...
By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Exceptionally strong winds prompted National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists to issue a rare weather warning in Montana to activate the state's wireless emergency alert system on Wednesday afternoon.
Millions of people were impacted by extremely strong winds across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains on Wednesday, with some NWS offices recording wind gusts in excess of 100 mph. The strong winds were ushered in across the region after an atmospheric river pummeled the Pacific Northwest earlier this week. High wind warnings were issued across more than a dozen states.
NWS Great Falls issued a Civil Emergency Message (CEM) at 12:05 p.m. Mountain Standard Time as dangerous winds tore into the area. A high wind warning is already in place, but NWS warning coordination meteorologist Maura Casey told Newsweek the CEM would activate a wireless emergency alert system to notify people in the impacted areas.
Read More on News
"The CEM is a tool we have in our back pocket and use through coordination with local emergency managers ... for if we want to be able to activate the wireless emergency alert system, but we don't have a good product for the weather service to activate that," Casey said. "It is rarely used."
...
Some NWS alerts do activate the emergency alert system, such as snow squall warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings, or tornado warnings. However, none of those applied to the strong winds on Wednesday.
"In this case, we have a high wind warning out, and we have been messaging about strong, damaging winds for a while now, but there's a shorter two- to four-hour period we are expecting and experiencing right now with exceptionally strong winds," Casey said.
In the Great Falls forecast region, wind gusts were going to hit 90 mph.
The last time a CEM was issued by the Great Falls forecast office was for a dust storm on December 20, 2020.
"Damaging winds will intensify along the Rocky Mountain Front and the Helena Valley through 4 PM this afternoon," the CEM said. "Wind gusts in excess of 90 mph will be possible along the Rocky Mountain Front, with gusts near 80 possible across the Helena Valley. This system has a history of producing widespread power outages and repairs may not be possible until the winds subside overnight. Delay travel if possible."
Although Casey said the exceptionally strong winds could continue for about four hours, a high wind warning remains in place for the area through midnight. People were urged to secure loose objects and ensure they are within a sturdy shelter throughout the windstorm. People were also told to stay away from their windows.
"This is a dangerous situation!" NWS Great Falls said in the high-wind warning.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines