NOUS42 KCHS 281100
PNSCHS
SCZ040-042>045-047>052-010400-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
600 AM EST MON FEB 28 2011

...SOUTH CAROLINA SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK - THUNDERSTORMS...

THUNDERSTORMS AFFECT RELATIVELY SMALL AREAS WHEN COMPARED TO
HURRICANES AND WINTER STORMS. A TYPICAL THUNDERSTORM IS 15 
MILES IN DIAMETER AND LASTS AROUND 30 MINUTES. SOMETIMES ORGANIZED
SYSTEMS OF MULTIPLE THUNDERSTORMS SUCH AS SQUALL LINES WILL
PERSIST FOR MANY HOURS AND WILL IMPACT LARGER AREAS.

REGARDLESS OF SIZE AND DURATION...ALL THUNDERSTORMS ARE DANGEROUS.
ALL THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE LIGHTNING WHICH KILLS MORE PEOPLE EACH
YEAR THAN TORNADOES. IN 2010...LIGHTNING STRIKES KILLED 22 PEOPLE
IN 19 STATES.

ONLY ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF ALL THUNDERSTORMS IN THE UNITED STATES
BECOME SEVERE EACH YEAR. HOWEVER...THE RELATIVELY FEW
THUNDERSTORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE PRODUCE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS
INCLUDING STRONG...DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS OR
LARGER AND EVEN TORNADOES.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLASSIFIES A THUNDERSTORM AS SEVERE
IF IT HAS ONE OR BOTH OF THE FOLLOWING...WINDS OF 58 MPH OR
GREATER...HAIL OF ONE INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER. ALTHOUGH
LIGHTNING IS A DEADLY THREAT WITH ALL THUNDERSTORMS...LIGHTNING IS
NOT PART OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEFINITION OF A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM.

HEAVY RAIN FROM THUNDERSTORMS CAN ALSO PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING.
MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED IN AUTOMOBILES BY FLOODING THAN BY ANY
OTHER WEATHER HAZARD. 

REVIEW YOUR SAFETY RULES. WITHIN WHAT COUNTIES DO YOU LIVE AND
WORK? KEEP A NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO OR AM/FM RADIO WITH YOU. WATCH
FOR SIGNS OF APPROACHING WEATHER AND KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A
WATCH AND WARNING.

WHEN WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE...THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE WILL ISSUE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A DURATION OF 
SEVERAL HOURS. IF NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES
THAT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT...THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
FOR THE AFFECTED COUNTY...PART OF A COUNTY OR FOR SEVERAL
COUNTIES. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING DURATION TYPICALLY RANGES
FROM ONE HALF TO ONE HOUR. IF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PERSIST OVER
THE SAME AREAS...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ISSUE
ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FOR THESE LOCATIONS.

SEVERE WEATHER SOMETIMES DEVELOPS RAPIDLY EVEN WHEN A WATCH OR
WARNING IS NOT IN EFFECT. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP...YOU SHOULD
ALWAYS REMAIN ALERT AND PREPARED FOR SEVERE WEATHER.

WHEN THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES...MOVE TO A STURDY BUILDING OR
CAR. GET OUT OF BOATS AND AWAY FROM WATER. AVOID ISOLATED TREES
OR LIGHT POLES. AVOID USING ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES IF POSSIBLE.

CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON...YOUR LOCAL
COUNTY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICE OR THE AMERICAN RED CROSS FOR
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THUNDERSTORM SAFETY RULES.

TOMORROW WE WILL LOOK AT THE DANGERS OF STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND
LARGE HAIL.

$$