Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Severe Weather Week Approaching

No one in this part of the state needs to be told about severe weather.

Anyone who has lived here at least a year knows the weather can change, literally, in minutes.

Because of this, Severe Weather Awareness Week in Arkansas will be observed during the last week of February. Gov. Mike Huckabee made this proclamation recently.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) have joined together in publishing a pamphlet about severe weather.

From now until June is tornado time in Arkansas. These violent storms can occur almost at any time.

For those who are new to the area, tornadoes are large, black clouds with funnels extending down to the earth.

These swirling winds can reach and exceed speeds of 300 miles per hour. No other type of storm can match a tornado for sheer destructive potential.

On Jan. 21, in this area, either tornadoes or straight-line winds ripped through leaving a wake of destructing in their path. A total of 13 twisters reportedly touched down across the state leaving eight people dead and causing millions of dollars in damage.

When weather conditions warrant a tornado warning being issued by the NWS, common sense tips can be used to help stay alive.

One of the first things to be done is watch the sky for signs of a potential tornado. If a possible tornado is sighted, get away from windows as they may shatter and the glass become deadly flying projectiles.

Find a safe place. A basement is the ideal place, but many homes don't have one. If this is the case, crawl under a heavy workbench or stairs.

Interior closets also provide protection, as do inside bathrooms or halls at the lower level of the house.

If nothing else, get under a mattress and protect your head.

But, suppose you're not at home when a tornado approaches. The first thing to do is find shelter. Get into the nearest building and away from the windows.

However, in this region, many people work outside or have to drive to and from their place of business.

For those caught out of doors during a tornado, the first thing to do is get out of the car, if driving, and try to find shelter.

Don't try and outrun a tornado in a car. Tornadoes can pick up a vehicle and throw it through the air.

Anyone caught outside should find a low-level hiding spot, such as a ditch. Again, it is vital to cover the head and offer it some protection from flying debris.

And, those people living in mobile homes should get out as tornadoes seem to like ripping them apart.

Mobile homes can't stand up to the sheer destructive violence of a tornado, even if it's tied down.

Tornadoes, as we all know, are bizarre in their behavior. They have been known to demolish all but one room of a house, or to destroy one home yet leave the one next to it untouched.

Most tornadoes in the southern and central parts of the United States occur between April and June, but can happen any time during the year.

Tornadoes can occur anywhere in America, but are rare in many places.

These storms usually travel along the ground at 35 miles per hour, but have been clocked as fast as 70 mph.

The majority of twisters are narrow and don't stay on the ground for more than 15 miles. However, tornadoes can be as wide as a mile across and stay on the ground longer.

This was the case when a series of twisters ripped through Southwest Arkansas on March 1, 1997. This series of storms left 26 people dead.

Along with swirling winds, tornadoes are usually accompanied by thunderstorms. This means lightning and possible hail.

Lightning poses the most danger as it kills more people annually than hurricanes and tornadoes combined.

At any given time, there are 2,000 lightning storms occurring globally.

In the U.S. some 200 people die each year because they are struck by lightning.

Oh, yes, don't believe the myth of lightning never striking twice in the same place it can and does.

While not all thunderstorms produce tornadoes, they do have severe lightning, strong winds and possible hail.

Hail, or balls of frozen rain, has been recorded in a variety of sizes, from being as small as marbles to as large as grapefruits.

In the Jan. 21 storms, hail damaged several homes and cars across the state.

Thunderstorms are more common during the warmer months of the year, but can occur in the winter, as everyone found out last month.

Again, for those finding themselves outside when a thunderstorm comes up it is important to find shelter preferably in a house or large building.

If nothing else is available, get inside a hard-topped car.

Those in fields need to get close to the ground as lightning follows the path of least resistance to the ground.

Here's an interesting note. While thunder and lightning occur simultaneously, they seem to happen at different times. This is because light travels faster than sound.

To figure out how far a storm is away, count the seconds between the lightning and thunder. Sound travels at roughly 1,000 feet per second, so a five-second differential would mean the storm is about a mile away.

Another problem associated with severe weather is flash flooding. This also occurred with the Jan. 21 storms, as heavy rains flooded streams and ditches causing them to overflow their banks.

In times of flash flooding it is important to keep a level head and not panic.

Look for higher ground and try to stay above the rising water.

Rapidly rising water can wash away vehicles, boulders and trees, while eroding road beds and tearing out bridges.

When driving, if a street is covered in water, look for an alternative route and don't take chances. Just because the water in front of you may be shallow, down the road it could be deep and swift.

And, along with the water being deep and swift, the road could be washed out and your vehicle could be trapped.

Again, the important thing to remember in times of severe weather is to remain calm. Panicking can only cause more problems, serves no purpose and could get you killed.