PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT   
   NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR   
   600 AM CST MON MAR 2 2015   
      
   ...TODAYS TOPIC FOR SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS    
   THUNDERSTORMS...   
      
   ARKANSAS GOVERNOR ASA HUTCHINSON HAS PROCLAIMED THE WEEK OF   
   MARCH 1ST THROUGH 7TH AS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK   
   IN ARKANSAS.   
      
   A DIFFERENT TOPIC WILL BE DISCUSSED EACH DAY...AND TODAYS TOPIC   
   IS THUNDERSTORMS.   
      
   AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT AROUND THE WORLD...APPROXIMATELY 1800   
   THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING. ALTHOUGH THUNDERSTORMS ARE RELATIVELY   
   SMALL...WHEN CONSIDERED ON A GLOBAL SCALE OF WEATHER...ALL   
   THUNDERSTORMS ARE DANGEROUS. LIGHTNING...FLASH FLOODS...HAIL...   
   STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS...AND TORNADOES ALL RESULT FROM THUNDERSTORMS.   
      
   A THUNDERSTORM IS CONSIDERED SEVERE WHEN IT PRODUCES WINDS OF AT   
   LEAST 58 MPH...OR HAIL AT LEAST 1 INCH IN DIAMETER /THE SIZE OF A   
   QUARTER/.    
      
   STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS PRODUCED BY THUNDERSTORMS CAUSED FOUR DEATHS   
   ACROSS THE STATE LAST YEAR. ALTOGETHER...THERE WERE 18 INSTANCES    
   OF THUNDERSTORM GUSTS OF AT LEAST 80 MPH LOCALLY IN 2014.   
      
   THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WINDS WERE REPORTED ON OCTOBER 13TH.    
   ON THAT DAY...90 TO 95 MPH GUSTS OCCURRED NEAR ROCKY AND HATFIELD.   
      
   LARGE HAIL...ON AVERAGE...CAUSES OVER ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN    
   DAMAGE /PROPERTY AND CROPS/ IN THE UNITED STATES EACH YEAR. SOME    
   INJURIES DUE TO LARGE HAIL OCCUR IN THIS COUNTRY EACH YEAR...BUT    
   DEATHS FROM HAIL ARE RELATIVELY RARE. ANIMALS FARE FAR WORSE THAN    
   HUMANS.    
      
   THE LARGEST HAILSTONES REPORTED IN ARKANSAS DURING 2014 OCCURED    
   ON APRIL 3RD. ON THAT DAY...THREE INCH DIAMETER HAIL WAS REPORTED    
   NEAR LANDIS IN SEARCY COUNTY...WITH TWO AND A HALF INCH DIAMETER    
   HAIL AROUND BIG FLAT AND HENDERSON...WHICH ARE BOTH IN BAXTER    
   COUNTY...AND WIDEMAN IN IZARD COUNTY.   
      
   LIGHTNING IS A HAZARD IN ALL THUNDERSTORMS...WHETHER THEY ARE    
   SEVERE OR NOT. WHENEVER THUNDER IS HEARD...THERE IS LIGHTNING   
   NEARBY. LIGHTNING IS DEADLY...WITH 2 ARKANSANS KILLED AND   
   10 INJURED IN 2014.   
      
   FLASH FLOODS ARE ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM HAZARD. VEHICLES DRIVEN    
   INTO FLOODED AREAS RESULT IN THE GREATEST NUMBER OF FLASH FLOOD    
   DEATHS. FORTUNATELY...THERE WERE NO FLASH FLOOD FATALITIES IN   
   ARKANSAS LAST YEAR.   
      
   OCCASIONALLY...THUNDERSTORMS SPAWN TORNADOES. MOST OF THESE   
   ARE PRODUCED IN THE SPRING AND FALL DURING THE AFTERNOON AND   
   EVENING. THERE ARE 33 TORNADOES IN A TYPICAL YEAR. THERE WERE   
   20 TORNADOES LOCALLY IN 2014...AND THESE RESULTED IN    
   17 FATALITIES.   
      
   ACROSS THE COUNTRY...THE TOP THREE DEADLIEST THUNDERSTORM   
   HAZARDS IN THE LAST 30 YEARS YEARS WERE FLASH FLOODS...   
   TORNADOES AND LIGHTNING /IN THAT ORDER/.     
      
   ...SOME THUNDERSTORM SAFETY RULES...   
      
   KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WATCH AND A WARNING. THE NATIONAL   
   WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES WATCHES WHEN CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR   
   THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER. WARNINGS ARE RESERVED FOR   
   CASES WHERE SEVERE WEATHER IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.   
      
   MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A SOURCE TO RECEIVE THE LATEST    
   INFORMATION...SUCH AS NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS...    
   COMMERCIAL RADIO...TV STATIONS OR CABLE TV. OTHER SOURCES OF   
   WARNING INFORMATION CAN INCLUDE TELEPHONE NOTIFICATION SERVICES    
   TO WHICH PEOPLE SUBSCRIBE...PAGERS AND CELL PHONES.   
      
   REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE IN DANGER FROM   
   LIGHTNING. GO INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATER...   
   GET OUT IMMEDIATELY. BOATERS SHOULD HEAD INLAND.   
      
   TELEPHONE LINES AND METAL PIPES CAN CONDUCT ELECTRICITY.    
   DO NOT USE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES DURING A THUNDERSTORM.    
   DO NOT USE CORDED PHONES...EXCEPT IN EMERGENCIES.   
      
   STAY OUT OF THE BATHTUB OR SHOWER.   
      
   GET OFF THE GOLF COURSE. STAY AWAY FROM METAL FENCES AND    
   POLES.   
      
   &&   
      
   NOTES FOR THE NEWS MEDIA...   
   THERE WILL NOT BE A FORMAL TORNADO DRILL THIS YEAR CONDUCTED   
   BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK. EVEN SO...   
   PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO PRACTICE GOING TO A PLACE OF SAFETY   
   WHEN THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALARM IS SOUNDED DURING THE ROUTINE    
   WEEKLY TEST. THIS TEST IS ON WEDNESDAY BETWEEN 11 AM AND NOON.    
   IN THE EVENT OF THREATENING WEATHER ON WEDNESDAY...THE TEST    
   IS POSTPONED UNTIL THE NEXT GOOD WEATHER DAY.   
      
   FOR A LIST OF ALL THE TORNADOES AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT WEATHER   
   EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN 2014...   
       
   HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/IMAGES/LZK/PDF/STORMSOF2014.PDF   
      
   $$   
      
      
   Posted by VPost v1.7.081019   
      
   --- Virtual Advanced Ver 2 for DOS    
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS (1:19/33)