Today I had the honor of speaking with Caleb, Alie, Brook and Emily, 5th grade students at an elementary school in South Carolina. Mrs. Raper, their teacher, contacted me a week or so ago about speaking to her students. Their school had recently changed their severe storm preparedness protocols, and the students had some ideas for making students safer during a tornado.
Mrs. Raper and I were able to connect via Skype, and I spent over twenty minutes answering the questions they had about tornadoes, and about my experiences with tornadoes. I was impressed with the depth of their questions. They had clearly prepared for the session, and were very polite and considerate. Their questions were also efficient, focusing on the task at hand instead of asking questions that were not connected to the discussion.
I have been in education for twenty-five years now, and Caleb, Alie, Brook and Emily gave me plenty of hope for our future. They were curious, they were inquisitive, they were respectful, and they were definitely motivated to better themselves through learning. Their parents should be proud, as should Mrs. Raper. It is easy to jump on the "public education is bad" bandwagon with the numerous awful stories we see in the media, but Mrs. Raper's leadership, and the behavior of her students, tells me the future is bright.
Caleb, Alie, Brook, Emily and Mrs. Raper, thank you for the honor of speaking with you today!
School Safety Shield
Non en Meus Vigilo!
Showing posts with label tornado preparedness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tornado preparedness. Show all posts
Friday, November 8, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Decision-making in times of stress
Today I was interviewed by the Christian Science Monitor about tornado preparedness. Apart from the cool part that it's the largest national news outlet I've ever spoken to, it has some good information that parents of school children, educators, and people at large should know about tornadoes and schools.
It is easy to look back and sharpshoot a person's decisions with 20/20 hindsight, but it's quite another thing when nature's fury is barrelling down toward you, and you have to make decisions that can affect hundreds of lives, all while battling severe stress, fear, and striving to not give in to your body's overwhelming urge to flee.
I would like to say I hope I never have to be in that situation, but I have. In 2002 I was an assistant principal at Clinton Young Elementary, in MSD Perry Twp., when an EF3 tornado hit the roof of Southport Middle School. This building was right behind ours, about 100 yards away, and the track of the tornado came within 50 yards of my school. It tore portions of the roof off of our school, letting rain water cascade into the halls, and terrorizing the students and staff sheltering there.
My heart rate was really high most of the day, and I didn't get home until after 11pm. The shakes lasted for over half an hour. Making a decision in that environment is very difficult, and it makes one prone to error. We want to review what happened, make improvements, and implement the changes, but please keep in mind the environment in which those decisions are made, and make the critiques compassionately.
There, but for the Grace of God, we may go.
It is easy to look back and sharpshoot a person's decisions with 20/20 hindsight, but it's quite another thing when nature's fury is barrelling down toward you, and you have to make decisions that can affect hundreds of lives, all while battling severe stress, fear, and striving to not give in to your body's overwhelming urge to flee.
I would like to say I hope I never have to be in that situation, but I have. In 2002 I was an assistant principal at Clinton Young Elementary, in MSD Perry Twp., when an EF3 tornado hit the roof of Southport Middle School. This building was right behind ours, about 100 yards away, and the track of the tornado came within 50 yards of my school. It tore portions of the roof off of our school, letting rain water cascade into the halls, and terrorizing the students and staff sheltering there.
My heart rate was really high most of the day, and I didn't get home until after 11pm. The shakes lasted for over half an hour. Making a decision in that environment is very difficult, and it makes one prone to error. We want to review what happened, make improvements, and implement the changes, but please keep in mind the environment in which those decisions are made, and make the critiques compassionately.
There, but for the Grace of God, we may go.
Getting ready for severe weather
Safe Havens, International
More severe weather is possible, so now is the time to refresh your tornado preparedness skills.
I wrote 14 Severe Weather Survival Tips for Campus Safety Magazine, which used it as a cover story last year.
More severe weather is possible, so now is the time to refresh your tornado preparedness skills.
I wrote 14 Severe Weather Survival Tips for Campus Safety Magazine, which used it as a cover story last year.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Mississippi Has Record Number of October Tornadoes
The state of Mississippi set a record for the number of tornadoes in October. What is interesting is that this is a month before Mississippi's secondary storm season begins. November is second only to April in the number of tornadoes, as seen below:
The secondary storm season is when the jet stream settles into its winter pattern, sending upper level disturbances into the Gulf region, sometimes as far north as the Ohio River Valley.
The impact this has for educators is that severe weather is not a one-season, prepare and forget thing. Superstorm Sandy is an example. Hurricane season was almost over, yet Sandy forms, runs into another low pressure system, and turns into a nasty weather system. Severe weather preparedness is serious business.
Treat it seriously.
Safe Havens, International
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The secondary storm season is when the jet stream settles into its winter pattern, sending upper level disturbances into the Gulf region, sometimes as far north as the Ohio River Valley.
The impact this has for educators is that severe weather is not a one-season, prepare and forget thing. Superstorm Sandy is an example. Hurricane season was almost over, yet Sandy forms, runs into another low pressure system, and turns into a nasty weather system. Severe weather preparedness is serious business.
Treat it seriously.
Safe Havens, International
Our Forum On
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Severe Weather Preparedness
October is a secondary period of severe weather as the jet stream moves north. Don't let the fall season lull you into a false sense of security. Severe weather preparedness is still needed.
I wrote a cover story for Campus Safety Magazine that provides helpful hints for tornado preparedness. there are 14 severe weather survival tips for schools, with links to useful resources for educators.
In Indiana, the law requires a tornado drill each semester. The best time to do it is before severe weather hits.
The Henryville EF3 tornado was only last March. The link will take you to some pictures that will remind you how serious tornadoes can be.
Safe Havens, International
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I wrote a cover story for Campus Safety Magazine that provides helpful hints for tornado preparedness. there are 14 severe weather survival tips for schools, with links to useful resources for educators.
In Indiana, the law requires a tornado drill each semester. The best time to do it is before severe weather hits.
The Henryville EF3 tornado was only last March. The link will take you to some pictures that will remind you how serious tornadoes can be.
Safe Havens, International
Our Forum On
Friday, June 29, 2012
A Storm Rolled Through
Speedway, IN
Storms, bringing a bit of much needed rain to our area, came through late afternoon today. It was a classic squall line. Ahead of the storms came some very gusty winds. In a previous blog entry, I described this phenomena.
As the storm clouds gathered overhead, the winds rose to a crescendo, then subsided, only to reappear again in a few minutes. Debris flew through the air, and we found a little baby rabbit, dead, tossed into our front yard by the winds.
I noticed some rotation in the clouds over us and submitted a report to the National Weather Service.
This was a vivid reminder of the power of winds preceding a storm, and why it's important to pay attention to storm watches, as well as warnings.
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A screen shot of the radar showing the storm as it moves out of Ohio. Note the light blue line ahead and below the storm. This is the actual front, and is a radar echo of the winds. This is a good radar image of a squall line.
Storms, bringing a bit of much needed rain to our area, came through late afternoon today. It was a classic squall line. Ahead of the storms came some very gusty winds. In a previous blog entry, I described this phenomena.
As the storm clouds gathered overhead, the winds rose to a crescendo, then subsided, only to reappear again in a few minutes. Debris flew through the air, and we found a little baby rabbit, dead, tossed into our front yard by the winds.
I noticed some rotation in the clouds over us and submitted a report to the National Weather Service.
This was a vivid reminder of the power of winds preceding a storm, and why it's important to pay attention to storm watches, as well as warnings.
Our Forum On
A screen shot of the radar showing the storm as it moves out of Ohio. Note the light blue line ahead and below the storm. This is the actual front, and is a radar echo of the winds. This is a good radar image of a squall line.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Take Tornado Watches Seriously
After a dynamic start to the tornado season, it has really quieted down some, with regard to severe storms. This provides time to discuss some tornado preparedness issues.
Schools often overlook the tornado watch. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a tornado watch is "issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes in and close to the watch area. They are usually issued for a duration of 4 to 8 hours. They normally are issued well in advance of the actual occurrence of severe weather. During the watch, people should review tornado safety rules and be prepared to move a place of safety if threatening weather approaches." Schools will often overlook this because during a tornado watch, the sun may still be shining, and local conditions may still be pleasant.
This is the danger. During a tornado watch, the weather may change quickly, and violently. The types of storms that produce tornadoes often produce down-drafts that can send straight-line winds miles from the storm. Thus, a beautiful day can change into one of carnage quickly. This is what led to the Indiana State Fair (video) stage roof collapse tragedy last year.
When a tornado watch is issued, curtail outdoor activities. Give yourself access to weather radar and keep an eye on it. Alert your staff, and have them be prepared to take shelter at a moment's notice.
Take tornado watches seriously.
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Schools often overlook the tornado watch. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a tornado watch is "issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes in and close to the watch area. They are usually issued for a duration of 4 to 8 hours. They normally are issued well in advance of the actual occurrence of severe weather. During the watch, people should review tornado safety rules and be prepared to move a place of safety if threatening weather approaches." Schools will often overlook this because during a tornado watch, the sun may still be shining, and local conditions may still be pleasant.
This is the danger. During a tornado watch, the weather may change quickly, and violently. The types of storms that produce tornadoes often produce down-drafts that can send straight-line winds miles from the storm. Thus, a beautiful day can change into one of carnage quickly. This is what led to the Indiana State Fair (video) stage roof collapse tragedy last year.
When a tornado watch is issued, curtail outdoor activities. Give yourself access to weather radar and keep an eye on it. Alert your staff, and have them be prepared to take shelter at a moment's notice.
Take tornado watches seriously.
Our Forum On
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Is It Better to Release Students or Keep Them at the School?
In response to an ongoing discussion on keeping kids at school or releasing them, guest blogger RJ Hilton had the following thoughts:
Every solution to a problem has consequences. In the case of tornadoes, gathering people in one location increases the impact if something goes wrong. It does however reduce substantially the potential of threat exposure to the student body as a whole. The alternative of sending people home substantially increases the exposure period and the range of potential direct encounter to the point it’s unlikely some individuals could avoid one. As with any procedure, the more you have to do, the more chances of something going wrong. Consider the steps required to complete each process.
Moving students to a specific location or group of locations is a localized and immediate process with very little required in the way of external information before making a decision. It also involves no direct threat exposure. The alternative requires a series of detailed bits of information often unique to each student. The process is time consuming with a number of variables which creates a lot of unknowns.
If you’re in an area were tornadoes are rare then an administrator has the luxury of making a decision very early in the process, since it would likely only affect one school day. In an area where severe storm events and tornadoes are common, an administrator can’t afford to be sending people home at every indication of a storm. This means their window of opportunity to avoid an encounter decreases as time goes by.
Increasing the difficulty of the situation is the fact that administrators can’t just send everyone home arbitrarily. They have to decide which students are better off going home and which aren’t. Even if you have a list of students who have parents that are normally at home, you would have to confirm they were that particular day. If you’re lucky enough to have up-to-date phone numbers, it would still take some period of time to make the calls, not minutes. (Unless your district has a reverse-911 system.)
We must also consider, storms don’t have schedules, they can often accelerate in intensity much more rapidly then any one would expect. And once the decision has been made to take students home, how long will the process take can't be known for sure. In addition it's not just getting students delivered but getting school personnel back to safety. The process of moving students in less then ideal conditions opens up additional variables and hazards, not usually encountered on a normal day. Tornadoes are situations where time is essential, yet the potential for delays increase substantially due to the nature of the storms that precede them. Traffic or accidents could potentially leave students stranded and left in a dangerous situation.
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Every solution to a problem has consequences. In the case of tornadoes, gathering people in one location increases the impact if something goes wrong. It does however reduce substantially the potential of threat exposure to the student body as a whole. The alternative of sending people home substantially increases the exposure period and the range of potential direct encounter to the point it’s unlikely some individuals could avoid one. As with any procedure, the more you have to do, the more chances of something going wrong. Consider the steps required to complete each process.
Moving students to a specific location or group of locations is a localized and immediate process with very little required in the way of external information before making a decision. It also involves no direct threat exposure. The alternative requires a series of detailed bits of information often unique to each student. The process is time consuming with a number of variables which creates a lot of unknowns.
If you’re in an area were tornadoes are rare then an administrator has the luxury of making a decision very early in the process, since it would likely only affect one school day. In an area where severe storm events and tornadoes are common, an administrator can’t afford to be sending people home at every indication of a storm. This means their window of opportunity to avoid an encounter decreases as time goes by.
Increasing the difficulty of the situation is the fact that administrators can’t just send everyone home arbitrarily. They have to decide which students are better off going home and which aren’t. Even if you have a list of students who have parents that are normally at home, you would have to confirm they were that particular day. If you’re lucky enough to have up-to-date phone numbers, it would still take some period of time to make the calls, not minutes. (Unless your district has a reverse-911 system.)
We must also consider, storms don’t have schedules, they can often accelerate in intensity much more rapidly then any one would expect. And once the decision has been made to take students home, how long will the process take can't be known for sure. In addition it's not just getting students delivered but getting school personnel back to safety. The process of moving students in less then ideal conditions opens up additional variables and hazards, not usually encountered on a normal day. Tornadoes are situations where time is essential, yet the potential for delays increase substantially due to the nature of the storms that precede them. Traffic or accidents could potentially leave students stranded and left in a dangerous situation.
Our Forum On
Friday, June 8, 2012
Sheepdogs You Should Know: Gopal Raja and Cassandra Sanderson
Over the last three days, I've had the privilege of taking L212, Unified Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Programs, a FEMA course taught by Gopal Raja and Cassandra Sanderson.
Besides the obvious benefit of learning the ins and outs of FEMA grant-writing, I was impressed with the depth of knowledge and professionalism of my classmates. However, I was truly impressed with the instructors. Raj was obviously well-versed on the subject matter. He hails from Virginia, and while his Indian heritage was apparent, it had no affect on instruction. He was clever, funny, engaging, and I could tell he was very earnest about his job. Cassandra is from Kentucky, which we didn't hold against her too much. She was over six months pregnant, but was also knowledgeable and engaging.
She and Raj did a great job with herding the cats that are a group of professionals sitting together for three days, wading through some material that ranged from extremely interesting to as dull as watching paint dry. At the end of the three days, they had done what good teachers do: they took the knowledge they had and provided it to us in an understandable format.
Looking around the room today as Cassandra was teaching, I looked around at my classmates. I was awed by the fact that everyone in the room was there to better protect people. I was among Sheepdogs. The course is designed to teach people how to create successful grant applications that will provide federal money to prevent disasters. Lawrence Timperman is an architect from New Albany who is trying to get more safe rooms in schools to protect kids from tornadoes. David Ballew is a Flood Plain Manager and a Building Inspector from Evansville who is trying to get money to help protect people from the flooding that occurs regularly in and around Evansville.
And giving them all the help they could give was Raj and Cassandra. They travel around the country, spending time away from their families, to fulfill their calling. Training Sheepdogs to be better Sheepdogs. Those who are Sheepdogs are to be emulated and honored. There is no higher calling than to serve and protect others. Making that possible is a step above that.
Thanks Cassandra and Raj.
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Besides the obvious benefit of learning the ins and outs of FEMA grant-writing, I was impressed with the depth of knowledge and professionalism of my classmates. However, I was truly impressed with the instructors. Raj was obviously well-versed on the subject matter. He hails from Virginia, and while his Indian heritage was apparent, it had no affect on instruction. He was clever, funny, engaging, and I could tell he was very earnest about his job. Cassandra is from Kentucky, which we didn't hold against her too much. She was over six months pregnant, but was also knowledgeable and engaging.
She and Raj did a great job with herding the cats that are a group of professionals sitting together for three days, wading through some material that ranged from extremely interesting to as dull as watching paint dry. At the end of the three days, they had done what good teachers do: they took the knowledge they had and provided it to us in an understandable format.
Looking around the room today as Cassandra was teaching, I looked around at my classmates. I was awed by the fact that everyone in the room was there to better protect people. I was among Sheepdogs. The course is designed to teach people how to create successful grant applications that will provide federal money to prevent disasters. Lawrence Timperman is an architect from New Albany who is trying to get more safe rooms in schools to protect kids from tornadoes. David Ballew is a Flood Plain Manager and a Building Inspector from Evansville who is trying to get money to help protect people from the flooding that occurs regularly in and around Evansville.
And giving them all the help they could give was Raj and Cassandra. They travel around the country, spending time away from their families, to fulfill their calling. Training Sheepdogs to be better Sheepdogs. Those who are Sheepdogs are to be emulated and honored. There is no higher calling than to serve and protect others. Making that possible is a step above that.
Thanks Cassandra and Raj.
Our Forum On
Monday, May 14, 2012
Carriers and Federal Gov Kick Off Emergency Alerts
Nationwide
The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service, a joint effort between U.S. wireless network operators and the federal government, officially launches this month. The WEA will deliver text message warnings to cell phone users based on a number of potential hazards, including tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, dust storms, extreme winds, blizzards, and ice storms. The messages are delivered based on location, so even those who are traveling will receive alerts for where they are, not where they live, if there's danger. Carriers participating in the program include AT&T, Cellcom, Cricket, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless. "These text alerts will be very brief, under 90 characters," said National Weather Service spokeswoman Susan Buchanan in an interview with USA Today.
The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service, a joint effort between U.S. wireless network operators and the federal government, officially launches this month. The WEA will deliver text message warnings to cell phone users based on a number of potential hazards, including tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, dust storms, extreme winds, blizzards, and ice storms. The messages are delivered based on location, so even those who are traveling will receive alerts for where they are, not where they live, if there's danger. Carriers participating in the program include AT&T, Cellcom, Cricket, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless. "These text alerts will be very brief, under 90 characters," said National Weather Service spokeswoman Susan Buchanan in an interview with USA Today.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Mental Health Issues Emerging for Survivors of the March 2 Tornadoes
Henryville, IN
Thousands of workers and volunteers are rebuilding southern Indiana towns devastated by the March 2nd tornadoes. But, a new problem is emerging, one that can’t be fixed with a hammer and nails.
Tornado victims are working through the process of grieving what’s been lost. Project Aftermath crisis counselor Carolyn King says, “I think some of them are getting to the angry stage. They’re frustrated that this is taking so long, they don’t see things being rebuilt as fast, they’re realizing that things aren’t going to be normal again.”
King says the long term effects of this storm are just now emerging and some people are doing more than grieving, they’re suffering from post traumatic stress. “If people just keep talking about it over and over, some of that is therapeutic,” she says, “But, if they’re obsessed with it and they really can’t talk about anything else, then that’s a problem.”
Thousands of workers and volunteers are rebuilding southern Indiana towns devastated by the March 2nd tornadoes. But, a new problem is emerging, one that can’t be fixed with a hammer and nails.
Tornado victims are working through the process of grieving what’s been lost. Project Aftermath crisis counselor Carolyn King says, “I think some of them are getting to the angry stage. They’re frustrated that this is taking so long, they don’t see things being rebuilt as fast, they’re realizing that things aren’t going to be normal again.”
King says the long term effects of this storm are just now emerging and some people are doing more than grieving, they’re suffering from post traumatic stress. “If people just keep talking about it over and over, some of that is therapeutic,” she says, “But, if they’re obsessed with it and they really can’t talk about anything else, then that’s a problem.”
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Alabama County Blocked from Putting up Signs Directing People to Tornado Shelter
Alabama
After waging a lengthy battle with state and federal bureaucrats over the right to have storm shelters, a tornado-stricken county in Alabama is running into another pile of red tape -- this time over the road signs directing people to those shelters.
As Fox News previously reported, DeKalb County officials fought last year to prevent the Federal Emergency Management Agency from tearing down tornado shelters that were being built at schools. The county won and was allowed to keep the shelters.
But now the state is stepping in to prevent county schools Superintendent Charles Warren from putting up road signs meant to guide people to the shiny new shelter FEMA built at Plainview High School. That school was devastated last spring by a tornado that roared through during the epic April 27 outbreak, in which 33 people lost their lives in DeKalb County.
Because the proposed road signs would be placed along a state highway, the Alabama Department of Transportation opposed Warren's request for street signs.
After waging a lengthy battle with state and federal bureaucrats over the right to have storm shelters, a tornado-stricken county in Alabama is running into another pile of red tape -- this time over the road signs directing people to those shelters.
As Fox News previously reported, DeKalb County officials fought last year to prevent the Federal Emergency Management Agency from tearing down tornado shelters that were being built at schools. The county won and was allowed to keep the shelters.
But now the state is stepping in to prevent county schools Superintendent Charles Warren from putting up road signs meant to guide people to the shiny new shelter FEMA built at Plainview High School. That school was devastated last spring by a tornado that roared through during the epic April 27 outbreak, in which 33 people lost their lives in DeKalb County.
Because the proposed road signs would be placed along a state highway, the Alabama Department of Transportation opposed Warren's request for street signs.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Deadly Tornado Rips Through City near Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
A tornado tore through a city northeast of Japan's capital on Sunday, killing one person, injuring dozens of others and destroying scores of houses.
Firefighters and medical teams rushed to the area after the tornado struck Tsukuba city, 60 kilometres from Tokyo. The city is a science centre, with dozens of research and academic institutes, but the tornado appeared to mostly hit residential areas.
A tornado tore through a city northeast of Japan's capital on Sunday, killing one person, injuring dozens of others and destroying scores of houses.
Firefighters and medical teams rushed to the area after the tornado struck Tsukuba city, 60 kilometres from Tokyo. The city is a science centre, with dozens of research and academic institutes, but the tornado appeared to mostly hit residential areas.
Friday, May 4, 2012
A Note From Safe Havens International
Steve, I wanted to express my gratitude for the excellent work you do not
only with your school corporation, but for all of the articles, blogs, white
papers and other resources that you have been working on to help make the world
safer for our students and the educators who have dedicated their lives to
serving them. You are truly a national level expert when it comes to
school tornado preparedness. Your contributions in the field will surely
save lives and prevent much suffering. We have had a great deal of
feedback on your recent article in The Safety Net and people in the field are
deeply impressed to say the least.
Your recent articles and blogs in Campus Safety Magazine and the article
that is about to run in School Planning and Management are without a doubt the
two best pieces I have seen published on the critical topics of tornado
preparedness and recovery strategies for K-12 schools. Your willingness to
help our non – profit school safety center to help others by providing free
information to school and public safety officials is commendable.
I know you have caught a lot of grief and have been harassed by a couple of
people who are not open to the idea that other viewpoints might have
validity. Your patience and maturity in handling these sometimes vicious
personal attacks has been most impressive as has been your continual willingness
to recognize that there are many valid opinions in the field. I wanted to
remind you that while one or two people who have long histories of these
types of ruthless and baseless attacks on many top experts, the majority of the
folks I know in the field are deeply impressed and appreciative of your
efforts. Please hang in there and continue to acquit yourself with professionalism as
you have done to date when others stoop to low tactics.
We at Safe Havens want to let you know that you are one of the most decent
and compassionate advocates for the children we have ever had the privilege to
meet.
Thank you for all that you do to make the world a safer place.
Michael Dorn
Executive Director
Safe Havens International Inc.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Fox59 Investigates How Prepared Schools are for Severe Weather
Indianapolis, IN
“Review your policy and shelter locations... having an understanding of the strongest areas of your school may be invaluable... reminder, every school is different, so a safety plan which works fine for one may not be well-suited for another.”
“Review your policy and shelter locations... having an understanding of the strongest areas of your school may be invaluable... reminder, every school is different, so a safety plan which works fine for one may not be well-suited for another.”
Friday, April 27, 2012
Henryville Students Celebrate Prom 8 Weeks after Tornado
Henryville, IN
Friday is prom night for students at Henryville High School, nearly two months after tornadoes destroyed the school.
The students will celebrate the Junior/Senior Prom at Kye’s in Jeffersonville beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Hundreds of prom dresses and vouchers for tuxedos were donated to the students to help them prepare for the prom.
About 275 students and 50 staff are expected to attend the event.
The after-prom festivities, hosted by the PTA, were set to be held in the school's gymnasium, but the Robert E. Lee Sternwheeler Hall has offered to host the event at no cost to the school.
Friday is prom night for students at Henryville High School, nearly two months after tornadoes destroyed the school.
The students will celebrate the Junior/Senior Prom at Kye’s in Jeffersonville beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Hundreds of prom dresses and vouchers for tuxedos were donated to the students to help them prepare for the prom.
About 275 students and 50 staff are expected to attend the event.
The after-prom festivities, hosted by the PTA, were set to be held in the school's gymnasium, but the Robert E. Lee Sternwheeler Hall has offered to host the event at no cost to the school.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Twin Tornadoes Caught on Video in Oklahoma
Fox News
Two tornadoes from the same storm were spotted in Oklahoma. This is a rare event, and kind of cool to look at, but this illustrates the danger of tornadic weather. Those tornadoes were tracking each other, so if the tornado had tracked just a bit more east, the town of Cherokee, OK, would have been struck by two tornadoes in the space of three minutes.
This also underscores the danger of coming out after a storm, expecting everything to be over.
Sometimes it isn't.
Two tornadoes from the same storm were spotted in Oklahoma. This is a rare event, and kind of cool to look at, but this illustrates the danger of tornadic weather. Those tornadoes were tracking each other, so if the tornado had tracked just a bit more east, the town of Cherokee, OK, would have been struck by two tornadoes in the space of three minutes.
This also underscores the danger of coming out after a storm, expecting everything to be over.
Sometimes it isn't.
Monday, April 2, 2012
NWS Weather Spotter Class
I spent two hours this evening listening to Mike Ryan if the Indianapolis Office of the National Weather Service describe the various cloud formations that accompany severe weather. Shelf clouds, wall clouds, super cells, heavy precipitation super cells, intake flows, rear flank downflows, with videos and diagrams galore to underscore the information we were learning. It made for an informative, interesting evening.
Thanks to Mike for his time, and thanks to Larry Ervin, Hancock County EMA Director, for making the arrangements.
Thanks to Mike for his time, and thanks to Larry Ervin, Hancock County EMA Director, for making the arrangements.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Another Voice in the 'Stay or Go' Discussion
From the heart of Tornado Alley Jim Burkey, Oklahoma City Public Schools Chief Operations Officer, weighs in on the important discussion I raised earlier.
No plan is set in concrete, but schools are often the sturdiest structures on a community.
Regardless, it is necessary to have a plan in place, exercise it, correct the problems, then follow it when an incident occurs.
No plan is set in concrete, but schools are often the sturdiest structures on a community.
Regardless, it is necessary to have a plan in place, exercise it, correct the problems, then follow it when an incident occurs.
Friday, March 30, 2012
A Sheepdog in Henryville
Angel Perry is definitely a Sheepdog! In a very chaotic, dangerous situation she kept her calm, made the right decisions, and got her kids to safety.
That is Angel's calm voice on the radio, conversing with dispatch, and talking to her kids. She calmly gets them ready for getting into the building when they get there, knowing she will not have much time, and counts them as they get off the bus, making sure she left no one behind. The video shows her bus then being picked up, and being thrown a couple of hundred feet away into a restaurant.
A friend of mine, Michael Dorn, had this to say on his blog, " I have heard more than a couple of well trained law enforcement officers who got more excited on the radio during an emergency than this driver sounded (including perhaps even myself on a few occasions)."
Angel's ability to remain calm, and to think clearly under life or death stress, is no small feat. One of the hardest things in the world to do is drive a school bus safely while keeping an eye on your charges. Throw in an EF4 tornado with 175+mph winds bearing right down on you, and you have a true hero.
Well done, Sheepdog, well done!
That is Angel's calm voice on the radio, conversing with dispatch, and talking to her kids. She calmly gets them ready for getting into the building when they get there, knowing she will not have much time, and counts them as they get off the bus, making sure she left no one behind. The video shows her bus then being picked up, and being thrown a couple of hundred feet away into a restaurant.
A friend of mine, Michael Dorn, had this to say on his blog, " I have heard more than a couple of well trained law enforcement officers who got more excited on the radio during an emergency than this driver sounded (including perhaps even myself on a few occasions)."
Angel's ability to remain calm, and to think clearly under life or death stress, is no small feat. One of the hardest things in the world to do is drive a school bus safely while keeping an eye on your charges. Throw in an EF4 tornado with 175+mph winds bearing right down on you, and you have a true hero.
Well done, Sheepdog, well done!
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