Marlow SAFE Rooms - kennel your animal; NWS Norman Monitoring Changing Weather Today

UPDATE - NWS just issued (2:07 p.m. approximately) a TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 11 P.M. TONIGHT - MONDAY, MAY 6 - THIS WAS UPDATED JUST BEFORE POSTING THIS STORY TO OUR MARLOW REVIEW WEBSITE

Superintendent Corey Holland (Marlow Public Schools) said again today, Monday, May 6, 2024, that all animals being brought to the SAFE Room at either the high school or middle school campus must be kenneled.

This means animals are required to be in a kennel and must remain in that kennel the entire time they are in the safe room shelters. Their owners must remain with them. Animals cannot be on a leash or left to wander in the SAFE Rooms, as per FEMA guidelines. Animals cannot be allowed to exit the kennel while in the SAFE Room.

Should tornado warnings be issued during school time, with the sirens sounded by the City of Marlow, students remain first priority.

Additionally, the school has up to 45 minutes to open the shelters after a tornado watch is issued.

Common sense must prevail and the public should be aware that the buildings are first for students and staff during school hours. Community residents should be vigilant about the active weather conditions today or any day.

City Manager Jason McPherson said that tornado warning sirens are only sounded for a tornado.

The National Weather Service in Norman issued this on its X (Twitter) account just after 1 p.m. “We are monitoring our western Oklahoma counties for potential storm development in the next hour.”

Key messages they want Oklahoma residents to remember: 1) most people will not see a storm, but IF you do, it will be likely be dangerous; and 2) the potential for tornadoes will INCREASE after dark, so do not let your guard down!

At 10:45 a.m. today, the US National Weather Service in Norman held a briefing for nearly 400 of its emergency management and television partners. (See attached images) We’re sharing a few condensed highlights from their briefing.

DO NOT FOCUS ON THE RISK CATEGORIES – It does not matter what category, color or number area you are in today. EVERY storm will be equally capable of producing dangerous tornadoes and destructive hail.

Many or most people will NOT see any storms at all. We are only expecting a small number of storms. We could have 2-3, we could have 10.

Remember this – if you see a storm near you, assume it’s a dangerous storm.

• We have not experienced a day like this in quite some time. Expect storms to become supercells quickly after they form, and they should remain supercells through the event. We do not expect them to form into a squall line or cluster.

• Tornado potential will increase after dark.

• IMPORTANT! Please check the weather before you get in your vehicle this afternoon to leave work or school. If there are storms nearby, consider delaying your trip!

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Be sure to see the accompanying images shared by NWS Norman here, or on any of their social media accounts.

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