Public storm surveys lead to better warning times
SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- Michiana has had its fair share of severe weather that has left many people on edge about the next event. Dr. Makenzie Krocak, Research Scientist at the NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) says that storm surveys, taken by the public after severe weather events, help meteorologists increase warning times.
Dr. Krocak studies how people make decisions under stressful situations, like severe weather events. She says the overall mission of the NSSL is to “understand severe weather and to improve the prediction of and the response to severe weather events.”
Dr. Krocak explains that meteorologists receive a lot of information from the atmosphere, but not as much from people who had first-hand experience with storms. The surveys the NSSL do receive are typically from states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. However, Dr. Krocak hopes more people outside of traditional tornado-prone areas will take advantage of the survey.
The NSSL, National Weather Service (NWS), and local broadcast meteorologists work in tandem to provide accurate information about storms and to increase preparation times. That could be a weather radio, your local forecasts, weather.gov, and of course the ABC 57 weather app. This will allow you to confirm weather information across several platforms.
“If you kind of already know in your head what your three sources are going to be, or where you're going to check next,” Dr. Krocak says, “I think that's a really important step to make sure that you can respond quickly when you get that first piece of information.”
Practice makes preparation a habit. Even if a storm does not produce a tornado, it is still best practice to take a few minutes to complete the survey to explain personal experiences. After all, this doesn’t just improve scientific or meteorological research; it also helps communities stay protected before, during, and after severe weather.
To share your story, you can visit the NSSL Tornado Tales website to take the survey.