ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Earlier this month saw severe weather move through parts of Southern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma, including a tornado that ripped through the small town of Barnsdall, Okla.
With this being the time of year for severe weather to crop up, Seward Count Emergency Services Director Greg Standard said people need to be prepared.
“There are many items people should keep handy in case of an emergency, and that list completely depends on your household and your needs,” Standard said. “Some people are reliant on supplemental oxygen, and I know there are many people who have certain medications they rely on, so I would highly recommend if you have certain medications you need or anything like that, have a small supply ready in case you're unable to make it to the pharmacy after an emergency situation happens. That way, you'll still have what you need, and it'll give us a bit of time to get to you and get you any necessary assistance. I would also recommend having a few days' worth of non-perishable food and water on hand so you can at least feed yourself, and if it's a particularly bad situation, I would also recommend having some cash on hand in case the ATMs aren't working and in case you can't use a credit or debit card. At my home, we also have a backup generator and some extra sources of heat in case that's needed. Especially if you live out in the county, it could take some extra time before power is fully restored, which has happened before. Flashlights are always good to have on hand, as well as a good battery-powered radio like a NOAA radio so you can have some access to what's going on. NOAA radios are especially good because not only do they help spread the necessary information, they also give emergency alerts even if it's turned to silent mode, which is good if there's a severe thunderstorm or tornado coming to the area.”
Modern technology can also help people keep track of severe weather, Standard added.
“There are also multiple smartphone apps people can download, and we recommend the HyperReach app that's available through the Seward County Web site. Information's always critical, and if you have the right information, you can make good decisions, so we want everyone to have everything they need so they can stay safe in the event of an emergency,” Standard said. “As far as shelter, people should already have a plan of where they can go in the future if severe weather comes through, whether it's a neighbor's home or a relative's basement or whatever, or you can also have a shelter built on your property, Any one of those options is good, and again, it's extremely important to have a plan in place and plan ahead so you can stay safe. I also want to stress, just because there's a warning of severe weather, that doesn't automatically mean your home will suffer severe damage and be destroyed – however, again, it's good to have somewhere to go in case something actually happens and has legitimate potential to cause some damage.”
Standard added the Emergency Management staff is frequently on the lookout for potential severe weather, and said a main goal of the department is to help keep people informed.
“Typically, we'll share that information on our Facebook page as soon as we have that knowledge so people can at least have an idea of what to expect and so they can plan accordingly. Local news media will also share any necessary information, so we also encourage people to keep track of that,” Standard said. “The first thing we always want to do is alert people there could be an upcoming situation so they can have a bit of time to react and make a safety plan – for example, if there are tools or toys in your yard you don't want damaged, it's a good idea to go ahead and get everything picked up and secured in your house. Then, going forward, we'll continue sending out more information and letting people know what the weather system is doing so people can make sure they get to shelter and stay safe. The tornado sirens are also a good warning, so people should pay attention if they hear one of them if they're outdoors – in fact, we're adding some new sirens throughout town, including at Tobias Park, the old south fire station, and the ball fields. We feel those additions will help cover Liberal really well, especially the one going in by the ball fields since that will also be a good warning for the National Beef folks and others traveling on U.S. Hwy 54 in that area.”
The most important priority, Standard said, is to keep the community safe.
“I hope people make a plan for themselves and their families so they stay safe in case severe weather comes through the area, and I hope they'll be prepared to take action and take care of themselves,” Standard said. “We are in Southwest Kansas, where the weather can be very unpredictable at times, so I can't really give any predictions about what this summer will look like when it comes to the weather. However, I would reasonably expect people to have at least something in place and realize there's always the potential for severe weather to come through, including large hail and tornadoes and everything else the summer brings. If people have a plan in place, it will help them a lot if something ultimately does come up. We'll also continue working with local spotters and make sure we're covering those bases. We've had two storm-spotting classes so far this year, one in Liberal and one in Kismet, and we're happy to talk to anyone interested in that. We're more than willing to put on those presentations, and if anyone is interested, they just need to get in touch with me at (620) 629-5410, and we'll see what we can do. We'll also work on partnering with the Arkalon Park people as far as communication goes so we can make sure they're covered – that's a pretty large and isolated area, and sirens unfortunately can fail, just like any other mechanical device.”
Overall, Standard said, he and his staff are ready to respond to any situation.
“We work hard in the spring and summer to keep on top of any potential severe weather, our top priority is making sure everyone is safe,” Standard said. “We check the weather very diligently every day, and we're on high alert when we hear about the potential for something severe coming through. This is the time of year when the weather in this part of the U.S. can turn on a dime, so we're always keeping an eye on things, especially since we're right in the Tornado Alley region. We haven't really had anything happen so far, but we're always on the lookout.”
