The roll and responsibility of Kokomo-Weather during severe weather.

I thought it would be prudent to define the roll and responsibility of Kokomo-Weather specifically during severe weather events. Severe weather season is in full swing given recent events and it is important to know what you should expect from Kokomo-Weather.

First and foremost Kokomo-Weather is a site ran by a weather hobbyist and enthusiast local to Kokomo and Howard County. It is one individual with no formal training in meteorology or a related study.

By being run by a single person, it should be obvious that there will be times when the site is not being updated with information relating to current weather events. In no way should you ever use this website (or any website) for information regarding severe weather. Any information on the Internet can be delayed for many reasons and should never be used for the protection of life or property.

My mission as I call it is to provide visitors general information about local weather and to alert you to upcoming potential weather events, especially potential severe weather. Unlike a snow storm, severe weather moves quickly and many times without much warning. For severe weather events, I try to get you thinking about the possibilities and to be alert to radio and TV media for up to the minute weather information.

I also think many times people discount severe weather due to the time of day or the season. Clearly it has been shown that severe weather including deadly, violent tornadoes can happen any time of the day and any time of the year.

I am sure if we reflect back on yesterday (2/5/2008) you would find many people unaware there was any risk for severe weather let alone a high risk for an outbreak of long lived tornadoes. There were 67 reported tornadoes in 6 states. Forty-eight people have been reported killed by the storms. Yet the Storm Prediction Center had warned of such potential days in advance and issued a High Risk for areas hardest hit 12 hours or more in advance. Yet many people didn’t know or take it seriously.

Kokomo-Weather wants you to know and to take it seriously and will use our medium of the Internet to do just that. As events unfold and as time allows, updates will be posted letting you know about the situation and encouraging you to monitor radio and television. However, only you can make the decision to take the information given and follow up appropriately.

As always I encourage you to purchase a weather hazards radio too. These radios are the quickest way to get accurate information directly from the National Weather Service. Most of the newer radios can be programmed to alert only for a single county or just a handful of counties. These can be lifesavers for people that might not be watching or listening to local radio or TV or asleep. Places of work would also be great places for a weather hazards radio. If you know someone that doesn’t have a weather hazards radio, it would make a great gift for any occasion.

Finally, I want to thank everyone for the public and private compliments I have received. I enjoy doing this as a service to my community and will work to learn more about weather forecasting as I go along. Naturally you can always be assured that when severe weather does happen in Howard County, I will be out with other Skyward Severe Weather Spotters looking to keep everyone safe.