Beadle County Emergency Director Zach Nelson reminds residents that the National Weather Service has designated this week, April 24th to April 28th, as Severe Weather Awareness Week. The National Weather Service on a different feature of severe weather each day this week. Today the focus is on the components of sever storms: lightning, hail and high winds.
Nelson breaks down each of these features of a severe storm:
Lightning:
Generally, to avoid injury from lightning, get inside a sturdy building or automobile and stay off of anything that could conduct electricity. In a car that means hands off anything metal. In your home, can the landline phone use and you may want to spare your electronics harm by shutting them off or running them through a surge protector.
Hail:
Again, inside sturdy building and away from windows. Big enough hail will do a number on your windows and possibly you, being injured not only by the hail but the breaking glass to. If driving, and this is going to stink, but stop and let your car take the beating. If you continue to drive, at say 60 miles per hour, and the hail is also falling at 60 miles per hour. That hail is hitting your car at around 120 miles per hour. Parking under overpasses is a terrible idea. Everyone is going to want to park there and that will eventually block traffic, cause a traffic accident, prevent emergency responders from getting through.
Wind:
The wind itself may not blow your house over, but it may blow something over or into your home. As mentioned earlier wind-driven hail can be problematic. Any interior room is where you should seek out shelter. Get as much between you and the outside as possible. Basements are always good.
Nelson reminds you that a statewide tornado drill will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) April 26th.
The tornado drill begins with a test watch at 10 AM. At 10:15 AM a test warning will be issued. At that time, tornado sirens will be activated across the county.