Tornado Warning

by Denise Hnytka (WICHITA, Kan) When severe weather hits, your first instinct may be to go to the TV or radio. But what about the times when you're not at home? How do you make sure you get the information you need? That's what one Wichita woman asked us to find out. On the weekends Manissa Hull spends her time away from the office with her family. "I was at the Olive Garden having a nice date night with my husband," said Hull. She was surprised when she got a text message from a friend telling her the tornado sirens were going off. Hull believes this announcement should have come from the restaurant staff.

By Eyewitness News (WICHITA, Kan.) Question: When tornado sirens go off, most people know to go to a basement. However, an Eyewitness News viewer wanted to know, "Where can I find a listing of public tornado shelters in Wichita?" The question came from Metals USA, a sheet metal company in south Wichita. The manager told us, by coincidence, he was reviewing the company's hazardous weather plan when the tornado warning was issued yesterday. He didn't know what to do with the employees still at work.

Do you know what to do if a tornado warning is issued in your area?  Test your knowledge below:

It looks dangerous, but it usually causes no harm. Eyewitness News viewers saw what they thought were tornadoes in the area, but in fact they are cold air funnels. Click to See Cold Air Funnel Photos They caught a lot of people off guard and caused Eyewitness News viewers to call our newsroom wondering what's going on.  The cold air funnels have been scene in various parts of Sedgwick County, including near Mid-Continent Airport. Storm Team 12 Chief Meteorologist Merril Teller says cold air aloft with a low pressure area right overhead create the spin.

Riverfest officials have canceled all events at this time. The festival grounds and Century II have been evacuated and any remaining people are advised to take cover. A tornado warning has been extended. KWCH will continue to update you with more details as more information becomes available.

The storms have caused power outages in Sedgwick and Butler Counties.  14,000 people in Sedgwick County are in the dark and 1,200 in Butler County. Some roads are also impassable because of debris, including Harry and Webb. Photos of Damage in Wichita Area Spirit & Boeing have damage to an airline hanger.  Spirit PIO Jarrod Bartlett says security folks are assessing the extent of the damage right now. A large tornado was on the ground, prompting a Tornado Emergency by the national weather service, which means a strong tornado is headed towards a population base.

Many people who live near the McConnell Air Force Base heard tornado sirens sound during Wednesday's storm. The base sounded the sirens after its own weather service issued a tornado warning. The National Weather Service did not issue a tornado warning and Sedgwick County's sirens were not going off. Click to View Cold Air Funnel Photos Each air force base in the country has its own weather service that's seperate from the National Weather Service and each has its own criteria for issuing warnings.  "They have aviation concerns, they have aircraft, things like that," explained Brad Ketcham of the National Weather Service.

A malfunctioning weather siren kept south Wichita residents awake overnight. The siren first sounded around 12:30 a.m. Thursday and then blared sporadically until 5:45 a.m, officials said. Sedgwick County Emergency Management Director Randy Duncan said something malfunctioned with the 33 year-old siren near I-235 and S. Seneca. It's unclear what caused the problem.  Duncan said there were no obvious signs of malfunction in the control box and technical experts will continue troubleshooting the problem.

Here Are The Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #19132 Geography Surveyed: Kansas Data Collected: 04/11/2012 Release Date: 04/11/2012 20:20 ET Sponsor: KWCH-TV Wichita 1   Asked of 500 Adults   Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 1.7%   Do you know where to go when a tornado warning...

By Kim Wilhelm (WICHITA, Kan.) Thousands of people have enjoyed events at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita since it opened this year.  So what do you do if there's severe weather while you're attending an event? Arena Assistant Manager Scott Neal explains the severe weather plan.  Neal says a big priority is getting people away from the glass windows in the concourse.   The arena has many hallways, interior offices and even restrooms where people can go in case of a tornado.

A malfunctioning weather siren kept south Wichita residents awake overnight. The siren first sounded around 12:30 a.m. Thursday and then blared sporadically until 5:45 a.m, officials said. Sedgwick County Emergency Management Director Randy Duncan said something malfunctioned with the 33 year-old siren near I-235 and S. Seneca. It's unclear what caused the problem.  Duncan said there were no obvious signs of malfunction in the control box and technical experts will continue troubleshooting the problem.

A tornado didn't ruin one couple's wedding. Some are calling it a “true” Kansas wedding. Caleb Pence and his bride Candra were in the middle of their wedding ceremony at his parent's farm outside Harper Saturday evening when a tornado hit just miles away. Eyewitness News talked to Caleb's mother today about the experience of having a wedding during a tornado warning. Carla Pence told us the family checked radar and knew the tornado was several miles away.    She said they would have canceled the wedding if they didn't feel safe.

The storms have caused power outages in Sedgwick and Butler Counties.  14,000 people in Sedgwick County are in the dark and 1,200 in Butler County. Some roads are also impassable because of debris, including Harry and Webb. Photos of Damage in Wichita Area Spirit & Boeing have damage to an airline hanger.  Spirit PIO Jarrod Bartlett says security folks are assessing the extent of the damage right now. A large tornado was on the ground, prompting a Tornado Emergency by the national weather service, which means a strong tornado is headed towards a population base.

Here Are The Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #19132 Geography Surveyed: Kansas Data Collected: 04/11/2012 Release Date: 04/11/2012 20:20 ET Sponsor: KWCH-TV Wichita 1   Asked of 500 Adults   Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 1.7%   Do you know where to go when a tornado warning...

Many people who live near the McConnell Air Force Base heard tornado sirens sound during Wednesday's storm. The base sounded the sirens after its own weather service issued a tornado warning. The National Weather Service did not issue a tornado warning and Sedgwick County's sirens were not going off. Click to View Cold Air Funnel Photos Each air force base in the country has its own weather service that's seperate from the National Weather Service and each has its own criteria for issuing warnings.  "They have aviation concerns, they have aircraft, things like that," explained Brad Ketcham of the National Weather Service.

It looks dangerous, but it usually causes no harm. Eyewitness News viewers saw what they thought were tornadoes in the area, but in fact they are cold air funnels. Click to See Cold Air Funnel Photos They caught a lot of people off guard and caused Eyewitness News viewers to call our newsroom wondering what's going on.  The cold air funnels have been scene in various parts of Sedgwick County, including near Mid-Continent Airport. Storm Team 12 Chief Meteorologist Merril Teller says cold air aloft with a low pressure area right overhead create the spin.

You may be thinking about winter weather, but Segdwick County is starting to prepare for tornado season.  Monday, the county will begin work upgrading tornado sirens. The upgrades will take about 60 days. The purpose is to create a selective warning system, which means sirens will only sound in areas experiencing a direct threat.  Right now, if there's a tornado warning in Sedgwick County, all 153 sirens go off. Sedgwick County Commissioners voted to spend almost $1 million to upgrade the system.  The county says research shows people pay more attention to selective sirens and are more likely to take action.

Riverfest officials have canceled all events at this time. The festival grounds and Century II have been evacuated and any remaining people are advised to take cover. A tornado warning has been extended. KWCH will continue to update you with more details as more information becomes available.

By Kim Wilhelm (WICHITA, Kan.) Thousands of people have enjoyed events at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita since it opened this year.  So what do you do if there's severe weather while you're attending an event? Arena Assistant Manager Scott Neal explains the severe weather plan.  Neal says a big priority is getting people away from the glass windows in the concourse.   The arena has many hallways, interior offices and even restrooms where people can go in case of a tornado.

By Eyewitness News (WICHITA, Kan.) Question: When tornado sirens go off, most people know to go to a basement. However, an Eyewitness News viewer wanted to know, "Where can I find a listing of public tornado shelters in Wichita?" The question came from Metals USA, a sheet metal company in south Wichita. The manager told us, by coincidence, he was reviewing the company's hazardous weather plan when the tornado warning was issued yesterday. He didn't know what to do with the employees still at work.