Severe Weather Awareness Week Continued With Tornado Drills

Mahaska County Emergency Manager Jamey Robinson observes students while they practice a tornado drill at Fremont Elementary School

During the Severe Weather Awareness Week, Wednesday was designated as the day to practice and check procedures for tornado watches and warnings.

Mahaska County Emergency Manager Jamey Robinson was on hand with the Fremont Elementary to help them further refine their tornado procedure after visiting with them last fall, on this very subject.

The watch went into effect at 10:00 a.m. and the warning went into effect at 10:15 a.m.

Teachers and students at the school practiced moving quickly and orderly from their classrooms to newly designated area’s that would provide better protection and allow for rescuers, if needed, to more easily find those that might be trapped. All 141 students made their trip from the classrooms to their designated area’s in one minute and seventeen seconds.

School Administrator Joellen Breon and administrative assistant Ann Brown, both in their first year at Fremont, helped to lead the drill, take notes and help to observe and document the process to help improve the process in the future.

This practice was able to show areas of improvement, and things that work well, and that is the whole reason for doing drills and practicing for such emergencies.

Fremont school is no stranger to severe weather. In the mid 1990’s, the school was struck by an early morning tornado that did significant damage to the then three story structure that comprised a portion of the school. One of two temporary buildings on the site was also destroyed during the strong straight line winds, that is some times described as a tornado by locals.

Fremonts current Library Para-educator Sharon Miller remembers those days and events after that storm. One of those memories in particular, especially considering her position, was that of the roof of the building being blown off from the storm. The library was located on the 3rd floor and became exposed to the weather. Miller remembers the human chain that passed books from person to person from the library to a waiting semi trailer.

Severe Weather Awareness Week continues Thursday, and residents are encouraged to practice their Severe Thunderstorm plans. Friday concludes the week with Family Preparedness.