National Weather Service Text Product Display

Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Huntsville, AL
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NOUS44 KHUN 171330
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ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-181300-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
830 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

...NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK /MAY 18-24 2013/...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 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 COMMUNITY. TOPICS WILL
INCLUDE:

TOPIC 1: THE 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.

TOPIC 2: 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 U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY AND THE U.S. 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 FEW VESSEL SAFETY CHECK EACH YEAR.

TOPIC 3: THE USE OF EPIRBS (EMERGENCY POSITION INDICATING RADIO
BEACON)

EMERGENCY BEACONS, THROUGH THE WORLDWIDE OFFERED SERVICE OF COSPAS-
SARSAT, AID IN THE DETECTION, LOCATION AND SEARCH & RESCUE (SAR) OF
BOATS, AIRCRAFT, AND PEOPLE IN DISTRESS. BEACONS DESIGNED FOR SHIPS
AND BOATS ARE CALLED EMERGENCY POSITION INDICATING RADIO BEACONS
(EPIRBS). 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
(PLB) ARE DEIGNED 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

TOPIC 4: UNDERSTANDING A WEATHER FORECAST

UNDERSTANDING A WEATHER FORECAST IS CRITICAL TO SAFE BOATING.
WEATHER CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE SUDDENLY, CATCHING BOATERS OFF GUARD
AND CREATING LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS. TAKE PARTICULAR NOTE TO
ANY CURRENT ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS, WHICH ALERT MARINERS TO HIGHER-
IMPACT WEATHER CONDITIONS SUCH AS, STRONG WINDS, HAIL, AND FREQUENT
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. BEFORE SETTING OUT, OBTAIN THE LATEST
WEATHER FORECAST AND WARNING INFORMATION FROM WWW.WEATHER.GOV OR
NOAA WEATHER RADIO. SEVERAL DAYS AHEAD OF TIME YOU CAN BEGIN
LISTENING FOR EXTENDED OUTLOOKS AND FORECASTS, LIKE THE HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK, WHICH HIGHLIGHT HAZARDOUS WEATHER IMPACTS OVER A
SPECIFIC AREA OUT SEVEN DAYS.

TOPIC 5: 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 95F DEGREES. IF EXPOSED TO COLD, THE
INTERNAL MECHANISMS ARE UNABLE TO REPLENISH THE HEAT THAT IS BEING
LOST, AND A DROP IN CORE TEMPERATURE OCCURS. AS BODY TEMPERATURE
DECREASES, CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS OCCUR SUCH AS SHIVERING AND
MENTAL CONFUSION. HEAT IS LOST MORE QUICKLY IN WATER THAN ON LAND.
WATER TEMPERATURES THAT WOULD BE QUITE REASONABLE AS OUTDOOR AIR
TEMPERATURES CAN LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA. A WATER TEMPERATURE OF 50F
DEGREES CAN LEAD TO DEATH IN JUST ONE HOUR, AND WATER TEMPERATURES
HOVERING AROUND FREEZING CAN LEAD TO DEATH IN AS LITTLE AS 15
MINUTES. WATER AT A SEEMINGLY WARM TEMPERATURE OF 79F DEGREES WILL,
AFTER PROLONGED EXPOSURE, LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA.

TOPIC 6: THUNDERSTORM SAFETY

THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE A MARINER`S WORST NIGHTMARE. THEY CAN DEVELOP
QUICKLY AND CREATE DANGEROUS WIND AND WAVE CONDITIONS. THUNDERSTORMS
CAN BRING GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS, LIGHTNING, WATERSPOUTS, AND
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WHICH CAN 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, THEN STAY INSIDE AND AVOID
TOUCHING ANY METAL OR ELECTRONIC DEVICES. IF YOUR BOAT DOES NOT HAVE
A CABIN, STAY AS LOW AS YOU CAN IN THE BOAT. ULTIMATELY, BOATING
SAFETY BEGINS ASHORE WITH PLANNING AND TRAINING.

TOPIC 7: 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.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HAZARDOUS WEATHER AND BOATING SAFETY, PLEASE
VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES (ALL LOWER CASE):

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

$$
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
