Douglas County to host severe weather training; tornado siren tests planned
As part of Severe Weather Preparedness Month, Douglas County Emergency Management will soon host a severe weather training session.
The two-hour workshop will include a series of weather-related training, including information about severe thunderstorm development, identification of storm features and safety tips. The training is free and open to the public, according to a news release from the county.
“Preparedness is the key to staying safe during severe weather events,” John Stipetich, deputy director of Emergency Management, said in the release. “By taking the necessary steps and staying informed, we can protect ourselves, our families and our communities.”
Spring often brings an increased chance of severe weather for Douglas County, including damaging winds, large hail, flooding and tornadoes, according to the release.
Stipetich emphasized the importance of residents having multiple ways to receive weather alerts and critical information during emergencies. One option is signing up for emergency alerts through the Northeast Kansas Regional Notification System.
“It’s essential that everyone knows the proper steps to take to ensure safety if severe weather strikes,” Stipetich said in the release.
The training will take place at 7 pm. Thursday, March 13 in Room 1111 of Capitol Federal Hall, 1654 Naismith Drive, on the University of Kansas campus. The event is in partnership with KU Emergency Management and the National Weather Service office in Topeka.
Throughout the month, Emergency Management staff members will provide information about weather terminology and safety guidelines regarding tornadoes, lightning, floods, wind and hail through social media and other mediums.
Staff will also participate in a statewide tornado drill by testing outdoor warning sirens and encouraging residents and businesses to test their emergency plans. That test will occur at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 5.
The next test is set for noon Monday, March 17, and sirens will be tested on the first and third Mondays of the month through July.
See additional information and links to severe weather resources below. Douglas County is expected to see rain and high winds followed by possible snow this week; read more about that at this link.
This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.
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Get warm in Lawrence:
• See this page for locations to get warm during the day and overnight, where to get help for pets and more.
National Weather Service local office (Topeka):
• Find the latest weather forecast info and severe weather advisories for the Lawrence area at this link.
• In the event of rapidly changing severe weather, such as tornadoes, the NWS posts frequent updates on Twitter, @NWSTopeka. You do not need a Twitter account to see tweets from NWS.
• NWS is also on Facebook, facebook.com/NWSTopeka.
• Call 785-234-2592 to hear the forecast.
City of Lawrence snow info:
• The city has snow information and a map at lawrenceks.org/snow that shows information about road conditions and where snowplows have been. The city typically begins snow and ice control for residential roadways when 2 or more inches of snowfall or icing occurs.
Douglas County Emergency Management:
• Follow @DgCoEM on Twitter or Douglas County, KS- Emergency Management on Facebook, facebook.com/dgcoem.
• Sign up to receive emergency alerts at dgcoks.org/emalerts.
• Find lots of tips on severe weather and other emergency preparedness on DgCoEM’s website at douglascountyks.org/emergency-management.
• Report storm damage (for non-emergencies only, and after storm danger has passed) by calling the nonemergency dispatch line at 785-843-0250 or 785-832-7509.
Evergy outages:
• Check the status of power outages on the Evergy outage map, outagemap.evergy.com.
• Report a power outage at evergy.com/report-outage, or call 800-544-4857.
• For down powerlines, call Evergy’s emergency line, 800-383-1183, if above-ground lines are arcing or making contact with trees or vegetation. Call 911 immediately if overhead power lines are on the ground or a fire starts. Do not go near the line.
Highway conditions beyond Lawrence:
• KanDrive, an app and website from the Kansas Department of Transportation, has info on highway conditions statewide. KanDrive is available online at KanDrive.gov, and its app is available for download free on the App Store and Google Play.
Air quality:
• Check the current air quality index in Lawrence and elsewhere through AirNow, airnow.gov.
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Severe weather outlook: What can Kansans expect this spring?
KSN-TV
by: Lisa Teachman
Posted: Mar 3, 2025 / 10:14 PM CST
Updated: Mar 3, 2025 / 10:20 PM CST
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – It is the first week of March, and our KSN Storm Track 3 meteorologists are already tracking the potential for severe storms.
KSN’s Chief Meteorologist Lisa Teachman says we are looking toward a busy spring. We know storms and tornadoes will happen in Kansas, but a similar global weather feature that fueled tornadoes farther west last year will once again be in effect this year.
This winter has stretched on and on, seeming like it will never end, and it will be hard to shake the chill early in the spring season. This is not unexpected in a La Niña pattern, with the water off the coast of Peru cooler than usual.
Looking to the western half of our viewing area, temperatures across our western counties will continue to quickly flip on a dime. This past winter, it was below freezing one day and nearly gaining multiple degrees the next. A surge many folks might not protest. Drier conditions also persisted here and will enhance the threat of wildfires early this season, especially to the southwest.
Chances for severe storms will expand toward the plains in April and especially May. A lack of a drought in eastern Texas means the moisture supply for stronger storms and tornadoes will not be far away.
Severe Weather Preparedness Week runs from March 3 to 7. During this time, KSN’s Storm Track 3 Weather Team will discuss severe weather safety topics daily on air and online.
Before the first storm strikes your hometown, download the free KSN Storm Track 3 weather app. All information comes from KSN’s staff of meteorologists who have the instinct and intellect only those trained here in Kansas have available at your fingertips.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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