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Tag: Gilbert Sebenste
Each year, Illinois gets hit with more than 60 tornadoes, on average, and ranks in the Top 10 for the most tornadoes of any state in the nation. The odds of one or more tornadoes hitting a portion of DeKalb County is at least one in three every year. Our area also encounters 60 mph...
An early shot of the tornado near Franklin Grove, Ill. Photo courtesy Walker Ashley, NIU Deparment of Geography
On the early evening of April 9, 2015, a large, violent tornado moved across portions of Lee, Ogle, DeKalb and McHenry counties, with winds as high as 195 mph. DeKalb County’s small community of Fairdale sustained a direct hit from the twister, which killed two and injured dozens of others. Unfortunately, the odds of some...
Gilbert Sebenste
NIU Weather, part of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, was named last week as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS). “I am proud to announce our designation of Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador,” said NIU meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste. “What this means is that...
Photo of a tornado
When severe weather strikes, nothing beats an eye on the storm. “Despite all the technology that we have, radar can’t tell if there is a tornado, or what size hail is falling, or if there is flooding,” said Gilbert Sebenste, NIU staff meteorologist. “Having a weather spotter report these things – in real time – can save...
From left: Kyle Ullmark (EM specialist of the NIU Deptarment of Police and Public Safety) and NWS Chicago Lead Forecaster Matt Friedlein join NIU Staff Meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste.
Northern Illinois University has been re-certified at a very important level of readiness in protecting students, faculty and staff from severe weather. StormReady locations, including universities, are better prepared to take the right actions to save lives when severe weather strikes. This preparedness comes about through better planning, education and awareness of weather hazards. The requirements to become and maintain StormReady...
Photo of a tornado
As the severe weather season approaches, NIU Weather and the NIU American Meteorological Society are offering the opportunity to become a trained weather spotter. The weather spotters training will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, in the Cole Hall Auditorium. This event is free, open to the public and does not require pre-registration...
Gilbert Sebenste
As NIU’s meteorologist, I have often been asked the following about the weather of 2012 and early this year: “What’s going on here?”
Gilbert Sebenste
  Had Dorothy left her Kansas home for the secure, StormReady confines of NIU, she would have had no need to fear the twister that whirled through her quaint rural town before sending her to Oz. For the ninth consecutive year, NIU has been certified as a StormReady University by the National Weather Service for...