Spencer, IA (KICD)—Severe Weather Awareness Week is kicking off for Iowa on Monday with a focus on severe weather in general which was the focus of many of the presentations given at last week’s Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Ankeny.

Damaging winds are a big piece to severe weather and while some may focus on watching them come in and forecasting a track, part of Ernie Ostuno’s job at the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, Michigan is to try and determine how strong said winds may have been by studying the aftermath in destroyed or damaged trees.

There is currently a proposal to update the damage indicators to include different aspects of tree damage.

In order for a storm to be considered severe, winds must be greater than 58 mph and or contain hail, the other component, of at least one inch in diameter.