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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Little Rock AR
600 AM CST Fri Mar 01 2024
...Todays Topic for Severe Weather Awareness Week is Watches
and Warnings...
The National Weather Service, in cooperation with the Arkansas
Department of Emergency Management, has proclaimed the week of
February 25th through March 2nd as Severe Weather Awareness Week
in Arkansas.
A different topic will be discussed each day, and todays topic
is watches and warnings.
Surrounding an event featuring severe thunderstorms, watches
and warnings are issued to help you prepare for the elements.
Severe thunderstorms produce damaging straight-line wind gusts
of 58 mph or greater, quarter size hail or larger, and/or
tornadoes.
When conditions are favorable for severe storms, a watch is
issued by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma.
SPC is a part of the National Weather Service.
Watches often encompass a large area, sometimes several states,
and are valid for roughly six hours.
When storms develop and are classified as severe, warnings are
issued by your local National Weather Service office.
Warnings are posted for one or more counties and are valid for
an hour or less.
There is something to mention, and it is a relatively new
practice (beginning in 2021). As expected wind gusts and hail
sizes increase, we want to get your attention. There will be
little commotion surrounding a standard Severe Thunderstorm
Warning (60 mph winds/one inch hail). However, if 70 to 80 mph
gusts or golf ball to tennis ball size hail are in the warning,
it will be tagged as a "considerable" damage threat. For gusts
above 80 mph or baseball size hail or larger, the damage tag
will be labeled as "destructive". This tag will result in the
activation of a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) through the
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), and this
will go to cell phones within the warning polygon.
With a watch in place, severe storms might happen. When
warnings are in place, severe storms are happening.
...Watch and Warning Rules to Follow...
You should be ready to go to a safe place when a watch is in
effect. Monitor conditions for several hours or until the
watch expires or is cancelled.
You should go to your safe place when a warning is in effect.
Stay put until storms pass and/or the warning expires or is
cancelled.
The safest place to be is a safe room or a basement. If these
are not available, go to an interior room on the lowest floor
of a house or building. Put as many walls between you and the
outdoors as possible.
&&
For a list of all the tornadoes and other significant weather
events that occurred in 2023...
https://www.weather.gov/media/lzk/StormsOf2023.pdf
$$
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