CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066- 082>084-VTZ013>015-291200- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 800 AM EDT MON APR 28 2008 ...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES OF NEW YORK...VERMONT...CONNECTICUT...AND MASSACHUSETTS HAVE PROCLAIMED APRIL 27 TO MAY 3...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK. ALL RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO LEARN HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE HAZARDS OF FLOODING...TORNADOES...AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS...SEVERE WEATHER HAS KILLED OVER 75 PEOPLE IN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND. DAMAGE HAS EXCEEDED ONE BILLION DOLLARS. ON AVERAGE...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES 400 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS...17 TORNADO WARNINGS AND ABOUT 150 FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS EACH YEAR ACROSS THE REGION. TO REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF BEING KILLED OR INJURED BY SEVERE WEATHER...IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS. TODAY WE REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER TERMS AND DEFINTIONS INCLUDING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS AND FLASH FLOOD WATCHES. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEFINED AS THOSE THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER AND OR HAIL OF THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...TYPICALLY NO MORE THAN SIX HOURS. YOU SHOULD CONTINUE WITH YOUR DAILY ROUTINE...BUT BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING BE ISSUED. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING MEANS THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURING. A WARNING IMPLIES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. YOU SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY WHEN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED. TORNADOES ARE VIOLENTLY ROTATING COLUMNS OF AIR IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND ATTACHED TO THE CLOUD BASE ABOVE. LIKE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...AGAIN USUALLY NO MORE THAN SIX HOURS. A TORNADO WARNING MEANS THAT A TORNADO IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. A TORNADO WARNING IMPLIES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. FLASH FLOODING IS A RAPID RISE...WITHIN SIX HOURS...OF WATER ALONG A STREAM OR LOW LYING URBAN AREA. THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF FLASH FLOODING IS DOWNPOURS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLASH FLOODING. CONTINUE WITH YOUR DAILY ACTIVITIES...BUT BE PREPARED TO HEAD TO A PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD A FLASH FLOOD WARNING BE ISSUED. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. FLOOD WATERS CAN RISE RAPIDLY. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY WHEN A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NOW ISSUES SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...TORNADO...AND FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS ON A STORM BASIS. THESE WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE AREA LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED BY THE STORM...RATHER THAN FOR AN ENTIRE COUNTY. THIS METHOD WILL NARROW THE REGION FOR WHICH A WARNING IS VALID... ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY WARNINGS FOR AREAS OF A COUNTY WHERE NO THREAT EXISTS. NOAA WEATHER RADIO OFFERS THE BEST WAY TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH WEATHER CONDITIONS WHETHER AT HOME...WORK OR PLAY. NOAA WEATHER RADIO PROVIDES CONTINUOUS BROADCASTS OF WEATHER INFORMATION...WITH IMMEDIATE RELAY OF ANY SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS. NOAAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECOMMENDS EVERYONE HAVE ACCESS TO A NOAA WEATHER RADIO. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK...GO TO OUR WEB SITE WWW.WEATHER.GOV. THEN CLICK ON EASTERN NEW YORK OR WESTERN NEW ENGLAND. FINALLY...SELECT OUR SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS LINK. TOMORROW WE TAKE A LOOK AT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND CONDUCT OUR FIRST COMMUNICATION DRILL. $$ OKEEFE