DECATUR -- "Does any know where you go in case a tornado," Darby Bybee asked a group of second graders at Northside Elementary School.
"The middle of the house," several of the students replied.
Bybee, chief meteorologist for TV channel 40/29, was in Decatur Jan. 21 to talk about tornado safety to the combined second grade classes at Northside Elementary after the Dec. 26 outburst of tornadic thunderstorms which caught the National Weather Service and local meteorologists off guard.
After a beautiful, warm Christmas Day, many in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas were returning home when the skies began to darken, the first sign that something unusual was about to happen. Then supercell thunderstorms began to build, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a tornado watch for southwest Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma. Washington and Benton Counties were not included in the watch.
Suddenly, tornadoes began touching down in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. All eyes turned toward this region. Little did anybody in the local weather community know at the time that they were about to receive a wake-up call.
Strong upper-level rotation began to break out in areas that forecasters failed to see. Now Siloam Springs, Gentry, Decatur, Gravette and the surrounding area was under the gun. Sirens were going off, sending area residents scrabbling for shelter. Fortunately, northwest Arkansas was spared any tornado-related damage and deaths. However, some places in Missouri were not so lucky.
This is just one example of the strange weather patterns the area has seen over the past few years, and it is one of the goals of Bybee to alert students to the dangers of severe weather and to have them always be prepared for any eventuality even if they occur the day after Christmas.
"December tornadoes are extremely rare in our area," said Bybee. "But that doesn't mean they can't occur."
The United States is the one of the most tornado prone countries in the world, with the central part -- apply the name "Tornado Alley" -- reporting the most outbreaks
One of the first lessons Bybee attempted to convey to his young audience was the way the public views a tornado.
"You don't need to fear tornadoes," Bybee said. "You need to respect them."
The mere mention of the word invokes fear in some people. When the fear factor kicks in is when people start to panic and suddenly they unwittingly put themselves in harm's way. Respecting the tornado eliminates most of the fear which leaves people to reason the correct course of action to stay safe.
Bybee explained that the safest course of action when a tornado warning is issued for Benton County and the Decatur area is to stay away from doors and windows, go to the center of the structure (put as many walls between you and the tornado), and cover your head. Staying calm and taking these tornado safety tips, people can survive a direct hit by one of nature's most destructive forces.
General News on 01/27/2016