ZCZC NYCWRKPS7 000
TTAA00 KNYC 231606
CTZ005>012-NJZ002>006-011-NYZ067>081-271100-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
200 PM EDT THU APR 26 2007

...THIS IS SEVERE WEEK AWARENESS WEEK...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SEVERAL 
AGENCIES...INCLUDING THE NY STATE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS 
COMMISSION...IS PROMOTING SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY FOR ALL PEOPLE.

THIS STATEMENT COVERS TORNADOES IN THE TRI STATE AREA.

A TORNADO IS A RAPIDLY ROTATING COLUMN OF AIR...EXTENDING DOWN
FROM A CLOUD WITH A CIRCULATION THAT REACHES THE GROUND.

TORNADOES DEVELOP FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. CLIMATOLOGICALLY...THEY 
OCCUR MOST FREQUENTLY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON FROM JUNE THROUGH 
AUGUST. THEY DEVELOP AND DISSIPATE RAPIDLY. THEIR INTENSITIES ARE 
USUALLY WEAK...EF 0 AND EF 1 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE... 
REPRESENTING WIND SPEEDS UP TO 110 MPH. THEIR PATH LENGTH AND WIDTH 
ARE USUALLY SMALL. MOST WEAK TORNADOES OCCUR WITHIN AREAS OF RAIN... 
MAKING THEM DIFFICULT TO SPOT.

THE NUMBER OF TORNADOES CONFIRMED BY THE NWS SINCE 1960...

FOR SOUTHEAST NEW YORK...

18 IN SUFFOLK COUNTY
 9 IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY
 8 IN ORANGE COUNTY
 7 IN NASSAU COUNTY
 4 IN PUTNAM COUNTY
 5 IN NEW YORK CITY AND 
 1 IN ROCKLAND COUNTY.

FOR NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY...

11 IN UNION COUNTY
 9 IN BERGEN COUNTY
 4 IN PASSAIC COUNTY
 2 IN ESSEX COUNTY AND 
 1 IN HUDSON COUNTY.

FOR SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT...

10 IN NEW HAVEN COUNTY
 8 IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY
 6 IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY AND 
 1 IN NEW LONDON COUNTY.

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA ISSUES TORNADO 
WATCHES...WITH A LEAD TIME OF UP TO 6 HOURS. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS 
THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT 
OF TORNADOES IN AND AROUND A DEFINED AREA.

OUR NWS OFFICE IN LONG ISLAND NY ISSUES TORNADO WARNINGS FOR...11 
SOUTHEAST NY COUNTIES COVERING THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY...NEW YORK 
CITY AND LONG ISLAND...5 NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY COUNTIES AND 4 
SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT COUNTIES. OUR OFFICE USES A COMBINATION OF 
WEATHER RADAR AND VOLUNTEER SKYWARN SPOTTER OBSERVATIONS TO ISSUE 
WARNINGS...WITH LEAD TIMES OF LESS THAN 10 MINUTES. WHEN A WARNING 
IS ISSUED...TAKE IMMEDIATE PROTECTIVE ACTION TO SAVE YOUR LIFE.

FRIDAY'S STATEMENT COVERS FLASH FLOODS.

$$
GC