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Severe
Weather Awareness:
Facts
and General Information
Severe
Weather Warnings
- The National Weather service considers a thunderstorm
to be severe if it produces hail 3/4 inch or larger, wind 58 mph or
stronger, or tornadoes.
- Watches are issued when conditions are favorable
for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms or flash floods. If you are in a
watch area, make plans to seek shelter if necessary.
- Warnings are issued when severe weather has
been reported or is imminent. Seek shelter immediately if you are in
or near the path of the storm
- Warnings are issued by county names. Know the name
of the county you live in and the counties that surround you.
- Sirens are meant to warn those who are outdoors. If
you hear a siren, turn on a radio or TV to hear safety information and
seek shelter immediately.
Thunderstorms,
Winds and Hail
- The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and
lasts an average of 30 minutes.
- Thunderstorms can produce a strong out rush of wind
known as a downburst or straight-line winds which may exceed 120 mph.
They can overturn mobile homes, tear roofs off houses and topple trees.
- Hail annually causes nearly one billion dollars in
damage nationally. Many of the losses are incurred by farmers. Large
hailstones fall at speeds faster than 100 mph and have been known to
kill people.
Lightning
Tornado
Safety Information
When a Tornado Warning is issued for your county, if you
are:
In the house
- Go to the basement. Get under a table, workbench or
other sturdy furniture.
- If there is no basement, go into a small interior room
on the lowest floor (closets, bathrooms and interior halls afford the
best protection). Stay Away From Windows.
In an apartment, school or office building
- Move to the innermost room on the lowest level or to
a pre-designated shelter area. Crouch down and protect your head from
flying debris. Avoid areas with glass and large roof spans.
In a mobile home
- Abandon it immediately. Seek a sturdy shelter or permanent
structure. If there is not time, get out and lie flat in the nearest
ditch or depression with your hands shielding your head.
In a vehicle
- Get out of the vehicle and lie flat in a ditch or ravine.
Never try to out-drive a tornado.
During a Tornado
Watch:
- Listen to the radio or television to get
current weather information.
- Bring loose objects inside or tie them
down securely if they are to be left outdoors.
- Be prepared to take shelter.
When a Tornado Warning is
given:
- Listen to the radio for updated warning
information.
- Move to your shelter area immediately.
- Stay away from windows.
- In your home:
- go to the basement, storm cellar or lowest
level of the home and take cover, preferably under the stairwell
- if there is no basement, go to a room
in the inner part of the house (with no windows), such as a bathroom
or closet, on the lowest floor of the dwelling
- get under a piece of sturdy furniture
such as a workbench or heavy table
- In an office building, hospital, nursing
home and school:
- go to the designated shelter area
- if there is no shelter area, go to an
inside hallway on the lowest floor
- In mobile homes or vehicles:
- leave and go to a more substantial shelter
(this recommendation applies even if the mobile home is "tied down".)
- If you are out-of-doors with no shelter
available:
- lie flat in a nearby ditch and shield
your head with your arms
- If you’re in a vehicle:
- never try to outdrive a tornado in a car
or truck. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift up a car
or truck and toss it through the air
- get out of the car immediately and take
shelter in a nearby building
- If there is no time to get indoors, get
out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle.
Be aware of the potential for flooding.
Flash
Floods
- Nationally, floods claim nearly 200 lives annually,
force 300,000 persons from their homes, and cause property damage in
excess of 2 billion dollars.
- When driving do not cross through high water. Two feet
of running water is enough to carry away most vehicles. Fifty percent
of flash flood deaths occur in vehicles.
Content updated on:
03-Apr-2006
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