Storm shows good in people, things to learn

Town crews and neighbors responded quickly to assist residents who received damage to homes, vehicles, fences and businesses during last Wednesday’s storm.

Driving around the aftermath it was the perfect picture of a small town as everyone was pitching in where they could. By the weekend you could hardly tell a storm had hit by looking at the streets with all the branches cleared away.

We applaud the town crews who responding quickly and effectively to last week’s storm,

We also appreciate Police Chief Dennis Peters letting the newspaper know that the older siren in town will be down until it can be fixed. On Thursday night, the siren kicked on during a brief power bump and did not power down like it was supposed to. He said technicians had been notified and would be coming to look at the siren.

While accolades abound and the storm showed us what is good and right about our town, it also brought to light some areas that need fixing.

During the storm the siren blew, but not the full single tone that is supposed to go off for severe weather. Perhaps the siren blew for the downed power line that had just been reported. Whatever the reason, it’s important residents understand what the different tones mean. Big Horn County Emergency Management Coordinator John Hyde said the county Local Emergency Planning Commission is developing an emergency brochure for residents explaining what the siren sounds are and what to do when you hear them; good information for every resident to have.

The second thing noticed was where can you get information if the siren does go off, or if you see a storm approaching, and if the power is out and the Internet is not readily available to search for weather alerts? The answer, especially in Wyoming where most AM and FM stations are satellite feeds with usually no staff onsite at night, is a NOAA weather radio.

According to National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Chris Jones, when the NWS issues a severe weather storm warning, the warning is sent through the Emergency Alert System which radio stations broadcast just once. This means if you turn the radio on after the EAS has been issued you likely have missed the broadcast and the chance to hear the alert.

The NOAA weather radios, he said, are like smoke alarms for weather as the warning will continue to be repeated. The other advantage is weather radios broadcast updates, which often times are not sent through the EAS.

Hyde also encourages residents to purchase a weather radio. “It’s the only way to guarantee notification of weather warnings,” he said.

A quick search on the Internet shows that these radios can range from $15 up to $60 or more.

But the storm also made us wonder about the town’s emergency plan, which we found is currently under development.

In light of the recent storm, the recent tornado in Billings and the odd weather patterns around the country, we hope the town does due diligence to complete the plan in a timely manner, while making sure it produces a quality plan. Not an easy task and we applaud the work Teri Thon has put into the plan up to this point and hope that the council provides whatever resources and assistance she needs to complete the task.

It’s best to have a plan in place outlining who needs to be called in certain emergencies, who has which responsibilities and to review this plan on a regular basis.

As the plan is put into practice those implementing the plan will find things that work and that don’t work and those changes should be made.

But, a town plan does not keep you safe if you don’t take action yourself. Be prepared in an emergency. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has lots of tips for just about every natural disaster at its Web site, www.fema.gov. We have also provided a few tips in this issue.

Be prepared and educate yourself and your family on what to do during the next severe weather storm and be safe.

---Karla Pomeroy