email:  ckoplien@todaystmj4.com

Today is the Day 1 of Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin.  All week I'll be posting important information here on the blog that you can use to help keep your family safe.




...TORNADO AND SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS APRIL 21-25...


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...BASIC WATCH AND WARNING INFO...
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...HOW TO STAY ON TOP OF THE WEATHER...
WITH SUMMER QUICKLY APPROACHING THE BADGER STATE...YOU NEED TO BE
AWARE OF POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS WEATHER SITUATIONS QUICKLY. AN
EXCELLENT WAY TO KEEP ABREAST OF RAPIDLY CHANGING SUMMER WEATHER
CONDITIONS IS TO PURCHASE A NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS RECEIVER
AT YOUR FAVORITE ELECTRONICS STORE. MAKE SURE YOUR WEATHER RADIO HAS
A BATTERY BACK-UP IN CASE YOU LOSE COMMERCIAL POWER.

BESIDES NOAA WEATHER RADIO AS A SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION...
COMMERCIAL TV AND RADIO STATIONS AND CABLE STATIONS BROADCAST
CRITICAL WEATHER INFORMATION.  OF COURSE...WEATHER INFORMATION CAN
BE OBTAINED FROM THE INTERNET.
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...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 STORM PREDICTION CENTER ISSUES A WATCH
        TO GIVE YOU ADVANCE NOTICE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES
        IS POSSIBLE IN YOUR AREA WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. THIS
        GIVES YOU THE TIME TO MAKE PRELIMINARY PLANS FOR MOVING TO A
        SAFE SHELTER QUICKLY IF A TORNADO DEVELOPS.

     ...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 SWIFT...IMMEDIATE
        ACTIONS.  WHEN A WARNING IS ISSUED..MOVE QUICKLY.  SECONDS
        SAVE LIVES.

     ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH...THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER
        ISSUES A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TO GIVE YOU ADVANCE
        NOTICE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE STORMS WITH POWERFUL
        AND DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE IN
        YOUR AREA WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. THIS GIVES YOU THE
        TIME TO MAKE PRELIMINARY PLANS FOR MOVING TO A SAFE SHELTER
        QUICKLY IF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPS.

     ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
        IS AN URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT A SEVERE STORM WITH POWERFUL
        AND DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY A PERSON
        OR IS IMMINENT DUE TO DOPPLER RADAR INFORMATION.  TAKE
        SWIFT...IMMEDIATE ACTIONS.  WHEN A WARNING IS ISSUED..MOVE
        QUICKLY. SECONDS SAVE LIVES.
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...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.

PEOPLE AT HOME SHOULD ALSO HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION...WHICH INCLUDES
HAVING AN EMERGENCY KIT THAT CONTAINS WATER...NON-PERISHABLE FOOD
...EXTRA MEDICINE AND CLOTHING...FLASHLIGHTS AND BATTERIES...AND
EXTRA CASH AND OTHER PERSONAL ITEMS.
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...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 SEVERE
        WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS ON A COUNTY BASIS...OR ON A
        PARTIAL-COUNTY BASIS.

     ...IF YOU DON/T FEEL SAFE BECAUSE THE SKY OR CLOUDS LOOK
        THREATENING...THEN SEEK A SAFE SHELTER...EVEN IF A WARNING
        HASN/T BEEN ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

     ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOES NOT ISSUE WARNINGS FOR
        LIGHTNING.  LIGHTNING IS A MAJOR HAZARD WITH ANY
        THUNDERSTORM.  IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE
        ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.



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...MOST COMMON TORNADO MYTHS...
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THERE ARE MANY MYTHS CIRCULATING AMONGST SOCIETY ABOUT TORNADOES...
WHICH IN MANY CASES ARE FALSE AND COULD BE LIFE-THREATENING IF
FOLLOWED CLOSELY. SEVERAL OF THESE MYTHS ARE LISTED BELOW ALONG WITH
THE REASONS OF WHY THEY ARE FALSE.
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...WHEN TRAVELING BY CAR...SEEK SHELTER UNDER AN OVERPASS AS A
TORNADO APPROACHES...

     SEEKING SHELTER UNDER AN OVERPASS IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN
STANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD WHILE A TORNADO IS APPROACHING. WHEN A
TORNADO PASSES OVER AN OVERPASS...WINDS ARE FUNNELED UNDER THE
BRIDGE THEREBY INCREASING THE VELOCITY. THE SAME PHENOMENA CAN BE
EXPERIENCED BY STANDING BETWEEN TWO BUILDINGS ON A WINDY DAY.

     THE BEST PLACE TO SEEK SHELTER WHILE TRAVELING IS IN A STURDY
BUILDING. IF NO BUILDING IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND AND
COVER YOUR HEAD. TORNADOES DO NOT FOLLOW TERRAIN FEATURES EXACTLY
...SO CHANCES ARE IF THE TORNADO COMES DIRECTLY TOWARD YOUR
LOCATION...IT WILL PASS RIGHT OVER YOU. BE WARY HOWEVER...DEBRIS
TENDS TO COLLECT IN LOWS SPOTS SUCH AS CULVERTS AND DITCHES...AND
FLASH FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE AS WELL.
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...TORNADOES NEVER STRIKE THE SAME LOCATION TWICE...

     THE CIVIL TOWN OF CORDELL KANSAS HAD A TORNADO HIT ON MAY 20TH
THREE YEARS IN A ROW /1916...1917...1918/. IN GUY ARKANSAS...THREE
TORNADOES HIT THE SAME CHURCH ON THE SAME DAY.
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...BIG CITIES AND THEIR TALL BUILDINGS ARE PROTECTED FROM
TORNADOES...

     BIG CITIES AND THEIR IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING AREAS ARE NOT
PROTECTED FROM TORNADOES. IN FACT...MANY CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES HAVE BEEN HIT DIRECTLY WITHIN RECENT TIMES SUCH AS MIAMI...
OKLAHOMA CITY...HOUSTON...FORT WORTH...AND NASHVILLE. EVEN SALT LAKE
CITY HAS BEEN DIRECTLY HIT. UTAH ONLY EXPERIENCES A FEW TORNADOES PER
YEAR...BUT THEY CAN STRIKE ANYWHERE.

     SINCE BIG CITIES COVER A RELATIVELY SMALL GEOGRAPHICAL AREA...
THE CHANCES OF A TORNADO STRIKING THAT PARTICULAR AREA ARE RELATIVELY
SMALL...BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. THE MYTH THAT TALL BUILDINGS PROTECT
CITIES FROM TORNADOES IS FALSE SINCE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORMS ARE
TYPICALLY 8 TO 12 MILES IN HEIGHT. A TALL BUILDING OF 500 TO 1000
FEET IN HEIGHT CAN NOT POSSIBLY DEFLECT OR DESTROY A TORNADO.
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...LARGE LAKES PROTECT NEARBY AREAS FROM TORNADOES...

     WHILE COLD WATER AND THE COOL AIR ON TOP OF A LARGE LAKE SUCH
AS LAKE MICHIGAN CAN PROVIDE FOR A LOCALLY STABLE ENVIRONMENT AT
TIMES...CHANCES ARE A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO MOVING TOWARD
A COLD LAKE HAS A LARGE DRIVING FORCE THAT CAN EASILY OVERCOME THE
DAMPENING EFFECTS OF REFRIGERATED AIR OVER A LARGE LAKE.

IN ADDITION...TYPICAL LAKE BREEZES FOUND ALONG THE LAKE MICHIGAN
SHORE ARE OFTEN SHALLOW AND ONLY AFFECT A SMALL PORTION OF THE LOWER
ATMOSPHERE. WARM AND UNSTABLE AIR ABOVE THIS MARINE LAYER/LAKE BREEZE
COULD VERY WELL SUSTAIN A THUNDERSTORM/S STRENGTH. FOR EXAMPLE... ON
MARCH 8 2000...MILWAUKEE COUNTY EXPERIENCED ITS EARLIEST TORNADO ON
RECORD AT A TIME WHEN LAKE MICHIGAN IS CLIMATOLOGICALLY COLDEST.
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...MOUNTAINS...RIDGES...RIVER VALLEYS...AND LARGE LAKES INHIBIT
TORNADO DEVELOPMENT AND/OR SPLIT STORMS...

     TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN EVERY CORNER OF THE UNITED STATES...
INCLUDING MOUNTAINS...RIDGES...AND RIVER VALLEYS. WHILE CONDITIONS
AREN/T OPTIMAL FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT ON TOP OF MOUNTAINS OR
DIRECTLY OVER LAKE MICHIGAN...TORNADOES HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED TO
VISIT MOUNTAINS AT THE 10 TO 14 THOUSAND FOOT LEVEL IN THE SIERRA
NEVADA MOUNTAINS AND IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. STRONG TORNADOES
HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO CROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND OTHER LARGE
RIVERS OR LARGE LAKES.
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...SEEKING SHELTER IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF YOUR HOUSE WILL
PROTECT YOU FROM BEING HIT BY DEBRIS...

     THIS MYTH WAS DEVISED SOLELY BY THE MISCONCEPTION THAT ALL
TORNADOES PROPAGATE IN A NORTHEAST DIRECTION. THEREFORE AS THE
TORNADO HITS YOUR HOUSE...ALL THE DEBRIS WILL BE BROUGHT WITH IT TO
THE NORTHEAST AND AWAY FROM YOU. SINCE TORNADOES CAN MOVE FROM ANY
DIRECTION...THIS MYTH IS OBVIOUSLY FALSE.

DEBRIS SUCH AS PICKUP TRUCKS AND CARS CAN ALSO BE SHOVED INTO THE
BASEMENT BY A TORNADO. OBVIOUSLY ONE CAN BE CRUSHED BY A VEHICLE
THAT IS DEPOSITED INTO A BASEMENT. ONE SHOULD POSITION THEMSELVES
UNDER THE I-BEAM...A HEAVY WORK BENCH...OR UNDER THE STEPS TO
INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF SURVIVAL.

DURING A TORNADO WARNING...PEOPLE WILL WANT TO SEEK SHELTER IN AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING...AWAY FROM
WINDOWS...AND UNDER A STEADY PIECE OF FURNITURE OR STAIRCASE.
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...TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE TO YOUR HOUSE...OPEN ALL THE WINDOWS PRIOR TO
A TORNADO STRIKING IT TO EQUALIZE THE PRESSURE INSIDE AND PREVENT
IT FROM EXPLODING...

     WHILE TORNADOES DO HAVE INCREDIBLE PRESSURE CHANGES ASSOCIATED
WITHIN THEM...IF A TORNADO STRIKES YOUR HOUSE DIRECTLY...THE WINDS
AND FLYING DEBRIS ALONE WILL DAMAGE IT SEVERELY ANYWAY. ALL HOMES
HAVE THE ABILITY TO EQUALIZE THEIR PRESSURE INSIDE...SINCE NO HOUSE
IS 100 PERCENT AIR-TIGHT.

FURTHERMORE...BY OPENING WINDOWS YOU ALLOW NO CHANCE OF THE WINDOW
SHIELDING YOU FROM DEBRIS OUTSIDE WHICH MAY CAUSE BODILY HARM...AND
IT WASTES PRECIOUS TIME YOU NEED TO TAKE COVER.
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...TORNADOES ONLY OCCUR IN THE LATE SPRING AND SUMMER ACROSS
WISCONSIN...

     WHILE THE OPTIMAL TIME FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT OCCURS DURING MAY
THROUGH AUGUST ACROSS WISCONSIN...TORNADOES MAY DEVELOP AT ANY TIME
OF DAY AND ON ANY DAY OF THE YEAR. SINCE 1950...TORNADOES HAVE BEEN
DOCUMENTED IN THE BADGER STATE DURING EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR EXCEPT
FEBRUARY.  A TORNADO MAY YET SOMEDAY OCCUR IN FEBRUARY IN WISCONSIN.
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...THE SHAPE AND SIZE OF THE TORNADO DETERMINES HOW STRONG IT IS...

     TORNADOES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES AND ONE SHOULD NOT DEPEND
ON HOW LARGE THEY ARE OR THEIR SHAPE TO DETERMINE STRENGTH. THE ONLY
WAY TO DETERMINE THE STRENGTH OF THE TORNADO IS THROUGH DAMAGE
ASSESSMENTS CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...OR BY TAKING
A DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF WIND.

DURING DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS...NWS EMPLOYEES LOOK FOR CLUES THAT WILL
TELL THEM HOW STRONG THE WINDS WERE. THE WIND ESTIMATE /OR
MEASUREMENT/ IS THEN RELATED TO THE ENHANCED-FUJITA TORNADO SCALE
AND A TORNADO INTENSITY LEVEL WILL BE ASSIGNED.

     MERELY BY LOOKING AT THE TORNADO/S SHAPE DOES NOT TELL THE
WHOLE STORY. THE VISIBLE FUNNEL IS CREATED BY CLOUD CONDENSATION OR
DIRT AND DEBRIS. CONDITIONS THAT CREATE THE VISIBLE FUNNEL WILL
CHANGE EACH TIME A TORNADO DEVELOPS...AND THEREFORE ONE CAN NOT USE
THIS METHOD RELIABLY.
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...SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY OR CROP DAMAGE IS ALWAYS A RESULT OF A
TORNADO...

     TORNADOES DO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE...HOWEVER STRAIGHT-LINE
DOWN-BURST WINDS CAN BE JUST AS DESTRUCTIVE. DOWN-BURST WINDS
ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF REACHING WIND
SPEEDS OF 100 TO 150 MPH...OR THE EQUIVALENT OF AN EF1 OR EF2 OR
EF3 TORNADO. TORNADOES ARE RATED A SCALE FROM EF0 TO EF5...WITH EF5
BEING THE STRONGEST.

SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE DOES NOT ALWAYS IMPLY A TORNADO. SEVERAL...LESS
OBVIOUS...CLUES WILL TELL NWS EMPLOYEES WHETHER A TORNADO OR
STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS CAUSED THE DAMAGE.
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...MOBILE HOMES ATTRACT TORNADOES...

     NOTHING ATTRACTS TORNADOES. TORNADOES FORM AND TRAVEL AT THEIR
OWN LEISURE. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH MOBILE HOMES ATTRACT TORNADOES
BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE. HOWEVER...ON A PRO-
RATED BASIS...HIGHER NUMBERS OF FATALITIES AND INJURIES OCCUR WITH
MOBILE-TRAILER HOMES.
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...THE NUMBER OF TORNADOES PER YEAR HAVE BEEN INCREASING DUE TO MORE
FAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS...

     THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTED TORNADOES IN THE U.S. HAS INCREASED
SINCE THE EARLY 1900S. HOWEVER...THIS INCREASE IS MOSTLY LIKELY DUE
TO THE GENERAL INCREASE IN THE POPULATION...MORE TRAINED STORM
SPOTTERS...BETTER RADAR DETECTION TECHNOLOGY...AND BETTER FOLLOW-UP
DAMAGE SURVEYS. TORNADOES HAVE NOT BECOME MORE COMMON DUE TO MORE
FAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
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FOR INFORMATION ABOUT TORNADOES...PLEASE REFER TO...

HTTP://SPC.NOAA.GOV/FAQ/TORNADO/INDEX.HTML          /ALL LOWER CASE/

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT WISCONSIN SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE REFER TO...

HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/MKX                         /ALL LOWER CASE/