Toto, we’re not in Kansas, but Auntie Em and Uncle Henry may
want to batten down the hatches just the same – weather conditions
this spring and this coming summer are ripe for this area to see
some tornadoes of our own.

“They are always a threat,” explained Steve Nelson, director of
the McKean County Emergency Management Agency. “From late April to
early June, it becomes more prevalent. We can get them anytime. It
depends on Mother Nature.”

Nelson monitors weather forecasts, the National Weather Center
and The Weather Channel to keep track of conditions that may lead
to the development of a tornado. Meteorologists have likened
conditions this year with those in 1985, when a series of tornadoes
swept through the Great Lakes region.

“That’s what we’re basing our heightened level of awareness on,”
Nelson said. He explained that a cold air mass coming from Canada
and a warm air mass coming from the Gulf region collide, and
outbreaks of thunderstorms and tornadoes follow.

“I’ve had people tell me as recent as last year that through the
lightning, they could see a funnel cloud in the sky, it just never
hit ground,” he said.

“They are here, but the mountainous region prevents them from
growing to the F4 or F5 size that’s in the Midwest where its flat,”
Nelson said, referring to the Fujita scale for measuring the
intensity of a tornado. “The hilly region here prevents them from
building.”

While tornadoes are not commonplace, thunderstorms are.

“As people can remember over the last several years, we are
prone to severe thunderstorms,” Nelson said. “They can be pretty
intense with the lightning. When you get a lot of cloud-to-ground
lightning, that’s a huge safety concern for people.

“I think we’re more prone to that than we are to tornadic
activity,” he said.

However, he added, if a tornado is forecast, “there is nothing
you can do to prevent it. We can just pick up the pieces
afterward.”

Nelson recommended that people take precautions and develop
emergency plans to be prepared in case of a natural disaster.

“It doesn’t take that much to prepare to go to the basement or
the center of the house,” he said. “Take your cell phone with you
and a battery powered radio, and water and canned foods.

“We dropped off Emergency Preparedness Guides at the libraries
and at the courthouse,” Nelson said. The free guides will help
families prepare for emergencies by providing a list of items for
an emergency kit and tips for riding out a storm.

The guides are also available online at the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Agency Web site.

Nelson also explained the difference between a tornado watch and
a warning. A watch means that climatic conditions are such that
tornadoes are possible; while a warning means that a tornado has
been sighted and people should take cover immediately.

At home residents should go to the basement or to an interior
room on the lowest level. Stay away from windows. If possible use a
mattress or heavy blanket to protect yourself from flying
debris.

Larger buildings, such as offices or schools, usually have
pre-designated shelter areas. Interior hallways on the lowest floor
provide the best protection. Shopping centers and mobile homes with
their flat roofs are quite dangerous. It is better to leave these
areas and seek shelter elsewhere, if possible.

If a person is driving when the warning sounds, they should
leave the vehicle and go to the nearest shelter. If none is nearby,
lie flat in the nearest ditch or depression, shielding your
head.

Nelson also urged residents to develop a family emergency
response plan, which should include what to do if a tornado is
reported in the area.