What would you do?

As I read reports from the indescribable devastation brought on by today's tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, I'm reminded that this is not the first time Moore has seen this.  In May, 1999, a similar event tore through their city, with similar results.  What lessons did they learn then?  How many of those lessons were given life through changes in their plans, in their actions?  How has their population changed in fourteen years, and how has that change affected the community's overall state of preparedness?  Those are questions for another day.

The question for you, today, is what is YOUR plan?  Look at the news from Oklahoma City on www.koco.com, www.kfor.com, www.news9.com.  What are they describing?

They are describing communications emergencies where land lines were rendered useless.  Cellular telephone traffic jammed the system.  These events occur in almost every disaster, and are predictable.  If they're predictable, then we should have a plan to communicate with our family and friends that calls for more than one communications pathway. 

They are describing families without homes, who may live in shelters for the next few days or weeks.  What is your plan if your home is destroyed?  Do you have friends or relatives nearby that can accommodate you, and your family?  What steps have you taken with them to be ready to host you?  Do they even know you're coming?

For those without homes, they have likely lost many valuable records.  What steps have you taken to protect critical documents?  Do you have copies stored in another location, or digital copies?

If you and your family are separated by work and school, how do you plan to reunite?  Where?

As you consider these and other questions, consider this mnemonic to help you: P.A.C.E.

• Primary - those things you do on a routine basis (how you call friends & family, etc)
• Alternate - those things needed when the Primary means isn't available
• Contingency - those steps or things needed to accomplish a task within a reasonable time frame, when our Primary & Alternate means are not available
• Emergency - likewise, the steps we need to accomplish a task when all else fails.

If you build your family's plans using a P.A.C.E paradigm for each major component, you'll be well on your way to having a valid, useful plan.

I'm not writing this to be an exhaustive essay on family preparedness.  I just want to get you to think, well before storms, floods, or fires affect you.  By clicking here, you'll be linked to all the articles published on K5JAW.com about disaster preparedness.  We hope you find the information useful.  In the coming days, we'll post more information for you to consider.

In the meantime, please pray for those in Oklahoma.  For the victims, for their families, and for the responders who will carry those mental images forever.

Storms Possible Tuesday-Wednesday, May 21-22, 2013

A developing weather system will bring the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms late Tuesday into Wednesday of this week.  We'll post more information as it becomes available, but wanted to give you a brief heads-up.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
141 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...NORTHEAST
LOUISIANA AND WEST AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY

ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...NORTHEAST
LOUISIANA AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF MISSISSIPPI TUESDAY AFTERNOON AHEAD
OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL BE APPROACHING THE ARKLATEX REGION. THE
PRIMARY HAZARD WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AROUND
60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY

SCATTERED SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT SLOWLY MOVES INTO THE AREA. THE
PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER RISK WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. A FEW TORNADOES WILL ALSO
BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY IN THE DELTA REGION TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY
WEDNESDAY.

IN ADDITION...PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE. RAINFALL
IN STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE PONDING WATER ON ROADWAYS AND IN LOW
LYING AREAS AND LOCAL FLOODING PROBLEMS IN AREAS WHERE DRAINAGE IS
POOR.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS...MAY BE NEEDED TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***

Weekly Rainfall 5/12-18/2013

The data below was compiled using a www.cocorahs.org rain gauge on the north side of Indianola, MS over the past week.  The gauge is read and emptied at approximately 7:00am daily, therefore the rainfall total shown each day is from the prior 24 hours starting at 7:00am.

Total rainfall for the week at MS-SF-1 in Indianola was 0.82".

Current total May rainfall at MS-SF-1 in Indianola: 4.41"

Date ▼	Time	Station Number	Station Name	Total Precip in.	New Snow in.	Total Snow in.	State	County	View
5/12/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/13/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/14/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/15/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/16/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/17/2013	7:30 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.78	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/18/2013	6:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.04	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower

Weekly Rainfall 5/5-11/13

The data below was compiled using a www.cocorahs.org rain gauge on the north side of Indianola, MS over the past week.  The gauge is read and emptied at approximately 7:00am daily, therefore the rainfall total shown each day is from the prior 24 hours starting at 7:00am.

Total rainfall for the week at MS-SF-1 in Indianola was 0.94".

Total rainfall at MS-SF-3, located 3.9 miles north of Sunflower was 0.87".

Average rainfall between the two stations for the week: 0.91"

Current total May rainfall at MS-SF-1 in Indianola: 3.59"

Current total May rainfall at MS-SF-3: 4.27"

Average rainfall between the two stations for the month: 3.93"

Date ▼	Time	Station Number	Station Name	Total Precip in.	New Snow in.	Total Snow in.	State	County	View
5/5/2013	8:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.05	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/6/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.01	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/7/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/8/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/9/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/10/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.11	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/11/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.77	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower

Weekly Rainfall 4/28-5/4/13

The data below was compiled using a www.cocorahs.org rain gauge on the north side of Indianola, MS over the past week.  The gauge is read and emptied at approximately 7:00am daily, therefore the rainfall total shown each day is from the prior 24 hours starting at 7:00am.

Total rainfall for the week was 2.76".

Current total May rainfall: 2.65" (this represents 51% of the 5.16" thirty-year average rainfall for the month of May in the area)

Date ▼	Time	Station Number	Station Name	Total Precip in.	New Snow in.	Total Snow in.	State	County	View
4/28/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.11	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
4/29/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
4/30/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/1/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.03	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/2/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.83	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/3/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	1.32	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
5/4/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.47	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower

NOTE:  A new CoCoRaHS Station, MS-SF-3, located 3.9 miles north of Sunflower, has begun reporting precipitation totals this week.  For the 5/3 rainfall, MS-SF-3 reported 2.70 inches, just more than double the rainfall in MS-SF-1 in Indianola.  In future posts, we'll include the average rainfall between MS-SF-1 and MS-SF-3, in order to give you a more accurate picture of rainfall in the area.

To increase the accuracy of rainfall data, more interested volunteers are invited to join the CoCoRaHS program.  To do so, please visit www.cocorahs.org to sign up, and for more information about the CoCoRaHS network.  Adding at least one observer per town, and several scattered about the county would provide invaluable information for our neighbors.  Please consider joining.

April 2013 Precipitation Review

If, as the proverb says, April showers bring May flowers, then our gardens should be overflowing with blooms this month!

Here is a composite chart showing rainfall for the month of April, 2013.  A total of 7.99 inches of rainfall, or 155% of normal, was recorded over 11 precipitation days, with two days of Trace rainfall, in www.cocorahs.org rain gauge MS-SF-1, located on the north side of Indianola, Mississippi.  For April, there were two significant rain events.  The first was April 11 & 12, which yielded a total of 3.54" of rainfall.  The second was April 19 with 2.61 inches recorded.  Between April 1 and April 5, 1.13" was recorded.  Another minor rainfall event was logged on April 24 & 25 with a total of 0.59" for that period.

Year-to-Date MS-SF-1 has recorded 28.38 inches of precipitation, which is 53% of our annual normal.

If you're willing to record daily precipitation totals, please visit the CoCoRaHS website linked above for more information on how to join the network.  CoCoRaHS data is used by a wide variety of organizations, including the National Weather Service, emergency mangers, hydrologists, and many others.  CoCoRaHS data can be enhanced by having one station per square mile in urban areas, and one station every 36 square miles (survey township size) in rural areas.

Year-to-Date:

April 2013 MS-SF-1

Date	Precip
04/01/2013	0.33
04/02/2013	0.00
04/03/2013	0.06
04/04/2013	0.63
04/05/2013	0.11
04/06/2013	0.00
04/07/2013	0.00
04/08/2013	0.00
04/09/2013	0.01
04/10/2013	T
04/11/2013	2.36
04/12/2013	1.18
04/13/2013	0.00
04/14/2013	0.00
04/15/2013	0.00
04/16/2013	T
04/17/2013	0.00
04/18/2013	0.00
04/19/2013	2.61
04/20/2013	0.00
04/21/2013	0.00
04/22/2013	0.00
04/23/2013	0.00
04/24/2013	0.52
04/25/2013	0.07
04/26/2013	0.00
04/27/2013	0.00
04/28/2013	0.11
04/29/2013	0.00
04/30/2013	0.00
Totals :	7.99

Weekly Rainfall 4/21-27/13

The data below was compiled using a www.cocorahs.org rain gauge on the north side of Indianola, MS over the past week.  The gauge is read and emptied at approximately 7:00am daily, therefore the rainfall total shown each day is from the prior 24 hours starting at 7:00am.

Total rainfall for the week was 0.59".

Current total April rainfall: 7.88"

Date ▼	Time	Station Number	Station Name	Total Precip in.	New Snow in.	Total Snow in.	State	County	View
4/21/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
4/22/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
4/23/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
4/24/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.52	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
4/25/2013	6:12 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.07	NA	NA	MS	Sunflower
4/26/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower
4/27/2013	7:00 AM	MS-SF-1	Indianola 1.1 N	0.00	0.0	NA	MS	Sunflower