Photo shared by Sheriff Jack Williams from a resident north of Paton

It’s Severe Weather Awareness Week with the focus on Thursday being wind and hail safety.

According to Dallas County Emergency Management Coordinator AJ Seely, wind and hail is usually packaged together inside a severe thunderstorm. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the outdoor warning sirens in Dallas County will activate if the wind speed exceeds 70 miles per hour. Seely stresses the role that the outdoor sirens play when it comes to severe weather.

“So the sirens are (a) one-way messaging device. We can’t provide you everything that you want to know with an outdoor warning siren, but it’s meant to really cue you in that something’s happening, and that you should go to the media to get some additional information.”

Seely reveals that when people hear the sirens, they should immediately look for shelter and stay tuned for more information. He adds that if people are out driving with heavy winds in the area, they should attempt to get off the road if able and avoid parking next to trees or power lines as those can blow down, causing serious injury. Seely notes that when hail is possible in the area, to locate the nearest place for shelter and don’t risk your life to protect property. 

Raccoon Valley Radio’s Severe Weather Action Team will interrupt any scheduled programming to bring you up-to-the-minute reports when a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning is issued for Greene, Guthrie, or Dallas Counties.