By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
This is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Kentucky, with a statewide tornado safety drill scheduled for Wednesday.
Severe weather in Kentucky, more often thought of as occurring in the spring or summer, is not uncommon in early March, even though it is still part of winter.
In fact, one of Kentucky’s deadliest tornado outbreaks occurred on March 2, 2012, when 18 tornadoes were reported in the state, killing 26 people and injuring over 200 more, according to the National Weather Service.
One of the deadliest twisters that day had a path 60 miles long in Kentucky and another 26 miles in West Virginia. It had top winds of 140 miles per hour and a maximum width of one mile, when it struck downtown West Liberty. Two people were killed in Menifee County and six more in Morgan County.
Six more people were killed in Laurel County, when another tornado ripped through the East Bernstadt area, packing 125 miles per hour winds. Another four deaths occurred in a separate twister that struck parts of northern Grant and southern Kenton counties.
Ten other states also had tornado touchdowns during the outbreak which lasted into March 3, 2012, including Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. According to the National Weather Service, the outbreak produced more than 70 tornadoes and killed a total of 41 in the 11 states. It also caused an estimated $3.5 billion damages to the affected states.
A statewide tornado drill will be conducted on Wednesday, March 4, at 10:07 a.m. The National Weather Service and Kentucky Broadcasters Association will issue a tornado warning test message.
Across Kentucky, outdoor warning sirens will sound. Weather alert radios will activate. Local television and radio stations will broadcast the alert. Many mobile devices will alert with the message as well.
The broadcast test message will emphasize this is only a test of the alert system. During the test alert, all Kentuckians, businesses, hospitals, nursing homes, educators, and government agencies are encouraged to practice their tornado safety drill and update their emergency plan.
Emergency management officials say if you do not have a tornado/severe thunderstorm plan, make one with these guidelines:
• Designate a tornado/severe weather shelter in an interior room on the lowest level of a building, away from windows. Basements are best, but, if there is no basement, choose an interior bathroom, closet or other enclosed space on the lowest level of a building.
• Tell everyone where the designated shelter is and post the location.
• If you live in a mobile home or other manufactured housing, locate the nearest building where you can take shelter in case of a severe storm. They emphasize that no mobile home is a safe shelter from a tornado or severe thunderstorm.
For more information on how to prepare for severer weather, go to the Kentucky Emergency Management website here.