PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
500 AM EDT TUE MAY 24 2011

THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL HURRICANE AWARENESS WEEK. IT IS TIME FOR YOU 
TO PREPARE FOR THE 2011 HURRICANE SEASON. THE ATLANTIC HURRICANE 
SEASON BEGINS EACH YEAR ON JUNE 1ST AND ENDS NOVEMBER 30TH. BEING 
PREPARED CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN YOUR ABILITY TO COPE WHEN A 
STORM THREATENS.

TODAY WE COVER HIGH WINDS AND TORNADOES.

THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE IS EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF CATEGORIES 
RELATED TO WIND SPEEDS AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE...CALLED THE 
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE...RANGING FROM CATEGORY 1 TO 
CATEGORY 5. A CATEGORY 1 STORM IS THE WEAKEST WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED 
WINDS BETWEEN 74 AND 95 MPH (64 TO 82 KT). A CATEGORY 2 STORM WILL 
HAVE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 96 AND 110 MPH (83 TO 95 KT). 

A HURRICANE IS CALLED A MAJOR HURRICANE WHEN IT BECOMES CATEGORY 3 
OR HIGHER. A CATEGORY 3 STORM IS A STORM WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED 
WINDS BETWEEN 111 AND 130 MPH (96 TO 113 KT). CATEGORY 4 STORMS HAVE 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 131 AND 155 MPH (114 TO 135 KT) AND 
ON AVERAGE CAN BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE DAMAGE 1000 TIMES GREATER THAN A 
CATEGORY 1 STORM. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS IN A CATEGORY 5 
STORM WILL BE GREATER THAN 155 MPH (135 KT).

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO BE DANGEROUS TO 
THOSE CAUGHT IN THEM. EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO EVACUATE OR 
TAKE SHELTER BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. 

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS CAN DESTROY POORLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS AND 
MOBILE HOMES. DEBRIS...SUCH AS SIGNS...ROOFING 
MATERIAL...SIDING...AND SMALL ITEMS LEFT OUTSIDE BECOME FLYING 
MISSILES IN HURRICANES.

THE STRONGEST WINDS USUALLY OCCUR ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE 
EYEWALL...THE MOST INTENSE AREA OF WINDS JUST OUTSIDE THE EYE. 
ALTHOUGH WIND SPEEDS TYPICALLY DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY WITHIN 12 
HOURS OF LANDFALL WINDS CAN REMAIN ABOVE HURRICANE STRENGTH WELL 
INLAND. 

HURRICANES ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES...WHICH ADD TO THE HURRICANES 
DESTRUCTIVE POWER. TORNADOES ARE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THE RIGHT 
FRONT PORTION OF THE STORM...BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE FOUND EMBEDDED IN 
RAINBANDS WELL AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF THE STORM. 

UNLIKE TORNADOES THAT DEVELOP IN STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...TORNADOES 
ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES ARE NOT USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY 
HAIL OR LIGHTNING. TORNADOES CAN OCCUR FOR DAYS AFTER LANDFALL WHEN 
THE CYCLONE REMNANTS PERSIST AS AN IDENTIFIABLE LOW. TROPICAL CYCLONE 
TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP AT ANY TIME OF DAY OR NIGHT...THOUGH BY ABOUT 
12 HOURS AFTER LANDFALL THEY TEND TO OCCUR MORE OFTEN DURING THE DAY.

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