[HCRA] Fw: Severe Weather Preparedness Week Statements

[et-n1qko@juno.com]

                               Eric Tuller   N1QKO
    flash floods+warlords+winter storms+callisto+tornados
        WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS.....AMATEUR RADIO !!
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               CT+ MD+ VT+ King Richards  Ren Faires

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Rob Macedo" <rmacedo@rcn.com>
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 09:07:40 -0400
Subject: Severe Weather Preparedness Week Statements
Message-ID: <033401c31d3e$be0ff300$e8ea7ad1@skywarnmainpc>

Hello to all...

The following email has 5 Public Information Statements that were issued
during the NWS Taunton declared Severe Weather Preparedness Week. The
statements have various severe weather and flood safety rules along with
some history of past events in Southern New England. Below are the 5
Public
Information Statements:

NOUS41 KBOX 121917
PNSBOX

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
317 PM EDT MON MAY 12 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...
...SQUALL LINE STORMS PRODUCE DOWNBURST WINDS AND OCCASIONALLY A
TORNADO...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON...IN CONJUNCTION WITH STATE
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES...HAS PROCLAIMED THIS WEEK SEVERE
WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK.  WE WILL BE ISSUING STATEMENTS ABOUT NEW
ENGLAND SEVERE WEATHER THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.  THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO
REVIEW YOUR SEVERE WEATHER EMERGENCY PLANS AT YOUR HOME...AT THE
OFFICE...AT HOSPITALS...DAY CARE CENTERS...PLACES OF WORSHIP...ETC.

TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS SQUALL LINE STORMS.  THE SQUALL LINE IS THE
MOST COMMON PRODUCER OF SEVERE WEATHER IN NEW ENGLAND.  A SQUALL
LINE IS AN ORGANIZED LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...WITH GUSTY WINDS ON THE
LEADING EDGE...FOLLOWED BY RAIN AND OCCASIONALLY HAIL.  WHEN
STRONGER WINDS IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE WORK DOWN TO THE GROUND...A
PORTION OF THE LINE JUTS OUT.  THIS SIGNATURE IS EASILY DETECTED ON
RADAR AND IS TERMED A BOW ECHO.  STRAIGHT LINE WINDS CAN EXCEED THE
SEVERE THRESHOLD OF 58 MPH...AND ARE TERMED DOWNBURSTS.  ON MAY 31
1998...104 MPH WIND GUSTS OCCURRED FROM A DOWNBURST IN WORCESTER
MASSACHUSETTS.

LESS FREQUENTLY...BUT STILL WORTHY OF MENTION...TORNADOES CAN FORM
ON THE LEADING EDGE OF A SQUALL LINE.  THEY FORM WHEN THE SUDDEN
RUSH OF WIND CAUSING THE BOWING INDUCES CIRCULATIONS ON BOTH THE
NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE BOW/S AXIS...TERMED BOOKEND VORTICES.
EXAMPLES OF LOCAL SQUALL LINE TORNADOES INCLUDE A F1 TORNADO IN
SWANZEY NEW HAMPSHIRE AND A F2 TORNADO IN GREENFIELD NEW HAMPSHIRE
ON JULY 3 1997...AND A F2 TORNADO IN ANTRIM NEW HAMPSHIRE ON MAY 31
1998.

ANOTHER PLACE THAT WEAK TORNADOES FORM IS AT THE APEX OF THE BOW IN
THE LINE...ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE STORM...BEFORE ANY RAIN
OCCURS.  AN EXAMPLE OF THIS OCCURRED ON JULY 23 2002 IN WEST
BROOKFIELD MASSACHUSETTS.  A F1 TORNADO FORMED ON THE LEADING EDGE
OF THE STORM...RIPPING THE ROOF OFF OF A HOUSE AND KNOCKING DOWN
MANY TREES EVEN BEFORE ANY RAIN FELL.  ODDLY ENOUGH...THESE WEAK
TORNADOES TEND TO FORM NEAR THE GROUND AND THEN DEVELOP UPWARD...AS
OPPOSED TO STRONGER TORNADOES WITH WELL DEVELOPED ROTATION ALOFT
THAT WORKS DOWN TO THE GROUND.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FOR
EXPECTED WIND GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR MORE...OR HAIL THREE QUARTERS OF AN
INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER.  TORNADO WARNINGS ARE ISSUED IF A
TORNADO IS ALSO LIKELY TO OCCUR FROM A PARTICULAR SEVERE STORM.

$$
GAF

NOUS41 KBOX 131228
PNSBOX

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
827 AM EDT TUE MAY 13 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES...
...LARGE HAIL DOES OCCUR IN NEW ENGLAND...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON...IN CONJUNCTION WITH STATE
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES...HAS PROCLAIMED THIS WEEK SEVERE
WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK.  THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO REVIEW YOUR
SEVERE WEATHER EMERGENCY PLANS AT YOUR HOME...AT THE OFFICE...AT
HOSPITALS...DAY CARE CENTERS...PLACES OF WORSHIP...ETC.

TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS LARGE HAIL.  HAIL FORMS IN A THUNDERSTORM AND
AS IT BEGINS TO FALL AND MELT...THE STRONG UPDRAFT BLOWS IT WAY BACK
UP INTO THE STORM AND IT REFREEZES AND GETS LARGER.  THIS PROCESS
CONTINUES UNTIL IT GETS LARGE ENOUGH TO FALL THROUGH THE UPDRAFT AND
REACH THE GROUND.  THUS...THE SIZE OF THE HAIL IS DIRECTLY RELATED
TO THE STRENGTH OF THE UPDRAFT.  HAIL THAT IS 0.5 INCHES IN
DIAMETER...JUST SHY OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE/S SEVERE
THRESHOLD OF 0.75 INCHES...IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPDRAFT STRENGTH OF
37 MPH.  COMPARE THIS WITH HAIL THAT REACHES 3.0 INCHES IN
DIAMETER...JUST LARGER THAN A BASEBALL.  HAIL THAT SIZE IS
ASSOCIATED WITH A UPDRAFT...STRAIGHT UPWARD THROUGH THE STORM...OF
100 MPH.  ANY STORM THAT CAN PRODUCE GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL /1.75 INCHES
IN DIAMETER/ OR LARGER HAS A WELL ORGANIZED UPDRAFT AND MAY BE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.

THE LARGEST HAILSTONE IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND WAS 3.5 INCHES IN
DIAMETER IN THE ROWLEY/IPSWICH AREA OF ESSEX COUNTY IN NORTHEAST
MASSACHUSETTS ON AUGUST 28 1965.  MORE RECENTLY...THE LAST BASEBALL
SIZE HAIL REPORT /2.75 INCHES IN DIAMETER/ WAS IN BROCKTON
MASSACHUSETTS ON JULY 6 1999.  PRIOR TO THAT...BASEBALL SIZE HAIL
WAS REPORTED IN ELLINGTON CONNECTICUT ON JUNE 20 1995.  LAST YEAR...
2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL OCCURRED AT THOMASTON IN LITCHFIELD COUNTY
CONNECTICUT AND 1.5 INCH DIAMETER HAIL OCCURRED AT BURLINGTON IN
HARTFORD COUNTY CONNECTICUT...BOTH ON MAY 31.

$$
GAF

NOUS41 KBOX 141920
PNSBOX

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
319 PM EDT WED MAY 14 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES...
...ARE YOU PREPARED FOR A TORNADO? IS YOUR TOWN PREPARED?...

LAST NOVEMBER...IN VAN WERT COUNTY OHIO...A VIOLENT TORNADO RIPPED
THROUGH A MOVIE THEATER.  NOBODY WAS KILLED.  QUICK ACTION BY THE
CINEMAS MANAGER AND HIS STAFF HAD ENABLED MORE THAN 50 ADULTS AND
CHILDREN TO GET OUT OF THEATERS IN THE MULTIPLEX AND INTO SAFER
CONDITIONS IN A HALLWAY AND RESTROOMS.  MINUTES LATER A TORNADO TORE
THE ROOF OFF THE BUILDING AND TOSSED CARS INTO THE SCREEN AND FRONT
SEATS WHERE PEOPLE HAD BEEN WATCHING THE SANTA CLAUSE 2 MOVIE.

THE VAN WERT COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER HAD RECEIVED THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE/S TORNADO WARNING VIA THE NOAA WEATHER
RADIO AND BECAUSE OF PROPER PLANNING WELL IN ADVANCE...THE THEATER
WAS IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED.  THE TORNADO STRUCK 28 MINUTES AFTER THE
WARNING WAS ISSUED.

IS YOUR TOWN PREPARED LIKE THIS?  HERE IN NEW ENGLAND...TORNADOES
ARE LESS FREQUENT AND WE TEND TO THINK THEY CANNOT HAPPEN HERE.  BUT
ON AVERAGE...3 TORNADOES STRIKE SOMEWHERE IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
EACH YEAR.  THEIR RADAR SIGNATURES ARE NOT AS PROMINENT IN NEW
ENGLAND...SO A LEAD TIME OF ONLY A FEW MINUTES OF WARNING BEFORE THE
TORNADO STRIKES IS COMMON.  THIS MAKES IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO
HAVE A PLAN AND TO BE ABLE TO ACT QUICKLY.

FIRST...YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE WARNING.  A GREAT WAY IS
VIA NOAA WEATHER RADIO...WHICH CAN BE PURCHASED FROM YOUR FAVORITE
ELECTRONICS OUTLET.  IT HAS AN ALARM FEATURE WHICH CAN WAKE YOU UP
AT 3 O/CLOCK IN THE MORNING IF THAT IS WHEN A TORNADO OR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED.

HERE ARE SOME SAFETY RULES.  IF IN A BUILDING YOU SHOULD MOVE TO THE
BASEMENT...UNDERNEATH THE STAIRCASE.  IF NO BASEMENT...SEEK SHELTER
IN A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  STAY AWAY
FROM WINDOWS AND EXTERIOR DOORS.  IN SCHOOLS...AVOID THE
CAFETERIA...GYMNASIUM...OR AUDITORIUM BECAUSE OF THE WIDE-SPAN ROOFS
THAT CAN COLLAPSE.  YOU SHOULD GO TO AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE
CLASSROOMS.

ABANDON MOBILE HOMES OR CARS IMMEDIATELY.  IF NO STURDY STRUCTURE IS
NEARBY...GO TO A DITCH AND TAKE THE PROTECTIVE POSITION ON YOUR
ELBOWS AND KNEES WITH YOUR HANDS COVERING YOUR HEAD.  DO NOT SEEK
SHELTER UNDER AN OVERPASS.

IF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A TORNADO WARNING...IMMEDIATE
ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.  A TORNADO
WARNING MEANS THAT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS IN PROGRESS AND THAT A
TORNADO HAS EITHER BEEN SIGHTED OR IS IMMINENT BASED ON DOPPLER
RADAR IMAGERY.

$$
GAF

NOUS41 KBOX 151244
PNSBOX

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
845 AM EDT THU MAY 15 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES...
...RIVER AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODING...

FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD EVENTS CAN OCCUR ANYTIME OF THE YEAR IN
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.  WEATHER SYSTEMS RANGING FROM A LATE SUMMER
HURRICANE TO WINTERTIME NOREASTERS CAN DROP LARGE AMOUNTS OF
RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

FLASH FLOODING REFERS TO FLOODING WHICH FOLLOWS WITHIN A FEW HOURS
OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL.  FLASH FLOODING CAN ALSO DEVELOP DUE TO A DAM
FAILURE OR ICE JAM.  THE INUNDATION OCCURS RAPIDLY AND REQUIRES
IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

FLOODING REFERS TO THE INUNDATION OF NORMALLY DRY AREAS ASSOCIATED
WITH HEAVY RAINFALL OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.  FLOODING DEVELOPS
AS A RESULT OF INCREASED WATER LEVELS ALONG RIVERS AND STREAMS...OR
FROM PONDING OF WATER AT OR NEAR THE POINT AT WHICH THE RAIN FELL.

MANY OF THE WIDESPREAD FLOOD EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE LATE
WINTER AND SPRING.  THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY RAINS AND MELTING SNOWS
RESULTS IN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN RUNOFF INTO THE RIVER CHANNELS.
ONE OF THE WORST SNOWMELT FLOOD EVENTS IN NEW ENGLAND HISTORY
OCCURRED IN MARCH 1936 FROM THESE CONDITIONS.  BACK TO BACK
RAINSTORMS PRODUCING 5 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN COMBINED WITH THE
MELTING OF A 1 TO 3 FOOT SNOWPACK TO PRODUCE ONE OF THE MOST
DEVASTATING FLOODS IN NEW ENGLAND HISTORY.

MORE RECENTLY...IN OCTOBER OF 1996...A DEVELOPING NOREASTER AND
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE LILI PRODUCED 10 TO 13 INCHES OF
RAIN OVER NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS RESULTING IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN DAMAGE.

SUMMERTIME THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CAUSED CONSIDERABLE FLASH FLOODING.
IN JUNE OF 1996...A COMPLEX OF SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS DROPPED 5
TO 8 INCHES OF RAIN IN JUST 4 HOURS OVER MONTAGUE AND LEVERETT
MASSACHUSETTS.  FLASH FLOODING WASHED OUT ROADS AND BRIDGES WHILE
ALSO FLOODING DOZENS OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES.

LASTLY...ONE MUST NEVER IGNORE THE THREAT OF AN APPROACHING
HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM.  NEW ENGLANDERS TEND TO ASSOCIATE
HURRICANES WITH WIDESPREAD COASTAL DAMAGE DUE TO THE STORM SURGE OR
INLAND DAMAGE FROM HIGH WINDS.  IN FACT...NEARLY HALF OF THE
TROPICAL SYSTEMS THAT HAVE IMPACTED NEW ENGLAND IN THE PAST 100
YEARS HAVE PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT RIVER AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING.

THE GREATEST RAIN PRODUCER OF ALL OCCURRED IN AUGUST OF 1955 WHEN
SLOW MOVING TROPICAL STORM DIANE DUMPED A RECORD 18.15 INCHES OF
RAIN IN 24 HOURS OVER THE TOWN OF WESTFIELD MASSACHUSETTS.  THE
STORM TOTAL IN THAT AREA APPROACHED 2 FEET OVER JUST 2 DAYS.  DIANE
TOOK 90 LIVES AND DESTROYED HOMES...BUSINESSES AND ROAD SYSTEMS
THROUGHOUT INTERIOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.

FEW PLACES EXPERIENCE THE VARIETY OF WEATHER SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE
YEAR AS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.  YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE THREAT
AND YOUR STATE OF READINESS IS WHAT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE IN THE MIDST
OF A FLOOD OR FLASH FLOOD EVENT.

$$
RMT

NOUS41 KBOX 161625
PNSBOX

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1225 PM EDT FRI MAY 16 2003

...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES...
...DOWNBURST WINDS FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE POWERFUL...

WHILE NOT AS NOTORIOUS...OR PERHAPS AS SPECTACULAR TO WITNESS AS A
TORNADO...STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST THUNDERSTORM
WIND DAMAGE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.

A DOWNBURST IS A STRONG AND RELATIVELY SMALL AREA OF RAPIDLY
DESCENDING AIR BENEATH A THUNDERSTORM.  IT CAN RESULT FROM STRONGER
JET STREAM WINDS BEING TRANSPORTED DOWNWARD TO THE SURFACE.  OR IT
CAN RESULT AS AIR WITHIN THE DOWNBURST IS COOLED SIGNIFICANTLY AS
RAIN EVAPORATES IN INITIALLY DRIER AIR.  THIS COOL...THUS DENSE...
AIR SINKS RAPIDLY TO THE SURFACE.  A DOWNBURST IS DIFFERENTIATED
FROM A COMMON THUNDERSTORM DOWNDRAFT BECAUSE THE WINDS IT PRODUCES
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE DAMAGE ON OR NEAR THE GROUND.  SURFACE
DAMAGE PATTERNS HAVE SHOWN THAT WHETHER THE WINDS ARE STRAIGHT OR A
LITTLE BIT CURVED...THEY TEND TO SPREAD OUT...OR DIVERGE...
CONSIDERABLY AS THEY REACH THE SURFACE.  CONVERSELY...DAMAGE PATTERNS
RESULTING FROM A TORNADO GENERALLY CONVERGE TOWARD A NARROW CENTRAL
TRACK.

INTENSE DOWNBURSTS CAN BE PHENOMENAL.  SPEEDS HAVE BEEN CLOCKED AS
HIGH AS 175 MPH A FEW YEARS AGO NEAR MOREHEAD CITY NORTH CAROLINA
AND AT 158 MPH AT ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE IN MARYLAND IN 1986.
CLOSER TO HOME...104 MPH DOWNBURST WINDS WERE MEASURED AT BOTH
WORCESTER MASSACHUSETTS ON MAY 31 1998 AND WHITMAN MASSACHUSETTS ON
MAY 21 1996.  STRONG DOWNBURSTS WILL DEFINITELY CAUSE ROARING SOUNDS
AND PEOPLE MAY OFTEN REFER TO A SOUND LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN...TERMS
TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH TORNADOES.  ALTHOUGH DOWNBURSTS ARE NOT
TORNADOES...THE CAN CAUSE DAMAGE EQUIVALENT TO THAT OF A SMALL TO
MEDIUM TORNADO.  AFTER ALL...WIND IS WIND.

DOWNBURSTS ARE CLASSIFIED AS EITHER MACROBURSTS OR MICROBURSTS...
DEPENDING ON THE AREAL EXTENT OF THE DAMAGING WIND SWATH.
A MACROBURST/S DAMAGE EXTENDS HORIZONTALLY FOR MORE THAN 2.5 MILES.
A MICROBURST IS A SMALL DOWNBURST WITH ITS DAMAGING WINDS EXTENDING
2.5 MILES OR LESS.  THE SMALL HORIZONTAL SCALE AND SHORT TIME SPAN
OF A MICROBURST MAKES IT PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS TO AVIATION.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FOR
THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OF
58 MPH OR GREATER...OR HAIL THAT IS THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH /0.75
INCHES/ OR GREATER IN DIAMETER.

$$
GAF

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
SEMCARES Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503  (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929  (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo