000
NOUS41 KOKX 231002
PNSOKX

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
600 AM EDT TUE APR 23 2024

...This Is Severe Weather Awareness Week...

This statement covers severe thunderstorms.

High winds produced by severe thunderstorms cause deaths and
injuries across the Tri-State annually. Although hail can damage
property and injure people and animals, it rarely kills.

Severe thunderstorms in our region occur most frequently during the
late afternoon to early evening, between May and early September. An
example of severe weather would be rapidly developing severe
thunderstorms forming ahead of a quick moving cold front. Damage
would result from strong wind gusts along the leading edge of a line
of severe thunderstorms. Winds that blow from one direction are
called straight line winds. The strongest severe thunderstorms can
produce damaging wind gusts from 80 to over 100 mph. A complex of
thunderstorms producing such strong winds over a large area for
several hours is called a Derecho.

Severe weather outlooks are issued by the NWS Storm Prediction
Center up to 8 days before a potential event and by NWS New York NY
up to 7 days beforehand in our Hazardous Weather Outlook.

Severe Thunderstorm Watches are issued by the NWS Storm Prediction
Center with lead times of up to 8 hours. A Watch means that weather
conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms
in and around an area, usually covering an area of several thousand
square miles, at least the size of New Jersey.

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are issued by your National Weather
Service Forecast Office on Long Island, using a combination of
Doppler Radar and volunteer Skywarn Spotter observations.

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are Impact-Based. This means that these
warnings and follow-up statements include machine-readable tags
which will appear at the bottom of the messages. Among these tags
will be the Thunderstorm Damage Threat. The highest threat level
category will be the Destructive tag, issued by NWS forecasters when
there is a threat for 80 mph or greater winds and/or baseball or
larger size hail. Only these Destructive tagged warnings will be
disseminated as a Wireless Emergency Alert, in addition to the
standard dissemination methods.

When a warning is issued, take protective action to save your life
and or minimize damage to your property. If there is time, secure
outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage. Remember the
lightning safety rule, if thunder roars go indoors. Once indoors
stay indoors for 30 minutes after last seeing lightning or hearing
the last clap of thunder. Get inside a home, building, or hard top
automobile - not a convertible. Although you may be injured if
lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a hard top
vehicle than outside.

The next statement covers severe weather preparedness and safety.

$$