By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Kansas saw its first tornado of 2023 on Feb. 27, and the Barton County Commission declared March 6-10 as Severe Weather Preparedness Week. Now it's the National Weather Service's turn. On Monday, March 13, "Storm Fury on the Plains" will once again be presented free to the public at the Crest Theater in Great Bend. Warning Coordinator Meteorologist Chance Hayes said the presentation is a good way to inform the public.
"What we try and do is educate county storm spotters, storm chasers, and the public on what to look for in the skies to know what is dangerous and what isn't, and what information they can report back into the county and also into us at the National Weather Service."
Knowing the different types of clouds and other indicators in a storm is important, but technology is also changing the way meteorologists predict and react to storms as they happen.
"We encourage the public to come in because we go through quite a bit of discussion in the presentation on utilizing mobile devices with radar imagery and geolocation services, so folks know exactly where they are in relation to the storms at all times," Hayes said, "and knowing what to look for and how to stay out of those storms and stay safe."
Monday's presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. and will last approximately 90 minutes. The Wichita office of the National Weather Service serves 26 counties in central and southeast Kansas and gives an average of 28 presentations a year.