Flu season is here!

This Mayo Minute video has great tips for staying healthy!

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

 

October 2018! Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mdpU5nQJ4Y

Find Your Fun at the Kansas Sate Fair!

Kansas State Fair Sept 7-16

Fun Fair Facts!

• 155 tons of animal bedding removed from barns during 10 day event
• 850 toilets on the fairgrounds
• 80 places to eat during the fair
• $65,000 for Garth Brooks at the 1993 fair
• 976,2 lbs was the largest pumpkin in KS State Fair history
• 184 lbs was the largest watermelon
• The Old Mill opened September 18, 1915

The link below will take you to the official Kansas State Fair Visitor Guide.  Have fun at the 2018 State Fair!

https://www.kansasstatefair.com/p/79


If you would like to see the full list of Fun Facts for the Kansas State Fair follow the link below.

https://www.kansasstatefair.com/p.aspx?pID=fair/education/trivia-and-misc.-activities/442&

Back to school means Fall sports are well underway!  Take a minute to watch this short video.  Keep children safe while enjoying participation in Fall sports!

 

 

Back to School Safety!

 

Fun, short video to share with your children gearing up to start the 2018 school year.

 

 

 

The link below will take you to the National Safety Council's website for a back to school safety checklist.

 

https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/seasonal-safety/back-to-school

 

Going back to school is a reason for celebration because it means a new step towards a wonderful future!

 

Well wishes to all students for the 2018 school year.

 

 

 

 

Tornado Season is Approaching - what to do if you see one?

It's the stuff of nightmares.

You're driving down the road and you see a tornado....

What do you do?

Most people think the best thing to do is to take shelter under an overpass or get out of the car and into a ditch or lower ground. But NOAA and the Red Cross do not recommend these as the safest courses of action.

"Highway overpasses are NOT tornado shelters, and these should be avoided," NOAA road safety guidelines state. "Ditches, culverts and ravines should be used only as an absolute last resort. You will be exposed to flying debris, rain and hail, lightning and extreme wind." 

If the Tornado Is Far Enough Away

If you can see the tornado in the distance, NOAA recommends changing course and driving toward a sturdy shelter as soon as you are able. They recommend truck stops, convenience stores, restaurants, and even walk-in coolers. Once you are inside, go to the basement, a cellar, or a hallway or room without windows in the center of the house.

However, they warn you not to take shelter in a high-risk structure like a mobile home. Your car is safer than a mobile home, the Red Cross states in their safety brochure. 

It is possible to try to get out of the tornado's path, NOAA says, and you may be able to stop and allow the tornado to pass, depending on where it is and how you're positioned. If you can see the tornado far in the distance and can determine its movement, drive at a right angle to that movement. So, if it's heading east, drive to the south. 

If the Tornado Threat Is Immediate

If you're stuck in heavy traffic and there's nowhere for you to to go, it's time to duck and cover in a ditch or low spot. In that case, NOAA recommends getting as far away from your car as possible.

If the tornado is imminent and you are forced to stay in your car, the NWS recommends keeping your seat belt on and making sure your head is covered, below your windshield and windows to protect it from glass. The Red Cross recommends covering your head with a blanket, if you have one in the car.

Why You Should NEVER Take Shelter under an Overpass

It's understandable that motorists would feel safest under a sturdy structure like an overpass, but winds are actually higher in these openings, and debris is just as likely to harm you there. 

"Seeking shelter under a highway overpass is to become a stationary target for flying debris, with a substantial risk of being blown out and carried by the tornado winds," the NOAA said in a presentation during the 1999 National Weather Association Annual Meeting. "Safety in such a location is merely an illusion." 

Additionally, crowding under an overpass can block traffic and prevent important emergency vehicles from aiding affected areas, NOAA notes. It also cuts off potential escape routes from the tornado.

content credit: Anna Norris from the Weather Channel