PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1230 AM EST WED FEB 23 2005

THIS IS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK FOR NORTH CAROLINA. IT IS TIME
TO PREPARE FOR ANOTHER SEASON OF DANGEROUS WEATHER.

TODAY WE WILL DUSCUSS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SAFETY. HERE ARE SOME KEY 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM TERMS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW. 


A THUNDERSTORM IS RATED AS SEVERE WHEN IT CAUSES DAMAGING WIND GUSTS 
AT LEAST 58 MPH AND…OR PENNY SIZE HAIL ¾ INCH IN DIAMATER OR LARGER. 

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ISSUED FOR A LARGE AREA WHEN CONDITIONS 
ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. 


A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED BY A LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE OFFICE WHEN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HAS BEEN REPORTED ON THE 
GROUND OR DETECTED BY DOPPLER RADAR. A WARNING MEANS IMMEDIATE DANGER
TO LIFE AND PROPERTY FOR THOSE IN THE PATH OF THE STORM. 

BEFORE THE STORM…KNOW WHERE YOU WILL GO AND WHAT YOU WILL DO WHNT 
THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH. GET AWAY FROM WINDOWS…GO TO A LOWER FLOOR IN 
THE MIDDLE OF A BUILDING. 

REMEMBER…IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER…YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM 
TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. GO TO SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. 

AVOID USING ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND TELEPHONES…UNPLUG THEM IF 
POSSIBLE. 

IF YOU ARE IN THE BOAT OR IN THE WATER…GET TO SHORE AS QUICKLY 
AS POSSIBLE…AND SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION...GO TO
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SAFETY.PHP