McConnell Air Force Base officials are relocating some of aircraft as severe weather moves into the region.
The National Weather Service (NWS) on Monday issued a high-risk severe weather outlook, the highest possible level of alert, for Oklahoma and Kansas as a storm system threatened tornadoes, strong winds and grapefruit-sized hail. The forecast prompted McConnell Air Force Base outside of Wichita, Kansas, to relocate some of its aircraft ahead of the storm to prevent potential damage.
It's the third such relocation in a month, base spokesperson John Van Winkle told Newsweek. The other two relocations were on April 15 and April 26.
"Weather is always going to be fickle, and we aren't wanting to take that risk," Van Winkle said, adding that the last aircraft should be evacuated by about 1 p.m. ET. Other vehicles and aircraft equipment also will be moved into the hangars to prevent damage.
Van Winkle said there are 42 aircraft on the base. Not all of them will be evacuated, as some will be stored in hangars. The base is home to KC-135R Stratotanker and KC-46A Pegasus aircraft that provide air refueling, airlift and aeromedical evacuation worldwide.
"To maintain mission capability, we relocated the aircraft to other parts of the country," Van Winkle said.
The incoming storm comes only a week after several large tornadoes battered Oklahoma. Severe weather will impact Oklahoma and Kansas by Monday afternoon.
It is the first high-risk severe weather outlook issued by the NWS in over a year, and the first for Oklahoma and Kansas since 2019. According to the National Weather Service, grapefruit-sized hail has a diameter of 4.5 inches. Hail the size of grapefruits can cause extensive damage and is considered rare.
"A regional outbreak of severe weather with multiple strong, long-tracked tornadoes, as well as very large hail and severe thunderstorm gusts, is expected over parts of the south-central Plains from this afternoon through evening," the NWS warning said.
Safety measures for the high-risk area include scheduling your day so you are never more than 5 minutes from a below-ground shelter, keep cellphones charged, wear closed-toed shows to better climb over debris should a storm hit and ensure you have multiple ways of receiving warnings, not just relying on sirens.
In addition to the areas at a high-risk outlook, a moderate risk was imposed a wider region of Oklahoma and Kansas, an enhanced risk was imposed for Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Arkansas, with a slight and marginal risk expanding across much of the central U.S.
Uncommon Knowledge
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About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more
