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Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Eureka, CA
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NOUS46 KEKA 171737
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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EUREKA CA
1037 AM PDT FRI MAY 17 2013

...NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK...

NWS AND THE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL WILL PARTNER FOR
NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK MAY 18-24. THE WEEK WILL HIGHLIGHT
RELEVANT WEATHER AND SAFETY-SPECIFIC PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
FOR THE RECREATIONAL BOATING PUBLIC. TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:

SAT 5/18: USE OF LIFE JACKETS. BEFORE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY GET OUT
ON THE WATER THIS YEAR, GRAB A LIFE JACKET AND WEAR IT! NEARLY 85
PERCENT OF THOSE WHO DROWN WHILE BOATING WERE NOT WEARING A LIFE
JACKET. WEARING A LIFE JACKET IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND
SIMPLE LIFE-SAVING STRATEGIES FOR SAFE RECREATIONAL BOATING.
BOATERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A U.S. COAST GUARD-APPROVED LIFE
JACKET ON BOARD FOR EVERY PASSENGER ON THEIR VESSEL.

SUN 5/19: VESSEL SAFETY CHECKS. THIS BOATING SEASON, MAKE SURE
THAT YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE VESSEL SAFETY CHECK (VSC), PROGRAM,
A FREE, NO RISK SERVICE PROVIDED IN YOUR AREA BY THE US COAST
GUARD AUXILIARY AND THE US POWER SQUADRONS. A QUALIFIED VESSEL
EXAMINER WILL CONDUCT AN INSPECTION OF ALL THE REQUIRED SAFETY
EQUIPMENT CARRIED OR INSTALLED ON A VESSEL AND CERTAIN ASPECTS OF
THE VESSEL`S OVERALL CONDITION. EVEN IF YOU PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION
TO SAFETY, DANGEROUS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS CAN CROP UP ON THE BEST-
MAINTAINED BOAT. THAT`S WHY THE U.S. COAST GUARD RECOMMENDS THAT
ALL RECREATIONAL BOATS (INCLUDING PERSONAL WATERCRAFT) GET A FREE
VSC EACH YEAR.

MON 5/20: THE USE OF EMERGENCY POSITION INDICATING RADIO BEACONS
(EPIRBS). EMERGENCY BEACONS, THROUGH THE WORLDWIDE OFFERED SERVICE
OF COSPAS-SARSAT, AID IN THE DETECTION, LOCATION AND SEARCH AND
RESCUE (SAR) OF BOATS, AIRCRAFT, AND PEOPLE IN DISTRESS. WHEN
ACTIVATED MANUALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY UPON IMMERSION, EPIRBS SEND
OUT DISTRESS SIGNALS, WHICH ARE MONITORED WORLDWIDE BY SATELLITES.
EXCEPT FOR THE EXPENSE OF BUYING A BEACON, THIS SYSTEM IS FREE.
FOR ADDITIONAL SAFE BOATING, SOME PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACONS (PLBS)
ARE DESIGNED FOR USE IN WATER AND MAY BE ATTACHED TO LIFE VESTS.
ALL 406 MHZ BEACONS SHOULD BE REGISTERED WITH NOAA. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION FOR EMERGENCY BEACONS CAN BE FOUND AT
WWW.SARSAT.NOAA.GOV.

TUE 5/21: UNDERSTANDING A MARINE FORECAST. UNDERSTANDING A MARINE
FORECAST IS CRITICAL TO SAFE BOATING. WEATHER AND WAVE CONDITIONS
CAN CHANGE SUDDENLY, CATCHING BOATERS OFF GUARD AND CREATING LIFE
THREATENING CONDITIONS. TAKE PARTICULAR NOTE OF CURRENT ADVISORIES
AND WARNINGS, INCLUDING SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES, GALE AND STORM
WARNINGS WHICH ALERT MARINERS TO EITHER HIGH WINDS OR WAVES
OCCURRING NOW OR FORECAST TO OCCUR UP TO 24 HOURS FROM NOW. BEFORE
SETTING OUT, OBTAIN THE LATEST MARINE FORECAST AND WARNING
INFORMATION FROM WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MARINE OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO.
SEVERAL DAYS AHEAD OF TIME YOU CAN BEGIN LISTENING FOR EXTENDED
OUTLOOKS THAT GIVE GENERAL INFORMATION OUT TO THE NEXT 5 DAYS IN
BOTH GRAPHICAL AND TEXT FORMAT.

WED 5/22: HYPOTHERMIA. HYPOTHERMIA IS A CONDITION IN WHICH BODY
CORE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW THE REQUIRED TEMPERATURE FOR NORMAL
METABOLISM AND BODY FUNCTIONS, WHICH IS DEFINED AS 95 DEGREES. IF
EXPOSED TO COLD AND YOUR BODY IS UNABLE TO REPLENISH THE HEAT THAT
IS BEING LOST, A DROP IN CORE TEMPERATURE OCCURS. AS BODY
TEMPERATURE DECREASES, YOU MAY HAVE SYMPTOMS SUCH AS SHIVERING AND
MENTAL CONFUSION. HEAT IS LOST MORE QUICKLY IN WATER THAN ON LAND.
WATER TEMPERATURES THAT WOULD BE QUITE REASONABLE ON LAND CAN LEAD
TO HYPOTHERMIA IN WATER. A WATER TEMPERATURE OF 50 DEGREES OFTEN LEADS
TO DEATH IN 1 HOUR AND WATER TEMPERATURES HOVERING AT FREEZING CAN
LEAD TO DEATH IN AS LITTLE AS 15 MINUTES. WATER AT A SEEMINGLY
WARM TEMPERATURE OF 79 DEGREES WILL, AFTER PROLONGED EXPOSURE, LEAD TO
HYPOTHERMIA.

THU 5/23: THUNDERSTORM SAFETY. THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE A MARINER`S
WORST NIGHTMARE. THEY CAN DEVELOP QUICKLY AND CREATE DANGEROUS
WIND AND WAVE CONDITIONS. THUNDERSTORMS CAN BRING SHIFTING AND
GUSTY WINDS, LIGHTNING, WATERSPOUTS, AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS THAT
TURN A DAY`S PLEASURE INTO A NIGHTMARE OF DISTRESS. A LIGHTNING
STRIKE TO A VESSEL CAN BE CATASTROPHIC, ESPECIALLY IF IT RESULTS
IN A FIRE OR LOSS OF ELECTRONICS. IF YOUR BOAT HAS A CABIN, STAY
INSIDE AND AVOID TOUCHING METAL OR ELECTRICAL DEVICES. IF YOUR
BOAT DOESN`T HAVE A CABIN, STAY AS LOW AS YOU CAN IN THE BOAT.
ULTIMATELY, BOATING SAFETY BEGINS ASHORE WITH PLANNING AND
TRAINING. KEEP IN MIND THAT THUNDERSTORMS ARE USUALLY BRIEF SO
WAITING IT OUT ON LAND IN A SAFE BUILDING OR VEHICLE IS BETTER
THAN RIDING IT OUT.

FRI 5/24: BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE. THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND
DRUGS ARE JUST AS HAZARDOUS ON THE WATER AS ON LAND. BOATING UNDER
THE INFLUENCE, OR BUI, AFFECTS JUDGMENT, VISION, BALANCE AND
COORDINATION. THESE IMPAIRMENTS CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF BEING
INVOLVED IN A BOATING ACCIDENT FOR BOTH PASSENGERS AND BOAT
OPERATORS. ALCOHOL IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN ABOUT A THIRD OF
ALL RECREATIONAL BOATING FATALITIES. IT IS ILLEGAL IN EVERY STATE
TO OPERATE ANY BOAT OR WATERCRAFT WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF
ALCOHOL OR DRUGS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HAZARDOUS WEATHER AND BOATING
SAFETY, VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES:

HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/SAFEBOATING
HTTP://WWW.SAFEBOATINGCOUNCIL.ORG/

OR CONTACT:

WAYNE WEEKS
NWS COASTAL AND MARINE SERVICES
WAYNE.WEEKS@NOAA.GOV

$$
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
