[BNAWX] Public Information Statement

[EMWIN Server]

NOUS44 KOHX 191929
PNSOHX
TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-200400-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
130 PM CST SUN FEB 19 2006

...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN TENNESSEE STARTS TODAY HIGHLIGHTING
SKYWARN AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEM...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALONG WITH LOCAL...COUNTY AND STATE
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND THE NEWS MEDIA ACROSS TENNESSEE WILL BE
PARTICIPATING IN SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK FROM SUNDAY, FEBRUARY
19TH THROUGH FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24TH.

EACH DAY DURING AWARENESS WEEK WILL FOCUS ON A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF
SEVERE WEATHER.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19 WILL FOCUS ON THE SKYWARN STORM SPOTTER
PROGRAM AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEM (EMWIN).

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 WILL BE DEVOTED TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 WILL EMPHASIZE LIGHTNING, ONE OF THE UNDERRATED
KILLERS.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 WILL FOCUS ON TORNADO AWARENESS AND WILL
SERVE AS TORNADO DRILL DAY.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 WILL HIGHLIGHT FLOODING AND FLASH FLOODS, THE
NUMBER ONE WEATHER KILLER IN THE UNITED STATES.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 IS NOAA WEATHER RADIO DAY AND EMERGENCY ALERT
SYSTEM DAY.

THE PURPOSE OF SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS TO DRAW ATTENTION TO
THE MANY ASPECTS OF SEVERE WEATHER WHICH AFFECT ALL OF US...TO FOCUS
ON SAFETY ...AND TO LEARN WHAT TO DO WHEN HAZARDOUS WEATHER
THREATENS.

NOAA WEATHER RADIO WILL BROADCAST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION
AND SAFETY TIPS EACH DAY. IN ADDITION...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WILL ISSUE STATEMENTS EACH DAY CONTAINING IMPORTANT SAFETY RULES
THAT YOU CAN USE TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES FROM THE
DANGERS OF SEVERE WEATHER.

SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK BEGINS TODAY WITH A LOOK AT SKYWARN
AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEM (EMWIN).

SEVERE WEATHER CAN STRIKE DURING ANY MONTH OF THE YEAR...AT ANY
TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT.  WHEN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THREATEN ...THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CALLS SKYWARN VOLUNTEERS INTO ACTION.
SKYWARN VOLUNTEERS ARE THE EYES AND EARS OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE...PROVIDING INSTANT REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER ...
INCLUDING HAIL...HIGH WINDS AND DANGEROUS CLOUD FORMATIONS.

SKYWARN SPOTTERS KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE SKY ANYTIME SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH. MANY COMMUNITIES DEPLOY SPOTTERS AROUND
THE EDGE OF THE CITY AND USE THEIR EARLY REPORTS OF IMPENDING
HAZARDOUS WEATHER TO WARN THE COMMUNITY. SOME SPOTTERS  RELAY
REPORTS FROM THEIR HOME OR BUSINESS...WHILE OTHER...MORE ADVENTUROUS
VOLUNTEERS BRAVE THE ELEMENTS AND TRY TO GET AS CLOSE TO THE STORM
AS POSSIBLE.

WHO ARE THESE SKYWARN VOLUNTEERS? A LARGE NUMBER OF SKYWARN STORM
SPOTTERS IN TENNESSEE ARE AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS...OR HAMS.
THESE PUBLIC-SERVICE MINDED INDIVIDUALS MAKE IDEAL STORM
SPOTTERS...SINCE THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THEIR REPORTS.
THEY ARE WILLING TO  BE TRAINED AND THEY HAVE A REAL INTEREST IN
HELPING THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES
PREPARE FOR SEVERE WEATHER.  AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS ARE ON CALL
24 HOURS A DAY...365 DAYS A YEAR...EVEN THOUGH THEY RECEIVE NO
COMPENSATION OF ANY KIND FOR THEIR HARD WORK.

MANY OTHER GROUPS PARTICIPATE IN THE SKYWARN PROGRAM...INCLUDING
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...FIRE DEPARTMENTS...UTILITY COMPANIES...
RESCUE SQUADS AND THE NEWS MEDIA. IN SOME AREAS...INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS
ARE TRAINED AS SPOTTERS AND ASKED TO RELAY THEIR REPORTS TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SPOTTERS ARE A VITAL LINK IN THE WARNING
PROCESS AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE AS MANY TRAINED SPOTTERS IN EACH
COUNTY AS POSSIBLE.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CAN HELP YOUR COMMUNITY SET UP A
SKYWARN SPOTTER NETWORK. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SKYWARN AND HOW YOU
CAN HELP...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS A METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING WEATHER
INFORMATION ON A NATIONAL BASIS.  EMWIN INFORMATION IS DISTRIBUTED
AS A DATA SIGNAL RELAYED THROUGH THE WEATHER SATELLITES.  SOFTWARE
ALLOWS YOUR PERSONAL COMPUTER TO DISPLAY WEATHER INFORMATION 24
HOURS A DAY.

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE EMWIN IS TO PROVIDE TIMELY WARNINGS OF
APPROACHING SEVERE WEATHER. EMWIN PRIORITIZES THE DATA WITH FIRST
THE TRANSMISSION OF WARNINGS AND SEVERE WEATHER SUMMARIES.
ROUTINE WEATHER, SATELLITE IMAGES AND WEATHER GRAPHICS ARE ALSO
TRANSMITTED. THE SERVICE IS PUBLIC INFORMATION AND IS FREE - THERE
ARE NO MONTHLY FEES TO RECEIVE THE DATA. THE ONLY COST IS FOR THE
RECEIVING EQUIPMENT AND INEXPENSIVE COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE.

$$
BOYD










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