The National Weather Service is using a new severe weather warning system in Kentucky starting April 1. NWS spokesperson Rick Shanklin says the Impact Based Warning System is primarily for tornado warnings, especially after the 2011 Joplin, Mo., tornado.
“We needed to try to communicate more precisely what the damage, what the threat is in a given tornado warning versus just saying a tornado warning,” he said. “We’ve found that the more information we give, especially specific information of damage and things like that, tends to prompt the proper response from those in harm’s way.”
The new warnings will include a tag at the end, either considerable or catastrophic, depending on the severity of the tornado. NWS tested the Impact Based Warning System in Kansas and Missouri last year, and is implementing it in Kentucky, Illinois and several other states.
