By Carol Cole

The radar lit up with a spot of bright blue, yellow and orange.

"We're juicy right now," said Jackie Dickerson, deputy director of Altus emergency management, intently looking at one of the many radar screens and the thunderstorm that began its crawl past Hollis northeast toward Cordell early Friday afternoon.

The three ingredients that cause Oklahoma to be tagged "Tornado Alley" were all present: the warm air from the Gulf area, the cool air from the north, and a dry line moving in from the west and lifting the two air masses.

"Not good, not good," said Altus emergency management director Dwight Dennis, scanning the screens.

Fortunately, Friday's storms did not intensify, but Oklahomans have recently seen a graphic representation of what happens when they do.

If something good could come out of the massive tornadoes that raked Oklahoma on May 3, it would be a resurgence of interest in tornado preparedness, said Dennis.

Weather radios a boon to severe storm preparedness

The technology is getting better every year, Dennis and Dickerson said. And the key is advance notice to take cover from a storm.

Residents and businesses can empower themselves by purchasing a simple weather radio, available at local electronic stores and radio stations for between about $29 and $69. Public safety experts are recommending all residents purchase one of the radios, much like they would a smoke detector.

The radios issue an audible alert when a storm comes within about a 24 to 28 mile radius, and are part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) system, part of the National Weather Service. Locally, the frequency for weather information on the radios is 162.425. The frequencies are not found on the average home or car radio now in use. NOAA radio has "all hazards" capability, and broadcasts warning and post-event information for all types of hazards including natural such as tornadoes or earthquakes, and technological such as chemical releases or oil spills.

To get the county up on the system, the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA), let the emergency management staff convert an existing transmitter to a weather transmitter. But the utility costs are still about $400 per month.

"It's a partnership with the city, power authority and the government," said Dickerson.

The firefighter's union donated some of the needed funds for the project raised through sponsorship of the recent Carson and Barnes circus.

Along with weather radios, residents can tune their police scanners to weather frequencies to monitor Emergency Operations.

Wired for safety

The city's emergency operations are among the most sophisticated in the state, partly because most of the storms move across the state starting in the southwest portion.

Dickerson, Jeff Rector of Tillman County Emergency Management, and Gary Adkins of Kiowa County Emergency Management are among 18 recent graduates of OK-FIRST, Oklahoma's First-response Information Resource System using telecommunications, a support program of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS). OK-FIRST allows public safety officials to anticipate future weather conditions.

The group was trained by meteorologists from the Oklahoma Climatological Survey and the National Weather Service about how to use radar and weather data through the OK-FIRST program.

OK-FIRST provides the necessary information for these agencies to make proper decisions concerning weather-related emergency response planning. The technology available to public safety agencies includes computerized access to information from the Oklahoma Mesonetwork, NEXRAD (15 individual radar units plus regional and national radar summaries), and the National Weather Service.

The Oklahoma Mesonetwork consists of 115 automated weather stations across Oklahoma. The Mesonet report 15 different meteorological variables including temperature, wind speed and direction, rainfall, pressure, humidity and soil temperature. The data is updated every 15 minutes and can be accessed over the Internet with special software designed by OCS. This software works in conjunction with Internet web browsers.

"With OK-FIRST, public safety officials obtain whatever weather information they need whenever they need it," a meteorologist at OCS and assistant director of OK-FIRST. "Oklahoma's local officials lead the nation in making decisions based upon having the most timely and local information that is available."

Shelter managers needed.

In the event of a storm of the magnitude that required underground shelter such as the tornado that hit Oklahoma City, Jackson County residents would need to take underground cover with family and friends as there are currently no public shelters available. The Blue Room at the Altus City Auditorium has been used in the past, but there is currently no shelter management for the building. The major, city council, and city administration are working to solicit volunteers to be shelter managers to be able to provide several public shelters. Those interested can call the mayor's office at 481-2202.

Used by permission, Altus Times

" With OK-FIRST, public safety officials obtain whatever weather information they need whenever they need it. Oklahoma's local officials lead the nation in making decisions based upon having the most timely and local information that is available. "
Dale Morris, assistant director of OK-FIRST