| HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 200 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2003
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. LOW PRESSURE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP NORTHEAST INTO NORTHERN KANSAS AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA BY LATE AFTERNOON EARLY EVENING TIMEFRAME...DRAGGING A WARM FRONT NORTH THROUGH EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA. AT THE SAME TIME...A DRY LINE WILL PUSH EAST THROUGH WESTERN AND CENTRAL KANSAS...TO NEAR THE SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA BORDER HELPING TO FIRE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING. THERE IS A MODERATE TO HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER THE ENTIRE AREA...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY HAZARD...ALTHOUGH THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES ALSO EXISTS...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80.
SAFETY RULES FOR TORNADOES NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE 1200 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2003 TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA THROUGH THIS EVENING. IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY...THE FOLLOWING SAFETY RULES ARE PROVIDED. PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL BROADCAST STATIONS SERVING THE STATE ARE ASKED TO OCCASIONALLY BROADCAST THESE MESSAGES THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND FREQUENTLY DURING WATCH OR WARNING CONDITIONS. .................................................. TO BE READY FOR TORNADO EMERGENCIES...SCHOOLS...OFFICE BUILDINGS...AND FACTORIES SHOULD HAVE A WELL REHEARSED PLAN OF ACTION. YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RECOMMENDS TAKING SHELTER IN INTERIOR HALLWAYS...REST ROOMS...OR CLOSETS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR AVAILABLE. A BASEMENT IS BEST IF ONE IS AVAILABLE. AUDITORIUMS AND AREAS WITH WINDOWS SHOULD BE AVOIDED. IN LAST MINUTE SITUATIONS...A DESK MAY SERVE FOR COVER. IF THERE IS A RADIO AVAILABLE...KEEP IT TURNED ON. REMEMBER...ADVANCE PLANNING CAN SAVE LIVES. .................................................. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUT IN THE OPEN DURING A TORNADO...TRY TO HIDE IN A DEPRESSION LIKE A DITCH OR CULVERT. LIE FLAT AND MAKE AS SMALL A TARGET AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU CAN...WRAP A COVERING AROUND EXPOSED PARTS OF YOUR BODY. EVEN SMALL GROUND DEBRIS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY WHEN DRIVEN BY TORNADO STRENGTH WINDS. YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES YOU TO MEMORIZE THESE BASIC SAFETY RULES...YOUR LIFE MY DEPEND ON KNOWING THEM. .................................................. THE SEASON OF PEAK TORNADO OCCURRENCE IS FROM MARCH THROUGH SEPTEMBER ...BUT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES YOU THAT TORNADOES CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME...ANYWHERE. YOUR SAFETY DEPENDS ON YOU BEING ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THEM FORMING NEAR YOU. CAREFUL LOOKOUT SHOULD BE KEPT DURING ANY PERIOD OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FOR THE POSSIBLE APPEARANCE OF THE TYPICAL FUNNEL LIKE TORNADO SHAPE...OR THE LOUD ROARING NOISE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. KEEP TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INFORMATION. ................................................... TORNADOES ARE THE MOST ERRATIC...MOST UNPREDICTABLE...AND MOST VIOLENT OF STORMS. THEY CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME...ANYWHERE...BUT ARE MOST COMMON IN IN THE MID WESTERN...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UNITED STATES...FROM MARCH THROUGH SEPTEMBER. THE RAPIDLY SPINNING BLACK OR GREY TORNADO FUNNEL MAY RANGE FROM A FEW YARDS TO NEARLY A MILE IN WIDTH. IT MAY MOVE SLOWLY OR AS FAST AS 60 MILES AN HOUR. IT MAY SKIP ALONG OR EVEN MAKE A U TURN. IT MAY TRAVEL ALONG THE GROUND A FEW HUNDRED FEET OR SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES. IT MAY APPEAR SINGLY OR IN GROUPS OF TWISTERS. FOR YOUR OWN PROTECTION...BE FAMILIAR WITH TORNADO SAFETY RULES AND HAVE A PREARRANGED PLAN TO GET TO SAFE SHELTER WHEN THESE DEADLY STORMS THREATEN. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BROADCAST TORNADO WATCHES AND WARNINGS AFFECTING THIS AREA OVER THIS STATION. ................................................... BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TORNADO WATCH AND A TORNADO WARNING. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A TORNADO WATCH TO GIVE YOU ADVANCE NOTICE THAT TORNADOES ARE 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. THE TORNADO WARNING IS AN URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT A TORNADO HAS BEEN REPORTED AND WARNS YOU TO TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY. WHEN A WARNING IS ISSUED...MOVE QUICKLY....SECONDS SAVE LIVES. .................................................. IF YOU LIVE IN A MOBILE HOME...BE SURE YOU HAVE A PLAN OF SAFE ACTION SHOULD THE WEATHER BECOME THREATENING. THE SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION OF MOBILE HOMES MAKES THEM PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO OVERTURNING AND ROLLING IN HIGH WINDS. SOME PROTECTION MAY BE PROVIDED AGAINST THIS HAZARD BY SECURING THEM WITH CABLES ANCHORED IN CONCRETE FOOTINGS. BUT...FOR SAFETY SAKE...WHEN HIGH WINDS ARE IMMINENT...MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE EVACUATED. IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA... DO NOT TAKE CHANCES. YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES THAT YOU LEAVE YOUR MOBILE HOME AND MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO A STURDY...PERMANENT SHELTER. IF NOT SUCH SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN A DITCH OR DEPRESSION IN THE GROUND. ACT QUICKLY. YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT. ................................................... IN THE HOME...YOUR BEST HAVEN FROM TORNADO WINDS IS A BASEMENT BELOW GROUND LEVEL. IF POSSIBLE...GET UNDER A STURDY TABLE OR WORK BENCH. IF A CELLAR IS NOT AVAILABLE...YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES YOU TO TAKE COVER IN AN INTERIOR CLOSET...HALLWAY...OR BATHROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE HOUSE. SOME HAVE FOUND THAT AN EMPTY BATH TUB WITH A MATTRESS OR BLANKET FOR COVER MAKES A GOOD EMERGENCY REFUGE. .................................................. $$ NWS |