PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT   
   NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR   
   600 AM CST WED MAR 4 2015   
      
   ...TODAYS TOPIC FOR SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS   
   TORNADOES...   
      
   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 TORNADOES.   
      
   IN 2014...ARKANSAS RECORDED ONLY 20 TORNADOES. IN AN AVERAGE   
   YEAR...33 TORNADOES ARE EXPECTED IN THE STATE.   
      
   BY FAR...THE BIGGEST EVENT FEATURING A TORNADO UNFOLDED   
   ON APRIL 27TH. A MONSTER TORNADO /RATED EF4/ TRACKED   
   41 MILES THOUGH PULASKI...FAULKNER AND WHITE COUNTIES...AND   
   KILLED 16 PEOPLE. IT WAS THE DEADLIEST TORNADO IN ARKANSAS   
   SINCE THE JONESBORO TWISTER OF MAY 15TH OF 1968 /35 FATALITIES/.   
   IT WAS ALSO THE DEADLIEST TORNADO IN THE COUNTRY LAST YEAR.   
      
   MONSTER TORNADOES LIKE THIS ARE RARE. SINCE 2000 ACROSS   
   THE REGION...ONLY 2 OTHER TORNADOES RATED AS HIGH AS THE ONE   
   ON APRIL 27TH. IN THE SAME TIME FRAME...624 TORNADOES WERE   
   SPAWNED LOCALLY...AND 82 PERCENT OF THEM /513 TORNADOES/   
   WERE WEAK /RATED EF0 OR EF1/. THESE WEAK TWISTERS ACCOUNTED   
   FOR ONLY 3 FATALITIES.   
      
   THE PEAK SEASONS FOR TORNADOES IN ARKANSAS ARE SPRING AND   
   FALL. THIS IS WHEN WARM AND COLD AIR MASSES COLLIDE MOST   
   OFTEN. IN 2014...OF THE 20 TORNADOES COUNTED...THERE WERE   
   10 IN OCTOBER AND 6 IN APRIL.   
      
   ...OUTDOOR TORNADO SIRENS...   
      
   MANY TOWNS AND COUNTIES IN ARKANSAS HAVE ACQUIRED OUTDOOR WARNING   
   SIRENS TO ALERT THE PUBLIC WHEN TORNADOES THREATEN. WHEN THESE   
   SIRENS ARE KEPT IN PROPER WORKING ORDER...THEY DO THEIR JOB AS   
   EXPECTED AND HELP WARN THE PUBLIC.   
      
   WHILE TORNADO WARNINGS OFTEN CAUSE THE SIRENS TO BLOW...THE   
   NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOES NOT HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE   
   SIRENS.   
      
   IN LITTLE ROCK...NORTH LITTLE ROCK...AND PULASKI COUNTY...THE   
   NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS AN ADVISORY ROLE AS TO WHEN THE   
   SIRENS SHOULD BE SOUNDED...BUT THIS DOES NOT PREVENT THESE   
   JURISDICTIONS FROM BLOWING THEIR SIRENS IF THEY DEEM IT   
   NECESSARY. ELSEWHERE IN ARKANSAS...THE DECISION TO BLOW THE   
   SIRENS IS MADE BY DESIGNATED CITY OR COUNTY OFFICIALS.   
      
   ...WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF - TORNADO SAFETY RULES...   
      
   ONE OF THE NEWER SAFETY RULES IS TO AVOID TAKING SHELTER UNDER A   
   HIGHWAY OVERPASS. ROTATING WINDS SURROUNDING A TORNADO CAN HIT YOU   
   WITH A LOT OF DEBRIS...AND BLOW YOU OUT FROM BENEATH THE   
   BRIDGE.   
      
   BE SURE YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WATCH AND A WARNING.   
   THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A TORNADO WATCH WHEN   
   TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN A   
   TORNADO HAS BEEN INDICATED ON DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR OR HAS   
   BEEN SIGHTED.   
      
   COUNTIES AND CITIES ARE MENTIONED IN TORNADO WARNINGS. IF YOU   
   ARE NEW TO THE AREA...KEEP A MAP HANDY FOR REFERENCE.   
      
   MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A RELIABLE WAY TO RECEIVE WEATHER   
   INFORMATION. BATTERY-POWERED NOAA WEATHER RADIOS ARE AN   
   EXCELLENT WAY TO KEEP UP WITH THE WEATHER...EVEN IF YOUR POWER   
   HAS GONE OUT.   
      
   IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE AT A LARGE GATHERING...SUCH AS AT A   
   SCHOOL...STADIUM OR PLACE OF WORSHIP...MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE   
   IS KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WEATHER.   
      
   A TORNADO SHELTER...TORNADO CELLAR...OR A SAFE ROOM IS THE SAFEST   
   PLACE TO BE...BUT THESE ARE NOT FOUND IN MOST HOMES. THE NEXT   
   SAFEST PLACE IS USUALLY A BASEMENT...BUT THESE ARE NOT COMMON IN   
   ARKANSAS. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THESE...GO TO AN INTERIOR   
   ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A HOUSE OR BUILDING. PUT AS MANY   
   WALLS BETWEEN YOU AND THE OUTDOORS AS POSSIBLE.   
      
   MANY BUSINESSES...SUCH AS LARGE STORES...SHOPPING MALLS...   
   HOSPITALS...NURSING HOMES...AND SCHOOLS HAVE PRE-ARRANGED SAFETY   
   PLANS AND DESIGNATED SAFE AREAS. IF YOU ARE IN ONE OF THESE   
   PLACES...FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN INSIDE THESE BUILDINGS.   
      
   IF YOU ARE IN A VEHICLE...YOUR BEST OPTION IS TO MOVE TO A STURDY   
   BUILDING.   
      
   MOBILE HOMES...EVEN IF TIED DOWN...OFFER LITTLE PROTECTION DURING   
   A TORNADO...AND SHOULD BE ABANDONED.   
      
   KEEP IN MIND THAT THE ELDERLY...THE VERY YOUNG...AND PEOPLE WITH   
   PHYSICAL OR MENTAL CHALLENGES WILL OFTEN NEED MORE TIME TO GET TO   
   SAFETY. MAKE SPECIAL PROVISIONS IF YOU ARE A CARE-GIVER FOR THESE   
   PEOPLE.   
      
   &&   
      
   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 USUALLY ON WEDNESDAY BETWEEN 11 AM   
   AND NOON. HOWEVER...DUE TO THREATENING WEATHER...THE TEST   
   MAY BE POSTPONED UNTIL THURSDAY AT THE SAME TIME.   
      
   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   
      
   $$   
      
      
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