Farmers Weekly Review

 

Madison Matichak, 11, of Channahon, experiences the power of electricity during a demonstration.
(Photo by Stephanie Irvine)

 

By Stephanie Irvine

 

Families from all over Will County attended the interactive “Science of Storms” presentation hosted by the Will County Emergency Management Agency, with attendees treated to thrilling demonstrations and the opportunity to create a take-home emergency preparedness kit.

 

The weather-ready event took place at the Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon on April 12 and featured an educational presentation by Nick Bartholomew of Storm Science, LLC.

 

The hour-long presentation featured demonstrations of miniature tornadoes, electricity and even an outdoor cloud demonstration. The event was well attended, and nearly 200 people had registered for it.

 

Several of the families who attended the event had a big interest in storms and wanted to learn more, whereas others just wanted to learn more about being prepared.

 

“He is a ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy’ fan,” Mackenzie Fisher said of her son, Gavin, which made this event right up his alley.

 

The mother-son duo of Elwood was impressed by the presentation, with mom Mackenzie adding, “I thought it was awesome — it was a very thorough presentation, geared for their age group. Very interactive.”

 

Bartholomew and his team put on educational events for all ages all over Illinois, offering first-hand experiences of storm chasing, educational information about the science of storms, and tips on how to stay safe.

 

“He is such an incredible speaker and so personable with everyone. You can tell how passionate he is about it,” Alyssa Densberger said of the presentation. She attended with her husband and daughter, Charlie, 22 months.

 

Educating the public on how to stay safe and weather-aware during inclement weather is an essential task, especially with the frequency of severe weather in the area and its local history.

 

In 1990, Will County was home to one of the most deadly and devastating tornadoes in the state’s history, and the only F-5 tornado in the Chicago area. The storm produced a 16.4-mile damage path, killing 29 people and injuring 350, according to the National Weather Service.

 

That tornado and the popular ‘90s movie, “Twister,” inspired Bartholomew to pursue storm chasing and dedicate his career to educating the public on the science of storms. He has documented 46 tornadoes, and was inside five to place a data probe, throughout his career.

 

Bartholomew also explained how tornadoes are rated with the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF-0 to EF-5, as well as the differences among the ratings. This portion of his presentation was complete with video showing the difference in damage that occurs with the different wind speeds, as well as creating a mini-tornado inside two water jugs.

 

During the presentation, Bartholomew told of his experiences storm chasing, the bruise he got from being hit by a large piece of hail, and the three occasions where he was almost struck by lightning. Those stories were cautionary tales urging parents and children to take it seriously.

 

“When thunder roars, head indoors!” Bartholomew told the kids, warning those in attendance that lightning is five times hotter than the sun. He followed that up with a demonstration of the power of electricity, of which three volunteers were selected from a sea of little kid hands begging to be chosen.

 

Madison Matichak, 11, of Channahon, was one of those volunteers. She experienced the electricity of Bartholomew’s machine, which made her hair stand on end.

 

“I was tingling a little bit!” Madison said of the electrifying experience, adding that she really liked the presentation.

 

“Well, I was definitely intrigued by it. It was interesting learning about tornadoes,” said Owen Brown, 12, of Plainfield. He said his favorite part was the cloud demonstration.

 

Afterward, EMA’s Dawn Boyle and Erin Ward taught attendees about items that should go in an emergency preparedness kit, including essentials like toilet paper, drinking water and non-perishable food.

 

Boyle reminded families with pets to consider their furry family members by including things for their needs in their kits at home, like a water bowl and leash.

 

Alivia Mekeel, of Shorewood, attended with her family, including her husband Alex and their kids, 2-year-old daughter, Sydney, and son, Elijah, age 4.

 

The kids said they loved the cloud demonstration and the opportunity to take home a kit — with a bag that Sydney got to color.

 

“My son is really interested in storms and tornadoes, or as he calls them, ‘tomatoes,’” Mekeel shared.

 

 

Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.