Southeast Texas Severe Weather Preparedness and Safety

Dan Reilly, Katherine Lenninger, Cameron Batiste National Weather Service Houston/Galveston (Tornado Drill) National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Houston/ Galveston Core of mission: Issue forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property. Also work with partners to increase weather preparedness through outreach, education.

NWS Ops Area During Harvey: Shift Change 8 pm Saturday Severe Weather Preparedness

• Understand your risk and vulnerability; Are you outdoors? In a mobile home? In a flood plain? • Have a plan for your situation; I’m camping, boating today: if thunderstorms approach, I would shelter where? When I’m home or at work and a tornado is coming, what do I do? Credit: ABC 33/40 (WCFT-TV) Birmingham • Have a way to get watches and warnings; monitor radar (especially if at outdoor event, work project, etc).

How to Get Weather Alerts Web sites: weather.gov (NWS), many others *

Cell phones using weather apps and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Weather Radios: weather.gov/nwr

TV/Radio (Emergency Alert System)

Some weather apps have radar, lightning too! https://www.weather.gov/subscribe * * WEA Alerts to Cell Phones Developed by FEMA and wireless carriers; recently enhanced (WEA 2.0) to allow for longer messages and Spanish language (only on the newest phones); for more details search WEA and your wireless carrier. Watch, Warning, Advisory

Watch: Heads up, be alert conditions favor the development of the hazard (such as a tornado); be ready to act. For thunderstorms/ tornadoes watches typically valid 6 hours or so. Warning: Hazard has been spotted or detected on radar. Take action to protect yourself if you are in the warned area. Advisory: Less severe than a warning but could still be life threatening.

Thunderstorm related: Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm, Flash Flood

Others: Excessive Heat, Winter Storm, Ice Storm, Hurricane, Storm Surge, etc. 10 Convective Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center Day 1, April 22, 2020 Tornado

Categorical

Damaging Wind

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/ 11

Varies year to year; Based on 10-year averages (yellow bars) here is the ranking:

1. Heat

2. Flood

3. Tornado

4. Rip Currents

5. Severe Winds

6. Extreme Cold

7. Winter

8. Lightning

9. Hurricane?

https://www.weather.gov/hazstat/ 60 Storm Events by Type and Month for Southeast Texas

50 Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes can occur any month out of the Hail 40 year. Wind

Peak in April and May Torn 30 Total

20

10

0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Flash Flood Climatology SE Texas

Flash flooding can occur any month out of the year.

Peaks in Spring and in Fall!

Galveston Waterspout/Tornado

August 2009

Waterspout came ashore, damaged Dolphin World Shop and other buildings. Rated EF1 tornado.

Special Marine and Tornado Warnings issued. Tornadic Waterspout May 2020 as Viewed from Kemah, San Leon

@OUSams

https://saltwater-recon.com/

Roger Traugott EF2 Willis, TX Dec 12th, 2015 Morgan’s Point Tornado (Video Courtesy Port of Houston) EF-2 Friendswood Halloween Tornadoes 2015 Early Morning Hours

Pasadena EF2 LaPorte EF2

See a Flash, Dash Inside!

Leon’s Lightning Safety Rules When thunderstorms are in the area, No Place Outside is Safe!

Go inside a large permanent building, like a house or school Stay away from plumbing or electrical appliances. Don’t use corded telephones, except in emergencies.

A hard topped metal vehicle is also safe Convertibles, motorcycles and bicycles are NOT safe!

Use the 30-30 Rule If you hear thunder within 30 seconds of seeing lightning, Go Indoors! Stay indoors for 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder. When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!

Start Game Visit the NOAA Lightning Safety website for more information https://www.lightningsafetyalliance.com/leon_the_lightning_lion.html

Hail Damage/Injuries

@wyliebear1, Wylie TX @YYCguy

AP Hailstorm Hitchcock/ Sante Fe April 2013 Cut and Shoot March 27, 2009

KTRK Viewer Photos Indianapolis Stage Collapse

7 Killed, 43 Injured

A spokesman gives the crowd instructions on how to evacuate if the weather worsens just two minutes before the stage collapsed

July 19, 2018 Severe Thunderstorm Winds! Duck Boat Accident 2018: 17 fatalities

Duck Boat Accident Hail/Wind Safety

• Get indoors into a sturdy structure • Stay away from windows • In in a car, stay in your vehicle; pull over to a safe location; encountering hail at high speeds → broken windshield • Shelter your vehicle ahead of storm

Baseball sized hail doing damage in AL

Stay Informed

• Web: weather.gov/houston – Hurricanes.gov • Twitter: @NWSHouston • Facebook: www.facebook.com/NWSHouston • Youtube: youtube.com/NWSHouston • Weather.gov/subscribe (list of weather apps, sites) • Find your local emergency management websites and social media!

Questions?