Hurricane Preparedness Week: Wednesday, May 28, 2008

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT WED MAY 28 2008

...HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK CONTINUES THROUGH SATURDAY...

THERE ARE NUMEROUS DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANES AND OTHER TROPICAL SYSTEMS. THEY INCLUDE STORM SURGE...HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING...DAMAGING WINDS... TORNADOES...HIGH SURF...BEACH EROSION...AND RIP CURRENTS.

STORM SURGE.
STORM SURGE IS A LARGE DOME OF WATER...OFTEN 50 TO 100 MILES WIDE...THAT SWEEPS ACROSS THE COASTLINE MAINLY TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE HURRICANE MAKES LANDFALL. THE SURGE OF HIGH WATER... ALONG WITH DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE DEVASTATING. TYPICALLY...THE STRONGER THE HURRICANE AND THE SHALLOWER THE COASTAL SHELF...THE HIGHER THE SURGE WILL BE. ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST...STORM SURGE IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.

HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING.
WIDESPREAD TORRENTIAL RAINS...OFTEN IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES...CAN PRODUCE DEADLY AND DESTRUCTIVE FLOODS. THIS IS THE MAJOR HAZARD TO AREAS WELL INLAND. FLOODING FROM HURRICANE FLOYD IN 1999 CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA. THERE WERE ALSO OVER 50 DEATHS DUE TO FLOYD...PRIMARILY CAUSED BY FRESH WATER FLOODING. IN 2005...TROPICAL STORM TAMMY PRODUCED BETWEEN 10 AND 15 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD FLOODING.

DAMAGING WINDS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS...74 MPH OR GREATER...CAN DESTROY POORLY CONSTRUCTED BUILDINGS AND MOBILE HOMES. DEBRIS...SUCH AS SIGNS... ROOFING MATERIAL...AND SMALL OBJECTS LEFT OUTSIDE BECOME FLYING MISSILES IN HURRICANES. WINDS OFTEN STAY ABOVE HURRICANE STRENGTH WELL INLAND AS EVIDENCED BY HURRICANE HUGO WHICH BATTERED CHARLOTTE
NORTH CAROLINA WITH GUSTS TO OVER 75 MPH...DOWNING TREES AND POWER LINES AND CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.

TORNADOES.
TORNADOES MOST OFTEN OCCUR IN THUNDERSTORMS EMBEDDED IN RAIN BANDS WELL AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF A TROPICAL SYSTEM. HOWEVER...THEY CAN ALSO OCCUR NEAR THE EYE WALL. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004...THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE FRANCES PRODUCED 20 CONFIRMED TORNADOES IN THE CHARLESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COUNTY WARNING AREA COVERING PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.

HIGH SURF...BEACH EROSION AND RIP CURRENTS.
TROPICAL SYSTEMS ALSO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL COASTAL HAZARDS SUCH AS HIGH SURF...BEACH EROSION AND DEADLY RIP CURRENTS. THE HIGH SURF CAUSES EXTENSIVE BEACH EROSION AND CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS... WHICH ARE NARROW CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY FROM LAND. HIGH SURF ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM TAMMY IN 2005 PRODUCED EXTENSIVE BEACH EROSION ALONG THE COASTS OF SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. FURTHERMORE...SEVERAL HOMES WERE DESTROYED IN EDISTO BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA.