the mornings during this time.
Remember- severe weather can strike at any time of the year, if conditions are right. There are plenty of examples of tornadoes in January and February around the Stateline.
Know your terms:
A big thing to know during severe season is the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch is issued when severe weather is possible, but hasn't happened yet. Think of this like baking a cake. All of the ingredients are there to bake, but the finished product isn't ready yet.
A watch doesn't mean its time to panic, but rather pay attention for updates. Sometimes when baking, the ingredients aren't mixed right or you don't have enough of a particular ingredient. As a result, the cake doesn't turn out. This can happen with severe weather too. A watch just means severe weather is possible, and not a guarantee.
A warning means severe weather is happening or about to happen, so take action. Referring to our baking analogy, the cake is together and ready to eat. This isn't the time to grab supplies or go outside to look for the storm. Get to shelter now!
Where to go:
- During a tornado, get as low as possible and away from windows. This preferably is in a basement or storm shelter. If you don't have a basement, head to the lowest floor and put as many walls between you and the outside as possible. This could be a closet, bathroom, or hallway. Follow the directions of your building. If at work, church, or at the store, follow the directions and signs toward the preferred shelter area. One thing to keep in mind- if you are in a mobile home, get out of there and to a safe spot as quick as possible. Mobile homes can roll over or fail within the high winds of a tornadoes. If out driving, pull over and get into a ditch. Avoid parking under an overpass.
- With severe thunderstorms, strong winds can damage roofs, siding, and windows, so get to the lowest floor and away from those areas. Large hail can also damage windows, so get indoors and away from windows during a hail storm.
- Flash flooding can happen during severe weather. Do not drive into any flooded road. The road may be washed away, or the water deep enough to float your vehicle off of the road. Find a different and drier route to safety. Move away from small streams and rivers to higher ground until the flooding stops.
Threattrack:
To warn you about severe weather risks ahead of an outbreak, the 13 Weather Authority will use a number scale to rate how likely severe weather is. A 1 (marginal risk) means one or two storms may reach severe strength. A 3 (enhanced risk) is a few steps up and usually means strong winds and a few tornadoes may be in play. The top of the scale (5, or a high risk) means widespread and dangerous severe weather is likely. We usually show a map outlining where the risk areas are. If you see this in the forecast, make sure to pay close attention and stay tuned for updates.
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March 04, 2020 at 11:32AM
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Review your severe weather plan now ahead of severe weather season - WREX-TV
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