Staying safe during summer severe weather

Warmer temperatures means plenty of opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature.

It also means severe weather.

Southern Colorado has plenty of miles of trails. And John Pimperin of Colorado Springs has seen a lot of them.

“Last year I did almost 1,500 (miles) in the summer,” he said.

From the business end of a fishing pole, Mary Tuerpe has seen plenty of Colorado too.

“Normally we go to Manitou Reservoir, Skagway or Eleven Mile (State Park),” she said.

The one thing that’s always on the line at those places is a great view.

But as she knows too well, that view can change quickly: “when you see the dark clouds come over.”

The weather here can go from mild to wild in a Colorado second.

Bart Howard knows that well, too. He’s the deputy director of the Colorado Springs Office of Emergency Management.

“It can be a fairly nice day and a lightning storm can come on very quickly,” he said.

As summertime approaches, more and more people are going to be taking trails like the ones at Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs.

Before they hit the trails, they need to look up in the skies above them to see what the weather is going to be like first.

One piece of advice is always true no matter whether it’s fishing, hiking or biking.

“Be aware of your surroundings,” said Howard.

If you’re taking in nature, you can still stay safe. You don’t have to have fancy maps to do it either.

“You can get different apps for weather, other people are comfortable with different mediums,” said Howard.

Longtime residents have experienced some nasty storms in their time here.

“I’ve gotten quite soaked with rain, and I’ve worried about lightning,” said Pimperin.

It’s important to know what to do when the thunder rolls. Tuerpe does.

“We pack up and leave,” she said.

One way to stay ahead of the storm is to sign up for our exclusive WeatherCall service. Go to the weather section of this site to see how.