WISD is Ahead of the Storm

It’s late afternoon and you are eyeing the clock. In a matter of minutes, you will be leaving the office and en route to pick up the kids from school. While finishing up some final details, thunder rumbles in the distance, and you notice that sunshine is giving way to dark clouds. As if on cue, the song that was playing on the radio is interrupted by the haunting sound of a weather alert. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for your area and is advising you to take shelter immediately…and your kids are at school.

This is a scenario that plays out all too often during the springtime in North Texas. Only a couple of weeks into severe weather season and we have already had our share of large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. This is why it is critically important for families and school districts to be aware and prepared for severe weather.

“We monitor weather through multiple sources,” said Danny Miller, Executive Director of School Operations for Weatherford ISD. “AccuWeather provides us with watch & warning notifications along with direct access to a meteorologist who contacts us immediately in the event of any severe event. We also monitor other radar sources from National Weather Service (NWS) and Schneider Electronic Weather Sentry. NWS contacts us with email & text when they issue a watch or warning along with Parker County Emergency Management. In addition, all campuses and administrative offices have a weather radio in their offices.”

While it’s critically important to monitor severe weather it’s even more important to have a plan for when it occurs. Often times, severe weather occurs late in the afternoon as illustrated in the previous scenario. So, what happens if a severe storm hits when a school is being released?

“The safety of our students is always our top priority. So, if lightning occurs within 6 miles and a warning has been issued, we will contact campuses to delay dismissal until the severe weather concern has passed. During that time students will be kept inside the buildings and not released to load into buses or to move out into the parking lot to be picked up by a family member.” Miller said.

Large hail and lightning are definitely major concerns that need to be addressed with the most serious of precautions. However, a Tornado Warning brings an elevated level of concern that includes safety for those who are picking up the children.

“In the event of a tornado warning, all WISD campuses will be instructed to move into a Shelter In-Place. Communication will be ongoing with the AccuWeather meteorologist. If this occurs during drop off or pick up, we will encourage parents to move into the building for safety also.” Miller said.

Naturally, during a Tornado Warning, parents may call the school district out of concern for their children. Lynn Pool, Executive Director of Student Services for Weatherford ISD, encourages parents to be patient if their call is not immediately answered.

“We understand that parents are worried about their children during severe weather events. This will often times lead to a high volume of calls. In some situations, such as a Shelter In-Place, we may not be able to answer phones, as our office personnel participate in this safety drill. We ask that families remain patient and know we are doing everything in our power to keep our students and staff safe.” Pool said.

So, the next time spring storms hit during the school day rest assured Weatherford ISD staff are monitoring the weather and have processes in place to keep our students, staff, and families in a safe environment. You can also follow Weatherford ISD on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date information during bad weather situations.

Do you know the difference between a watch and a warning? Click the link below to learn more!

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/severeweather/ww.shtml

Published March 30, 2016 Print