It’s not just kids who are afraid of thunderstorms, but many adults are petrified of various weather phenomena, which is why National Weather Service offices across Iowa are offering a Storm Anxiety Webinar and Q-and-A session this week. Meteorologist Rebekka Copple is hosting the free online event.
“When I was young, I was always terrified of storms, but the more I learned about weather and the storms and things I was scared of, the less I was afraid and the more I wanted to help other people like me,” Copple says. “So I created this program to help other people who get scared whenever a thunderstorm or snowstorm rolls through.”
Tornadoes, powerful winds, thunder and lightning can all be frightening, but some might question why you’d be afraid of a snowstorm.
She says, “The threat of ice and power outages during cold weather can really scare some people.”
Copple says they’ll cover a wide range of naturally-occurring events that can give some people persistent frights.
“Clouds, rain, wind, dust storms, if it’s a weather phenomenon, you can have a fear of it,” Copple says. “We’re going to discuss coping mechanisms and have a behavioral health and wellness officer from the National Weather Service on, and she is going to discuss therapies and treatments.”
Copple is based at the National Weather Service bureau in Lincoln, Illinois. The webinar starts at 6 PM Wednesday. Register HERE.
