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...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE NEW YORK STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE HAVE PROCLAIMED MAY 3RD THROUGH 9TH SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK. OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS... SEVERE WEATHER HAS KILLED OVER 100 PEOPLE IN NEW YORK AND CAUSED OVER THREE QUARTERS OF A BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. ON AVERAGE... NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES 400 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS... 17 TORNADO WARNINGS AND ABOUT 150 FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS EACH YEAR IN NEW YORK STATE. TO REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF BEING KILLED OR INJURED BY SEVERE WEATHER... IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEFINED AS THOSE THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER AND/OR HAIL OF THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. YOU SHOULD CONTINUE WITH YOUR DAILY ROUTINE... BUT BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING BE ISSUED. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING MEANS THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. A WARNING IMPLIES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. YOU SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY WHEN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED. EVEN IF A THUNDERSTORM IS NOT CONSIDERED SEVERE... IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO GO INDOORS SINCE LIGHTNING IS A POTENTIAL THREAT. BY DEFINITION... ALL THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN LIGHTNING. ALL LIGHTNING IS DANGEROUS. TORNADOES ARE VIOLENTLY ROTATING COLUMNS OF AIR IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. LIKE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. A TORNADO WARNING MEANS THAT A TORNADO IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. A TORNADO WARNING IMPLIES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IN A STURDY BUILDING AWAY FROM WINDOWS WHICH CAN SHATTER. THE BEST PLACE IS IN THE BASEMENT IF THERE IS ONE. IF NOT A SMALL ROOM OR CLOSET ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING IS THE SAFEST PLACE. FLASH FLOODING IS A RAPID RISE... WITHIN SIX HOURS... OF WATER ALONG A STREAM OR LOW LYING URBAN AREA. THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF FLASH FLOODING IS DOWNPOURS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLASH FLOODING. CONTINUE WITH YOUR DAILY ACTIVITIES... BUT BE PREPARED TO HEAD TO A PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD A FLASH FLOOD WARNING BE ISSUED. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. FLOOD WATERS CAN RISE RAPIDLY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY WHEN A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED. NOAA WEATHER RADIO OFFERS THE BEST WAY TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS 24 HOURS A DAY AND 7 DAYS A WEEK. YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HIGHLY RECOMMENDS EVERYONE HAVE ACCESS TO A NOAA WEATHER RADIO. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.WEATHER.GOV.