Gov. Kelly signs proclamation to acknowledge severe weather awareness week

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Gov. Laura Kelly signed a new proclamation Friday morning designating a week in March as Severe Weather and Flood Safety Preparedness Week.

Gov. Kelly was joined by different weather agencies in Kansas to proclaim March 6 through March 10 as the official severe weather preparedness week. Chad Omitt, a meteorologist, said the severe weather usually starts in March, sometimes even at the end of February, so they want to ensure families in Kansas are prepared for when bad weather hits.

“We want to put a plan together,” said Omitt. “For severe weather and ways to stay aware,” Situational awareness, ways to receive information as well. That’s a lot of what we’re going to talk about during the preparedness week.”

Omitt spoke with 13 News about how severe weather awareness week will unfold over the course of the week. According to Omitt, the plan is to not only instruct but also teach about the importance of staying weather-aware. For the year 2022, the National Weather Service tracked seven tornadoes in Kansas. Omitt said you can stay up to date on severe weather alerts and awareness week through their website.