The tornado outbreak in Oklahoma Tuesday was unusual for the month of February, according to Cowley County Emergency Manager Brian Stone.
There were 17 tornadoes in Kansas in February between 1950 and 2008 compared to the month of May when there were 1,131 tornadoes during the same time period, he said.
"February is a rare month for tornadoes," Stone said. "We have to have all the ingredients – the warm air and the moisture. When those mix, that’s what causes severe weather."
Approximately nine people were killed by the tornadoes in Oklahoma. The largest of four tornadoes touched down in Lone Grow. It was four to five miles long and at times one-half miles wide. It has been rated a EF-4 with winds reaching 165 miles an hour. Two hundred homes were damaged in Edmond.
The National Weather Service is gearing up for the Spring tornado season in Kansas. The annual storm spotter presentation "Fury On The Plains," will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24 at Cowley Cinema 8 Theater just south of Strother Field. Chance Hays, warning coordination meteorologist for the weather service in Wichita, will be the speaker.
All emergency responders, spotters and members of the general public are invited to attend the presentation. Slides and videos will be used to help identify the cloud features associated with the formation of severe weather.
"We’ll test the sirens for the first time this year on March 10 in conjunction with Kansas Severe Weather Week March 9th through 13th," Stone said. "if the weather is bad, we’ll move (the test) back to Thursday, the 12th. That will be the beginning of our regular test at noon on Tuesdays."
There are outdoor warning sirens in every incorporated community and one at the Winfield City Lake, according to Stone.
He tries to recruit new spotters every year and needs new spotters. The volunteer work does take time away from families.
"We could use more spotters," Stone said.
For more information, contact Stone’s office at 221-0470 or 441-4569.
Cowley 8 Cinema has donated a theater for the annual presentation. "They’re doing us a service," Stone said.
