Public safety is always a concern for the National Weather Service whenever severe weather is possible, and that was the underlying reason behind Lyon County’s annual spotter training session Thursday night.
Meteorologist Jenifer Prieto says last year was quieter than normal with 30 tornadoes — less than half the average of 80 — but that doesn’t mean people can let down their guard when it comes to tornadoes or other severe weather activity.
Given sporadic tornado activity across the KVOE listening area since Eureka was hit in 2016 and 2018, as well as last year’s quiet season, Prieto is concerned people may be getting complacent.
Tornadoes always get the most attention, but Prieto says people need to heed any alerts about flooding. Over the past 10 years, there have been 7 flood-related deaths in Kansas as opposed to one tornado-related death. Prieto says floods kill more people in Kansas than all other severe weather hazards combined.
As usual, the basic spotter training session had information about severe weather threats, cloud features, reporting procedures and safety.
For area counties, one spotter training show remains. Lyndon Community Building will host Osage County’s event starting at 7 pm this upcoming Thursday.
