THIS IS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN THE CAROLINAS. FAMILIES AND
INDIVIDUALS\...AS WELL AS EMPLOYERS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS\...ARE URGED
TO USE INFORMATION PROVIDED THIS WEEK\...AND OTHER AVAILABLE
INFORMATION\...TO DEVISE THEIR OWN SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY PLANS. IF YOU
ALREADY HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE\...YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE THIS
OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW YOUR PROCEDURES AND PERFORM DRILLS AND EXERCISES
BASED UPON YOUR PLAN.

EARLIER THIS WEEK\...WE DISCUSSED WEAK TORNADOES\...WHICH ACCOUNT FOR
ABOUT 80% OF THE TORNADOES THAT OCCUR ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.
TODAY\...WE FOCUS ON THE RARE BUT DANGEROUS STRONG AND VIOLENT
TORNADOES. STRONG TORNADOES PRODUCE WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 110 AND 170 MPH.
WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO WELL CONSTRUCTED
BUILDINGS\... COMPLETELY DESTROY AND SWEEP AWAY MANUFACTURED HOMES\...
AND TOSS AROUND AUTOMOBILES. VIOLENT TORNADOES PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 170 MPH\...STRONG ENOUGH TO COMPLETELY

DESTROY EVEN WELL-CONSTRUCTED HOMES. STRONG AND VIOLENT TORNADOES
ACCOUNT FOR ONLY ABOUT 30% OF THE TORNADOES THAT OCCUR ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES EACH YEAR. HOWEVER\...THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE THAN 95% OF
TORNADO-RELATED FATALITIES. IN FACT\...VIOLENT TORNADOES\...WHICH
ACCOUNT FOR ONLY 1 OR 2 PERCENT OF ALL TORNADOES\...ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
ABOUT 70% OF THE DEATHS.

OBVIOUSLY\...THESE TYPES OF TORNADOES ARE RARE ACROSS THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS\...AS THEY ARE ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. HOWEVER\...STRONG
AND VIOLENT TORNADOES HAVE OCCURRED IN THIS AREA\...AND THEY WILL OCCUR
AGAIN. THE PIEDMONT IS ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO THESE
TORNADOES\...GENERALLY EXPERIENCING ONE EVERY 10 YEARS OR SO ON AVERAGE.

ONE OF THE MORE MEMORABLE OUTBREAKS ACROSS THIS AREA WAS ON MAY 5
1989\...WHEN 5 TORNADOES KILLED 7 PEOPLE AND INJURED 108 ACROSS
NORTHEAST GEORGIA\...UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA\...AND THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT
AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 1973 WAS A PARTICULARLY ACTIVE YEAR FOR
STRONG AND VIOLENT TORNADOES ACROSS THE REGION\...WITH A TOTAL OF 14
EVENTS OCCURRING ON 6 SEPARATE DAYS. 9 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 118
INJURED THROUGHOUT 1973. ON APRIL 16 1944\...41 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND
320 INJURED WHEN 2 TORNADOES TRACKED FROM ELBERT COUNTY IN GEORGIA
ACROSS THE LOWER PIEDMONT OF SOUTH CAROLINA. MOST OF THESE EVENTS
OCCURRED FROM MARCH THROUGH MAY. HOWEVER\...STRONG AND VIOLENT TORNADOES
CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME OF THE YEAR.

THESE EVENTS ILLUSTRATE 2 SIGNIFICANT POINTS\...ONE IS THAT THE TYPES OF
STRONG TORNADOES THAT ARE TYPICALLY IDENTIFIED MORE WITH THE MIDWEST
UNITED STATES DO OCCUR IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. THE OTHER IS THAT
THE NUMBER OF DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO THESE TORNADOES HAS DECREASED
DRASTICALLY OVER THE YEARS\... THANKS TO INTENSIVE RESEARCH AND
IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IT IS
INEVITABLE THAT THESE TYPES OF TORNADOES WILL STRIKE THE AREA AGAIN IN
THE FUTURE. THEREFORE\...IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION
IN THE EVENT THAT YOU ARE FACED WITH SUCH A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION.

ONE OF OUR BEST DEFENSES AGAINST TORNADOES IS TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH
THE SOUND THEY MAKE. THE SOUND IS MOST COMMONLY DESCRIBED AS A
LOW-PITCHED CONTINUOUS RUMBLE\...VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF A TRAIN. THE
SOUND HAS ALSO BEEN DESCRIBED AS A LOUD HUMMING NOISE\...AND HAS AT
TIMES BEEN COMPARED TO THE SOUND OF A LOUD WATERFALL. IF YOU HEAR THIS
TYPE OF SOUND DURING A THUNDERSTORM\...EVEN IF A WARNING HAS NOT BEEN
ISSUED\...TAKE TORNADO SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY.

THE SAFEST LOCATION DURING A TORNADO IS AN UNDERGROUND SHELTER. IF ONE
IS NOT AVAILABLE\...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM\... CLOSET\...OR
HALLWAY\...ANY AREA LACKING AN OUTSIDE-FACING WALL\...ON THE LOWEST
LEVEL OF YOUR HOME OR BUILDING. YOUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO PLACE AS MANY
WALLS AND FLOORS BETWEEN YOU AND THE OUTSIDE AS POSSIBLE. COVER YOURSELF
WITH BLANKETS OR A MATTRESS\...ANYTHING THAT CAN SHIELD YOU FROM FLYING
DEBRIS. MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR A STURDIER SHELTER. THEY
OFFER LITTLE IF ANY PROTECTION FROM TORNADOES.

VEHICLES CAN BE TOSSED AROUND BY EVEN THE WEAKEST OF TORNADOES. ABANDON
THEM FOR THE NEAREST BUILDING. IF NO BUILDING IS AVAILABLE\...AS A LAST
RESORT FIND A LOW\...OPEN SPOT AWAY FROM THE ROAD\...AND LIE FACE DOWN
WHILE COVERING YOUR HEAD. DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDERNEATH HIGHWAY
OVERPASSES.