...PENNSYLVANIA WEATHER EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK...

THIS IS THE FIRST OF A FIVE PART SERIES ON SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY 
WHICH WILL RUN EACH DAY DURING PENNSYLVANIA/S WEATHER EMERGENCY 
PREPAREDNESS WEEK 

...TORNADOES...THE MOST VIOLENT STORMS ON EARTH...

IN AN AVERAGE YEAR...NEARLY 1000 TORNADOES ARE REPORTED NATIONWIDE 
WITH 80 DEATHS AND OVER 1500 INJURIES. WORLDWIDE...THE UNITED STATES 
RANKS NUMBER ONE IN THE HIGHEST OCCURRENCE OF THESE POWERFUL STORMS. 
THE MOST VIOLENT TORNADOES ARE CAPABLE OF TREMENDOUS DESTRUCTION AS 
WIND SPEEDS CAN EXCEED 250 MPH. EVEN THOUGH TORNADOES OF THIS 
MAGNITUDE ARE EXTREMELY INFREQUENT IN THIS AREA, IT IS STILL 
IMPORTANT TO KNOW TORNADO SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. EVEN A WEAK TORNADO 
CAN CAUSE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF DAMAGE!

THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE, WHICH RUNS FROM EF0 TO EF5, IS USED TO RATE 
TORNADO STRENGTH. THE WEAKEST TORNADO IS RANKED AS AN EF0 AND HAS 
ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS LESS THAN 72 MPH. EF5 IS THE STRONGEST RANKING 
RESERVED FOR TORNADOES WITH WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 260 MPH. 
AGAIN...MOST TORNADOES IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY ARE ON 
THE WEAKER SIDE. HOWEVER...A FEW STRONG TORNADOES HAVE OCCURRED IN 
THE REGION. AN EF3 TORNADO RIPPED THROUGH THE TOWN OF LYONS IN 
CENTRAL BERKS COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA ON MAY 31,1998. HALF THE TOWN WAS 
DESTROYED...BUT BECAUSE RESIDENTS RECEIVED AMPLE WARNING...AND 
BECAUSE THEY TOOK APPROPRIATE ACTION...NO DEATHS OR SERIOUS INJURIES 
OCCURRED FROM THIS EVENT. LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF TORNADOES IN 
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY REACH AN INTENSITY OF EF4 OR 
HIGHER. THE ONLY EF5 TORNADO IN RECORDED PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY 
OCCURRED ON MAY 31, 1985. NO EF5 TORNADOES HAVE EVER BEEN RECORDED IN 
NEW JERSEY HISTORY.

A RECENT OCCURRENCE OF TORNADOES IN THE REGION HAPPENED ON JULY 
27, 2004 AS AN EF1 TORNADO MOVED THROUGH WOODLAND TOWNSHIP IN 
BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY. THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO WAS 2.6 
MILES LONG AND 100 YARDS WIDE. TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED AT THE NEW 
LISBON DEVELOPMENT CENTER, WHERE 500,000 DOLLARS IN DAMAGE WAS ALSO 
REPORTED.

ANOTHER WEAKER TORNADO, AN EF0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE, MOVED THROUGH 
CHERRY HILL NEW JERSEY ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2004. THE PATH OF THIS 
TORNADO WAS 2.5 MILES LONG AND 50 FEET WIDE. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN 
THIS TORNADO, BUT THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO STORES AND 
BUSINESSES IN THE AREA, AND NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER POLES WERE 
FELLED FROM THE STRONG WINDS.

THE MOST RECENT TORNADO FATALITY OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 27, 2003 WHEN A 
WEAK EF0 TORNADO MOVED THROUGH HAINESPORT, BURLINGTON COUNTY. A WOMAN 
WAS KILLED BY A FLYING TREE LIMB AS SHE WAS WALKING TOWARD HER CAR. 
THIS WAS THE FIRST TORNADO DEATH IN NEW JERSEY SINCE 1941.

TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. THE 
FOLLOWING SAFETY TIPS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED IF EVER A TORNADO 
APPROACHES YOUR AREA.

-WHEN AT HOME...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS...DOORS...AND OUTSIDE WALLS. 
GO TO A BASEMENT OR INTERIOR PART OF THE HOUSE ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. 
COVER YOUR HEAD WITH SOMETHING STURDY FOR ADDED PROTECTION.

-IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...LIE FLAT ON LOW GROUND AND SHIELD YOUR HEAD 
WITH YOUR ARMS. WATCH OUT FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS.

-IF IN A CAR OR TRUCK...DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. LEAVE YOUR 
VEHICLE AND TAKE COVER IN A STURDY BUILDING. IF NO BUILDING IS 
AVAILABLE...LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE FOR LOWER GROUND AND COVER YOUR HEAD.

-MOBILE HOMES OFFER LITTLE PROTECTION. IF THREATENING WEATHER 
APPROACHES...SEEK STURDIER SHELTER. IF NO SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER IS 
NEARBY...LIE FLAT IN A DITCH OR ON LOW GROUND.

-WHEN IN A PUBLIC BUILDING...MOVE TO A DESIGNATED SHELTER AREA. 
THESE ARE USUALLY IDENTIFIED IN SCHOOLS...HOSPITALS...AND OTHER 
PUBLIC BUILDINGS. OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM OR 
HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. DO NOT TAKE SHELTER IN 
GYMNASIUMS OR AUDITORIUMS. DUE TO THEIR NATURE, THE LARGE OPEN 
EXPANSES OFFER LITTLE PROTECTION.

-LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS AS OFTEN 
AS POSSIBLE FOR UPDATED STORM INFORMATION.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR 
TORNADOES TO DEVELOP. YOU SHOULD CONTINUE YOUR DAILY ROUTINE DURING 
A TORNADO WATCH...BUT KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY. KEEP ABREAST OF 
CURRENT WEATHER INFORMATION FOR YOUR AREA...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE 
QUICK ACTION IF NECESSARY.

A TORNADO WARNING MEANS THAT A TORNADO HAS BEEN SIGHTED ON THE 
GROUND OR IS INDICATED BY DOPPLER RADAR. WHEN A WARNING IS 
ISSUED...MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. ALSO REMEMBER THAT 
TORNADOES OCCASIONALLY DEVELOP IN AREAS WHERE NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WATCH OR WARNING IS IN EFFECT.

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