National Severe Weather Preparedness Week

This week is National Severe Weather Preparedness Week.  As a partnership between FEMA and NOAA, this is a nationwide effort to increase awareness of severe weather and to motivate individuals, families and communities to take action and become prepared. 

Locally here in Glen Cove we’re prone to all types of severe weather events including floods, severe thunderstorms, heat waves, high winds, tropical cyclones, tornados and snow storms. Each year we’re effected by dozens of these events. Several of the major ones that stick out in our mind over the last few years include:

Blizzard of 2010 - February 2010

Tropical Storm Irene - August 2011

Microburst at Morgan Park - July 2012

Superstorm Sandy - October 2012 

Blizzard of 2013 - February 2013 

The most common effects of these weather events to our area in particular are power outages and wind damage. High winds bring down trees and power lines causing property damage and power outages. Prepare you and your family to deal with these power outages. Develop a plan to stay with a friend or relative that is not effected and has power. If you're going to stay in your house without power, make sure you're prepared with enough bottled water, non-perishable food, medications, batteries and flashlights to last for several days. Keep your cell phone charged since this could be your only reliable form of communication. Either have spare cell phone batteries or use a car charger to recharge your phone.

It's also important to know the proper terminology that the National Weather Service (NWS) utilizes to issue public alerts. This could help you know when severe weather will impact the area and when to begin preparing. The NWS issues 4 different types of notices to the public for severe weather - Outlook, Advisory, Watch and Warning.

• Outlook - Heads Up! Used to indicate that a hazardous weather or hydrologic event may develop 2 - 7 days from now. It is intended to provide information to those who need considerable lead time to prepare for the event.

• Watch - Get Prepared! The risk of severe weather conditions have increased, but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is uncertain. It is usually issued 12 to 48 hours prior to a potential severe weather event. A Watch is intended to provide enough lead time so those who need to do so, can set emergency plans in motion. Essentially means a chance this condition will happen and usually covers a large geographical area for a lengthy time period. Examples - Severe Thunderstorm Watch, Winter Storm Watch.

• Warning - Take Action! When severe weather conditions are occurring, are imminent, or have a very high probability of occurrence. A Warning is typically issued within 12 hours of a life or property-threatening severe weather event. Warnings are usually issued for a much smaller geographical area and for shorter more definite time periods. Examples - High Wind Warning, Winter Storm Warning, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Excessive Heat Warning.

• Advisory - Hazardous Conditions! - Sort of in between a WATCH and WARNING. The expected weather condition has a good chance of occurring, even a likely chance of occurring, but typically an advisory is used for a less severe type of weather creating only hazardous conditions. Examples - Wind Advisory, Winter Weather Advisory, Heat Aadvisory.

Check out the below links for additional resources:

http://www.ready.gov

http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster

http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/oem/prepare/emergency.html

http://www.fema.gov

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/okx     (National Weather Service - New York City Weather Forecasting Office in Upton, NY)