national weather service

Its day two of Severe Weather Awareness Week here in Iowa and today’s topic is receiving warnings.

According to the National Weather Service, one of the most important precautions you can take to protect yourself and your family from severe weather is remain weather aware.

Dallas County Emergency Management Coordinator Barry Halling helps explain the difference between watches and warnings.

“A severe thunderstorm watch, or a tornado watch, means that the atmosphere in the area is capable of producing a severe storm, whether it’s a severe thunderstorm or a tornado.  A warning means those things are actually taking place in your area.  So if you have a tornado warning, or a severe thunderstorm warning, you are now in an area that that it is actually taking place.  The watch only means that it could take place.”

Anytime there is a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning in Dallas, Greene or Guthrie Counties, the Raccoon Valley Radio Severe Weather Action Team takes over the airwaves.  In an “all hands on deck” manner, our staff will break into regular programming to provide our listeners with live, wall-to-wall weather coverage until the storm either drops below severe levels or moves out of the area.

We are in contact with the National Weather Service, WeatherEye and AccuWeather meteorologists, along with many local officials to provide you with the most accurate, up to the minute coverage possible.

Join us tomorrow for a sampling of what our Severe Weather Action Team coverage is like during the statewide tornado drill at 10am.

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