Latest news with #DarrenWhite
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Experts advise planning ahead for severe weather season
GREENE COUNTY, Mo. — It is Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Missouri and local officials are saying now is the time to prepare for the severe weather season ahead. The Greene County Office of Emergency Management says it's a good idea to have a plan in place before severe weather hits. 'Prepare on the blue sky days for when the gray sky days occur. Because if it's a gray sky day and you haven't planned, it's too late,' said Darren White, Deputy Director with Greene County Office of Emergency Management. 'You're not going to have a plan in place to do what you need to do to keep yourself safe.' Preparing looks different for different kinds of severe weather. Thunderstorms like what is forecasted for Tuesday present a risk for lightning strikes. White says the best way to protect yourself in a thunderstorm is to stay inside as much as possible. If large amounts of rain lead to flooding in the area, White says the phrase 'turn around don't drown' can be lifesaving. He says you should never drive through flood waters and risk your car being swept away. For tornadoes, White says it's a good idea to have a 'go bag' packed with essentials like food, plastic water bottles, chargers for your phone and daily medications. You should also identify where to shelter, like in a basement, at a local storm shelter or an interior wall in your home. During a tornado warning, the Greene County OEM will turn on the outdoor tornado sirens. These sirens are designed to warn people outside to get inside and take shelter. 'Now, if you're at home or work and you cannot hear the sirens inside,' White said. 'We recommend you have a weather radio, your favorite app, whatever you whatever you prefer to keep you aware of what's happening.' As part of weather preparedness week, there will be a statewide tornado drill Wednesday, March 5 at 11:00 a.m. Greene County is participating in this drill in place of the regularly scheduled test on the second Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. White says they do not test the sirens if conditions are poor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Permian region earthquake rattles New Mexico, felt as far north as Albuquerque
Feb. 15—LAS CRUCES — A magnitude 5.0 earthquake that shook western Texas late Friday night caused shaking and swaying across a swath of southern New Mexico as well. The earthquake occurred at 10:23 p.m. MST, 33 miles northwest of Toyah, Texas, a sparsely populated town 70 miles from Van Horn and 190 miles from El Paso. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the initial quake occurred at a depth of 6.6 kilometers and was followed two minutes later by a tremor of magnitude 3.8 — the first in a series of quakes or aftershocks. However, little to no damage was expected. Friday's quakes occurred in the region where a 5.2 earthquake struck in 2023. However, increased seismic activity in the Permian Basin region has seen hundreds of smaller earthquakes and shocks rock southeastern New Mexico and neighboring Texas counties. Geological researchers have linked higher seismic activity to high volumes of wastewater from oil and gas production injected into subsurface reservoirs, leading to the activation of faults. Last year, the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates oil and gas production in that state, shut down saltwater disposal wells in Reeves and Culberson counties due to seismic activity. Local news reports and social media accounts Friday night and Saturday morning indicated the quakes were felt in Lubbock, El Paso, and across southeastern New Mexico as far west as Las Cruces and Sierra County. Former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White even reported feeling it in Albuquerque, 380 miles northwest of Toyah. Taking to X, he wrote: "I don't think I've ever felt a quake before tonight. Even if it was so light. But enough to make that ceiling fan chain move."
