Severe weather awareness week runs from today (March 24) through Friday in both Nebraska and Iowa. The week serves as a reminder from the National Weather Service to prepare and review severe weather plans for your home or workplace.
Each day this week holds a different main topic of discussion.
– Monday: Lightning safety
– Tuesday: Tornado safety
– Wednesday: Preparedness
– Thursday: Hail and wind safety
– Friday: Flood safety
A tornado drill will be held on Wednesday at 10 AM CDT through NOAA all hazard weather radio. Local officials may also sound their warning sirens at that time.
Shawn Jacobs, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service said those across the stay may or may not hear a siren at that time.
“That is not up to us, that is up to your local officials. So you may not hear that siren but I will tell you that in lieu of our required weekly test that we do we are going to send out that test, that weather radio tone alert, and that’s just a good reminder for people to practice their plans,” Jacobs explained.
In 2024, 101 tornadoes occurred in Nebraska, with May having the most with 47. Between 1994 and 2024, May and June have historically had the most tornadoes. Jacobs said when preparing for a tornado, it’s about putting as many walls between yourself and the tornado as possible on the lowest floor of a building as possible.
“Part of my job is serving after tornadoes, where damage occurs. It’s amazing how many times I’ve seen houses with exterior walls completely removed and the roofing completely removed but the bathroom or closet is left standing and that’s where the people were huddled up and they came out unscathed,” Jacobs said.
Regarding lightning, Jacobs said that if you are close enough to hear thunder you are close enough to be struck by lightning. The best safety practice for lightning, hail, and wind is to be inside structures as well.
Flooding, while not as common in Nebraska, last occurred at a high level across the state in 2019. Flash flooding took the lives of 184 Americans in 2024, mostly due to attempts to drive through flooded roads. Jacobs said the saying “Turn around, don’t drown” is important to remember, indicating that it’s not about what you think your vehicle is capable of but rather that we don’t know the situations that lie under the water.
“To sum up the week, it’s all about preparedness. It’s preparedness not only at your home, but at school, out on the farm, at your place of employment. We know it’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ severe weather is going to strike. Severe weather season, it’s really any time of year in Nebraska. We’ve seen tornadoes somewhere in the state every month of the year,” Jacobs closed.
Those wishing to learn more about severe weather awareness week are invited to visit the National Weather Service North Platte page and click on the link at the top of the site.
Listen to our full interview with Shawn Jacobs here:
