PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EST TUE FEB 22 2005

...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY...

DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.

STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST THUNDERSTORM WIND
DAMAGE. THESE WINDS CAN REACH 140 MPH IN EXTREME CASES. ONE TYPE OF
STRAIGHT LINE WIND CALLED A DOWNBURST CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO
AVIATION. A DOWNBURST IS A SMALL AREA OF RAPIDLY DESCENDING AIR
BENEATH A THUNDERSTORM. IN EXTREME CASES STRAIGHT LINE WINDS CAN
REACH SPEEDS EQUAL TO A STRONG TORNADO. THIS COULD CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE TO SOME BUILDINGS. STRONG WINDS MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCOMPANIED
BY RAIN.

THE YEAR 2004 WAS ABOVE AVERAGE WITH THE NUMBER OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS. MANY TIMES THE STRONG WINDS BLEW MOBILE HOMES OFF
THEIR FOUNDATIONS OR TOPPLED TREES AND POWER LINES. FORTUNATELY...
THERE WERE NO KNOWN SERIOUS INJURIES EVEN WITH THE ABOVE NORMAL YEAR.

ANOTHER DANGER ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS LARGE HAIL.
STRONG RISING CURRENTS OF AIR WITHIN A STORM CALLED UPDRAFTS CARRY
WATER DROPLETS TO A HEIGHT WHERE FREEZING OCCURS. ICE PARTICLES GROW
IN SIZE FINALLY BECOMING TOO HEAVY TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE UPDRAFT
AND FALL TO THE GROUND. LARGE HAILSTONES CAN FALL AT SPEEDS FASTER
THAN 100 MPH.

LARGE HAIL CAUSES OVER A BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE EACH YEAR
TO PROPERTY AND CROPS. GOLF BALL SIZE AND LARGER HAIL OFTEN OCCURS
JUST BEFORE A TORNADO DEVELOPS.

DURING THE PAST YEAR...MOST REPORTS OF HAIL IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND
SOUTH COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA WERE ONE INCH OR LESS. THERE WERE ONLY
FOUR REPORTS OF HAIL ONE AND ONE HALF INCH TO ONE AND THREE QUARTER 
INCHES OR ABOUT THE SIZE OF PING PONG BALLS TO GOLF BALL SIZE.

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