PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
600 AM EDT TUE APR 30 2013

...This is Severe Weather Awareness Week...

The National Weather Service in partnership with several agencies 
Including the New York State Disaster Preparedness Commission is 
promoting severe weather safety for all people.

This statement covers severe thunderstorms.

Since 1996, high winds produced from severe thunderstorms were directly 
responsible for 15 deaths and 172 injuries across the Tri-State region. 
Although hail can damage property and injure people and animals, it 
rarely kills.

Climatologically, severe thunderstorms occur most frequently during the 
late afternoon, around 5 pm, from May through early September.  A typical 
example would be rapidly developing severe thunderstorms forming in a 
moist unstable air mass ahead of a quick moving strong cold front.  
Typical damage would result from strong wind gusts along the leading edge 
of a line of thunderstorms.  Winds that blow from one direction are 
called straight-line winds.

Severe weather outlooks are issued by the NWS Storm Prediction Center up 
to 8 days before a potential event and by NWS New York NY up to 7 days 
before a potential event in our Hazardous Weather Outlook.

Severe Thunderstorm Watches are issued by the NWS Storm Prediction Center 
with lead times up to 6 hours.  A watch means that weather conditions are 
favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms in and around an 
area, usually covering a few hundred square miles.

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are issued by your National Weather Service 
office on Long Island for 11 counties in southeast New York, including 
the Lower Hudson Valley...New York City and Long Island, 5 counties in 
northeast New Jersey and 4 counties in southern Connecticut.  We use a 
combination of Doppler Radar and volunteer Skywarn spotter observations 
to issue warnings.  Last year, we correctly detected and warned for 88 
percent of 154 severe thunderstorm events with an average lead-time of 25 
minutes. 

When a warning is issued, take protective action to save your life or 
minimize damage to your property.  If there is time, secure outdoor 
objects that could blow away or cause damage.  Remember the 30-30 
lightning safety rule.  Go indoors, if after seeing lightning, you cannot 
count to 30 before hearing thunder.  Stay indoors for 30 minutes after 
last seeing lightning or hearing the last clap of thunder.  Get inside a 
home, building or hard top automobile - not a convertible.  Although you 
may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a 
vehicle than outside. 

When you need timely weather information, tune to NOAA Weather Radio All- 
Hazards, the official voice of the NWS.

The next statement covers severe weather preparedness and safety.

$$