Tornado Safety in Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas, is located in the heart of "Tornado Alley." The city was struck by an F5 tornado in April 1991, and in May 1999 an F4 tornado left six people dead, 150 injured and caused over $150 million worth of damage. March to June is the main tornado season.

Alerts and Warnings

• Sirens are part of Wichita's early warning system for tornadoes.

  The Wichita office of the National Weather Service is responsible for locating and monitoring severe storm systems, and for issuing tornado warnings. They use radar and satellite systems to track the size, speed and direction of an approaching storm front. In addition, they operate a system known as Skywarn, where volunteer "spotters" keep them informed about tornado activity in the local area. Alerts are issued via radio, television and over the Internet, and Wichita also has a system of early warning sirens. A Tornado Watch is issued when there is a strong possibility of tornadoes, and a Tornado Alert means that tornadoes have actually been spotted, or indicated by radar, approaching the Wichita area.

Safety Plans

• Schools and businesses in Wichita have safety plans for implementation in case of a tornado alert. For example, Wichita State University has tornado shelters in the basement of each building and a warning siren, and operates an emergency phone line. It also implements tornado drills for students and staff.

Safety Information

• Detailed information and advice relating to tornado safety are available from the Wichita department of the National Weather Service, and from the website of "The Wichita Eagle" newspaper.