ZCZC LITWRKPNS
TTAA00 KLZK 151603
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-172000-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
600 AM CST SUN FEB 17 2013
...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN ARKANSAS BEGINS TOMORROW...
ARKANSAS GOVERNOR MIKE BEEBE HAS PROCLAIMED THE WEEK OF
FEBRUARY 18TH THROUGH 22ND AS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK
IN ARKANSAS.
SPONSORS OF SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK ARE...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
ARKANSAS STATE POLICE
ARKANSAS NATIONAL GUARD
ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
ARKANSAS INSURANCE DEPARTMENT
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
ARKANSAS NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION
ARKANSAS FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN RED CROSS
SALVATION ARMY
ENTERGY ARKANSAS
ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OF ARKANSAS
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK
CITIZENS ARE URGED TO USE THIS WEEK TO UNDERSTAND THE HAZARDS
OF SEVERE WEATHER...AND TO REVIEW THE SAFETY RULES WHICH THEY
CAN USE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES WHEN SEVERE WEATHER OCCURS.
A PARTICULAR SUBJECT WILL BE DISCUSSED EACH DAY.
MONDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
TUESDAY...METHODS OF RECEIVING SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.
WEDNESDAY...TORNADOES.
THURSDAY...LIGHTNING.
FRIDAY...FLASH FLOODS.
IN 2012...ARKANSAS RECORDED ONLY 18 TORNADOES...AND THERE
WAS NO LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO TORNADOES. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME
SINCE 2007 THAT ARKANSAS WENT AN ENTIRE YEAR WITH NO
TORNADO DEATHS.
IT IS UNLIKELY THAT 2013 WILL BE AS QUIET. THE CURRENT WEATHER
PATTERN CALLED ENSO NEUTRAL...WHICH MEANS THAT NEITHER EL
NINO NOR LA NINA IS OCCURRING...IS FAVORABLE FOR STRONG
TORNADOES.
IN 2001...2002...2004 AND 2005...THE BIGGEST TORNADO OUTBREAKS
OF THE YEAR OCCURRED IN THE FALL. AND...IN 2012...THE DAY WITH
THE MOST TORNADOES WAS JANUARY 22ND...WHEN 7 TORNADOES
OCCURRED. THIS YEAR...5 TORNADOES OCCURRED ON JANUARY 29TH.
SO...IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT ARKANSAS FREQUENTLY
EXPERIENCES A SEVERE WEATHER SEASON IN THE FALL...AND
TORNADOES CAN OCCUR WELL BEFORE SPRING BEGINS.
OF COURSE...TORNADOES ARE NOT THE ONLY HAZARD. FLOODS AND FLASH
FLOODS TOOK 2 LIVES IN 2012.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK WILL NOT CONDUCT A
TORNADO DRILL THIS YEAR. THERE ARE NOW SO MANY DIFFERENT MEANS
OF RELAYING WARNING INFORMATION...INCLUDING CELL PHONES...
PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS...AND PAGERS...IN ADDITION TO RADIO...
TELEVISION...CABLE TV...SATELLITE TV...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL
HAZARDS...THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO NOTIFY EVERYONE THAT THERE WILL
BE A DRILL. IN ADDITION...SOME COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS RELAY A DRILL
AS THOUGH IT IS A REAL WARNING. THUS...SOME PEOPLE INVARIABLY THINK
THAT THE DRILL IS A REAL TORNADO WARNING AND ARE UPSET WHEN THEY
FIND OUT THAT IT IS NOT.
FOR SCHOOLS...NURSING HOMES...HOSPITALS...AND OTHERS WHO WOULD
LIKE TO CONDUCT A DRILL...IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE DRILL TAKE PLACE
WHEN THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALARM IS SOUNDED DURING THE ROUTINE
WEEKLY TEST OF THE WEATHER RADIO. THIS TEST IS ON WEDNESDAY BETWEEN
11 AM AND NOON. IN THE EVENT OF THREATENING WEATHER ON WEDNESDAY...
THE TEST IS POSTPONED UNTIL THE NEXT GOOD WEATHER DAY. THE WEEKLY
TEST MESSAGE WILL INCLUDE AN ANNOUNCEMENT STATING THAT THOSE
WISHING TO DO A TORNADO DRILL MAY WANT TO BEGIN IT AT THAT TIME.
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER INDIVIDUALS OR INSTITUTIONS CONDUCT A
FORMAL DRILL...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASKS THAT...AT VARIOUS
TIMES DURING SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK...PEOPLE STOP AND THINK
WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF A TORNADO WARNING WERE ISSUED AT THAT MOMENT.
FOR INSTANCE...IF PEOPLE ARE AT HOME...THEY SHOULD KNOW THE
SAFEST PLACE IN THAT HOME. LIKEWISE...IF A PERSON IS DRIVING...THE
PERSON SHOULD KNOW WHERE THE NEAREST SAFE PLACE WOULD BE.
OTHER PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE DURING THE DAY INCLUDE AT WORK...
IN A PLACE OF BUSINESS...IN A NURSING HOME OR HOSPITAL...AT
SCHOOL...AND SO ON...AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE SAFEST
PLACES IN THESE LOCATIONS AS WELL.
&&
FOR A LIST OF ALL THE TORNADOES AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN 2012...
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/IMAGES/LZK/PDF/STORMSOF2012.PDF
$$
28
|
RSS Feeds