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Of all the various threats that mother nature can concoct for people
living in this region, the tornado is probably the most frightening,
and potentially the deadliest. Although tornadoes are often thought of
as a plains state threat, Mississippi has the highest death
rate from tornadoes of any state. Timely tornado warnings can and do
save lives in Mississippi. One of the contributing causes to the
high death rate is that much of Mississippi is heavily forested, preventing
people from seeing an oncoming tornado before it is too late to take
shelter.
The WSR-88D Doppler weather radar at Jackson is a powerful
tool in detecting tornadic thunderstorms. The radar is capable of displaying
circulation velocties within a thunderstorm which are indicative of
rotation. If the rotation within a thunderstorm meets or exceeds a
number of various criteria as enterprated by the radar operator, then
there is a strong possibility of a tornado and a warnign is issued. It
is possible to detect these tornadic signitures often 20 to 30 minutes
before a tornado is even observed or touches down. This extra time
allows warnings to frequently reach the affected areas well before
the tornado which saves lives. Once a tornado is detected and confirmed
the radar allows the exact track of the tornado to be monitored and for
additional warnings and statements to be issued as required.
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