Now that the jet stream is making its migration south and strong cold fronts are reaching our area, we are shifting back toward severe weather season here in the Tennessee Valley. Our tornado season here runs from November through May, although we can sometimes see activity pick up a few weeks early in October some years, just as we can also sometimes see activity try to stretch into early June on occasion.
Above are monthly maps of the historical tornado tracks in our area during the months of November, December, January, and February… or secondary severe weather season here in the Tennessee Valley. While it’s not quite as active as the heart of the spring, we are at no shortage of tornadoes in the fall and winter months here, and occasionally, they can be just as large and intense as the tornadoes we sometimes see in the heart of March and April. This is why it is critically important that you are aware of weather conditions, and you have a safety plan in place for you and your family before we head into our tornado season.
One of the most important parts of being prepared for severe weather is being weather aware and having reliable ways of getting watches and warnings. The two baselines for receiving warnings are a NOAA Weather Radio and a reliable smartphone weather app. A NOAA Weather Radio functions as the “siren” inside your home. It is a radio that is tuned to a specific broadcast run by the National Weather Service. When a watch or warning is issued for your area, the radio will tone a LOUD alert, and then you will be able to get information about the alert. There are also add-ons for hearing and/or visually impaired users.
Wireless Emergency Alerts on your smartphone are a great built-in way to get tornado warnings for your area. This is the same built-in system on your phone that will trigger for Amber Alerts. These also trigger for tornado warnings, significant flash flood warnings, and higher-end severe thunderstorm warnings. Even better is a reliable smartphone app that will do push notifications for watches and warnings. Such an app is our FREE Tennessee Valley Weather App. It is a 100% FREE download in the Apple App Store and Google Play. You can also scan the QR Code above in either image above. In addition to push notifications for watches and warnings, you get an hourly and extended forecast that WE build instead of being automated, real-time interactive radar, and even a link to our 24/7 all local streaming weather channel… making it easy for you to watch our live streaming severe weather coverage from wherever you are, including in your safe place if you have to shelter during a storm.
It is just as important that you have a severe weather safety in plan ahead of time for your family, and you review it and practice it with your family so that it is second nature. Know where you will shelter in the event of a tornado warning, whether you are at home, school, work, church, etc. Use the safety and shelter option guidelines above to help you designate a safe place for your shelter location if you don’t already have a plan figured out. It is also important to have safety gear such as helmets or something else sturdy for each family member to protect his/her head and neck from flying debris, flashlights, batteries, hard-sole shoe for having to walk across tornado debris, a whistle or air horn so you can make loud noises for help if the need arises, your insurance and other such documents updated and stored for protection. Be sure to have basic living supplies such as non-perishable food, water, medicines, etc., to get you through a few days should your home be damaged or you are without your power.
Now is the time to think about all these things, while the weather is quiet and harmless, so that you are ready the next time storms threaten. Severe storms and tornadoes are a way of life here in the Tennessee Valley. We can’t do anything to stop it, but we can be better prepared to handle it!
