FW: Weather Warnings Public Information Statement

Fri Feb 8 06:12:35 PST 2008

-----Original Message-----
From: WCF-SKYWARN-WARNINGS at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:WCF-SKYWARN-WARNINGS at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Times Weather
Server
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 7:37 AM
To: WCF-SKYWARN-WARNINGS at yahoogroups.com; adorn at sptimes.com;
rbarretto at sptimes.com
Subject: Weather Warnings Public Information Statement
Importance: High

NOUS42 KTBW 081232
PNSTBW
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-090000-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
732 AM EST FRI FEB 8 2008

...STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL THIS MORNING AT 1010 AM EST...

...HAZARDOUS WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONCLUDES TODAY...
...TODAY IS TEMPERATURE EXTREME AND WILD FIRE AWARENESS DAY...

THE STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILL IS AIMED AT TESTING COMMUNICATION...
DISSEMINATION...AND PREPAREDNESS FOR EMERGENCY WEATHER SITUATIONS AFFECTING
PUBLIC PLACES...INCLUDING SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT FACILITIES.

...TEMPERATURE EXTREMES...

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IS WELL KNOWN FOR IT'S HOT AND HUMID
SUMMERS. HOWEVER...DESPITE RELATIVELY SMALL TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
SUMMER AND WINTER...EXTREMES OF WARM AND COLD OCCUR JUST ABOUT EVERY YEAR.

...SUMMER'S HEAT...

BETWEEN JUNE AND SEPTEMBER...THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY ACROSS
WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA OFTEN MAKES IT FEEL LIKE 100 DEGREES OR MORE. THESE
HEAT INDEX VALUES CAN TAKE A TOLL ON THE HUMAN BODY...
ESPECIALLY IF UNPREPARED. WHEN THE HEAT INDEX REACHES OR EXCEEDS 105...THE
THREAT FOR MORE SERIOUS HAZARDS INCREASES. THESE INCLUDE HEAT CRAMPS...HEAT
EXHAUSTION...AND HEAT STROKE. HEAT ILLNESS CAN BE FATAL.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME HEAT SAFETY RULES:
-NEVER LEAVE A CHILD OR PET IN UNATTENDED VEHICLES...EVEN FOR A MOMENT.
-DRINK PLENTY OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FLUIDS...PREFERABLY WATER.
-DRESS IN LOOSE...LIGHTWEIGHT...AND LIGHT FITTING CLOTHING AND USE SUNSCREEN
TO AVOID GETTING SUNBURNS.
-STAY OUT OF THE SUN...ESPECIALLY AROUND MIDDAY...AND REMAIN NEAR AIR
CONDITIONED LOCATIONS.
-RESTRICT STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO A COOLER TIME OF DAY.

A HEAT INDEX CHART IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OM/HEAT/INDEX.SHTML

...WINTER'S FREEZE...

FREEZING WEATHER OCCURS OFTEN IN FLORIDA AND IT CAN BE A KILLER.
SINCE 2001...2 PEOPLE DIED FROM COLD-RELATED CONDITIONS ACROSS THE STATE.
TEMPERATURES DON'T NEED TO REACH FREEZING TO CAUSE POTENTIAL HAZARDS.
TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S WITH A MODERATE WIND CAUSES WIND CHILL
VALUES THAT MAKE THE TEMPERATURE FEEL LIKE FREEZING.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME COLD SAFETY RULES:
-STAY INDOORS AND USE SAFE HEATING SOURCES.
-KEEP SPACE HEATERS AND CANDLES AWAY FROM ALL FLAMMABLE MATERIALS...
SUCH AS CURTAINS AND FURNITURE...AND INSTALL SMOKE DETECTORS.
-INDOORS...DO NOT USE CHARCOAL OR OTHER FUEL-BURNING DEVICES SUCH AS GRILLS
THAT PRODUCE CARBON MONOXIDE...AND INSTALL AT LEAST ONE CARBON MONOXIDE
DETECTOR.
-OUTDOORS...STAY DRY AND IN WIND PROTECTED AREAS.
-WEAR MULTIPLE LAYERS OF LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHES AND A HAT AND GLOVES.
-DRINK PLENTY OF LIQUIDS AND EAT HIGH-CALORIE FOODS.

A WIND CHILL CHART IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OM/WINDCHILL/INDEX.SHTML

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT TEMPERATURE EXTREMES...PLEASE VISIT THE
FOLLOWING WEBSITE:

HTTP://WWW.FLORIDADISASTER.ORG/KIDS/INDEX2.HTM

...WILD FIRES...

A WILDFIRE IS AN UNDESIRABLE FIRE OCCURRING IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. THE
THREE COMPONENTS NECESSARY TO START A FIRE ARE OXYGEN...FUEL...AND HEAT. IN
FLORIDA SINCE 2000....MORE THAN 27000 WILDFIRES HAVE DEVASTATED OVER ONE
MILLION ACRES. WILDFIRES CAN RESULT IN THE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WILD FIRES CAN BE FELT STATEWIDE. IN THE TOURISM
INDUSTRY...ROADS AND TOURIST ATTRACTIONS CAN BE FORCED TO CLOSE DUE TO
HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS. THE HIGH COST OF RESPONDING TO AND RECOVERING
FROM WILDFIRES CAN DEPLETE STATE RESOURCES AND INCREASE INSURANCE RATES.
BUSINESSES THAT DEPEND ON TIMBER...SUCH AS PAPER MILLS AND LUMBER
COMPANIES...EXPERIENCE LOSSES THAT ARE OFTEN PASSED ALONG TO THE CONSUMERS
THROUGH HIGHER PRICES...AND SOMETIMES JOBS ARE LOST AS WELL.

FLORIDA IS HOME TO MILLIONS OF RESIDENTS WHO ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND
WARM CLIMATE. AS FLORIDA'S POPULATION CONTINUES TO GROW...MANY PEOPLE ARE
CHOOSING TO LIVE IN OR AROUND WOODED AREAS.
THE POINT AT WHICH WOODLAND AREAS MEET WITH RESIDENTIAL HOMES AND
SUBDIVISIONS IS CALLED THE WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE.

FEW PEOPLE REALIZE THAT THESE QUALITIES CREATE SEVERE WILDFIRE CONDITIONS.
EACH YEAR THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF WILDLAND AND MANY HOMES ARE DESTROYED BY
FIRES THAT CAN ERUPT AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR FROM A VARIETY OF CAUSES
INCLUDING ARSON...LIGHTNING AND DEBRIS BURNING.
ADDING TO THE FIRE HAZARD IS THE GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE NEW
COMMUNITIES BUILT IN AREAS THAT WERE ONCE WILDLAND. THIS GROWTH PLACES EVEN
GREATER PRESSURE ON FLORIDA'S WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS. AS A RESULT OF THIS
GROWTH...FIRE PROTECTION BECOMES EVERYONES RESPONSIBILITY.

RESIDENTS CAN HELP TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY BY TAKING ACTION AND THROUGH
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS FIREWISE THAT CAN REDUCE THE THREAT OF
WILDFIRES THROUGH FIRE RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION AND LANDSCAPING TECHNIQUES. A
FIREWISE HOME HAS DEFENSIBLE SPACE...
LEAN...CLEAN AND GREEN LANDSCAPING...FIRE RESISTANT ROOF CONSTRUCTION AND
FIRE RESISTANT EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION AND ATTACHMENTS. THEY ALSO HAVE
EMERGENCY ACCESS AND A DISASTER PLAN IN PLACE INCLUDING EVACUATION PLANS.
REMEMBER TO ALWAYS FOLLOW LOCAL BURNING REGULATIONS AND LAWS.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FIREWISE AND OTHER FIRE RELATED INFORMATION...
PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES:

HTTP://WWW.FIREWISE.ORG
HTTP://WWW.FL-DOF.COM
HTTP://WWW.FLORIDADISASTER.ORG/KIDS/INDEX2.HTM

$$

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St.Petersburg, Fla. Times, the Florida National Guard and the National
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