Tornadoes can occur during any month. However, the peak of tornado season arrives with spring.
The National Weather Service Office in Shreveport, La., will have Severe Weather Preparedness Week March 6 through 10. The NWS Shreveport office serves Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas along with Southeast Oklahoma.
The preparedness week is to bring awareness to the threat that tornadoes pose during the spring months of March, April and May.
"It's a good time to come up with a plan for bad weather," said Lisa May, hydrometeorological technician for NWS Shreveport. "People need a plan for their homes similar to the plans schools have..
"It's also a good time of year for people to make sure their weather radios are in working order and they have plenty of batteries."
The NWS is also promoting its weather spotter classes this time of year.
In Texarkana, a basic class will be 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 16 at the Texas Special Operations Training Center at 1420 S. Park Road. The advanced class will be from 8 pm. to 10 p.m. at the same location on the same day.
All tornadoes are damaging and have the potential to be deadly, but stronger tornadoes (EF-2 and stronger) typically do the most damage. For example, the Joplin, Mo., tornado which killed 158 people in 2011 was an EF-5. The maximum threat area tends to shift northward over the course of the spring. For example, Oklahoma and Kansas have experienced 49 and 29 EF-2 or stronger tornadoes from 1974 to 2012 during March, respectively, while those numbers increased to 192 and 122, respectively during May. Overall, the month of May has the most tornadoes, with the strongest tornadoes (EF-4 and stronger) maximizing during the month of April.
Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma are all among the top 10 states most likely to be impacted by an EF-2 or stronger tornado during the March-May period, based on historical data from 1974 to
2012.
There are several online resources that can assist with preparation for tornado season. The tornado section of http://www.ready.gov provides valuable planning tools. For more information on the science behind tornadoes, please visit the Storm Prediction Center's website (spc.noaa.gov).