With the Spring season, heavy storms are inevitable, and the Miami Valley has already experienced its fair share of storms. The heightened possibility for tornados makes it essential to be prepared.
Heavy storms in the Miami Valley
They say, "April showers bring May flowers," but around Dayton, those showers are actually severe thunderstorms. Recently, storms with harsh winds and possible tornadic conditions have rolled through the Miami Valley, devastating their surroundings.
For example, the storm on April 2 had near 90mph winds and caused tornado warnings for the area. The National Weather Service deemed Ohio to be at a level four or five on risk factor. During this storm, Ohio's tornado risk was the highest it had been in a decade. The storm mainly affected the Miami Valley, leaving over 60,000 people without power and several damaged homes in the area.
Despite there only being one confirmed tornado, in Warren County, the wind produced during this storm was enough to cause severe damage. The April 2 storm is not the only storm that has come through the Miami Valley producing damage. These storms are frequent occurrences due to the very nature of the season of spring itself.
According to Edward Kennedy, an expert on severe weather in the Dayton area, most tornadoes in the area are caused due to the change in temperature and pressure.
“I call Spring the bipolar season [because] the temperature never stays the same for too long. You get winds that go in all different directions and there is a lot of moisture in the air. It makes the atmosphere really unstable and when that happens, tornadoes happen,” Kennedy said.
Greene County has a lot to worry about when it comes to storms. Many residents are still shaking from the 1974 Xenia tornado.
On April 3, 1974, an F5 tornado ripped through the city of Xenia, almost leveling the town completely. The wind speed of the tornado clocked in at over 300 mph. Not only did this catastrophic event destroy the city, but it also claimed the lives of 34 people and injured over a thousand others.
Michelle Bennecourt is a relative of one of the victims and was not home at the time of the storm.
“It was devastating. It destroyed my childhood home, my Nana was killed. The town that I grew up in was just gone,” Bennecourt said. “I wasn't home at the time of the storm. Honestly, the storm was so bad I don't even remember what I was doing. But I remember that I wasn't home, because I had to come home after hearing about the tornado that destroyed my house. Then hearing that my Nana died because of the storm was one of the worst things I've ever had to hear to this day”.
Bennecourt said this event still haunts her whenever storms come around.
“Honestly, I get really scared. Greene County always seems to be getting these crazy storms and every time I see a tornado warning I get worried that it's going to be another 1974. I'll lose somebody else, I'll lose my home again," Bennecourt said.
The city of Xenia and Greene County state that since this event occurred, they have made significant improvements to weather tracking systems and weatherproofing that prevent things like the 1974 tornado happening again. To read more about the tornado and the lives it took, go to the Greene County Xenia website.
Tornadoes and Wright State University
Xenia isn't the only town that's getting severe tornadoes. Fairborn has also had its' own destructive tornadoes recently. Last year, the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base had a F1 tornado hit Hangar 4 and other buildings on base. Four aircrafts were inside this hangar. They had slight damages, but after some clean up, the base was able to open the hangar for use.
This tornado sent the entire city into a tornado warning, causing everybody to look for cover. This includes WSU students.
Students were shocked that day when finding out that there was a tornado so close to home, and nothing was done about it. According to students who were on campus that day, they received an email prior to the night's weather events warning them about what to do when bad weather strikes. They claim that that is the only thing they got from the university.
“From what I remember, the tornado was really close to hitting the school. I wouldn't have known a tornado was coming, and I don't think a lot of people would have known that a tornado was coming had they not been checking the weather,” an anonymous student at WSU said.
This student claims that even though there are weather plans and tips from the school, in some campus housing, these plans are not an option.
“Sure, in the Woods you're able to duck into the hallways, and in Hamilton you could go into the tunnels. But I was living in University Park on the third floor. There are no accommodations for the apartments in the event of tornadoes. All they tell us to do is to make friends with the people below us, but then they make no effort for us to get acquainted. It's not like I didn't try, but once you get out to the apartment complexes like University Park, College Park, and Forest Lane there's no program set in place for us to get to know our neighbors like there is in the dorm halls," the student said.
Currently, if there is an active weather situation with a possibility for tornadoes, WSU recommends that students in apartments go to the bottom floor and enter those apartments to take shelter. Students who are in dorm halls are recommended to go to the lowest level and in the hallways. If students are in academic buildings, they have to make their way to the tunnel system under the school and take shelter there.
This is very similar to what is recommended by the National Weather Service.
Tornado tips
If you are in a situation where a tornado may occur, it is important to be prepared. Experts recommend that you always have your phone charged and a radio on hand. Have the essential supplies that you'll need easy to access in case you have to seek shelter. The best places to seek shelter are either the basement or the most inward rooms of your home.
Organizations like the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Safety recommend the DUCK method.
DUCK stands for
- Get Down
- Get Under something
- Cover yourself
- Keep sheltered until it's safe.
It is recommended that you make a plan with your family or roommates and accommodate for any disabilities they may have. Additionally, experts recommend having non-perishable food, important documents and first aid kits at your shelter spot.
It's also recommended you stay informed by watching the news for severe weather warnings and watches. The news stations that cover severe weather in the Dayton area are WHIO storm trackers and WDNT storm trackers. Additionally, the National Weather Service and sites like Accuweather are good to track radars and get updates on storms.
“Storms aren't necessarily something that you can physically fight. Mother Nature will do her thing. But the best way to fight a storm is to be prepared,” Kennedy said.
