000 NOUS41 KBOX 301406 PNSBOX CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-011400- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 1000 AM EDT MON APRIL 30 2012 ...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK - DEFINITION OF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF APRIL 30 - MAY 4 AS SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THE FOLLOWING IS THE DEFINITION OF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. A `SEVERE THUNDERSTORM` IS DEFINED AS A THUNDERSTORM THAT PRODUCES WIND GUSTS OF AT LEAST 58 MPH AND/OR HAIL 1.00 INCHES IN DIAMETER OR LARGER...THE SIZE OF A QUARTER. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO SPAWN TORNADOES. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ISSUED BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA FOR LARGE PORTIONS OF THE REGION WHEN THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE...SUCH AS IN TAUNTON...WHEN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE IMMINENT BASED ON RADAR OR ALREADY OCCURRING BASED ON SPOTTER OBSERVATIONS. NOTE THAT TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS OF RAIN THAT CAUSE FLOODING ARE NOT PART OF THE DEFINITION OF `SEVERE.` THEY WOULD PROMPT THE ISSUANCE OF FLOOD OR FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS...BUT NOT SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT FREQUENT LIGHTNING ALSO IS NOT A CRITERIA FOR WHAT IS TERMED `SEVERE.` OF COURSE LIGHTNING CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS...BUT EVERY THUNDERSTORM HAS LIGHTNING -- THAT IS WHAT CAUSES THE THUNDER. IT IS NOT PRACTICAL TO ISSUE A WARNING FOR EVERY THUNDERSTORM...THUS WE ISSUE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FOR THOSE STORMS THAT COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. $$ FIELD 000 NOUS41 KBOX 011622 CCA PNSBOX CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-021400- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 1220 PM EDT TUE MAY 1 2012 ...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK - THE JUNE 1 TORNADO OF 2011... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF APRIL 30 TO MAY 4 2012 AS SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK. THE FOLLOWING IS THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF INFORMATIONAL STATEMENTS. THE YEAR 2011 WAS THE SECOND DEADLIEST TORNADO YEAR IN U.S. HISTORY...WITH 553 FATALITIES DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO TORNADOES ACROSS THE NATION. THE WORST YEAR WAS IN 1925 WHEN THERE WERE 794 FATALITIES. SADLY...3 OF THE FATALITIES IN 2011 OCCURRED HERE IN NEW ENGLAND IN THE DEVASTATING TORNADO THAT OCCURRED IN MASSACHUSETTS ON JUNE 1. JUNE 1 WAS A VERY UNSTABLE DAY...CHARACTERIZED BY HIGH CONVECTIVE AVAILABLE POTENTIAL ENERGY (CAPE) AND HIGH WIND SHEAR...BOTH IN SPEED AND DIRECTION. A COLD FRONT CROSSED SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND IN THE EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...FOLLOWED BY SUNSHINE AND ABUNDANT HEATING. THE STAGE WAS SET FOR VIOLENT WEATHER AND A TORNADO WATCH WAS ISSUED BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER. ABOUT FOUR HOURS LATER...A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPED OVER WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS. IT STRENGTHENED AND PRODUCED A VERY LONG-LIVED TORNADO THAT DID EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS. THE STORM WILL BE NOTED IN HISTORY NOT ONLY FOR ITS INTENSITY BUT ITS CONTINUOUS DAMAGE PATH...WHICH WAS 39 MILES. THE TORNADO BEGAN IN WESTFIELD IN HAMPDEN COUNTY AND ENDED UP IN CHARLTON IN WORCESTER COUNTY. THE TORNADO WAS ALSO VERY WIDE AT SOME POINTS...REACHING A MAXIMUM OF ONE-HALF MILE. IT WAS ON THE GROUND FROM 417 PM UNTIL 527 PM EDT...70 MINUTES AND HAD A MAXIMUM RATING OF EF-3 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA DAMAGE SCALE. ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED WAS 160 MPH. BY COMPARISON...THE WORST TORNADO IN NEW ENGLAND HISTORY...THE WORCESTER TORNADO OF 1953...WAS ON THE GROUND FOR 46 MILES AND LASTED FOR 84 MINUTES. THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN IN THE MUNGER HILL SECTION OF WESTFIELD WITH DAMAGE MAINLY LIMITED TO TREES...MANY UPROOTED AND SNAPPED. THE ROOF OF MUNGER HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS DAMAGED. THE TORNADO RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED AS IT MOVED INTO WEST SPRINGFIELD CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS AND HOMES. NUMEROUS ROOFS WERE REMOVED...A FEW STRUCTURES COLLAPSED...AND SEVERAL MULTI-STORY BUILDINGS LOST THEIR UPPER STORIES. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED THE CONNECTICUT RIVER AT THE MEMORIAL AVENUE BRIDGE AND INTO THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD. IT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA WITH MANY HOMES DESTROYED. COMMERCIAL BRICK BUILDINGS SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE AND THEIR ROOFS WERE BLOWN OFF. THERE WAS SEVERE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO TOWNHOMES AND APARTMENTS NEAR SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE. IT CONTINUED MOVING EAST INTO THE ISLAND POND SECTION OF SPRINGFIELD WHERE CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL AND ST. MICHAELS ACADEMY SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND MANY HOMES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED. FARTHER TO THE EAST...NEAR THE WILBRAHAM/HAMPDEN TOWN LINE...THE TORNADO PRODUCED NEARLY COMPLETE DEFORESTATION AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO NEARBY STRUCTURES. WIDESPREAD DAMAGE OCCURRED IN MONSON AS IT MOVED DIRECTLY THROUGH THE CENTER OF TOWN. MANY HOMES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. THE ROOF OF MONSON HIGH SCHOOL WAS DESTROYED. BARK WAS STRIPPED FROM TREE TRUNKS. THE NEXT TARGET WAS THE BRIMFIELD STATE FOREST WHERE THE TORNADO REACHED ITS MAXIMUM WIDTH OF ONE-HALF MILE. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE OCCURRED BEFORE IT CROSSED INTO WORCESTER COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF ROUTE 20. THREE FATALITIES WERE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE TORNADO...TWO IN WEST SPRINGFIELD AND ONE IN BRIMFIELD. A WOMAN IN WEST SPRINGFIELD WAS KILLED WHEN HER HOUSE COLLAPSED ON HER WHILE SHE SHELTERED HER TEENAGE DAUGHTER IN A BATHTUB. ALSO IN WEST SPRINGFIELD A MAN WAS KILLED WHEN HIS VAN WAS CRUSHED BY A FALLING TREE. IN BRIMFIELD... A WOMAN WAS KILLED WHEN THE TRAILER HOME SHE WAS LIVING IN WAS THROWN 35 FEET INTO THE AIR. IN ADDITION...200 PEOPLE WERE TREATED FOR INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE TORNADO. IN TOTAL...IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT 1400 HOUSES AND AT LEAST 78 BUSINESSES WERE EITHER DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. OF THE 1400 HOUSES...ROUGHLY 300 WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED INCLUDING 200 IN SPRINGFIELD...51 IN MONSON...39 IN BRIMFIELD...AND 13 IN WILBRAHAM. NEARLY 10000 ACRES OF WOODLANDS WERE DESTROYED. IN SPRINGFIELD ALONE...7500 MATURE TREES WERE UPROOTED OR DESTROYED. AS IF THAT WERE NOT ENOUGH...THERE WERE THREE OTHER TORNADOES THAT OCCURRED ON JUNE 1 2011 IN MASSACHUSETTS...LESS THAN 2 HOURS AFTER THE MAJOR TORNADO. THESE TORNADOES WERE WEAKER BUT ALL FROM THE SAME SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM. A TORNADO WITH A DAMAGE RATING OF EF1 TOUCHED DOWN IN WILBRAHAM BETWEEN 632 PM AND 640 PM. A SECOND TORNADO WITH A RATING OF EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BETWEEN 654 PM AND 657 PM IN NORTH BRIMFIELD. THE THIRD TORNADO WAS RATED AN EF0 AND WAS ON THE GROUND FROM 710 PM TO 713 PM IN STURBRIDGE. NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES OCCURRED WITH THESE TORNADOES. HOWEVER...THERE WAS ADDITIONAL TREE DAMAGE ALONG WITH HOME DAMAGE FROM A FELLED TREE IN STURBRIDGE. $$ FIELD/EVT 000 NOUS41 KBOX 021352 PNSBOX CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-031400- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 950 AM EDT WED MAY 2 2012 ...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK - TORNADO SAFETY IN SCHOOLS... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF APRIL 30 TO MAY 4 2012 AS SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK. THE FOLLOWING IS THE THIRD IN A SERIES OF INFORMATIONAL STATEMENTS. EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE A TORNADO SAFETY PLAN. THE PLAN SHOULD ENSURE THAT EVERYONE WILL TAKE COVER WITHIN 60 SECONDS. FREQUENT TORNADO DRILLS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED. THERE SHOULD BE PROVISIONS FOR ALL AFTER-HOURS SCHOOL-RELATED ACTIVITIES. EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND TORNADO SHELTER AREAS DESIGNATED BY A REGISTERED ENGINEER OR ARCHITECT. ROOMS WITH EXTERIOR WALLS SHOULD NEVER BE USED AS TORNADO SHELTERS. BASEMENTS OFFER THE BEST PROTECTION. SCHOOLS WITHOUT BASEMENTS SHOULD USE INTERIOR ROOMS AND HALLWAYS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR AWAY FROM WINDOWS. SCHOOLS SHOULD DELAY ASSEMBLIES OR LUNCH IN LARGE ROOMS WITH WIDE ROOF SPANS...SUCH AS GYMNASIUMS...AUDITORIUMS...AND CAFETERIAS. THESE ROOMS OFFER LITTLE OR NO PROTECTION FOR TORNADO-STRENGTH WINDS AND THE WIDE SPAN ROOFS CAN COLLAPSE. STUDENTS AND STAFF SHOULD KNOW THE PROTECTIVE POSITION...SITTING AND FACING AN INTERIOR WALL...ELBOWS TO KNEES...AND WITH HANDS OVER THE BACK OF THEIR HEADS. EACH SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE A NOAA WEATHER RADIO WITH BATTERY BACKUP. REMEMBER THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A TORNADO WATCH WHEN CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT AND A TORNADO WARNING WHEN A TORNADO HAS BEEN SPOTTED OR INDICATED BY RADAR. IF THE ALARM SYSTEM OF A SCHOOL RELIES ON ELECTRICITY...THERE SHOULD BE AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD TO NOTIFY TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN CASE OF POWER FAILURE. PLEASE REMEMBER TO MAKE SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR FACULTY AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES...THOSE WITH PORTABLE CLASSROOMS...AND THOSE OUTDOORS. KEEP CHILDREN AT SCHOOL BEYOND REGULAR HOURS DURING A TORNADO WARNING. FOR THAT MATTER...IT WOULD BE GOOD PRACTICE TO DELAY DEPARTURE OF SCHOOL BUSES WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS TOO...SINCE THEY CAN PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WITHOUT A TORNADO. WHEN PLANNING ADDITIONS OR NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS...BE SURE TO INCLUDE PROPERLY DESIGNED TORNADO SHELTERS. $$ FIELD 000 NOUS41 KBOX 031428 PNSBOX CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-041400- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 1027 AM EDT THU MAY 3 2012 ...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES -- DOWNBURST WINDS FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE POWERFUL... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DECLARED THE WEEK OF APRIL 30 - MAY 4, 2012 AS SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THE FOLLOWING IS THE FOURTH IN A SERIES OF INFORMATIONAL STATEMENTS ABOUT SEVERE WEATHER. WHILE NOT AS NOTORIOUS...OR PERHAPS AS SPECTACULAR TO WITNESS AS A TORNADO...STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. A DOWNBURST IS A STRONG AND RELATIVELY SMALL AREA OF RAPIDLY DESCENDING AIR BENEATH A THUNDERSTORM. IT CAN RESULT FROM STRONGER JET STREAM WINDS BEING TRANSPORTED DOWNWARD TO THE SURFACE... OR IT CAN RESULT AS AIR WITHIN THE DOWNBURST IS COOLED SIGNIFICANTLY AS RAIN EVAPORATES INTO INITIALLY DRIER AIR. THIS COOL...THUS DENSE...AIR SINKS RAPIDLY TO THE SURFACE. A DOWNBURST IS DIFFERENTIATED FROM A COMMON THUNDERSTORM DOWNDRAFT BECAUSE THE WINDS IT PRODUCES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE DAMAGE ON OR NEAR THE GROUND. SURFACE DAMAGE PATTERNS HAVE SHOWN THAT WHETHER THE WINDS ARE STRAIGHT OR A LITTLE BIT CURVED...THEY TEND TO SPREAD OUT...OR DIVERGE...CONSIDERABLY AS THEY REACH THE SURFACE. CONVERSELY...DAMAGE PATTERNS RESULTING FROM A TORNADO GENERALLY CONVERGE TOWARD A NARROW CENTRAL TRACK. INTENSE DOWNBURSTS CAN BE PHENOMENAL. SPEEDS HAVE BEEN CLOCKED AS HIGH AS 175 MPH NEAR MOREHEAD CITY NORTH CAROLINA AND AT 158 MPH AT ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE IN MARYLAND. CLOSER TO HOME...104 MPH DOWNBURST WINDS WERE MEASURED AT BOTH WORCESTER MASSACHUSETTS ON MAY 31 1998 AND WHITMAN MASSACHUSETTS ON MAY 21 1996. STRONG DOWNBURSTS WILL DEFINITELY CAUSE ROARING SOUNDS AND PEOPLE MAY OFTEN REFER TO A SOUND LIKE A FREIGHT TRAIN...TERMS TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH TORNADOES. ALTHOUGH DOWNBURSTS ARE NOT TORNADOES...THEY CAN CAUSE DAMAGE EQUIVALENT TO THAT OF A SMALL TO MEDIUM TORNADO. AFTER ALL... WIND IS WIND. DOWNBURSTS ARE CLASSIFIED AS EITHER MACROBURSTS OR MICROBURSTS... DEPENDING ON THE AREAL EXTENT OF THE DAMAGING WIND SWATH. A MACROBURST/S DAMAGE EXTENDS HORIZONTALLY FOR MORE THAN 2.5 MILES. A MICROBURST IS A SMALL DOWNBURST WITH ITS DAMAGING WINDS EXTENDING 2.5 MILES OR LESS. THE SMALL HORIZONTAL SCALE AND SHORT TIME SPAN OF A MICROBURST MAKES IT PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS TO AVIATION. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FOR THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER...OR HAIL THAT IS ONE INCH OR GREATER IN DIAMETER. $$ FIELD 000 NOUS41 KBOX 042053 PNSBOX CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-051800- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 453 PM EDT FRI MAY 4 2012 ...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES - LOW-TOPPED THUNDERSTORMS... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS DECLARED THIS WEEK SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THE FOLLOWING IS THE FIFTH IN A SERIES OF INFORMATIONAL STATEMENTS. WHICH WOULD PRODUCE MORE SEVERE WEATHER...A THUNDERSTORM WITH A TOP OF 30,000 FEET OR ONE WITH A TOP OF 50,000 FEET? THE ANSWER IS THAT IT DEPENDS ON HOW HIGH THE TROPOPAUSE LEVEL IS FOR THAT DAY. MOST WEATHER OCCURS IN THE TROPOSPHERE...THE LOWEST LAYER OF THE ATMOSPHERE. WHEN A THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPS...IT GROWS TALLER AND EVENTUALLY REACHES THE TROPOPAUSE...THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE TROPOSPHERE AND THE VERY STABLE STRATOSPHERE. BECAUSE THE STRATOSPHERE IS STABLE...IT CAUSES THE TOP OF THE THUNDERSTORM TO FLATTEN OUT INTO WHAT IS TERMED AN ANVIL...WHICH IS ROUGHLY AT THE TROPOPAUSE LEVEL. IN THE HEART OF SUMMER...THE WARMER CONDITIONS LEAD TO A HIGHER TROPOPAUSE LEVEL. IN THE SPRING...THE TROPOPAUSE CAN BE MUCH LOWER. IF THE TROPOPAUSE LEVEL IS 30,000 FEET ON A PARTICULAR DAY...IT MAY ONLY TAKE A 33,000 FOOT STORM TO BECOME SEVERE. ON A DAY WHEN THE TROPOPAUSE IS 50,000 FEET...A 52,000 FOOT STORM COULD BECOME SEVERE. THUS...WHAT DETERMINES THE SEVERITY OF A STORM IS HOW HIGH ITS CLOUD TOP IS...RELATIVE TO THE TROPOPAUSE LEVEL FOR THAT DAY. A 30,000 FOOT LOW-TOPPED THUNDERSTORM IN NEW ENGLAND CAN PACK JUST AS MUCH PUNCH AS A 50,000 FOOT STORM...IF THE TROPOPAUSE LEVEL IS LOW. WEATHER BALLOONS ARE SENT UP AT 93 SITES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA... TWICE PER DAY...AND THESE REPORT BACK TO THE WEATHER OFFICE WHAT THE TROPOPAUSE LEVEL IS. BUT A SIMPLE VISUAL CLUE AS TO WHETHER A STORM MAY BE SEVERE IS TO LOOK FOR A CLOUD TOP THAT MUSHROOMS UP ABOVE THE REST OF THE ANVIL LEVEL...ACTUALLY OVERSHOOTING INTO THE STRATOSPHERE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. THIS OVERSHOOTING TOP IS INDICATIVE OF A VERY STRONG UPDRAFT AND IT IS YOUR VISUAL CLUE THAT A STORM MAY BE SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. $$ FIELD