PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY, NY 700 AM EDT FRI JUL 15 2005 ...10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ADIRONDACK DERECHO (WINDSTORM)... TODAY MARKS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JULY 15 1995 DERECHO THAT RAVAGED MUCH OF EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND. A DERECHO IS A WIDESPREAD AND LONG LIVED WINDSTORM THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH A BAND OF RAPIDLY MOVING THUNDERSTORMS. IN 1995...A LINE OF DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED IN THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES DURING THE NIGHT OF JULY 14 AND QUICKLY STRENGTHENED AS IT MOVED INTO NORTHERN NEW YORK BY 4 AM ON JULY 15...AND THEN INTO SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND BY 8 AM. ESTIMATED PEAK WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH OCCURRED IN THE ADIRONDACKS AND THE STORMS THEMSELVES COVERED OVER 800 MILES (FROM ONTARIO PROVINCE TO CAPE COD) IN LESS THAN 12 HOURS...MOVING AT AN AVERAGE FORWARD SPEED OF 67 MPH. THIS DERECHO RESULTED IN FIVE DEATHS AND 11 INJURIES AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO NEARLY ONE MILLION ACRES OF TREES IN THE ADIRONDACKS. ALSO…IT WAS ONE OF THE COSTLIEST WINDSTORMS IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA...WITH NEARLY A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. THE REGION HAS EXPERIENCED OTHER DERECHO EVENTS SINCE...INCLUDING MAY 29 AND SEPTEMBER 6 1998. DERECHOS ARE AN INFREQUENT AND EXTREME EVENT IN OUR AREA. HOWEVER...STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS...SUCH AS FROM A MICROBURST...ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST THUNDERSTORM DAMAGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BOTH OF THESE PHENOMENA ILLUSTRATE THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS ARE JUST AS DESTRUCTIVE AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY AS TORNADOES. CLIMATOLOGY SHOWS THAT TORNADO OCCURRENCES IN EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND ARE AROUND ONE TO THREE PER YEAR. WIND SPEEDS IN THESE TORNADOES ARE TYPICALLY LESS THAN 110 MPH...BUT ON OCCASION CAN EXCEED 125 MPH. MEANWHILE... OVER 100 SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND OR LARGE HAIL OCCUR ACROSS EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND EACH YEAR. WIND SPEEDS IN THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN EQUAL THOSE OF AN F0 OR F1 TORNADO. MOREOVER... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MORE WIDESPREAD IN COVERAGE AND LAST LONGER THAN TORNADOES. THEREFORE...IT IS ESSENTIAL TO HEED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS WITH THE VIGILANCE OF A TORNADO WATCH OR WARNING. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT COULD PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER. THESE WATCHES ARE ISSUED FOR LARGE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS SUCH AS MULTIPLE COUNTIES OR STATES FOR A DURATION OF SEVERAL HOURS. AT THIS POINT...YOU SHOULD HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION AND STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS ARE ISSUED WHEN SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN INDICATED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR OR OBSERVED BY THE PUBLIC. THEY ARE ISSUED BY COUNTY WITH A DURATION OF GENERALLY AN HOUR OR LESS. WHEN A WARNING IS ISSUED...YOU SHOULD TAKE ACTION...INCLUDING POSSIBLE EVACUATION... MOVING INTO A BASEMENT OR INTERIOR HALLWAY AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS. AGAIN...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE JUST AS DANGEROUS AS TORNADOES... AND DESERVE THE SAME RESPECT...PRECAUTIONS AND ACTIONS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DERECHOS...INCLUDING THE JULY 1995 ADIRONDACK DERECHO...PLEASE GO TO OUR WEB PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV...THEN CLICK ON EASTERN NEW YORK OR WESTERN NEW ENGLAND AND LOOK FOR THE DERECHO LINK ON THE TOP OF THE PAGE. $$ OKEEFE