Tornado in McCulloch/Mason Counties Reflect Importance of Staying Safe During Severe Weather

Meteorologists from the office of the United States National Weather Service of Abilene/ San Angelo investigated storm damage in McCulloch and Mason Counties this afternoon. They have confirmed that a tornado touched down, and the damage path extended from near Katemcy in northern Mason County and extends to near Fredonia in southern McCulloch County. The tornado was rated as an EF-1, with winds estimated at 95-110 miles per hour. As people in these areas witnessed today, and as San Angeloans observed earlier this week, weather can get nasty fast, and officials with the National Weather Service in San Angelo emphasized the importance of taking precautions to stay safe during this Severe Weather Awareness Week.

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Tornadoes are no surprise here in Texas because San Angelo is at the tail end of Tornado Alley. More tornadoes strike in Texas than any other state, and locally, the officials at NWS in San Angelo want to make sure people in Tom Green County are ready should severe weather occur in our area.

Hector Guerrero, warning and coordination meteorologist with NWS, sent a press release this week to encourage all residents, local schools, and businesses to conduct tornadoes drills yesterday so they are prepared should weather become more severe. He said NWS will transmit a routine weekly message through the Emergency Alert System at this time.

Guerrero stated there was about 60% participation in the drill yesterday at local schools. The schools are required to hold one fire drill each month that has 10 days of scheduled education. In addition, each of our local schools practice lock down drills as additional shelter drills throughout the year.

In addition to participating in drills, Guerrero said, should severe weather occur, here are a few life-saving safety tips to follow:

1. Always have more than one way to receive NWS warnings automatically, like from a cell phone app or radio. Don’t depend completely on sirens. Sirens are to warn people outdoors and may not be loud enough to awaken you in the middle of the night. It's always better to also have a smart phone or radio to send you weather information as it comes in.
2. Have a safety plan ahead of time so you know what to do. The safest place to survive violent killer tornadoes is in an approved underground or above-ground storm shelter. The second best place is to get on the lowest floor in your home, school, or business in an interior room like a bathroom or closet. Stay low to the ground and cover yourselves with blankets, pillows, and mattresses.
3. If a tornado approaches and you live in a mobile home, abandon it for a more substantial shelter. If nothing is available, lie flat in a nearby ditch and cover your head and neck.   

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Maintenance Supervisor and Safety & Security Specialist AJ Turner said this regarding the drills and staying safe.

“Like other responsibilities and procedures, the more they are practiced the more effective the become,” he said. “If a true situation was to arise and require one of these noted responses, the time spent in practicing along with follow-up reviews will result in an enhanced capability of protecting our students and staff.”

Turner also said while every situation is unique in nature, people truly cannot prepare for every possible scenario. However, through the drills, NWS will continue to improve in offering a safe environment should the weather turn nasty.

With that being said, a special message about the drill was transmitted through the NOAA All Hazards Radio today.

“After receiving a substantial amount of rainfall in our state this week, flash flooding and river flooding are a significant threat over the next few days,” said Governor Abbott. “Any additional rainfall will exacerbate these threats, so I am urging Texans to closely monitor changing weather and road conditions. Protecting the lives of Texans is our top priority, so we are also asking all residents to heed the warnings of your local officials.”

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When it comes to the drainage in San Angelo, the streets flood fast and things can quickly get dangerous. Tornado storms can produce flash flooding, so NWS officials encourage citizens to watch out when they reach a flooded low-water crossing. As the saying goes, "always turn around; don’t drown!"