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NOUS41 KBGM 290924
PNSBGM
NYZ009-015>018-022>025-036-037-044>046-055>057-062-300400-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
530 AM EDT MON APR 29 2013

THIS IS THE FIRST OF A SIX PART SERIES ON SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY WHICH
WILL RUN EACH DAY DURING NEW YORK/S SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK.

GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO HAS DECLARED THIS WEEK...APRIL 28 THROUGH MAY
4...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN NEW YORK. NOAA/S NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE JOINS GOVERNOR CUOMO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
AGENCIES OF THE NEW YORK STATE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
COMMISSION...LOCAL AGENCIES...VOLUNTEER AGENCIES...AND PRIVATE
SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS IN URGING ALL RESIDENTS TO LEARN HOW TO PROTECT
THEMSELVES FROM THE HAZARDS OF FLOODING...TORNADOES...AND SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.

OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS SEVERE WEATHER...NOT INCLUDING FLOODS...HAS
KILLED NEARLY 50 PEOPLE IN NEW YORK AND CAUSED OVER ONE QUARTER OF A
BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. ON AVERAGE...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
ISSUES 400 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS...17 TORNADO WARNINGS AND
ABOUT 150 FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS EACH YEAR IN NEW YORK STATE. TO
REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF BEING KILLED OR INJURED BY SEVERE
WEATHER...IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF SEVERE
WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEFINED AS THOSE THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE
WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER AND OR HAIL OF ONE INCH IN DIAMETER OR
LARGER. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...TYPICALLY NO MORE THAN
SIX HOURS. YOU SHOULD CONTINUE WITH YOUR DAILY ROUTINE...BUT BE
PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING BE ISSUED. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING MEANS THAT SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. A WARNING IMPLIES A
SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. YOU SHOULD SEEK SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY WHEN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED.

TORNADOES ARE VIOLENTLY ROTATING COLUMNS OF AIR IN CONTACT WITH THE
GROUND AND ATTACHED TO THE CLOUD BASE ABOVE. LIKE A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE
POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS ...AGAIN USUALLY NO MORE THAN
SIX HOURS. A TORNADO WARNING MEANS THAT A TORNADO IS IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. A TORNADO WARNING IMPLIES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE AND
PROPERTY. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

FLASH FLOODING IS A RAPID RISE...WITHIN SIX HOURS...OF WATER ALONG A
STREAM OR LOW LYING URBAN AREA. THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF FLASH
FLOODING IS HEAVY DOWNPOURS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLASH FLOODING.
CONTINUE WITH YOUR DAILY ACTIVITIES...BUT BE PREPARED TO HEAD TO A
PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD A FLASH FLOOD WARNING BE ISSUED. A FLASH
FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. FLOOD
WATERS CAN RISE RAPIDLY. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY WHEN A FLASH FLOOD
WARNING IS ISSUED.

NOAA WEATHER RADIO OFFERS THE BEST WAY TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH
DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS 24 HOURS A DAY AND 7 DAYS A
WEEK...WHETHER AT HOME...WORK OR PLAY. NOAA WEATHER RADIO PROVIDES
CONTINUOUS BROADCASTS OF WEATHER INFORMATION...WITH IMMEDIATE RELAY
OF ANY SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS. NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
RECOMMENDS EVERYONE HAVE ACCESS TO A NOAA WEATHER RADIO.

THE WEATHER SAFETY TOPICS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WILL BE AS
FOLLOWS:

TUESDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
WEDNESDAY...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS AND SAFETY.
THURSDAY...TORNADOES.
FRIDAY...FLOODING.
SATURDAY...COMMUNICATIONS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WEATHER HAZARDS AWARENESS WEEK...PLEASE
VISIT

HTTP://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/BGM/PREPAREDNESS/SWAW/NY2013 (ALL LOWER CASE)

YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT DAVID NICOSIA WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
FOR NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BINGHAMTON AT 607-770-9531 X
223 OR VIA EMAIL AT DAVID.NICOSIA@NOAA.GOV

$$

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