[SARC] THIS IS HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK

Sun May 25 08:17:58 CDT 2008

----- Original Message ----- 
Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 5:02 AM
Subject: Public Information Statement

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>
> PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
> NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
> 500 AM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008
>
> ...THIS IS HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK...
>
> HISTORY TEACHES US THAT A LACK OF HURRICANE AWARENESS AND
> PREPARATION ARE COMMON THREADS AMONG ALL MAJOR HURRICANE DISASTERS.
> BY KNOWING YOUR VULNERABILITY AND WHAT ACTIONS YOU SHOULD TAKE, YOU
> CAN REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF A HURRICANE DISASTER. THE GOAL OF
> HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK IS TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT HURRICANE
> HAZARDS AND PROVIDE KNOWLEDGE WHICH CAN UTILIZED WHEN YOU TAKE
> ACTION. THIS INFORMATION CAN BE USED TO SAVE LIVES AT WORK, HOME,
> WHILE ON THE ROAD OR ON THE WATER.
>
> EACH DAY OF HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK FEATURES A UNIQUE TOPIC
> RELEVANT TO EDUCATION AND AWARENESS. HURRICANE SEASON IS GENERALLY
> CONSIDERED TO BE FROM JUNE 1ST UNTIL NOVEMBER 30TH FOR THE
> ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO.
>
> TODAY WE WILL FOCUS ON HURRICANE HISTORY. ALTHOUGH CENTRAL ALABAMA
> IS NOT ADJACENT TO ANY LARGE WATER BODY...WE ARE CLOSE ENOUGH THAT
> HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS CAN HAVE A DEVASTATING IMPACT ACROSS
> THE AREA.
>
> HERE ARE A FEW HURRICANES THAT HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON
> CENTRAL ALABAMA;
>
> HURRICANE RITA 2005...RITA FORMED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATE ON
> SEPTEMBER 17TH AND TRACKED WEST NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF
> OF MEXICO. RITA REACHED A MAXIMUM INTENSITY AROUND 180 MPH (CATEGORY
> 5) ON SEPTEMBER 22ND AND THEN WEAKENED BEFORE LANDFALL. ON
> SEPTEMBER 24TH...RITA MADE LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE NEAR
> THE TEXAS/LOUISIANA BORDER. THE REMNANTS OF RITA CONTINUED
> NORTHWARD ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS...CENTRAL ARKANSAS...SOUTHEASTERN
> MISSOURI...AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS BEFORE COMPLETELY DISSIPATING
> AFTER MERGING WITH A FRONTAL SYSTEM. A FEEDER BAND ASSOCIATED WITH
> RITA PRODUCED THE SECOND LARGEST SINGLE DAY TORNADO OUTBREAK IN
> CENTRAL ALABAMA HISTORY ON SEPTEMBER 25TH. TWENTY ONE DISTINCT
> TORNADO DAMAGE PATHS WERE SURVEYED IN TUSCALOOSA, PICKENS, GREENE,
> WINSTON, SUMTER, LAMAR, FAYETTE, AND MARION COUNTIES. TORNADO DAMAGE
> WAS ESTIMATED AT A FEW MILLION DOLLARS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THESE
> TORNADOES WERE PRODUCED SOME 350-400 MILES EAST OF THE CENTRAL
> CIRCULATION.
>
> HURRICANE KATRINA 2005...KATRINA FORMED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON
> AUGUST 23RD AND MOVED WESTWARD ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN FLORIDA. KATRINA
> REACHED A MAXIMUM INTENSITY OF 175 MPH (CATEGORY 5) ON AUGUST 28TH IN
> THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. KATRINA TURNED NORTHWARD AND PRODUCED
> DEVASTATING DAMAGE TO NEW ORLEANS AND THE MISSISSIPPI COAST AS A
> CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE. THE REMNANTS OF KATRINA CONTINUED NORTHWARD
> INTO THE TENNESSEE AND OHIO VALLEYS BEFORE DISSIPATING INTO A
> FRONTAL ZONE NEAR THE GREAT LAKES ON AUGUST 31ST. DUE TO KATRINA'S
> CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ALABAMA/MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE...CENTRAL
> ALABAMA RECEIVED WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE FROM THIS LARGE HURRICANE.
> MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 45 AND 85 MPH ACROSS
> CENTRAL ALABAMA. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE DOWNED
> AREAWIDE, MINOR TO MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGED OCCURRED AND POWER
> OUTAGES WERE WIDESPREAD. MANY LOCATIONS WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR MORE
> THAN A WEEK. RAINFALL WAS GENERALLY LIMITED TO AREAS WEST OF
> INTERSTATE 65 WITH A MAXIMUM OF 4-5 INCHES WHICH OCCURRED NEAR THE
> ALABAMA/MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE. FEEDER BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH
> KATRINA PRODUCED FOUR TORNADOES IN MACON, TALLAPOOSA, BULLOCK,
> MONTGOMERY AND CALHOUN COUNTIES.
>
> HURRICANE DENNIS 2005...DENNIS FORMED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON
> JULY 4TH IN THE CARIBBEAN. DENNIS TRACKED NORTHWESTWARD AND REACHED
> CATEGORY 4 STRENGTH AROUND 150 MPH JUST SOUTH OF CUBA. DENNIS MADE
> LANDFALL NEAR NAVARRE BEACH IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AS A CATEGORY 3
> STORM ON JULY 10TH. THE REMNANTS OF DENNIS CONTINUED NORTHWARD AND
> EVENTUALLY DISSIPATED ON JULY 18TH IN SOUTHEASTERN CANADA AS IT WAS
> ABSORBED INTO AN EXTRA-TROPICAL LOW. DENNIS'S LOCAL EFFECTS WERE
> WIDESPREAD ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THREE TO SIX INCH RAINFALLS
> OCCURRED WEST OF INTERSTATE 65...WITH TWO TO THREE INCHES EAST OF
> THE INTERSTATE. MANY COUNTIES REPORTED FLASH FLOODING DUE TO
> THE INTENSITY OF RAIN AND MINOR RIVER FLOODING OCCURRED. WIND GUSTS
> ASSOCIATED WITH DENNIS PRODUCED DAMAGE IN ALL 39 CENTRAL ALABAMA
> COUNTIES. MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 70 AND 80 MPH
> NEAR THE PATH OF DENNIS...MAINLY IN THE SOUTHWEST SECTIONS OF THE
> AREA. THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA RECEIVED ISOLATED WIND GUSTS AROUND
> 60 MPH. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE DOWNED AND POWER OUTAGES
> OCCURRED. MANY STRUCTURES AND AUTOMOBILES WERE DAMAGED BY THE
> FALLEN TREES.
>
> HURRICANE IVAN 2004...IVAN FORMED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON
> SEPTEMBER 2ND WELL OUT INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. IVAN BECAME A
> CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE WITH MAXIMUM WINDS AROUND 160 MPH AS IT PASSED
> NEAR THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON SEPTEMBER 9TH. IVAN ENTERED THE GULF
> OF MEXICO MOVING NORTHWARD AND MADE LANDFALL NEAR GULF SHORES,
> ALABAMA WITH WINDS AROUND 120 MPH ON SEPTEMBER 16TH. THE REMNANTS
> OF IVAN MOVED NORTHEAST AND WEAKENED BEFORE MERGING WITH A FRONTAL
> SYSTEM NEAR THE DELMARVA PENINSULA ON SEPTEMBER 18TH. IVAN PRODUCED
> MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 90 MPH ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. TREE AND
> POWER LINE DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE AND MANY LOCATIONS WERE WITHOUT
> POWER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. STRUCTURE DAMAGE WAS WIDESPREAD
> AND DAMAGE ESTIMATES WERE IN THE SEVERAL MILLION DOLLAR RANGE. IVAN
> PRODUCED A LARGE SWATH OF HEAVY RAINFALL...GENERALLY FOUR TO EIGHT
> INCHES WITH SOME ISOLATED TEN PLUS AMOUNTS. FLASH FLOODING OCCURRED
> IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS DUE TO THE INTENSITY AND THE AMOUNT OF RAIN.
>
> HURRICANE OPAL 1995...OPAL FORMED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON
> SEPTEMBER 27TH NEAR THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. OPAL TRACKED GENERALLY
> NORTHEASTWARD AND STRENGTHENED INTO A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON
> OCTOBER 4TH IN THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. OPAL WEAKENED A
> BIT AND WAS A CATEGORY 3 WHEN IT MADE LANDFALL NEAR PENSACOLA,
> FLORIDA LATE ON OCTOBER 4TH. OPAL CONTINUED QUICKLY NORTHWARD AND
> DISSIPATED IN THE OHIO VALLEY ON OCTOBER 5TH. OPAL PRODUCED
> WIDESPREAD DAMAGE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA AS ALL 39 COUNTIES
> REPORTED DAMAGE. MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 50 AND 90
> MPH. TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE. NUMEROUS STRUCTURES
> AND AUTOMOBILES WERE DAMAGED BY FALLEN TREES. POWER OUTAGES WERE
> SIGNIFICANT AND SOME LOCATIONS WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR A FEW WEEKS.
> AREAS EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 RECEIVED 5 TO 7 INCHES OR RAIN.
>
> HURRICANE HAZARDS COME IN MANY FORMS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA
> INCLUDING TORNADOES, HIGH WINDS AND FLOODING. THIS MEANS IT IS VERY
> IMPORTANT FOR YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR WORK PLACE TO HAVE A PLAN THAT
> TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THESE HAZARDS.
>
> HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES ON MONDAY. WE WILL FOCUS OUR
> ATTENTION ON STORM SURGE AND MARINE SAFETY. EVEN THOUGH THESE
> HAZARDS DO NOT DIRECTLY IMPACT CENTRAL ALABAMA...MANY OF US TRAVEL
> TO COASTAL DESTINATIONS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS...WHICH IS HURRICANE
> SEASON. BECOME EDUCATED ON THESE HAZARDS DURING PREPAREDNESS WEEK.
>
> FOR ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL OR PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION, YOU
> CAN VISIT THESE SITES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB:
>
> NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
> WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BMX
>
> NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE, ALABAMA
> WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MOB
>
> NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
> WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV
> WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/HAW2/ENGLISH/INTRO.SHTML
>
> FEMA
> WWW.FEMA.GOV/AREYOUREADY/HURRICANES.SHTM
>
> AMERICAN RED CROSS
> WWW.REDCROSS.ORG/SERVICES/DISASTERS
>
> NOAA COASTAL SERVICES CENTER - HISTORICAL HURRICANE TRACKS
> HTTP://MAPS.CSC.NOAA.GOV/HURRICANES
>
>
> JRA
>
>

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Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 269.24.1/1464 - Release Date: 5/24/2008 
8:56 AM