Severe Weather Awareness Week

This week (Feb 13-17) is Severe Weather Awareness Week in the state of Mississippi. This week is provided to raise awareness on safety and knowledge of severe weather situations.

Monday covered severe thunderstorms and the differences between severe and regular thunderstorms as well as the difference between watches and warnings. What consitutes a severe thunderstorm is a thunderstorm that meets one or more of the following criteria: hail with a diameter of .25" (quarter sized) or larger, winds greater than 58 mph, or tornadoes. Knowing the difference between a watch and a warning can save many lives. I personally know people who get these two switched up and I constantly correct them. A watch is such that the conditions are favorable for a severe thunderstorm. A warning is that there is one indicated by radar or by a storm spotter and you need to be prepared.  These cover any kind of watch or warning, weather it be thunderstorm, tornado or even flood.

Tuesday discussed flooding. Flooding occurs when there is a significant amount of rainfall in a short amount of time. Flash flooding occur between minutes and 6 hours of the torrential rainfall. These are very dangerous because they can happen quickly and wash out roads, houses, and anything that gets in its way. River flooding is slower than flash flooding and is used for rivers, creeks etc. This happens when there is a lot of rain and the river overflows its banks.

Wednesday went over tornadoes. There was a statewide tornado drill at 9:15 AM and all sirens and weather radios went off in order to be prepared for an actual emergency. Tornadoes are particularly potent in the south. This is because generally there is so much moisture in the air, tornadoes are usually rain wrapped and difficult to see. Peak tornado season in the south east is late March to early May, as well as November and December.  If a tornado warning is issued for your city, IMMEDIATELY seek shelter in the lowest part of the house on the inside away from any windows. If you only have one floor, get in an interior bathroom or closet. Storm shelters are also good protection from natures fury. Tell tale signs a tornado may be near is a green sky, hail, and debris cloud. We rate tornadoes not by their intensity, but by the damage they produce on the Enhanced-Fujita scale. EF-0  (65-85 mph, weak)- light damage, shallow rooted trees pushed over, some damage to gutters and sidign. EF-1 (86-110 mph, weak)- moderate damage, mobile homes overturned, roof shingles peeled off. EF-2 (111-135 mph, strong)- considerable damage, large trees uprooted or snapped, mobile homes destroyed. EF-3 (136-165 mph, strong)- severe damage, trains overturned, well built homes will lose their roofs and walls. EF-4 (166-200 mph, violent)- devasting damage, well built homes leveled, cars thrown around. EF-5 (Over 200 mph, extreme)-Incredible damage, well built homes disintegrated, car sized objects thrown greater than 300 feet.

Thursday explained lightning. Lightning is probably the most underrated of weather events, however its a leading killer. Every thunderstorm has lighting, since you can not have thunder with out lightning. Here are some outdoor lightning safety tips: seek shelter in a house or in a metal car with the windows rolled up, if your hair stands on end and your skin tingles take cover because lightning is about to strike, if on a boat lie on the surface of the boat with cushions between you and the bottom and sides of the boat. DO NOT seek shelter under large trees or hills or near chain link fences. Indoor safety tips include staying away from windows and unplugging electronics.

I hope by the end of this week you have learned some valuable information about severe weather and the dangers that come along with it.