...TORNADO AND SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS APRIL 18-22...
...TODAY/S TOPIC IS...PART 3... TORNADO BASICS...
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...TORNADOES IN GENERAL...
TORNADOES ARE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL AND VIOLENT STORMS THAT
NATURE CAN PRODUCE.  THEY COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES AND CAN OCCUR
IN EVERY STATE IN THE UNION...ON ANY DAY OF THE YEAR AND AT ANY HOUR
OF THE DAY.  HOWEVER...ONE THING THAT ALL TORNADOES HAVE IN COMMON IS
THAT THEY CAN BE A DIRECT THREAT TO YOUR SAFETY.

...DEFINITION OF A TORNADO...
A TORNADO BY DEFINITION IS A VIOLENTLY ROTATING COLUMN OF AIR THAT
EXTENDS FROM THE BASE OF A CUMULONIMBUS CLOUD DOWN TO THE GROUND.
THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE A VISIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD INSIDE THE TORNADO.
IN OTHER WORDS...THE FUNNEL CLOUD IS NOT THE TORNADO.

     ...FOR MANY YEARS IT WAS ASSUMED THAT MOST TORNADOES SPIN
        DOWNWARD TO THE GROUND. RECENT RESEARCH AND EYEWITNESS
        REPORTS INDICATE TORNADOES CAN ACTUALLY SPIN UP FROM THE
        GROUND AND GROW UPWARD INTO THE THUNDERSTORM.  THESE TYPES
        OF TORNADOES MAY NOT ACTUALLY HAVE A VISIBLE FUNNEL REACHING
        THE GROUND...MAKING THEM ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE.
        FREQUENTLY...DIRT AND DEBRIS VIOLENTLY ROTATING AT GROUND
        LEVEL IS A GOOD CONFIRMATION OF A TORNADO.

...WISCONSIN TORNADO STATISTICS...
IN WISCONSIN THE PEAK TORNADO SEASON IS MAY THROUGH JULY. TORNADOES
CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY.

     ...THE PEAK HOURS OF OCCURRENCE IN WISCONSIN ARE BETWEEN
        2 PM AND 10 PM.

     ...THE PEAK HOUR FOR TORNADO INITIATION IN WISCONSIN IS
        BETWEEN 6 AND 7 PM.

     ...ON AVERAGE WISCONSIN SEES 21 TORNADOES A YEAR...BASED ON THE
        PERIOD OF 1971-2000.

     ...ON AVERAGE WISCONSIN HAS AN AVERAGE OF 1 FATALITY EACH YEAR
        DUE TO TORNADO-RELATED INJURIES.

...WORDS OF CAUTION...
DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR YOUR SAFETY DEPENDS ON YOU BEING ALERT AND
CAUTIOUS.

     ...IT IS ALSO A GOOD TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT COUNTY
        YOU LIVE IN. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES WATCHES AND
        WARNINGS ON A COUNTY BASIS.

     ...KEEP ABREAST OF THE CURRENT WATCHES AND WARNINGS FROM A NOAA
        WEATHER RADIO BROADCAST...LOCAL TV OR RADIO STATIONS...OR
        CABLE STATIONS..

...THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WATCH AND A WARNING...
BE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TORNADO WATCH
AND WARNING.  MANY PEOPLE CONFUSE WATCHES AND WARNINGS.  NOW IS A
GOOD TIME TO REVIEW THE DIFFERENCE BEFORE SEVERE WEATHER HITS.

     ...TORNADO WATCH...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A WATCH
        TO GIVE YOU ADVANCE NOTICE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES
        IS POSSIBLE IN YOUR AREA. THIS GIVES YOU THE TIME TO MAKE
        PRELIMINARY PLANS FOR MOVING TO A SAFE SHELTER QUICKLY IF A
        TORNADO IS SIGHTED.

     ...TORNADO WARNING...A TORNADO WARNING IS AN URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT
        THAT A TORNADO HAS BEEN REPORTED BY A PERSON OR IS IMMINENT
        DUE TO DOPPLER RADAR INFORMATION.  TAKE IMMEDIATE
        PRECAUTIONS. WHEN A WARNING IS ISSUED..MOVE QUICKLY. SECONDS
        SAVE LIVES.

...WHICH GROUPS OF PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A SAFETY PLAN...
INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS SCHOOLS...OFFICE BUILDINGS...AND FACTORIES
SHOULD HAVE A WELL-REHEARSED PLAN OF ACTION IN CASE OF HAZARDOUS
WEATHER. THIS INCLUDES HAVING A NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL-HAZARDS TO MONITOR THE
CURRENT AND FUTURE WEATHER CONDITIONS...AND A PERSON WHO WATCHES FOR
SEVERE STORMS.  IN ADDITION...ORGANIZERS OF OUTDOOR EVENTS...WHERE
LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE GATHER...SHOULD HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION.

...TORNADO SAFETY TIPS...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECOMMENDS TAKING SHELTER IN A PERMANENT
STRUCTURE IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY...BATHROOM OR CLOSET ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR.

     ...IF AVAILABLE...A BASEMENT IS THE BEST CHOICE TO TAKE COVER.
        AUDITORIUMS...OR OTHER STRUCTURES WITH LARGE UNSUPPORTED
        ROOFS...OR AREAS WITH WINDOWS SHOULD BE AVOIDED. IN LAST
        MINUTE SITUATIONS A DESK MAY USED FOR COVER.

     ...THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE BASEMENT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE
        SAFEST PLACE...BECAUSE LARGE OBJECTS SUCH AS MOTOR VEHICLES
        CAN BE DEPOSITED INTO BASEMENTS. YOU NEED SOMETHING STURDY
        OVERHEAD...SUCH AS AN I-BEAM.  ANOTHER OPTION IN THE
        BASEMENT IS TO GET UNDERNEATH A HEAVY DESK OR TABLE...OR THE
        STAIRCASE.

     ...IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE IN THE OPEN DURING A TORNADO...LIE
        FLAT AND COVER YOUR HEAD.  IF YOU CAN...WRAP A COVERING
        AROUND EXPOSED PORTIONS OF YOUR BODY.

     ...ANY DEBRIS DRIVEN BY TORNADO-STRENGTH WINDS HAS THE POTENTIAL
        TO CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. DEBRIS ALSO TENDS TO COLLECT IN
        DITCHES AND RAVINES WHICH CAN FLOOD DUE TO RAIN...SO BE
        WARY OF DITCHES AND RAVINES.

     ...NEVER DRIVE DIRECTLY TOWARD OR IN THE VICINITY OF A TORNADO.
        ANY TORNADO CAN CHANGE DIRECTION OR SPEED AND PUT YOU
        DIRECTLY IN ITS PATH. DRIVE AT RIGHT ANGLES FROM THE TORNADO
        OR GET OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE AND SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

     ...HIGHWAY OVER-PASSES ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE SAFEST OUTDOOR
        PLACE TO BE.  PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED WHILE HIDING UNDERNEATH
        AN OVER-PASS AS A TORNADO MOVED OVERHEAD.  INSTEAD...SEEK A
        STURDY SHELTER OR LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND AND COVER YOUR HEAD
        WITH YOUR ARMS.

...MOBILE HOMES...
IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME YOU SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS DURING
TIMES OF POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER.  MOST MOBILE HOMES ARE NOT SAFE IN
SEVERE WEATHER...ESPECIALLY TORNADOES.

     ...THE SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION OF MOBILE HOMES MAKES THEM
        PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO OVERTURNING IN HIGH WINDS.  SOME
        PROTECTION MAY BE PROVIDED AGAINST DAMAGE BY SECURING THEM
        WITH CABLES ANCHORED IN CONCRETE FOOTINGS.

     ...YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT WHEN HIGH WINDS OR TORNADIC ACTIVITY
        ARE IMMINENT...MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE EVACUATED. THE NATIONAL
        WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES THAT IN THESE CONDITIONS YOU SHOULD
        MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO A STURDY...PERMANENT STRUCTURE.

     ...IF NO STURDY SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND
        AND COVER YOUR HEAD. ACT QUICKLY...A MAJORITY OF TORNADO-
        RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN MOBILE HOMES.  PREPARING AHEAD OF
        TIME COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.

...STANDARD HOMES...
IN THE HOME...YOUR BEST CHOICE FOR SAFETY IS AN INTERIOR ROOM WITH
NO WINDOWS ON THE LOWER LEVEL OF YOUR HOME...PREFERABLY A BASEMENT.
IF POSSIBLE GET UNDER A STURDY TABLE OR WORK BENCH.

     ...IF A CELLAR IS NOT AVAILABLE...YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
        SUGGESTS THAT YOU TAKE COVER IN AN INTERIOR CLOSET...HALLWAY
        OR BATHROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE HOUSE.

     ...SOME PEOPLE SURVIVE A TORNADO IN AN EMPTY BATHTUB WITH A
        MATTRESS OVER THEIR HEAD FOR PROTECTION.  CONTRARY TO POPULAR
        MYTHS...DO NOT OPEN DOORS OR WINDOWS BEFORE TAKING COVER. IT
        WASTES PRECIOUS TIME THAT YOU NEED TO HEAD FOR SAFETY.

FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION AND UP TO DATE FORECASTS
AND WARNINGS PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT:

http://weather.gov/mkx

$$
KAPELA/KONOP