This is Fall Severe Weather Awareness Week in western Kentucky and the National Weather Service in Paducah is reminding residents of the dangers of tornadoes and other threats.
Warning Coordination Meteorologist Rick Shanklin says many of the strongest tornadoes in the region have come in the fall—including the November 15, 2005 EF4 tornado in Hopkins County that was the strongest in the country that year.
There’s no doubt a majority of the region’s severe weather comes in the spring, but Shanklin says there’s a distinct secondary fall severe weather season.
Another danger in the fall is tornadoes often strike during the overnight period—when they are most dangerous because most people are sleeping.
Shanklin says those nighttime tornadoes make it even more important for people to have a NOAA weather radio to receive weather warnings when they are sleeping. While a cell phone can also get you those alerts, it may fail if service is down due to a storm.
Damaging straight-line winds and flash flooding are also threats with any severe storms—with Shanklin reminding motorists who encounter high water to turn around, don’t drown.
