Note: Posted a day early locally, so it would go out in the netmail
run the morning of Sept. 24, 2014. DS

***

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
600 AM CDT WED SEP 24 2014

...TODAY IS FALL SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS DAY IN ARKANSAS...

ALTHOUGH MOST PEOPLE ASSOCIATE THE SPRING MONTHS WITH SEVERE 
WEATHER...ARKANSAS TYPICALLY EXPERIENCES A SECONDARY SEVERE WEATHER 
SEASON IN THE FALL OR EARLY WINTER ABOUT TWO YEARS OUT OF EVERY 
THREE. 

IN THE YEARS 2001...2002...2004...AND 2005...THE GREATEST 
TORNADO OUTBREAKS IN THE STATE OCCURRED IN THE FALL. IN 2009...
THE NUMBER OF TORNADOES IN THE FALL ALMOST EQUALED THE NUMBER SEEN
IN THE SPRING. IN 2010...FOUR PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY A TORNADO 
IN WASHINGTON COUNTY ON DECEMBER 31ST.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN ARKANSAS AWHILE LIKELY REMEMBER DECEMBER 
OF 1982...WHEN TORNADO OUTBREAKS OCCURRED ON DECEMBER 2ND AND AGAIN 
ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

AND...THE SPRING SEVERE WEATHER SEASON SOMETIMES DOES NOT WAIT 
UNTIL SPRING OFFICIALLY BEGINS. IN 2008...THE SUPER TUESDAY TORNADO
OUTBREAK OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 5TH. IN 1999...THE BIGGEST TORNADO
OUTBREAK IN ARKANSAS HISTORY OCCURRED ON JANUARY 21ST...WHEN 52
TORNADOES STRUCK THE STATE IN SEVEN HOURS. IN 2012...THE BIGGEST 
TORNADO OUTBREAK OF THE YEAR OCCURRED ON JANUARY 22ND. IN 2013...
FIVE TORNADOES OCCURRED ON JANUARY 29TH.

SO...EVEN IN THE FALL AND WINTER...WHEN UNUSUALLY WARM AND HUMID AIR 
INVADES ARKANSAS...SEVERE WEATHER CAN OCCUR WHEN A STRONG COLD FRONT 
OR UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE COLLIDES WITH THE WARMTH AND MOISTURE.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP UP WITH THE WEATHER WHEN UNSEASONABLY
WARM...HUMID WEATHER COMES ALONG. LISTEN TO SEE IF SEVERE WEATHER
WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. TYPICALLY...MANY PEOPLE ARE CAUGHT
BY SURPRISE WHEN SEVERE WEATHER OCCURS DURING THE COOLER MONTHS...
BECAUSE ALL TOO MANY PEOPLE THINK OF SEVERE WEATHER AS OCCURRING
ONLY IN THE SPRING. 

SO FAR THIS YEAR...ONLY TEN TORNADOES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED IN 
ARKANSAS. IN AN AVERAGE YEAR...33 TORNADOES WOULD BE EXPECTED. THE
MOST TORNADOES IN ONE DAY WAS FIVE...ON APRIL 27TH. GIVEN THE
EXPECTED WEATHER PATTERN OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS...IT IS 
REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME SEVERE WEATHER EPISODES
DURING THE FALL. AND THERE IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT ARKANSAS WILL 
SEE ITS BUSIEST SEVERE WEATHER DAY OF THE YEAR SOMETIME IN THE NEXT
TWO OR THREE MONTHS.

HERE ARE SOME SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES TO KEEP IN MIND...

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...SO KNOW 
THE COUNTIES AND CITIES NEAR WHERE YOU ARE. 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. A BATTERY-POWERED RADIO IS ALSO A NECESSITY IF YOU 
ARE PLANNING TO BE OUTDOORS.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE AT A LARGE GATHERING...SUCH AS AT A 
SCHOOL...STADIUM OR PLACE OF WORSHIP...MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE HAS 
BEEN DESIGNATED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER AND TO LISTEN FOR 
THE LATEST WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

A TORNADO SHELTER...TORNADO CELLAR...OR A SAFE ROOM IS THE SAFEST
PLACE TO BE...BUT MOST HOMES DO NOT HAVE THESE. 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 OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A HOUSE OR BUILDING. YOU 
WANT TO PUT AS MANY WALLS AS POSSIBLE BETWEEN YOU AND THE
OUTSIDE. FURTHER PROTECTION CAN BE PROVIDED BY GETTING UNDER A 
MATTRESS OR A HEAVY PIECE OF FURNITURE.

IN SOME CASES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE JUST AS MUCH
DAMAGE AS EF0 OR EF1 TORNADOES DO. WHILE MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT 
A TORNADO MUST OCCUR BEFORE THEY CAN COLLECT ON THEIR HOME
INSURANCE...THIS IS NOT TRUE. A STANDARD HOMEOWNERS POLICY IN 
ARKANSAS DOES NOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN DAMAGE CAUSED BY
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND DAMAGE CAUSED BY TORNADOES.

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.

STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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.

REMEMBER THAT FLYING DEBRIS CAUSES THE MOST CASUALTIES IN A 
TORNADO.

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.

&&

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT   WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/LZK


$$

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