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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
608 PM EDT FRI MAY 27 2005

...HURRICANE AWARENESS WEEK...

THE WEEK OF MAY 29 THROUGH JUNE 4 HAS BEEN DECLARED HURRICANE
AWARENESS WEEK. CITIZENS SHOULD USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE
FOR THE UPCOMING HURRICANE SEASON.  DURING THIS WEEK...THE
CHARLESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE WILL TRANSMIT
AWARENESS INFORMATION AND PREPAREDNESS TIPS EACH DAY TO HELP YOU
DEVELOP A HURRICANE DISASTER PLAN. OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,
AMERICAN RED CROSS, AND PROJECT IMPACT PARTNERS ALSO ENCOURAGE
CITIZENS TO PLAN NOW.

THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANES INCLUDE HEAVY RAIN...STORM
SURGE...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES...RIP CURRENTS...HIGH SURF...AND
BEACH EROSION.

STORM SURGE IS A LARGE DOME OF WATER OFTEN 50 TO 100 MILES WIDE...
THAT SWEEPS ACROSS THE COASTLINE NEAR WHERE A HURRICANE MAKES
LANDFALL. THE SURGE OF HIGH WATER...TOPPED BY WAVE ACTION IS
DEVASTATING. THE STRONGER THE HURRICANE AND THE SHALLOWER THE COASTAL
SHELF...THE HIGHER THE SURGE WILL BE. ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST...
STORM SURGE IS THE GREATEST HAZARD TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. BY
CONTRAST...THE GREATEST HAZARD IS FROM FRESH WATER FLOODING.

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 OFTEN STAY ABOVE HURRICANE
STRENGTH WELL INLAND. HURRICANE HUGO BATTERED CHARLOTTE NORTH
CAROLINA WITH GUSTS TO OVER SEVENTY FIVE MILES PER HOUR...DOWNING
TREES AND POWER LINES AND CAUSING MASSIVE DESTRUCTION.

HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODS.
WIDESPREAD TORRENTIAL RAINS...OFTEN IN EXCESS OF SIX INCHES OF
RAIN...CAN PRODUCE DEADLY AND DESTRUCTIVE FLOODS. THIS IS THE MAJOR
HAZARD TO AREAS WELL INLAND. FLOODING FROM HURRICANE FLOYD CAUSED
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA
IN 1999. THERE WERE ALSO OVER FIFTY DEATHS IN FLOYD...DUE PRIMARILY
TO FRESH WATER FLOODING.

TORNADOES.
HURRICANES ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES...WHICH ADD TO THE HURRICANES
DESTRUCTIVE POWER. THESE TORNADOES MOST OFTEN OCCUR IN
THUNDERSTORMS EMBEDDED IN RAIN BANDS WELL AWAY FROM THE CENTER
OF THE HURRICANE. HOWEVER...THEY CAN ALSO OCCUR NEAR THE EYE WALL.
IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004...THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE FRANCES PRODUCED
20 CONFIRMED TORNADOES IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST
GEORGIA.

HURRICANES ALSO PRODUCE HIGH SURF WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS TO ANYONE
THAT VENTURES INTO THE WATER. THE HIGH SURF CAUSES EXTENSIVE BEACH
EROSION AND INCREASES THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. RIP CURRENT ARE
NARROW CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY FROM LAND.

DURING THE REMAINDER OF HURRICANE AWARENESS WEEK...THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WILL GIVE HELPFUL PREPAREDNESS TIPS TO PREPARE FOR
THE UPCOMING HURRICANE SEASON.

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