Severe Weather Awareness Week

Severe Weather Awareness Week runs through this Friday. It is during this time you should think about your safety plans and actions in case a severe thunderstorm or possible tornado heads for your neighborhood.

When we mention the word "severe", what does that mean? Well, it means a storm that contains any of the following.

1.) A tornado.
2.) Hail of 1" in diameter (size of quarters) or larger.
3.) Damaging wind gusts in excess of 50 knots or 58 mph.

If a thunderstorm produces any one of those three items listed above, a storm is classified is severe. While you only need one of those to occur, sometimes storms can contain multiple entities.

There are a couple of things to take note of this week.

• All schools should do a tornado drill on Wednesday, February 23rd, between 9:00 and 9:30am. It is during this time all school districts in East Texas should do a mock tornado drill as if it were the real deal. By practicing this drill, all faculty and students will be prepared in case a tornado warning is issued where you school is located come this spring.
• If you are interested in becoming a storm spotter and relaying information to KTRE and the National Weather Service, there will be a SKYWARN Storm Spotter Training session this Thursday, February 24th at 6pm at the Commisioner's Court in Downtown Lufkin.