Experts discuss weather, safety

By Leslie N. Dees

Although rainy weather was in the area, Channel 16 WAPT’s Morning Meteorologist Ken Johnson and Weekend Meteorologist Jennifer Cook spoke to about 30 Attala County residents Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Attala County Coliseum.

As part of the Weather Where You Live campaign, the pair presented information on weather safety and tornado facts.

Johnson, who has been with WAPT for nine years, began the program with speaking about his love for the weather.

Johnson said he always admired WAPT Meteorologist David Hartman growing up and that he found his calling was weather.

“I lived by what David Hartman said,” Johnson said. “I wanted to work with him one day.”

Johnson does now work with Hartman. Hartman was supposed to be in Kosciusko for the program but remained in Jackson due to storms in the state.

Cook, a recent college graduate and former resident of Indiana, said she enjoyed working in Mississippi and making a difference through her work.

She said she enjoys the warmer weather in the state.

“We’ve had a lot of active weather here lately,” Johnson said. “It all started back in early January.”

The first video shown talked about La Nina – which is when the water is cooler than average or the opposite of El Nino.

The La Nina is caused of the tornadic weather in early January due to its unseasonably hot and dry weather.

This weather pattern is expected to last into this spring.

A tornado video was shown next touching on the Goodman tornadoes from Jan. 10.

“Tornadoes are a fact of life in Mississippi,” Johnson said.

Mississippi’s tornado season is from late February to November.

The video discussed with the advancement of radar that less lives are lost due to tornadoes.

Hartman via the video said more people in Mississippi die from a tornado than any other state in the U.S.

This problem occurs because overwhelmingly tornadoes hit the state at night and can not be seen.

During 1992, a tornado hit Brandon and there were no warnings and no signs. There were people injured.

With the advancement in WAPT’s doppler radar years later, Hartman said when Brandon was hit again in 2003, there were no injuries and plenty of alerts so that the public was able to know in time.

Hartman stressed when a tornado is coming to be prepared, have a plan and know what to do.

Some tips on tornado safety were: keep as many walls between you and the tornado as possible, get under sturdy furniture and don’t try and outrun a tornado.

If you are in a mobile home, Johnson said to get in a ditch or if you have time, go to another location.

Cook discussed an acronym they are using on air when covering tornadic weather.

D.U.C.K. stands for downstairs, under covers or blankets, cover your head and keep away from windows.

A question and answer session ended the program. Portions of the program will be featured in a WAPT special airing on March 4.

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