ZCZC LITWRKPNS
TTAA00 KLIT 151058
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-202000-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
600 AM CST WED FEB 20 2013
...TODAYS TOPIC FOR SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS
TORNADOES...
ARKANSAS GOVERNOR MIKE BEEBE HAS PROCLAIMED THE WEEK OF
FEBRUARY 18TH THROUGH 22ND AS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK
IN ARKANSAS.
A DIFFERENT TOPIC WILL BE DISCUSSED EACH DAY...AND TODAYS TOPIC
IS TORNADOES.
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 OFTEN 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.
TORNADOES CLEARLY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO TAKE LIVES AND CAUSE
MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF DAMAGE...BUT PRECAUTIONS CAN BE TAKEN TO
LESSEN THE NUMBER OF DEATHS AND INJURIES.
...OUTDOOR TORNADO SIRENS...
MANY TOWNS AND COUNTIES IN ARKANSAS HAVE ACQUIRED OUTDOOR WARNING
SIRENS TO ALERT THE PUBLIC WHEN TORNADOES THREATEN. WHEN THESE
SIRENS ARE KEPT IN PROPER WORKING ORDER...THEY DO THEIR JOB AS
EXPECTED AND HELP WARN THE PUBLIC.
BUT...MANY PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THESE SIRENS
AND HAVE FALSE EXPECTATIONS OF THEM.
THE COMPANIES THAT MANUFACTURE THE SIRENS CLEARLY STATE IN THEIR
SALES BROCHURES THAT THE SIRENS ARE INTENDED FOR OUTDOOR WARNING
PURPOSES. NOTE ESPECIALLY THE WORD -OUTDOOR-.
THE SIRENS ARE THUS INTENDED TO ALERT PEOPLE INVOLVED IN OUTDOOR
SPORTS...YARDWORK...RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES...AND SO FORTH.
THE SIRENS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO...
WAKE UP PEOPLE WHILE THEY ARE SLEEPING
ALERT MOTORISTS WHO HAVE THEIR WINDOWS ROLLED UP AND THE RADIO
PLAYING
ALERT PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THEIR HOUSES WITH APPLIANCES ON OR
RADIOS OR TELEVISIONS PLAYING
ALERT PEOPLE INDOORS IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS
EACH SIREN HAS A DESIGNATED RANGE OVER WHICH IT CAN BE HEARD...
AND THIS RANGE DIFFERS FROM ONE TYPE OF SIREN TO ANOTHER.
IN ARKANSAS...THE DECISIONS TO BLOW THE SIRENS ARE MADE BY
DESIGNATED CITY OR COUNTY OFFICIALS...NOT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
SIREN MANUFACTURERS ALSO MAKE SIRENS DESIGNED FOR INDOOR
COMMERICAL USES. FOR EXAMPLE...A LARGE NOISY FACTORY MIGHT NEED
BOTH AUDIBLE AND VISUAL ALERTS.
...WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF - TORNADO SAFETY RULES...
ONE OF THE NEWER SAFETY RULES IS THAT IT IS NOT SAFE TO TAKE
SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS. A WIND TUNNEL EFFECT...CAUSED
BY WIND BEING CHANNELED UNDER THE OVERPASS...CAN EASILY CAUSE A
PERSON TO BE BLOWN OUT FROM BENEATH THE OVERPASS. IN ADDITION...
THE CHANNELING EFFECT CAUSES WINDS TO BE STRONGER UNDER THE
OVERPASS. FLYING DEBRIS CAN ALSO BE A SEVERE HAZARD.
BE SURE YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WATCH AND A WARNING.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A TORNADO WATCH WHEN
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN A
TORNADO HAS BEEN INDICATED ON DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR OR HAS
BEEN SIGHTED.
COUNTIES AND CITIES ARE MENTIONED IN TORNADO WARNINGS...SO KNOW
THE COUNTIES AND CITIES NEAR WHERE YOU ARE. IF YOU ARE NEW TO
THE AREA...KEEP A MAP HANDY FOR REFERENCE.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A RELIABLE WAY TO RECEIVE WEATHER
INFORMATION. BATTERY-POWERED NOAA WEATHER RADIOS ARE AN
EXCELLENT WAY TO KEEP UP WITH THE WEATHER...EVEN IF YOUR POWER
HAS GONE OUT. A BATTERY-POWERED RADIO IS ALSO A NECESSITY IF YOU
ARE PLANNING TO BE OUTDOORS.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE AT A LARGE GATHERING...SUCH AS AT A
SCHOOL...STADIUM OR PLACE OF WORSHIP...MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE HAS
BEEN DESIGNATED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER AND TO LISTEN FOR
THE LATEST WATCHES AND WARNINGS.
A TORNADO SHELTER...TORNADO CELLAR...OR A SAFE ROOM IS THE SAFEST
PLACE TO BE...BUT MOST HOMES DO NOT HAVE THESE. THE NEXT SAFEST
PLACE IS USUALLY A BASEMENT...BUT THESE ARE NOT COMMON IN
ARKANSAS. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THESE...GO TO AN INTERIOR
ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A HOUSE OR BUILDING. YOU
CAN PROTECT YOURSELF FURTHER BY GETTING UNDER A MATTRESS OR A
HEAVY PIECE OF FURNITURE.
MANY BUSINESSES...SUCH AS LARGE STORES...SHOPPING MALLS...
HOSPITALS...NURSING HOMES...AND SCHOOLS HAVE PRE-ARRANGED SAFETY
PLANS AND DESIGNATED SAFE AREAS. IF YOU ARE IN ONE OF THESE
PLACES...FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN INSIDE THESE BUILDINGS.
STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
IF YOU ARE IN A VEHICLE...YOUR BEST OPTION IS TO MOVE TO A STURDY
BUILDING.
MOBILE HOMES...EVEN IF TIED DOWN...OFFER LITTLE PROTECTION DURING
A TORNADO...AND SHOULD BE ABANDONED.
REMEMBER THAT FLYING DEBRIS CAUSES THE MOST CASUALTIES IN A
TORNADO.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THE ELDERLY...THE VERY YOUNG...AND PEOPLE WITH
PHYSICAL OR MENTAL CHALLENGES WILL OFTEN NEED MORE TIME TO GET TO
SAFETY. MAKE SPECIAL PROVISIONS IF YOU ARE A CARE-GIVER FOR THESE
PEOPLE.
&&
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
$$
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