Tornado season upon Warren

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Daryl Knee
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  While Warren is not prone to frequent tornadoes, the base does lie on the fringe of what is commonly known as Tornado Alley -- the area between the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian Mountains.

As such, in May of 2008, a rash of severe thunderstorms led to the creation of some of these natural disasters along north-eastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming.

Now, already in late April, the chance for tornado producing weather is increasing.

The 90th Operations Support Squadron monitors an area around Warren, usually about five miles in every direction. Once a severe weather system is located, the weather staff calculates the chances for that system to form a tornado.

If danger to the base is imminent, a steady three to five minute alarm sounds from the public address system.

And some people may not be aware of the correct procedures for when that emergency alarm sounds or calls for sheltering in place are given.

"Sheltering in place means just that," said Mike Watts, 90th Civil Engineer Squadron's emergency management flight. "Take the appropriate actions to shelter where you are at -- no exceptions."

That means, he said, there will be no exiting or entering the base. People trying to retrieve their children from the base child development center can go into the building, but they won't be leaving until the order to cease sheltering in place is issued.

The city of Cheyenne also has warning signals in place to inform people of when a natural disaster may happen.

There are 34 sirens spread throughout the city. If a tornado touches down near Cheyenne, the sirens will sound, and people are encouraged to check local radio or television stations for updates as to what to do next.

"The important thing here," said Tech. Sgt. Aaron Wesson, 90th OSS weather shop, "is that Cheyenne may signal their alarm systems, but we wouldn't. While the weather outside may be hazardous, the threat of disaster for us is not present."

However, if the base sirens sound for a tornado formation, people driving a vehicle should immediately seek a safe shelter.

If it is not plausible to make it to a shelter in time, take refuge in a ditch or depression as they offer more protection than a vehicle.

"This is no laughing matter," Mr. Watts said. "Be smart, be safe. Don't attempt to gauge the weather yourself; leave it up to the meteorologists who have the training and the equipment to accurately predict when these natural disasters can strike."