Thursday April 28, 2015

This is the fourth of a five part series on severe weather safety which will run each day during New Jersey and Pennsylvania's severe weather awareness week.  Today we discuss the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning, and give you tips on what to do when a watch or warning is issued for your area.

What is a tornado?

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground. The wind speed inside a tornado ranges from under 100 miles an hour to over 200 miles an hour. They can travel as fast as 70 mph, and can destroy virtually everything in their path.

While most tornadoes that occur in central New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania are not as strong as their counterparts in the Midwest, strong and damaging tornadoes can and do occur here. On May 31st and June 2nd 1998, central New York and northeast Pennsylvania was hit by several tornadoes, some of which had wind speeds up to 150 mph! In July 2014there was a tornado that killed 4 people in upstate New York. In June of 1998 2 people were killed by a tornado in northeast Pennsylvania.

What does a tornado watch mean?

A tornado watch is issued when conditions are favorable, over a large area, for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. The tornado watch is issued to alert you to the possibility that severe thunderstorms are expected to develop, and that they may produce tornadoes. The National Weather Service's storm prediction center issues a tornado watch for many counties and for several hours at a time.

What you should do when a tornado watch is issued?

Go about your normal activities, but watch the sky around you for developing storms. Periodically listen to NOAA weather radio, TV and radio stations or check your mobile device for updates and possible warnings.

Know which county you live in, and which ones border your community. If you are on vacation, or driving through an unfamiliar area, remember the name of the county you are in and where you are in relation to other towns or cities. Know how to get to a safe place quickly if a warning is issued for your area, or if thunderstorms approach.

What does a tornado warning mean?

A tornado warning is issued when doppler radar shows a developing tornado, or a when a tornado has been sighted bySKYWARN 

spotters, county emergency officials, police, or the public. The warning means a tornado is going to move through your county soon, so you need to take immediate action to protect your life and property. Tornado warnings are issued by National Weather Service offices, typically for a portion of a county, for up to one hour.

What you should do when a tornado warning is issued?

The key is to remain calm, but take immediate action. If you are at home or in a small building, go to the basement or to an interior room on the lowest floor. Closets, bathrooms, and other interior rooms offer the best protection. Get under something sturdy or cover yourself with a mattress.

If you are in a school, hospital, or shopping center, go to a pre-designated shelter area. Stay away from large open areas and windows. Do not go outside to your car. If you are in a high rise building, go to an interior small room or hallway on the lowest floor possible. Do not use the elevator, use the stairs instead.

For the best protection, get under something sturdy or drop to your knees facing an interior wall. Lean forward, with your hands shielding your head.

Get out of mobile homes or vehicles. They are easily tossed about by strong winds in the tornado. Take shelter in a substantial structure. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in a ditch or low spot, with your hands shielding your head. Never stay inside the mobile home or vehicle.