Public Information Statement

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
500 AM CST MON FEB 19 2007

...TODAY IS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AWARENESS DAY....

TODAY IS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AWARENESS DAY.  THUNDERSTORMS ARE A
COMMON OCCURRENCE IN ALABAMA DURING ANY TIME OF THE DAY...MONTH...OR
YEAR.  THERE ARE ABOUT 2000 THUNDERSTORMS IN PROGRESS AROUND THE
WORLD AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.  HOWEVER...LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE CLASSIFIED AS SEVERE.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
DEFINED AS THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE HAIL THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH
OR LARGER AND STRONG WIND GUSTS OF 58 MILES AN HOUR OR GREATER.  HAIL
THAT IS THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A
PENNY.

ALL THUNDERSTORMS GENERATE POTENTIALLY DEADLY LIGHTNING.  HOWEVER...
LIGHTNING IN A THUNDERSTORM DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THE
THUNDERSTORM IS SEVERE.  OCCASIONALLY...A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

ALABAMAS PEAK SEVERE WEATHER SEASON IS MARCH...APRIL...AND MAY...
USUALLY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. ALABAMA HAS A
SECONDARY SEVERE WEATHER SEASON IN NOVEMBER THROUGH MID DECEMBER.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND DO OCCUR ANY MONTH OF THE YEAR AND
ANYTIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT.

HERE ARE SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SAFETY RULES...

THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST THUNDERSTORMS IS TO STAY INSIDE A STURDY
...SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING THAT CAN SUSTAIN HIGH WINDS.  IF CAUGHT
OUTSIDE...FIND SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.  THUNDERSTORMS TYPICALLY LAST NO
MORE THAN AN HOUR.  STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND AVOID ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT.  BE SURE TO SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS OUTSIDE AS THESE OBJECTS
OFTEN BECOME DANGEROUS FLYING DEBRIS IN HIGH WINDS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  PEOPLE
LOCATED IN AND AROUND THE WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY
AND LISTEN TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA FOR
FURTHER WEATHER INFORMATION.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING MEANS THAT EITHER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
IS OCCURRING...HAS BEEN DETECTED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER
RADAR...OR HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE
BY OUR SKYWARN STORM SPOTTERS...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT...OR EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCIES.  WHEN A THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR
COUNTY...TREAT IT THE SAME AS YOU WOULD FOR A TORNADO WARNING BY
TAKING THE PROPER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN
PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...LIGHTNING...AND
POSSIBLY TORNADOES.

THE FOCUS FOR TUESDAY WILL BE ON LIGHTNING AWARENESS. FOR ADDITIONAL
DETAILS...VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BMX...OR CONTACT JIM
STEFKOVICH...METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BIRMINGHAM...AT 205-664-3010...EXTENSION 2 2 2.

$$

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