Unique class prepares Kentuckians for hazardous weather

OWINGSVILLE, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — From flooding to severe winds and everything in between, Kentucky is no stranger to all types of dangerous weather.

How can people be prepared for the next major weather event?

For years the National Weather Service has been working hard to teach people how to spot strong storms. Now after several severe weather events here in Kentucky and across the country, they’re hoping to be a resource for Kentuckians preparing for future storms.

That’s how the idea came about to host hazardous weather prep classes.

The hour-long seminars walk residents through the history of past storms and what their region could be more susceptible to in the future before diving into the best ways to ensure you and your loved ones are safe.

Jane Marie Wix from the weather service said there has been a shift from the types of weather Kentuckians have experienced in the past so knowing what could be on the horizon can save lives.

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She said the whole goal of these classes is to build a weather-ready nation.

“A place where the community is prepared, and they’re more resilient because these weather events aren’t going away,” Wix explained. “As we continue to see more of these more impactful weather events, how do we know ahead of time what to do, how to be more prepared so that we can take action and save more lives in the future? And then whenever people learn as well, they can teach others.”

You may think you know the difference between a severe storm watch and a severe storm warning. You may also know what you should be doing before a potentially dangerous storm, but Wix says every storm is different so taking the proper steps can make a huge difference.

For example, when devastating rain flooded much of eastern Kentucky in 2022, many people were at home, and for the most part, many people made their emergency plans centered around being at home.

One of the many scenarios these hazardous weather prep classes present people is what it would be like to be out at the grocery store or a public place when the weather hits.

The goal is to get people to think about things they may not have thought about before and help them understand the best ways to keep themselves and others safe in those situations.

When it comes down to it, Wix said communication is key.

“Whenever you have lost complete communications and you can’t get hold of anybody and your entire family lives here,” Wix detailed. “Whenever you do get that open phone line. Who do you call? How do you figure out who’s safe, who’s not, and who is in complete chaos? So, building a communications plan we have found is actually better when you find somebody one person that’s outside of the state, even outside of the area that’s impacted, and you let that person know that these are the people that are in and contact you in case of emergency and you build that communications plan that way.”

The next Hazardous Weather Prep class will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday in Bath County at the extension office off Kentucky Highway 60 in Owingsville.

If you can’t make it, you can find the schedule for future classes here .

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