Weather Emergency (Blizzard, Icestorm, Hailstorm, Windstorm)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Weather Emergency (Blizzard, Icestorm, Hailstorm, Windstorm) WEATHER EMERGENCY (BLIZZARD, ICESTORM, HAILSTORM, WINDSTORM) The library may be closed for actual or expected severe weather events (see “Closings Procedure”, page 4). The Person-in-Charge should contact the Director if considering closure for any reason. If the Director is unavailable the President should be contacted. If severe weather occurs when the library is open to the public, the immediate safety needs of patrons and staff must be met. The primary hazards for people and property during a weather emergency at our library will likely be wind driven or falling objects, and dangerous travel conditions. Hail can be of substantial size to injure people and damage cars and buildings. Snow and ice storms can cause power line, tree and roof collapse, and impassable sidewalks and roadways. Blizzards, with their wind and snow, can cause slippery roads and blinding whiteouts that present hazardous driving conditions. In the event of high winds, the Person-in-Charge shall encourage building occupants to keep away from windows. In the event of a tornado warning the Person-in-Charge shall evacuate patrons and staff to the basement. For all weather emergencies one rule applies. We shall not send patrons or staff outside into harm’s way. So we shall offer to provide people with the protection of our facility until it is reasonable for them to go. Upon resolution of the emergency, the Person-in-Charge shall complete an incident report and notify the Director who will notify the President. .
Recommended publications
  • Safety Rules Are Intended to Assist in That Goal
    NOAA’s Weather-Ready Nation is about building community resilience in the face of extreme weather and water events. Part of being weather-ready is being prepared for whatever mother nature happens to throw our way. The accompanying safety rules are intended to assist in that goal. You can find more information on NOAA’s Weather- Ready Nation webpage at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/. Blizzard Although less frequent in our part of the country, blizzard or near-blizzard conditions can catch motorists off-guard. If you become trapped in your automobile… (1) Avoid overexertion and exposure. Attempting to push your car, shovel heavy drifts, and other difficult chores during a blizzard may cause a heart attack even for someone in apparently good physical condition. (2) Stay in your vehicle. Do not attempt to walk out of a blizzard. Disorientation comes quickly in blowing and drifting snow. You are more likely to be found when sheltered in your car. (3) Keep fresh air in your car. Freezing wet snow and wind-driven snow can completely seal the passenger compartment. (4) Run the motor and heater sparingly, and only with the downwind window cracked for ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure the tailpipe is unobstructed. (5) Exercise by clapping hands and moving arms and legs vigorously from time to time, and do not stay in one position for long. (6) Turn on the dome light at night. It can make your vehicle visible to work crews. (7) Keep watch. Do not allow all occupants of the car to sleep at once.
    [Show full text]
  • The 1993 Superstorm: 15-Year Retrospective
    THE 1993 SUPERSTORM: 15-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE RMS Special Report INTRODUCTION From March 12–14, 1993, a powerful extra-tropical storm descended upon the eastern half of the United States, causing widespread damage from the Gulf Coast to Maine. Spawning tornadoes in Florida and causing record snowfalls across the Appalachian Mountains and Mid-Atlantic states, the storm produced hurricane-force winds and extremely low temperatures throughout the region. Due to the intensity and size of the storm, as well as its far-reaching impacts, it is widely acknowledged in the United States as the ―1993 Superstorm‖ or ―Storm of the Century.‖ During the storm’s formation, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued storm and blizzard warnings two days in advance, allowing the 100 million individuals who were potentially in the storm’s path to prepare. This was the first time the NWS had ever forecast a storm of this magnitude. Yet in spite of the forecasting efforts, about 100 deaths were directly attributed to the storm (NWS, 1994). The storm also caused considerable damage and disruption across the impacted region, leading to the closure of every major airport in the eastern U.S. at one time or another during its duration. Heavy snowfall caused roofs to collapse in Georgia, and the storm left many individuals in the Appalachian Mountains stranded without power. Many others in urban centers were subject to record low temperatures, including -11°F (-24°C) in Syracuse, New York. Overall, economic losses due to wind, ice, snow, freezing temperatures, and tornado damage totaled between $5-6 billion at the time of the event (Lott et al., 2007) with insured losses of close to $2 billion.
    [Show full text]
  • Mapping of Climate Change Threats and Human Development Impacts in the Arab Region
    Arab Human Development Report Research Paper Series Mapping of Climate Change Threats and Human Development Impacts in the Arab Region Balgis Osman Elasha United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Arab States United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Arab States Arab Human Development Report Research Paper Series 2010 Mapping of Climate Change Threats and Human Development Impacts in the Arab Region Balgis Osman Elasha The Arab Human Development Report Research Paper Series is a medium for sharing recent research commissioned to inform the Arab Human Development Report, and fur- ther research in the field of human development. The AHDR Research Paper Series is a quick-disseminating, informal publication whose titles could subsequently be revised for publication as articles in professional journals or chapters in books. The authors include leading academics and practitioners from the Arab countries and around the world. The findings, interpretations and conclusions are strictly those of the authors and do not neces- sarily represent the views of UNDP or United Nations Member States. The present paper was authored by Balgis Osman Elasha. * * * Balgis Osman-Elasha is a Climate Change Adaptation Expert at the African Development Bank. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree (with Honours) and a Doctorate in Forestry Science, and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science. She has extensive experience in climate change research, with a focus on the human dimensions of global environmental change (GEC) and sustainable development. She is a winner of the UNEP Champions of the Earth award, 2008, and a member of the IPCC Lead Authors Nobel Peace Prize winners in 2007.
    [Show full text]
  • ESSENTIALS of METEOROLOGY (7Th Ed.) GLOSSARY
    ESSENTIALS OF METEOROLOGY (7th ed.) GLOSSARY Chapter 1 Aerosols Tiny suspended solid particles (dust, smoke, etc.) or liquid droplets that enter the atmosphere from either natural or human (anthropogenic) sources, such as the burning of fossil fuels. Sulfur-containing fossil fuels, such as coal, produce sulfate aerosols. Air density The ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume occupied by it. Air density is usually expressed as g/cm3 or kg/m3. Also See Density. Air pressure The pressure exerted by the mass of air above a given point, usually expressed in millibars (mb), inches of (atmospheric mercury (Hg) or in hectopascals (hPa). pressure) Atmosphere The envelope of gases that surround a planet and are held to it by the planet's gravitational attraction. The earth's atmosphere is mainly nitrogen and oxygen. Carbon dioxide (CO2) A colorless, odorless gas whose concentration is about 0.039 percent (390 ppm) in a volume of air near sea level. It is a selective absorber of infrared radiation and, consequently, it is important in the earth's atmospheric greenhouse effect. Solid CO2 is called dry ice. Climate The accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events over a long period of time. Front The transition zone between two distinct air masses. Hurricane A tropical cyclone having winds in excess of 64 knots (74 mi/hr). Ionosphere An electrified region of the upper atmosphere where fairly large concentrations of ions and free electrons exist. Lapse rate The rate at which an atmospheric variable (usually temperature) decreases with height. (See Environmental lapse rate.) Mesosphere The atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Severe Weather
    Juniata County Appendix C Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Hazard Profiles Severe Weather General Severe weather affects the entire Commonwealth and can be expected any time of the year. Severe weather for Juniata County is considered to include: blizzards and/or heavy snowfall, heavy fog, hail, heavy precipitation (rain), high winds, ice storms, unseasonable temperature extremes, hurricanes, and severe thunderstorms. (Tornados will be discussed in a separate profile.) Snowstorms occur approximately five times per year. These storms are more prevalent in the northern and western regions of Pennsylvania and include ice and high wind. They are frequently seen in Juniata County. Hurricanes, tropical storms, and windstorms occur in Juniata County in the spring and summer. Most hurricanes that approach Juniata County are downgraded to tropical storms or tropical depressions by the time they reach central Pennsylvania. Heavy rain and flooding produced by a hurricane, tropical storm, or tropical depression will have the greatest impact on the County. Extreme temperatures can be devastating to any area. Extreme heat can cause sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat/sun stroke. Likewise, extreme cold can cause hypothermia and frost bite. History Juniata County, as well as the entire Commonwealth, is vulnerable to a wide range of natural disasters. Typically, these disasters are caused by severe weather. A summary of disaster declarations from severe weather that affected Juniata County can be seen below. Disaster Declarations
    [Show full text]
  • A Statistical Study of Extreme Nor'easter Snowstorms
    inv lve a journal of mathematics A statistical study of extreme nor’easter snowstorms Christopher Karvetski, Robert B. Lund and Francis Parisi mathematical sciences publishers 2009 Vol. 2, No. 3 INVOLVE 2:3(2009) A statistical study of extreme nor’easter snowstorms Christopher Karvetski, Robert B. Lund and Francis Parisi (Communicated by Sat Gupta) This short paper studies the statistical characteristics of extreme snowstorms striking the eastern seaboard of the United States — the so-called nor’easters. Poisson regression techniques and extreme value methods are used to estimate return periods of storms of various snow volumes. Return periods of several memorable events are estimated, including the superstorm of 1993, the North American blizzard of 1996, and the blizzard of 1888. While nor’easters are found to occur more frequently in late winter than early winter, no evidence of increasing/decreasing storm frequencies in time or dependencies on the North Atlantic oscillation is found. 1. Introduction A nor’easter is a large-scale winter storm that impacts the east coast of the United States. A nor’easter can drop copious amounts of snow and may also cause flood and wind damage. Nor’easters occur from late fall through early spring. The super- storm of 1993 (March 12–15), for example, was the largest snowstorm affecting the United States in the last century. This storm deposited over 60 inches of snow in some places, is blamed for 300 fatalities, and caused an estimated six to ten billion dollars of damage. While nor’easters are sometimes referred to as winter hurricanes, literature studying their frequency properties is sparse when compared to that for summer hurricanes.
    [Show full text]
  • Winter Storm Intensity, Hazards, and Property Losses in the New York Tristate Area
    Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. ISSN 0077-8923 ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Issue: Annals Reports ORIGINAL ARTICLE Winter storm intensity, hazards, and property losses in the New York tristate area Cari E. Shimkus,1 Mingfang Ting,1 James F. Booth,2 Susana B. Adamo,3 Malgosia Madajewicz,4 Yochanan Kushnir,1 and Harald E. Rieder1,5 1Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York. 2City University of New York, City College, New York, New York. 3Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University, Palisades, New York. 4Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University, New York, New York. 5Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change and IGAM/Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria Address for correspondence: Mingfang Ting, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964. [email protected] Winter storms pose numerous hazards to the Northeast United States, including rain, snow, strong wind, and flooding. These hazards can cause millions of dollars in damages from one storm alone. This study investigates meteorological intensity and impacts of winter storms from 2001 to 2014 on coastal counties in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York and underscores the consequences of winter storms. The study selected 70 winter storms on the basis of station observations of surface wind strength, heavy precipitation, high storm tide, and snow extremes. Storm rankings differed between measures, suggesting that intensity is not easily defined with a single metric. Several storms fell into two or more categories (multiple-category storms). Following storm selection, property damages were examined to determine which types lead to high losses.
    [Show full text]
  • HEAT, FIRE, WATER How Climate Change Has Created a Public Health Emergency Second Edition
    By Alan H. Lockwood, MD, FAAN, FANA HEAT, FIRE, WATER How Climate Change Has Created a Public Health Emergency Second Edition Alan H. Lockwood, MD, FAAN, FANA First published in 2019. PSR has not copyrighted this report. Some of the figures reproduced herein are copyrighted. Permission to use them was granted by the copyright holder for use in this report as acknowledged. Subsequent users who wish to use copyrighted materials must obtain permission from the copyright holder. Citation: Lockwood, AH, Heat, Fire, Water: How Climate Change Has Created a Public Health Emergency, Second Edition, 2019, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. Acknowledgments: The author is grateful for editorial assistance and guidance provided by Barbara Gottlieb, Laurence W. Lannom, Anne Lockwood, Michael McCally, and David W. Orr. Cover Credits: Thermometer, reproduced with permission of MGN Online; Wildfire, reproduced with permission of the photographer Andy Brownbil/AAP; Field Research Facility at Duck, NC, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers HEAT, FIRE, WATER How Climate Change Has Created a Public Health Emergency PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY U.S. affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize 1111 14th St NW Suite 700, Washington, DC, 20005 email: [email protected] About the author: Alan H. Lockwood, MD, FAAN, FANA is an emeritus professor of neurology at the University at Buffalo, and a Past President, Senior Scientist, and member of the Board of Directors of Physicians for Social Responsibility. He is the principal author of the PSR white paper, Coal’s Assault on Human Health and sole author of two books, The Silent Epidemic: Coal and the Hidden Threat to Health (MIT Press, 2012) and Heat Advisory: Protecting Health on a Warming Planet (MIT Press, 2016).
    [Show full text]
  • Open Reuille Christina Lostinthefog
    THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHREYER HONORS COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY LOST IN THE FOG: AN ANALYSIS OF THE DISSEMINATION OF MISLEADING WEATHER INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA CHRISTINA M. REUILLE FALL 2015 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree in Meteorology with honors in Meteorology Reviewed and approved* by the following: Dr. Jon Nese Associate Head, Undergraduate Program in Meteorology Senior Lecturer in Meteorology Thesis Supervisor Dr. Yvette Richardson Associate Professor of Meteorology Honors Adviser * Signatures are on file in the Schreyer Honors College. i ABSTRACT The growing popularity of social media has created another avenue of weather communication. Social media can be a constant source of information, including weather information. However, a qualitative analysis of Facebook and Twitter shows that much of the information published confuses and scares consumers, making it ineffective communication that does more harm than good. Vague posts or posts that fail to tell the entire weather story contribute to the ineffective communication on social media platforms, especially on Twitter where posts are limited to 140 characters. By analyzing characteristics of these rogue posts, better social media practices can be deduced. Displaying credentials, explaining posts, and choosing words carefully will help make social media a more effective form of weather communication. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Cold War and Beyond
    Contents Puge FOREWORD ...................... u 1947-56 ......................... 1 1957-66 ........................ 19 1967-76 ........................ 45 1977-86 ........................ 81 1987-97 ........................ 117 iii Foreword This chronology commemorates the golden anniversary of the establishment of the United States Air Force (USAF) as an independent service. Dedicated to the men and women of the USAF past, present, and future, it records significant events and achievements from 18 September 1947 through 9 April 1997. Since its establishment, the USAF has played a significant role in the events that have shaped modem history. Initially, the reassuring drone of USAF transports announced the aerial lifeline that broke the Berlin blockade, the Cold War’s first test of wills. In the tense decades that followed, the USAF deployed a strategic force of nuclear- capable intercontinental bombers and missiles that deterred open armed conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. During the Cold War’s deadly flash points, USAF jets roared through the skies of Korea and Southeast Asia, wresting air superiority from their communist opponents and bringing air power to the support of friendly ground forces. In the great global competition for the hearts and minds of the Third World, hundreds of USAF humanitarian missions relieved victims of war, famine, and natural disaster. The Air Force performed similar disaster relief services on the home front. Over Grenada, Panama, and Libya, the USAF participated in key contingency actions that presaged post-Cold War operations. In the aftermath of the Cold War the USAF became deeply involved in constructing a new world order. As the Soviet Union disintegrated, USAF flights succored the populations of the newly independent states.
    [Show full text]
  • Great Atlantic Coastal Snowstorms
    Great Atlantic Coastal Snowstorms Capt. John Smith in his general history referred to the extreme cold of the winter of 1607-1608. Details as to the occurrence of snowfall and the duration of cold are missing from the records. But the severity of the first winter is responsible for the deaths of more than half the colony. However, the following winter was warmer than average. During the first years of the New England colonies the winter of 1632 – 1633 stood out for its deep January snows and cold freezing up ponds and rivers in the Boston area. The next winter of note was 1637 – 1638 which also ranked as being severe with snow in Boston area standing 18 inches deep. Beyond the Merrimac River it was said that the snow was 36 inches deep on the level with even greater depths occurring in southern Maine. Early American Winters 1604-1820 by David M. Ludlum p. 32. Josiah Meigs, former Yale and Georgia Professor noted a quadrigesimal cycle of severe winters in the East Coast. See page 3, Early American Winters, I 1604-1820 by David M. Ludlum. 1697 – 1698 Early American Winters I 1604-1820 by David M. Ludlum p. 16-17 1740 – 1741 Early American Winters I 1604-1820 by David M. Ludlum p. 48-51 1779 – 1780 http://www.glenallenweather.com/historylinks/history2/vawxhistory.pdf 1820 – 1821 Early American Winters, II 1821-1870 by David M. Ludlum p. 3 1860 – 1861 http://www.glenallenweather.com/historylinks/history2/vawxhistory.pdf 1898 – 1899 The lowest temperature recorded in DC and the second greatest snow 1939 – 1940 The lowest temperature recorded in Richmond and the greatest snow 1978 – 1979 Boston received a record 27.1 inches of snow 3rd greatest snow in DC in 1979 the President’s Day Storm 2019- 2020 WILL THIS ALSO BE A ROUGH WINTER? They say history repeats itself.
    [Show full text]
  • Transcribed Excerpt of "Outstanding Iowa Storms" Essay from the Annals of Iowa, 1970
    Transcribed Excerpt of "Outstanding Iowa Storms" Essay from The Annals of Iowa, 1970 Winter Storms Iowa's winter storms are sometimes rain, sometimes with snow and on occasion sleet or freezing rain; the latter treacherous occasions occur a few days each winter. The most dramatic of all the winter storms, though, is the blizzard—with its combination of snow, wind and sharply falling temperatures into the sub-zero range. It is the blizzard that creates the greatest hazard to the highway traveler, the cattlemen's herds and the poultrymen's flocks. Blizzards combine all the dangers of the wintry cold with shrieking winds laden with blinding snow. The Great Plains are visited with some regularity year after year. Iowa is located in the heart of the blizzard-belt and experiences blizzards almost every winter. It was in the Estherville (Iowa) Vindicator that the word "blizzard" was first used in print to describe the March 14, 1870 storm which swept across the Dakotas through Iowa. The origin of the name is attributed to the early German settlers, who called the storms blizartig (sic) (lightning-like) to describe the sudden fury of the storms. The lightning like fury of these most destructive and perilous winter storms are chronicled throughout Iowa history. Some of the greatest blizzard disasters have followed unusual winter mildness when people were away from their homes without sufficient clothing. The blizzard is fed by the abundance of moisture in the air and the sharp temperature contrast between the advancing cold air and the unseasonably warm air it displaces. A blizzard, to be so classed, must have winds 35 miles per hour or stronger with falling or blowing snow and temperatures 20 degrees F.
    [Show full text]