McCoy: Severe storms may be coming

Van Wert County EMA information

The Van Wert County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is warning of a possible severe weather event this Sunday night and is asking that the public monitor conditions very closely as the storm system gets closer.

EMA Director Rick McCoy says that a significant weather system is poised to hit the plains and into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes area over the weekend and could be a pretty large and dangerous event.

“It is these types of early spring storm systems that produce large, strong tornadoes that do considerable amounts of damage and injure or take lives,” McCoy said. “I am hoping that the storms take a bit of a turn but the potential is there for it to affect us.”

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service was already beginning conference calls with area EMA directors, putting them on alert for Sunday’s storms. The Weather Service said this particular storm system has the potential to be a major weather event for the area, and to produce devastating damage, not the typical isolated-scattered reports related to an average severe weather event.

Areas from Iowa to Ohio will be affected and it appears that it may be in the Van Wert area overnight Sunday night through early Monday morning. The National Weather Service reports that a severe squall line or line of “super-cell” thunderstorms will move through a number of states this weekend, with the possibility of significant wind damage and large hail. There is also an increased risk for violent, long-tracked tornadoes of EF-3 rating or higher.

McCoy said the fact the National Weather Service is keying in on this particular storm so early is of concern.

“There is still much uncertainty due to current models of the upper level trough, so forecasts could certainly change,” McCoy said, adding, “But with temperatures expected around 81 degrees on Sunday with dew points around 70 and a 105-knot jet overhead, the stage will be set for the event, so people should prepare in case it all develops and affects our county.”

The local EMA director said that he hopes that, with more severe weather predicted this spring due to the strong La Nina system that caused such an active winter, people have reviewed emergency plans and know how to respond if warnings are issued.

“Our goal is not to scare the public, but we have the responsibility to let the public know that this severe weather threat exists,” McCoy said. “With Van Wert County leading the state of Ohio in tornadoes in the last 20 years, with 20 tornadoes actually hitting the county, I think the public understands the importance of being ready.”

There are many different ways of getting information regarding weather forecasts and warnings when storms are occurring. Those include:

• Northern Indiana National Weather Service website: www.crh.noaa.gov/iwx/
• Storm Prediction Center: www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/
• NOAA weather radios
• Scanners listening to local EMA information on frequency 155.805 MHz
• The Weather Channel
• Local television stations
• Local radio stations
• Local media Internet sites
• Pager or cellular phone alerts