NOUS42 KCHS 281000
PNSCHS

GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-291000-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
600 AM EDT MON MAY 28 2012

...NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES...

HURRICANES AND OTHER TROPICAL SYSTEMS...PARTICULARLY STRONG TROPICAL
STORMS...CAN HAVE NUMEROUS THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. THESE INCLUDE 
STORM SURGE...STRONG WINDS...FLOODING RAINFALL...TORNADOES...RIP 
CURRENTS...HIGH SURF AND BEACH EROSION. WE WILL BEGIN BY DISCUSSING 
STORM SURGE AND STRONG WINDS.

...STORM SURGE...
STORM SURGE IS A LARGE DOME OF WATER...OFTEN 50 TO 100 MILES WIDE...
THAT PUSHES INLAND MOSTLY TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE HURRICANE CROSSES
THE COAST. THE SURGE OF HIGH WATER...IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS BATTERING
WAVES...CAN PRODUCE MASSIVE DESTRUCTION NEAR THE IMMEDIATE COAST. 
HOWEVER...SURGE CAN ALSO PUSH WELL INLAND...ESPECIALLY IN LOW-LYING 
AREAS NEAR WATERWAYS SUCH AS RIVERS AND INLETS. NORMALLY THE LARGER IN 
SIZE AND STRONGER THE STORM AND THE SHALLOWER THE WATER NEAR THE COAST 
THE GREATER THE SURGE WILL BE. ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST...STORM SURGE
CONSTITUTES THE GREATEST THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

...STRONG WINDS...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...74 MILES PER HOUR OR GREATER...CAN DESTROY POORLY
CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS AND MOBILE HOMES. DEBRIS...SUCH AS SIGNS...
ROOFING MATERIAL AND SMALL ITEMS LEFT OUTSIDE BECOME FLYING MISSILES
IN HURRICANES. WINDS CAN OFTEN STAY ABOVE HURRICANE STRENGTH WELL AWAY 
FROM THE IMMEDIATE COAST. HURRICANE HUGO IN 1989 REMAINED A HURRICANE AS 
IT MOVED INLAND INTO WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND BATTERED THE CHARLOTTE 
AREA WITH GUSTS OVER 75 MILES PER HOUR DAMAGING MANY STRUCTURES AND
CAUSING NUMEROUS DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEB AT THE FOLLOWING 
ADDRESSES /ALL IN LOWERCASE LETTERS/...

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER...HTTP://NHC.NOAA.GOV/PREPARE 
CHARLESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHS/TROPICAL.SHTML

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