000
NOUS44 KTSA 201343
PNSTSA

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
600 AM CST FRI NOV 20 2009

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-201800-
BENTON-CARROLL-WASHINGTON AR-MADISON-CRAWFORD-FRANKLIN-SEBASTIAN-
600 AM CST FRI NOV 20 2009

...WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS IN ARKANSAS...

GOVERNOR MIKE BEEBE HAS PROCLAIMED NOVEMBER 16TH THROUGH 20TH AS WINTER
WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN ARKANSAS.  PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO TAKE SOME TIME
AND PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER SEASON.

TODAYS TOPIC IS SEVERE WEATHER IN THE WINTER.

WHEN ARKANSANS THINK OF WINTER...USUALLY A PICTURE OF FALLING SNOW OR
FREEZING RAIN AND TEMPERATURES IN THE 20S AND 30S COMES TO MIND.
HOWEVER...IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT SEVERE WEATHER CAN AND DOES
FREQUENTLY OCCUR ACROSS ARKANSAS IN THE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS.
IN FACT...A SECONDARY SEVERE WEATHER SEASON IS EVIDENT IN THE STATE
TWO OUT OF EVERY THREE YEARS.  IN 2001...2002...2004...AND 2005...
FALL AND EARLY WINTER TORNADO OUTBREAKS WERE MORE IMPACTFUL THAN
SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS THE PREVIOUS SPRING.  IN 2008...NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TORNADOES ON JANUARY 7TH AND THE STATE
WAS IMPACTED BY A TORNADO OUTBREAK ON FEBRUARY 5TH THAT CLAIMED THE
LIVES OF 14 PEOPLE.

THE THREATS FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE
HAIL...AS WELL AS TORNADOES...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND FLASH FLOODS.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DAMAGE HOMES AND BUSINESSES...AND IN SOME CASES...
CAUSE INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE.  THEY CAN FORM AT ANY TIME AND ANYWHERE
CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE.  AS A RESIDENT...IT IS BEST TO BE PREPARED
AHEAD OF TIME.

ALL THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE LIGHTNING AND ON AVERAGE... LIGHTNING IS THE
NUMBER TWO WEATHER RELATED KILLER ANNUALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO A THUNDERSTORM TO HEAR THUNDER THEN
YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

WIND GUSTS FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN EXCEED 100 MPH AND
PRODUCE TORNADO-LIKE DAMAGE.  THIS SEVERE WIND CAN
OVERTURN TRAILERS...UNROOF HOMES...TOPPLE TREES...BLOW DOWN POWER
LINES...AND CAUSE INJURIES AND SOMETIMES DEATH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE HAIL THAT CAN OCCASIONALLY GROW
TO SIZES LARGER THAN SOFTBALLS.  HAILSTONES FALL AT SPEEDS
EXCEEDING 100 MPH AND ARE VERY DESTRUCTIVE.  IN FACT...HAIL
CAUSES NEARLY ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE TO PROPERTY AND TO
CROPS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES EACH YEAR.  INJURIES OFTEN RESULT
FROM LARGE HAIL BUT FATALITIES ARE RELATIVELY RARE.

FLASH FLOODS ARE ANOTHER HAZARD THAT THUNDERSTORMS POSE.
ON AVERAGE...FLOODS ARE THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED KILLER ACROSS
THE COUNTRY EACH YEAR.  MOST FLASH FLOOD FATALITIES OCCUR AT NIGHT
WHEN IT IS HARDER TO SEE AND ARE A RESULT OF VICTIMS DRIVING THEIR
VHICLES INTO FLOOD WATERS.

FINALLY...TORNADOES ARE SPAWNED BY SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
ON AVERAGE...ARKANSAS CAN EXPECT 26 TORNADOES EACH YEAR AND
THE STATE AVERAGES FOUR TORNADO RELATED FATALITIES A YEAR.

THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.  KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WATCH AND A WARNING
AND HAVE A SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION THAT WORKS...EVEN IF YOU
LOSE POWER DURING A STORM.  HAVE A SEVERE WEATHER ACTION PLAN THAT
EVERYONE IN YOUR FAMILY USES DURING SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS.
HAVE A DESIGNATED SAFE PLACE THAT IS IN THE INTERIOR OF YOUR HOME
AND IS AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE IN TULSA AT 918-838-7838 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TULSA

$$