“Know ahead of time where you’re going to go and what you’re going to do to keep yourself and your family safe.” -Chris Noles, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Paducah.
12 | March/April 2019
Preparing before the storm BY LISA SAVAGE
I
t was a balmy May afternoon, the kind of spring day ripe for storms. Rev. Wes Fowler, pastor at Mayfield First Baptist Church, knew a tornado watch had been issued for the area. At the church’s preschool, attended by about 25 students, a plan was in place for keeping everyone safe. “Our first step was to get all the kids down to the basement,” Fowler says.
Having a storm-preparedness plan is key to saving lives, says Chris Noles, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah. “People need to know what they’re going to do before a tornado approaches,” Noles says. “Then, put the plan into action instead of waiting.” Even with a plan to follow, it was a long and emotional day for the preschool staff
and all of Mayfield on May 10, 2016. After the kids were safe, Fowler, the church children’s pastor Kody Hopwood and a few others went outside to keep an eye on the sky. That’s when they saw it: the dark funnel in the distance rotating to the ground and swirling debris. Winds from the EF3 tornado left destruction in its path. As Fowler watched the tornado, he knew it was going to miss the church. Hopwood recorded it on video. Almost immediately, parents were calling to check on their children, and Fowler and the other church staff members made sure their own families were safe. “At first, I remember thinking how unique it was to actually see a tornado,” he says. His thoughts, however, turned to his wife, Tara, a teacher at Graves County High School, and their kids. “I knew from the location and movement of the tornado that it was near the school,” he says. He soon found out the tornado barely missed the school, but it took a little longer to learn his son was safe.
Ricky Shanklin, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Paducah, monitors a strong weather system in the area. WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative
