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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. A HAZARDOUS WEATHER COMMUNICATIONS DRILL IS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY AT 115 PM. A TEST TORNADO WARNING WILL BE ISSUED STATEWIDE AT THAT TIME. THIS WILL GIVE ALL NEW YORKERS... FROM EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC... THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IF THEY ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE VITAL INFORMATION ON POTENTIAL WEATHER HAZARDS. THE DRILL ALSO GIVES NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTERS THE CHANCE TO TEST THEIR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE INFORMATION ON THOSE HAZARDS QUICKLY. TONE ALERT NOAA WEATHER RADIO RECEIVERS SHOULD ACTIVATE. SAME DIGITAL NOAA WEATHER RADIO RECEIVERS SHOULD DISPLAY THE ROUTINE MONTHLY TEST /RMT/. TORNADOES ARE AN AWESOME DISPLAY OF NATURE'S POWER. ALTHOUGH THEY ARE MOST COMMON IN THE MIDWEST AND GREAT PLAINS... TORNADOES DO OCCUR IN NEW YORK AS WELL. ON JUNE 30 2006... A TORNADO MOVED ACROSS THE BUFFALO SUBURB OF CHEEKTOWAGA... INJURING TWO PEOPLE AND RESULTING IN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. A TORNADO IN THAT SAME TOWN ON JULY 30 1987 CAUSED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE...BUT NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES. IN PREVIOUS YEARS HOWEVER... TWO PEOPLE DIED WHEN A TORNADO RIPPED THROUGH BATAVIA ON SEPTEMBER 3 1993. ON JUNE 2 1998 A LARGER TORNADO DESTROYED OR DAMAGED SEVERAL HOMES AND BARNS IN WYOMING COUNTY CAUSING OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. FORTUNATELY... THERE WERE NO INJURIES. HOWEVER... IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF A FAMILY DID NOT EVACUATE THEIR MOBILE HOME FOR A NEARBY BASEMENT MINUTES BEFORE THEIR HOME WAS DEMOLISHED. ON MAY 11 2003 A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN THE TOWN OF ONTARIO... WAYNE COUNTY... DAMAGING SEVERAL HOMES. THE PRIMARY MISSION OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS TO PROTECT LIVES FROM HAZARDOUS WEATHER. METEOROLOGISTS CLOSELY MONITOR THE ATMOSPHERE FOR CONDITIONS WHICH MAY PRODUCE TORNADOES OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. IF THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR STORM DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS... A TORNADO WATCH IS ISSUED. WHILE YOU CAN CONTINUE WITH YOUR ROUTINE ACTIVITIES WHEN A WATCH IS IN EFFECT... YOU SHOULD PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE SKY. IF IT BECOMES UNUSUALLY THREATENING... OR IF YOU HEAR THUNDER... IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO GO INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. WHY TAKE A CHANCE? TORNADOES CAN FORM VERY RAPIDLY. ALSO... LISTEN FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ON YOUR FAVORITE RADIO OF TV STATION... OR ON NOAA WEATHER RADIO. DOPPLER RADAR CURRENTLY IN USE AT ALL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES HAS GREATLY AIDED FORECASTERS IN DETECTING TORNADOES. IN ADDITION... VOLUNTEER STORM SPOTTERS TRAINED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAVE PROVIDED VALUABLE GROUND TRUTH INFORMATION ON TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS. IF A TORNADO IS SIGHTED BY SPOTTERS OR DETECTED ON RADAR... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD QUICKLY ISSUE A TORNADO WARNING FOR COMMUNITIES IN THE STORM/S PATH. IF YOU LIVE IN OR NEAR A COMMUNITY MENTIONED IN THE WARNING... YOU SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY BY GOING INTO AN INTERIOR ROOM... AWAY FROM WINDOWS... ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF A STURDY BUILDING. A BASEMENT OFFERS THE BEST PROTECTION FOLLOWED BY INTERIOR CLOSETS AND HALLWAYS. MOBILE HOMES... EVEN IF TIED DOWN... OFFER LITTLE PROTECTION FROM TORNADOES AND SHOULD BE ABANDONED. NEVER ATTEMPT TO OUTRUN A TORNADO IN YOUR CAR. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE FOR A STURDY SHELTER. IF THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE... LIE FLAT IN A NEARBY DITCH OR DEPRESSION. REMEMBER... FLYING DEBRIS FROM THE WIND OF A TORNADO CAUSES MOST DEATHS AND INJURIES. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.WEATHER.GOV.