The week of March 21 - 27, 2004, has been designated as Spring Severe Weather Safety Awareness Week. A statewide Tornado Safety drill will be held at 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday, March 24th.

Ohio averages 16 tornadoes a year and five tornado-related fatalities per year. In 2003 there were 12 tornadoes resulting in 18 injuries and no deaths. In 2002, there were 22 tornadoes in Ohio resulting in 26 injuries and five deaths. Knowing what to do during a tornado can make all the difference between being a statistic and surviving.

On Wednesday, April 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. the Huron County EMA is sponsoring it’s annual Skywarn Spotters training class. The class will be held in the lower level at the County Administration Building on Milan Avenue. Another class will be held at the Bellevue council chambers on Tuesday, April 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (press releases on the training will follow at a later date).

Tornado Facts

Tornadoes are violent rotating columns of air extending to the ground from thunderstorms and have low pressure centers surrounded by air that spins around as they move across land. The debris accumulated by a funnel cloud often causes as much injury and damage as the actual wind force created by the storm.

An approaching cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.

The most violent tornadoes are capable of temendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 mph or more. Damage paths can exceed one mile wide and 50 miles long.

Tornadoes can occur during any month of the year, however, the most prevalent time of the year that tornadoes occur in Ohio is April through July.

Tornadoes usually occur between 2 and 10 p.m., but have been known to occur at any hour.

Most tornadoes move in the direction of southwest to northeast, and generally occur in the afternoon on a hot day.

Ohio has a special warning system that informs the public when a tornado could develop or has been sighted. Knowing the difference between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning can save lives.

A Tornado Watch means that conditions are favorable for the formation of a tornado.

A Tornado Warning means that a tornado has been sighted in the area and citizens should take cover immediately.

Fujita Tornado Scale

F-0: 40-72 mph, chimney damage, tree branches broken

F-1: 73-112 mph, mobile homes pushed off foundation or overturned

F-2: 113-157 mph, considerable damage, mobile homes demolished, trees uprooted

F-3: 158-206 mph, roofs and walls torn down, trains overturned, cars thrown

F-4: 207-260 mph, well-constructed walls leveled

F-5: 261(+) mph, homes lifted off foundation and carried considerable distances, homes/buildings disintegrated, autos thrown several feet like missals, etc.

Weak Tornadoes (F0/F1) - account for 70% of all tornadoes; cause less than 5% of tornado deaths; lifetime is usually 1 to 10(=) minutes; wind speeds are less than 113 mph.

Strong Tornadoes (F2/F3) - account for 29% of all tornadoes; cause nearly 30% of all tornado deaths; may last 20 minutes or longer; wind speeds are 113 to 206 mph.

Violent Tornadoes (F4/F5) - account for only 1% of all tornadoes; cause 70% of all tornado deaths; may last for one hour or more; wind speeds are greater than 206 mph.

Tornado Safety Tips

Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable. A mobile home can overturn very easily even if precautions have been taken to tie down the unit. When a tornado warning is issued, take shelter in a building with a strong foundation. If shelter is not available, lie in ditch or low-lying area a safe distance away from the unit.

Take responsibility for your safety and be prepared now before a watch or warning is issued. Meet with household members to create a plan for how to respond to tornado watches and warnings. Conduct regular tornado drills and learn how to turn off the water, gas and electricity.

Monitor the NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts. NOAA broadcasts warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information, 24 hours a day. NOAA Weather Radio is not just for emergencies but is a round-the-clock source of weather reports and information to help prepare for the day ahead. Broadcasts are found in the public service band at frequency 162.400 (MHz). You can purchase a NOAA weather radio at electronic or department stores.

If a tornado should strike, keep track of the storm by listening to a radio station that broadcasts for the Emergency Alert System. In Huron County, those stations designated as Emergency Alert System stations are WLKR, Norwalk-Milan, 95.3FM, and WOHF, Bellevue, 92.1 FM.

If at home:

Go at once to the basement, storm cellar, or the lowest level of the building. If there is no basement, go to an inner hallway or a smaller inner room without windows, such as a bathroom or closet.

Get away from the windows.

Go to the center of the room. Stay away from corners because they tend to attract debris.

Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.

Use arms to protect head and neck.

If in a mobile home, get out and find shelter elsewhere.

If at work or school:

Go to the basement or to an inside hallway at the lowest level.

Avoid places with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, cafeterias, large hallways, or shopping malls.

Get under a piece of sturdy furniture such as a workbench or heavy table or desk and hold on to it.

Use arms to protect head and neck.

If outdoors:

If possible, get inside a building. Do not take shelter under highway overpasses and bridges - weaker structures could be destroyed from the high winds and dangerous flying debris.

If shelter is not available or there is no time to get indoors, lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building. Be aware of the potential for flooding.

Use your arms to protect head and neck.

Never try to out-drive a tornado in a car or truck. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift up a car or truck and toss it through the air.

Get out of the car immediately and take shelter in a nearby building.

If there is no time to get indoors, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.

Thunderstorm/Lightning Facts

Thunderstorms are a common spring and summer occurrence throughout the state of Ohio. Many Ohioans may not realize that thunderstorm winds and lightning kill more people every year than tornadoes.

On average, lightning kills between 70 and 100 people each year in the U.S.

All thunderstorms produce lightning. Lightning often strikes outside of heavy rain and may occur as far as 10 miles away from any rainfall.

In any given thunderstorm, approximately two-thirds of the lightning occurs from cloud-to-cloud and about one-third from cloud-to-ground.

Lightning results from the buildup and discharge of electrical energy between the positively and negatively charged areas. The action of rising and descending air within a thunderstorm separates positive and negative changes.

The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts 30 minutes

Ohio experiences thunderstorm activity an average of 30 to 50 days annually.

Nearly 1,800 thunderstorms occur at any moment around the word. That’s 16 million storms per year. Of the estimated 100,000 thunderstorms that occur each year in the U.S., only about 10 percent are severe.

Severe thunderstorms can produce damaging winds as strong as the winds in a weak tornado and can be life threatening. They can also produce hail that is 3/4 inch in diameter or larger and/or winds of 58 miles per hour or higher and can produce tornadoes.

Large hail causes nearly $1 billion in damage to property and crops annually. The costliest U.S. hailstorm occurred in Denver, July 11, 1990. Total hail damage was estimated at $625 million.

Lightning strikes the earth 100 times every second. National Lightning Awareness Week is June 22-28th.

Thunderstorm/Lightning Safety Tips

If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning. Go to safe shelter immediately, such as a sturdy building or a car. Do not take shelter in small sheds, under isolated trees, or in convertible automobiles.

Telephone lines and metal pipes can conduct electricity. Unplug appliances not necessary for obtaining weather information. Avoid using electrical appliances. Use phones ONLY in an emergency.

Turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can overload the compressors.

Do not take a bath or a shower. Water is an electrical conductor.

If caught outdoors with no nearby shelter:

If lightning is occurring and a shelter is not available, get inside a hard top automobile and keep the windows up.

If no automobile is available, find a low spot away from trees, fences and poles. Be alert to the possibility of flash flooding.

If your in the woods, take shelter under short trees or bushes.

If you feel your skin tingle or your hair stand on end, squat low to the ground on the balls of your feet. Place your hands on your knees with your head between them. Make yourself the smallest target possible and minimize your contact with the ground.

If you are boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter immediately.

Stay away from open outdoor spaces.

Floods

Floods are the leading weather related killers in the United States. In the past 30 years, floods have accounted for nearly double the fatalities as lightning (the second leading cause). Flooding in Ohio is no exception. In the past 13 years there have been 53 flood related deaths in Ohio.

Nationally, 90 of all presidentially declared disasters include flooding, but 90% of all disasters are not presidentially declared.

Though “special flood hazard areas” have been mapped for most Ohio communities, about one in four floods occur in areas with a low to moderate risk of flooding.

U.S. property damage from flooding now exceeds $1 billion every year.

Three types of flooding occur in Ohio:

General River Flooding occurs after a long-term heavy rain, snow melt, or a combination of the two. It usually occurs slowly, allowing more time to move people and property to safety.

Flash Flooding is named for its sudden, in-a-flash occurrence - it is deceptively dangerous. In a few moments, the flow in a small, almost unnoticed stream or ditch can become a deadly destructive torrent. Then, just as suddenly, can drop back to normal flow. Flash flooding can occur anywhere that the amount of water exceeds an area’s capability to absorb it or convey it within banks of existing channels.

Urban and Small Stream Flooding is a more subtle flood threat. It can occur when heavy rain falls in an urban or rural area, resulting in flooding streets, underpasses, or drainage ditches in an urban area, or creeks in rural areas. It is not normally a threat unless motorists drive through the flooded road or children play in flooded drainage ditches. Small stream flooding can be hazardous if persons get too close to a swollen creek.

Flood Safety Tips

On July 18, 2001, flash flooding in southwest Ohio killed three. In the winter of 1996, rainfall and warm temperatures combined with the quick melt of several inches of snow producing flooding and river flooding throughout most of the state. Again, in June 1998, torrential rain resulted in widespread flash flooding and river flooding that resulted in 12 deaths and widespread devastation. Flood-related injuries and fatalities can be greatly reduced by increasing public awareness of the dangers involved in floods and flash floods. These tips can help protect you during flood events:

About 40% of flood deaths occur in motor vehicles. Never attempt to drive into a flooded roadway. It only takes about two feet of water to float most cars. A common remark of motorists who survived driving through a flooded road and were swept away was that they only thought the water was a few inches deep. Even if the vehicle in front of you successfully crossed a water-covered road, it is best to find an alternate route or to wait. Many flood-related deaths also occur at night, when it is difficult to recognize the dangers of a water-covered road. If you get stuck, you are not only risking your own life, but the lives of rescue personnel.

If you live in a low-lying area or near a creek, pay close attention to water levels during heavy rain events. Water rises rapidly during flash floods, often taking victims by surprise. Be prepared to move quickly to higher ground if water levels begin rising rapidly.

Trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles are also susceptible to being swept away by high water. Such vehicles often give motorists a false sense of security, believing they can drive through high water. This belief results in numerous deaths or emergency rescues of motorists in vehicles either stuck in or swept away by floodwaters.

Never let children play near creaks or storm drains. Every year deaths and injuries occur as a result of people getting swept into a creek or storm drain, with the most frequent victims being children.

If you are camping, never place your tent or camper on the bank of a river or creek. Allowing some distance between your campsite and the creek is best, so if a flash flood does occur, you will have more time to move to higher ground.

Remember that just 6 inches of rapidly moving flood water can knock a person down. A mere two feet of water can float a large vehicle - even a bus.

For more information, visit the Huron County EMA website at http://homepages.accnorwalk.com/hcema or call the Huron County Emergency Management Agency at 663-5772.

SEVERE/HAZARDOUS WEATHER TERMS

Watch - Issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) indicating that conditions are favorable for the development of a particular severe weather event. A watch is normally issued for several hours and indicates a need for planning, preparation and an increased awareness of changing weather conditions.

Warning - Indicates that a particular weather hazard is either imminent or occurring. A warning indicates the need to take action to protect life and property. Typical warnings include: Tornado Warning, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, and Flash Flood/Flood Warning.

Flash Flood - A flood that can occur very rapidly. Flash floods occur as the result of very heavy rainfall in a short period of time, generally over a relatively small area.

Flood - The condition that occurs when water overflows the natural or artificial confines of a stream or body of water, or accumulates by drainage over low lying areas.

Cold Air Funnels - Weak funnel cloud protuberance from cumuliform clouds that remain aloft. They form in cold unstable air masses and are not usually associated with thunderstorms or severe weather.

Funnel Cloud - Violently rotating column of air that is not in contract with the ground. A tornado passes through the funnel cloud stage during its development and dissipation.

Tornado - Violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground, descending from the base of a severe thunderstorm. Usually funnel shaped, with a narrow end nearest the ground.

Lightning - Generally, any and all of the various forms of electrical discharge produced by thunderstorms.

Thunderstorm - A local storm produced by a cumulonimbus cloud, and accompanied by lightning and thunder, usually with strong wind gusts, heavy rain and sometimes hail.

Severe Thunderstorm - A thunderstorm producing a tornado, damaging winds of 58 m.p.h. or higher, and/or hail 3/4” in diameter or larger.

Squall Line - Any line or narrow band of thunderstorms. These lines my be of considerable length, extending across multiple states.

Downburst - Intense gust of wind or downdraft that exits the base of a thunderstorm and spreads out horizontally at the earth’s surface as a strong wind which often causes damage.

Straight Line Winds - Thunderstorm winds that may produce damage which typically exhibits a lack of a rotational damage pattern. Straight line winds are most often produced by a thunderstorm gust front, origination from a downburst.

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