Lightning Safety Awareness Week

WHEN THUNDER ROARS...GO INDOORS

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL HOST ITS 8TH ANNUAL LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK CAMPAIGN JUNE 22-28 2008.

THE FOCUS OF THE 2008 CAMPAIGN IS RISK REDUCTION AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE CAMPAIGN EMPHASIZES THAT NO PLACE OUTSIDE IS SAFE WHEN LIGHTNING IS IN THE AREA.

LAST YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES AT LEAST 45 PEOPLE WERE KILLED FROM DIRECT LIGHTNING STRIKES. ON AVERAGE LIGHTNING IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 62 FATALITIES ANNUALLY. IN ADDITION HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE INJURED EACH YEAR...MANY WITH PERMANENT NERVE DAMAGE, HEARING LOSS AND OTHER SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS.

IN THE UNITED STATES LIGHTNING DEATHS AND INJURIES OCCUR MOST FREQUENTLY IN OPEN AREAS. LIGHTNING SAFETY IS CRUCIAL WHEN YOU ARE OUTDOORS...ESPECIALLY SINCE SO MANY ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE IN OPEN AREAS LIKE ATHLETIC FIELDS...GOLF COURSES AND BEACHES. WHEN OUTDOORS...IF YOU HEAR THUNDER IMMEDIATELY SEEK SHELTER IN A FULLY ENCLOSED BUILDING WITH PLUMBING OR ELECTRICITY OR IN A HARD-TOPPED VEHICLE. THERE IS NO SAFE PLACE OUTDOORS.

PEOPLE ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO LIGHTNING STRIKES WHEN A STORM IS APPROACHING OR EXITING THEIR AREA. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE MORE THAN 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM.

STATISTICS...BROCHURES...MULTIMEDIA...POSTERS AND MORE IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS LIGHTNING SAFETY WEBSITE AT: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/

THE SITE HAS PAGES GEARED TO THE NEEDS OF TEACHERS... CHILDREN...THOSE CONDUCTING OUTREACH EFFORTS...THE MEDIA... AND SPANISH SPEAKER. THERE IS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ABOUT LIGHTNING SAFETY, SCIENCE AND MEDICAL CONCERNS.

LIGHTNING SAFETY TIPS:
1. KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY. LOOK FOR DARKENING SKIES... FLASHES OF LIGHTNING...OR INCREASING WIND...WHICH MAY BE SIGNS OF AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM. GET TO A SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. COACHES AND OTHER LEADERS SHOULD LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO DURING PRACTICE SESSIONS AND GAMES FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND WARNINGS.

2. POSTPONE OR HALT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES BEFORE THE RAIN BEGINS. MANY PEOPLE TAKE SHELTER FROM THE RAIN...BUT MOST PEOPLE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING ARE NOT IN THE RAIN. GO QUICKLY TO A COMPLETELY ENCLOSED BUILDING WITH PLUMBING AND ELECTRICITY...NOT A CARPORT...OPEN GARAGE...DUGOUT OR COVERED PATIO. IF NO ENCLOSED BUILDING IS NEARBY...GET INSIDE A HARD-TOPPED ALL-METAL VEHICLE AND REMAIN THERE UNTIL 30 MINUTES AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED.

3. PLACES TO AVOID INCLUDE TREES... SHEDS... PICNIC SHELTERS...BASEBALL/SOFTBALL DUGOUTS...BLEACHERS... BEACHES AND OPEN FIELDS. KEEP TWICE AS FAR AWAY FROM A TREE AS IT IS TALL. ALSO STAY AWAY FROM CLOTHES LINES... FENCES... EXPOSED SHEDS...AND ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE ELEVATED OBJECTS.

4. GET OUT OF THE WATER. IT IS A GREAT CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY. STAY OFF THE BEACH AND OUT OF SMALL BOATS OR CANOES. IF CAUGHT IN A BOAT...CROUCH DOWN IN THE CENTER AWAY FROM METAL HARDWARE. SWIMMING...WADING AND SNORKELING ARE NOT SAFE DURING A THUNDERSTORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE THE WATER AND TRAVEL SOME DISTANCE BENEATH AND AWAY FROM ITS POINT OF CONTACT. DO NOT STAND IN PUDDLES OF WATER.

Congrats Jon and Holly!

Congratulations to Jon and Holly (Hancock) Howell, who welcomed their first child, a baby boy, into the world on June 18th! Jon is a Journeyman Meteorologist with the Memphis office of the National Weather Service and Holly is the weather gal on FOX 13's weekday morning and noon newscasts. They are one of a few "weather couples" in the Memphis area and both are active in the local chapter of the AMS/NWA as well as maintaining national affiliations as well. Best wishes Jon and Holly!!

A change in the weather.... and radar blockage

It looks like today will be our last really hot day for a while as an upper-level pattern shift takes place and a trough takes hold over the Eastern U.S., replacing the strong Bermuda High that has been dogging us for some time. After today's mid 90's readings, we should be back in the 80s (maybe low to mid 80s for a few days) for the next week or so. This change will take place after a cold front moves through the Mid-South this evening, bringing with it the possibility of scattered thunderstorms. The airmass behind the front is not only cooler, but drier, with dewpoints falling back into the 50s the next few days. This should allow at least the suburbanites some cool mornings Wednesday and Thursday. Check out the forecast for more details.


Also in local weather news, a water tower on the old Millington Naval Air Station that has played havoc with NWS Meteorologists ability to accurately see storms north-northeast of their NEXRAD radar, particularly in the Dyersburg area, has been torn down. The tower, which hadn't been used in years, was a remnant of times gone by and basically served no purpose, other than as a source of multitudes of problematic "water tower TVS's" (computer-sighted tornado signatures caused by the radar beam being interfered with by the reflection from this water tower). See the CA article on the dismantling of this behemoth. The Meteorologists at the NWS have got to be happy about this development, which will allow them to see portions of NW TN clearer than ever before!

In the middle of the storm

Well, the strong storms have made it into the northern suburbs. As I type this, we are under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning and it's "raining cats and dogs." In the past 15 minutes, we have received 2/3 of an inch of rain with rain rates in excess of 4". The peak wind gust from my newly-raised anemometer (now at 16' above ground level) was 30 knots out of the north at 10:55pm. This line should continue moving slowly south and affect the Memphis area for the next hour to hour and a half. A slow dissipation trend is still expected during this time frame. Copious lightning and accompanying thunder is also expected from these storms.

Thunderstorms north of the city to diminish

A couple of lines of thunderstorms, some of which are severe over northwest TN, are moving along an outflow boundary north of the metro area. These storms are moving east, while developing along the southbound outflow boundary. At 9:30pm, the boundary is moving through Tipton County headed into the northern suburbs. More t'storms are expected to develop, but as daytime heating wanes, the possibility of severe weather diminishes significantly. By later tonight, storms themselves will diminish, but not until most of the metro receives some amount of rain (some local areas could see heavy rainfall). In addition, fairly gusty north to northwest wind will acommpany the passage of the outflow boundary and there will be plenty of lightning and thunder for the next few hours. By Saturday morning, a cold front will have moved through the region and we should be dry for most of the day. A hot but dry Father's Day is on tap.

Tornado!

The first half of 2008 has been a significant year in terms of tornadic weather in the U.S. Based on data from the Storm Prediction Center - the national authority on severe weather, the preliminary count of tornadoes so far this year is 1577 (the final figure usually ends up being about 70% of the prelim figure), which is almost 300 more than ALL of 2007 and more than any of the past 4 yearly totals! In fact, the yearly average number of tornadoes in the U.S. is 1000. Given the 70% actual to prelim ratio, we've already likely surpassed that average half way through the year.

The number of tornado deaths to date is also tragic - 118. That's more than 2005-2006 combined and a 46% rise from last year's total, and it's only June... It's also twice the average for an entire year. If you want to know more about tornadoes, visit the Storm Prediction Center's Tornado FAQ page at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/. Unfortunately, we're smack in the middle of tornado season for the Upper Plains and Midwest, so a radical trend downwards anytime soon doesn't appear likely.

If you are interested in seeing storm chasers and their tornado footage, check out Severe Studios . Their latest video shows two of their chasers literally shooting video as a tornado passes directly over! Also, check out TornadoVideos.net for lots of cool chase video. Awesome stuff and very dangerous - don't try this at home!