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NOUS41 KCAR 021201
PNSCAR

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CARIBOU ME
801 AM EDT THU MAY 2 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF APRIL 29
THROUGH MAY 3, SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN NEW ENGLAND. THIS IS
THE FOURTH IN A SERIES OF FIVE PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS ON
VARIOUS TOPICS RELATED TO SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS.

TRAGICALLY EACH YEAR, SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES HIGHLIGHT
THE DEADLY THREAT CAUSED BY NATURES MOST VIOLENT STORMS. THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ENCOURAGES THE PUBLIC TO BECOME MORE AWARE
OF THOSE THREATS SO THEY CAN ACT APPROPRIATELY WHEN SEVERE STORMS
THREATEN.


TORNADOES

TORNADOES ARE NATURE`S MOST VIOLENT STORM. BY DEFINITION, A TORNADO
IS A VIOLENTLY ROTATING COLUMN OF AIR THAT EXTENDS FROM THE BASE OF
THE THUNDERSTORM CLOUD TO THE GROUND.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREE BASIC INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THE FORMATION
OF THUNDERSTORMS AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS (LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE, AN
UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE, AND A SOURCE OF LIFT), WINDS AT VARIOUS LEVELS
IN THE ATMOSPHERE FACTOR INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES.

USUALLY, PRIOR TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TORNADO, A PRE-TORNADIC
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPS A CIRCULATION, THAT IS, IT STARTS ROTATING (A
MESO-CYCLONE). AS THIS ROTATION BECOMES STRONGER, THE CHANCE THAT A
TORNADO MAY DEVELOP ALSO INCREASES. ALTHOUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR GENERALLY CAN NOT SEE THE ACTUAL TORNADO, THE
RADAR DOES DETECT ROTATION OF THE THUNDERSTORM CLOUD, AND THEREBY
GIVES SOME INDICATION OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT A TORNADO MAY BE
FORMING OR HAS FORMED.

THE SCALE USED TO MEASURE TORNADO DAMAGE IS THE ENHANCED FUJITA
SCALE (NAMED AFTER THEODORE FUJITA, A FAMOUS TORNADO DAMAGE EXPERT).
THIS SCALE IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE E-F SCALE. BASED ON
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF TORNADO DAMAGE, THE ORIGINAL FUJITA SCALE WAS
MODIFIED AND THE NEW "ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE" WAS OFFICIALLY
IMPLEMENTED IN 2007.

  EF-0 - LIGHT DAMAGE (WINDS 65 TO 85 MPH)
  EF-1 - MODERATE DAMAGE (WINDS 86 TO 110 MPH)
  EF-2 - CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE (WINDS 111 TO 135 MPH)
  EF-3 - SEVERE DAMAGE (WINDS 136 TO 165 MPH)
  EF-4 - DEVASTATING DAMAGE (WINDS 166 TO 200 MPH)
  EF-5 - INCREDIBLE DAMAGE (WINDS OVER 200 MPH)

PEAK TORNADO ACTIVITY IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND OCCURS BETWEEN JUNE
AND AUGUST, BUT TORNADOES HAVE OCCURRED AS EARLY AS MAY AND AS LATE
AS NOVEMBER (AS WAS SEEN IN 2005). MOST TORNADOES OCCUR BETWEEN 3
AND 9 PM AND HAVE AN AVERAGE FORWARD SPEED OF ABOUT 30 MPH. FOR THE
40 YEAR PERIOD BETWEEN 1950 AND 1990, 74 TORNADOES OCCURRED IN
MAINE. BASED ON THESE DATA, EACH STATE AVERAGES ABOUT TWO TORNADOES
PER YEAR. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE AVERAGE PATH LENGTH OF THE
TORNADOES WAS 1.08 MILES FOR MAINE. THE STRONGEST TORNADO OBSERVED
IN MAINE WAS AN F2.

JUST ONE TORNADO OCCURRED IN MAINE IN 2012. THE EF0 OCCURRED NEAR
WOOLWICH IN SAGADAHOC COUNTY. HOWEVER 2011 WAS MUCH MORE ACTIVE WITH
FIVE TORNADOES RECORDED IN MAINE (TWO OF WHICH WERE EF-1). JUNE 8
AND 9 WERE THE MOST ACTIVE DAYS WITH THREE TORNADOES IN AROOSTOOK
COUNTY. IN ADDITION, WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE OCCURRED.
SIX TORNADOES OCCURRED IN 2010.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE TORNADOES REPORTED IN MAINE SINCE 1995.

EF2/F2

     JUL 08 1996  COBBOSSEECONTEE LAKE, MAINE
     AUG 09 2000  CORNVILLE, MAINE

EF1/F1
     JUN 21 1997  ROME, MAINE
     OCT 01 1998  SOUTH PARIS, MAINE
     AUG 13 1999  SWEDEN, MAINE
     JUL 18 2000  NEWRY/HANOVER, MAINE
     JUN 17 2001  NEWRY/HANOVER, MAINE
     JUL 24 2001  PENOBSCOT COUNTY (16 MILES NORTHWEST OF
                  PATTEN)
     JUL 24 2001  OAKFIELD, MAINE
     MAY 31 2002  WEST PARIS, MAINE
     JUL 04 2002  AROOSTOOK COUNTY (8 MILES WEST OF
                  LITTLETON)
     NOV 24 2005  PHIPPSBURG, MAINE
     SEP 29 2006  NORTH BERWICK, MAINE
     MAY 24 2009  EAGLE LAKE, MAINE
     MAY 31 2009  WESTFIELD, MAINE
     MAY 31 2009  EASTON, MAINE
     AUG 21 2009  NORWAY TO HARTFORD, MAINE
                 (UP TO 700 YARDS WIDE)
     JUN  5 2010  SOUTH PARIS, OXFORD, HEBRON, MAINE
     JUL 21 2010  NEWFIELD TO LIMERICK, MAINE
     JUL 21 2010  BUXTON TO GORHAM, MAINE
     JUL 21 2010  SHAPLEIGH TO ALFRED, MAINE
     JUN 01 2011  BRYANT POND, MAINE
     JUN 01 2011  NEW PORTLAND, MAINE

EF0/F0
     JUL 28 1997  FT. KENT, MAINE
     AUG 27 1997  CHARLESTON, MAINE
     JUL 23 2002  AROOSTOOK COUNTY (7 MILES NORTHWEST OF
                  KNOWLES CORNER)
     AUG 08 2004  SEBAGO LAKE, MAINE
     AUG 01 2005  NORTH TWIN LAKE, MAINE
     NOV 24 2005  BRUNSWICK, MAINE
     JUL 15 2007  LONG LAKE IN AROOSTOOK COUNTY, MAINE
     MAY 31 2009  OXBOW, MAINE
     JUN 26 2009  STOCKHOLM, MAINE
     JUL 18 2009  EAST BETHEL, MAINE
     JUN  2 2010  SHIN POND, MAINE
     JUN 08 2011  AROOSTOOK COUNTY (10 MILES N CARIBOU)
     JUN 08 2011  AROOSTOOK COUNTY (4 MILES SE FRENCHVILLE)
     JUN 09 2011  AROOSTOOK COUNTY (2 MILES N FT. FAIRFIELD)
     JUL 24 2012  WOOLWICH, MAINE


TO ALERT THE PUBLIC TO THE THREAT OF TORNADOES, THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE ISSUES TORNADO WATCHES AND WARNINGS. A TORNADO WATCH
INDICATES THAT ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES. A TORNADO WARNING INDICATES THAT A TORNADO
IS IMMINENT OR IS ALREADY OCCURRING. IF YOU HEAR THAT A TORNADO
WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA, SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THE STORM.

DUE TO THE USUAL SHORT LIFE-SPAN OF TORNADOES IN NORTHERN NEW
ENGLAND, THERE IS OFTEN LITTLE, IF ANY, ADVANCE WARNING. TORNADOES
IN NEW ENGLAND GENERALLY TOUCH DOWN AND THEN LIFT OFF THE GROUND
VERY QUICKLY. MANY OF THE TORNADOES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PAST,
HAVE OCCURRED WHILE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN IN
EFFECT. IF YOU HEAR THAT A SEVERE THUNDER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT
FOR YOUR AREA, BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A TORNADO. A LOW
ROTATING CLOUD, LARGE HAIL, AND/OR A LOUD ROAR ARE ALL SIGNS THAT
MAY PRECEDE THE TOUCHDOWN OF A TORNADO.

HERE ARE SOME TORNADO FACTS AND SAFETY TIPS.

   *  FLYING DEBRIS CAUSES MOST DEATHS AND INJURIES IN
      TORNADOES

   *  THE SAFEST PLACE IN YOUR HOME DURING A TORNADO IS YOUR
      BASEMENT. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE THEN CHOOSE AN
      INTERIOR ROOM.

   *  STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

   *  GET OUT OF VEHICLES OR MOBILE HOMES, THEY OFFER LITTLE
      PROTECTION. SEEK SHELTER IN A SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING.

   *  DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A BRIDGE OVERPASS. BRIDGE
      OVERPASSES OFFER LITTLE, IF ANY, PROTECTION FROM WIND-
      DRIVEN DEBRIS.


HERE IS A LIST OF TOPICS COVERED IN PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS
ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THIS WEEK.

MONDAY......SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS - BASIC DEFINITIONS
TUESDAY.....THUNDERSTORMS AND LIGHTNING
WEDNESDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS - DOWNBURSTS, MICROBURSTS, AND HAIL
THURSDAY....TORNADOES
FRIDAY......FLASH FLOODS

$$

RUNYAN