JOPLIN, Mo. —
Nearly two years after she lost her home to one of the worst tornadoes in U.S. history, Anna Sanderson wasn’t taking chances with the weather.
She signed up for a weather spotter class held last week at Missouri Southern State University. The class was sponsored by the Joplin/Jasper County Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service station in Springfield.
“I think it is not only important but vital for communities to be informed about tornadoes and severe weather,” said Sanderson, who lost her home in Joplin’s 2011 tornado. “Educated communities are better equipped to handle the pre-storm panic followed by the post-storm shock.
“Providing information about severe storms to communities will hopefully aid in reducing those uneasy factors,” she said.
Steve Runnels, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said spotters play an important role in keeping communities safe, and the class was aimed at helping members of the community identify signs that bad weather is imminent.
Many of the audience members had attended previous weather spotter classes.
Runnels discussed single-cell storms, squall storms and supercell storms, and said that each type of storm has different attributes and levels of severity.
With spring approaching, residents also were urged to check their emergency preparedness kits for anything missing or expired. They recommended some items to include in an emergency preparedness kit such as bottled water, necessary medications, a radio, a flashlight, a first-aid kit and batteries.
“Another tool that will help community members be prepared for emergencies is an all-hazards NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather alert radio,” said Keith Stammer, director of Emergency Management for Joplin and Jasper County. “These programmable radios operate on electricity with battery backup.”
Runnels encouraged residents to keep their eyes on the sky.
“Always expect the unexpected,” he said.
“Doppler is good, you guys are better,” Runnels added.
Got a question?
Anyone with questions about weather preparedness, weather radios or more can call the Joplin/Jasper County Office of Emergency Management at 417-623-5858.
Local News
While Doppler radar is good, weather spotters are better, says NWS meteorologist
- Local News
-
-
Civil War committee honors sacrifice of soldiers ambushed at Rader Farm
Dozens of local residents gathered Saturday at the Rader Farm on the 150th anniversary of the massacre of 15 soldiers of the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry and three white soldiers from the 2nd Kansas Volunteer Artillery Battery by guerrilla Confederate forces.
-
Summer classes scheduled for Joplin, MSSU
Summer classes for Joplin Schools have been scheduled for Monday, June 3, through Friday, June 28.
-
Mike Pound: No cure for ‘worst parent ever syndrome’
I may be the worst parent ever. The reason I say that is because our 15-year-old daughter, Emma, suggested that was the case the other day when I was driving her home from school.
-
Wally Kennedy: Ye Olde King Pizza to open by September
Let’s start at the beginning. Earlier this year, Brian and Tracy Myers, of Joplin, signed a licensing agreement to bring a Ye Olde King Pizza to Joplin. This style of pizza was the forerunner for what eventually would become Joplin’s signature pizza restaurant, Pizza by Stout. That restaurant at 2101 S. Range Line Road was destroyed by the May 2011 tornado.
-
FACES OF RECOVERY: 176,869 volunteers help put Joplin together again
They initially came in droves, pouring into Joplin by the thousands during the months following the May 2011 tornado to clear debris, clean up damaged homes and businesses and distribute donations of food, water, clothing and other necessities.
-
VIDEO: Nearly 2,300 take part in second Joplin Memorial Run
Having just cruised across the line to finish in first place in the Joplin Memorial Run’s half-marathon, Andrew Webb paused for a moment to catch his breath and take it all in.
-
PBS stations to broadcast ‘Deadline in Disaster’ documentary
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations across Missouri this week will broadcast “Deadline in Disaster,’’ a one-hour documentary that chronicles how The Joplin Globe helped its readers find hope in the aftermath of the EF-5 tornado that struck Joplin two years ago this week.
-
Hatred, resentment and retribution fueled bloody encounter at Rader’s Farm
Members of the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry regiment had been in Jasper County in large numbers on previous foraging missions. Coming from their outpost in modern-day Baxter Springs, Kan., the armed former slaves in Union uniforms had entered the property and homes of white residents to take their food or other useful supplies.
-
Ceremony to mark push for Civil War memorial
Organizers hope that today’s ceremony marking the 150th anniversary of a Civil War battle northwest of Joplin also will encourage support to finance a permanent memorial on the site.
-
Disaster response team to hold tornado memorial ride
A group of motorcycle enthusiasts who focus on disaster relief plan to hold a motorcycle ride through Joplin on the second anniversary of the May 22, 2011, tornado.
- More Local News Headlines
-
