Surviving the Storm – An ABC 6 Weather First Special
‘Surviving the Storm’ will air April 17 – 6:30pm, April 22 – 6:30pm, April 29 – 6:30pm, and May 7 – 12pm from Weather Shield Roofing, LLC.
The week of April 17-21 was Severe Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota, a time when officials try to educate Minnesotans and urge them to prepare for weather threats.
The ABC 6 Weather First Special covers a wide variety of topics including, tornado sirens and their importance, tornado impacts and recovery, severe thunderstorm hazards, handling the heat, flooding risks, myths surrounding weather, and more.
When it comes to being impacted by a tornado, there are two parts that are particularly traumatic 1) being impacted by the tornado itself, 2) the recovery process afterwards.
An EF2 tornado tore through Taopi in Mower County on April 12, 2022. For previous ABC 6 News coverage on the Taopi tornado, click HERE.
Thunderstorms have multiple threats especially when they become severe. While tornadoes and heavy rain can be both damaging and deadly, it's important not to overlook the other threats of severe weather.
Hail - hailstones of 1.00" in diameter, or quarter-size, is considered severe. According to the National Weather Service, our local area typically has 2-3 days a year with severe thunderstorms that produce large hail.
Lightning - is responsible for 100 fatalities a year on average. It can strike up to 10 miles away from the originating thunderstorm.
Strong winds - wind gusts in excess of 58 mph is enough to categorize a thunderstorm as severe. The National Weather Service says our local area typically has 4-5 days a year with severe thunderstorms that produce high winds.
When it comes to thunderstorm-related deaths, flooding is number one.
The National Weather Service says when it comes to flooding, more fatalities take place at night when it's difficult to see the water.
Driving or running into standing water in neighborhoods are extremely dangerous. The road or areas underneath the water could be washed away and the water could be filled with bacteria or other harmful chemicals.
It only takes 2 feet of rushing water to move most cars and about 6 inches of rushing water to move most humans.
The National Weather Service says heat causes more fatalities than any other weather-related phenomenon.
The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity can cause heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Heat stroke - occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature: the body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat exhaustion - is the body's response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through excessive sweating. Heat exhaustion is most likely to affect: The elderly. People with high blood pressure. Those working in a hot environment.
Severe weather can happen at any time, but across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, the severe weather season typically is March through October. Knowing the correct terminology the ABC 6 Weather First Meteorologists use during times of severe weather can help keep you and your family safe and it all starts with a safety plan. Click below for more.
Weather is an art and science surrounded by mathematical equations of the atmosphere. Like any other science, it is encompassed by hundreds, if not thousands of myths. There a few myths and facts below you may or may not have heard of.
Tornado
When a tornado approaches, opening the windows of a home will equalize the pressure – Myth
Tornadoes can happen any time of year, given the right conditions – Fact
Tornadoes don’t hit large cities, highly populated areas – Myth
Lightning
A lightning bolt is about 5x hotter than the surface of the sun – Fact
Lightning can travel 10 or more miles away from a storm – Fact
Lightning never strikes the same place twice – Myth
Flooding
It only takes about 1 foot of water to move a car, and 2 feet to wash away a full-size SUV – Fact
Floods only occur along a river or creek – Myth
You can drive through floodwater if it’s not too deep – Myth
