MANSFIELD — It may be hard to imagine, given the nasty winter north central Ohio just experienced, but spring weather should never be taken lightly.
That’s why Richland County EMA Deputy Director Rick Evans visited this past week with county commissioners, who proclaimed March 17-23 as Spring Severe Weather and Flood Awareness Week.
“Severe weather can and will impact Richland County no matter the season. By bringing awareness to residents during this week, we hope to instill this is a good time to review weather safety plans,” Evans said.
Evans, who said Richland County will participate in a statewide tornado drill on Wednesday at 9:50 a.m., recommended all households and businesses have an emergency weather radio.
Severe thunderstorms with powerful winds and hail are most likely in the summer. But hot, humid days in the spring can pop up severe thunderstorms, and even spark tornadoes.
The idea behind Evans’ visit and the annual proclamation is simple — Ohio weather in the spring can change in an instance and not always for the better. Preparation may be the key to survival.
The fact is that 98 percent of all Presidential-declared disasters are weather related, leading to around 500 deaths per year and nearly $15 billion in damage, according to the National Weather Service.
You don’t have to look back too far into Ohio history to find horrific spring storms.
The most infamous came in April 3-4, 1974 when the Buckeye State experienced a super tornado outbreak, which actually impacted 13 states, from the Great Lakes to the deep south.
There were 148 tornadoes reported during the two days, 30 of which were rated at the two strongest levels, resulting in 335 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries.
One of the tornadoes destroyed the community of Xenia in southwest Ohio, killing 34 people. It remains among the top 10 costliest tornadoes on U.S. record.
More recently, a powerful storm developed on May 31, 1985, which produced 41 tornadoes across the country, including 21 across northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania. One of those was an F-5 with winds between 261 and 318 miles per hour. There were 27 people killed as a result of the strongest tornadoes.
There is no way to stop a tornado, a thunderstorm or large hail. No way to completely prevent property damage when winds howl that fiercely or powerful thunderstorms create floods.
But awareness and preparedness can prevent loss of life, according to emergency management experts.
It can be as simple as listening to weather reports and knowing the difference between a tornado watch (be prepared because tornadoes are possible in and near the area) and tornado warning (take immediate action, a tornado has been sighted in the area or indicated by sophisticated weather radar).
It can be as easy as remembering no place outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area. As the NWS says, if you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.
It can be as uncomplicated as choosing not to try driving across a flooded road. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water.
A mere six inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away a small car, while two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles.
Survival during spring storms isn’t complicated. But it does take some preparation and awareness. That’s what Spring Severe Weather and Flood Awareness Week is all about.
For more information, visit the Richland County Emergency Management Agency website (http://ema.richlandcountyoh.us/emergencies) and the National Weather Service website (https://www.weather.gov).
