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000
NOUS41 KOKX 290955
PNSOKX
CTZ005>012-NJZ002-004-006-103>108-NYZ067>075-078>081-176>179-301000-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
555 AM EDT MON APR 29 2013

...THIS IS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SEVERAL NEW YORK
AGENCIES INCLUDING THE NEW YORK STATE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
COMMISSION IS PROMOTING SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY FOR ALL PEOPLE.

OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS...ON AVERAGE SEVERE WEATHER HAS KILLED OVER
278 PEOPLE PER YEAR ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. IN JUST THE PAST YEAR
SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE NATION WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 7 EVENTS WHICH
CAUSED MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE EACH. ON AVERAGE...THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ON LONG ISLAND ISSUES 93 SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS...8 TORNADO WARNINGS AND 93 FLASH FLOOD
WARNINGS EACH YEAR. 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 PRODUCE WINDS OF AT LEAST 58 MPH...AND OR HAIL
OF AT LEAST ONE INCH IN DIAMETER...AND OR A TORNADO. A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS...TYPICALLY LESS 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. OUR GOAL IS TO CORRECTLY FORECAST AT
LEAST 85 PERCENT OF ALL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH AN AVERAGE LEAD
TIME OF AT LEAST 18 MINUTES.

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 FEW HOURS...AGAIN USUALLY LESS 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. OUR GOAL IS TO CORRECTLY
FORECAST AT LEAST 72 PERCENT OF ALL TORNADOES.

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 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. OUR GOAL IS TO CORRECTLY FORECAST 74 PERCENT OF
ALL FLASH FLOODS WITH AN AVERAGE LEAD TIME OF 45 MINUTES.

NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS OFFERS THE BEST WAY TO STAY IN TOUCH
WITH WEATHER CONDITIONS WHETHER AT HOME...WORK OR PLAY. IT 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. FOR MORE
INFORMATION ON SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS...GO TO OUR WEB PAGE.

TOMORROW WE TAKE A LOOK AT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

$$