Hurricane Preparedness Week: Winds
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By WXedge Staff on May 29, 2012, 9:00am
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Courtesy of the National Weather Service, in partnership with the National Hurricane Center.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
730 AM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
...NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK IS FROM MAY 27 THROUGH JUNE 2...
PLEASE JOIN THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN UPTON
NEW YORK IN OBSERVING NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK.
THE INTENSITY OF A LAND FALLING HURRICANE IS EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF
CATEGORIES THAT RELATE WIND SPEEDS AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE. HURRICANES
ARE DEFINED BY THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. FEDERAL...STATE AND LOCAL
EMERGENCY MANAGERS PLAN ON HAVING THEIR EVACUATIONS...IF NEEDED...
COMPLETED AND THEIR PERSONNEL SHELTERED BEFORE THE ONSET OF
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS...34 KNOTS OR 39 MPH...NOT HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS.
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE IS AS FOLLOWS...
CATEGORY 1...64 TO 82 KNOTS OR 74 TO 95 MPH.
CATEGORY 2...83 TO 95 KNOTS OR 96 TO 110 MPH.
CATEGORY 3...96 TO 112 KNOTS OR 111 TO 129 MPH.
CATEGORY 4...113 TO 136 KNOTS OR 130 TO 156 MPH.
CATEGORY 5...137 KNOTS OR 157 MPH OR GREATER.
WIND SPEEDS WITHIN A HURRICANE TEND TO INCREASE WITH HEIGHT. THIS
LEADS TO ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS WITH BRIDGES AND HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS...
WHICH FEEL THE EFFECTS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE AND HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS EARLIER THAN AT THE SURFACE. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR HIGH-RISE
BUILDINGS TO SUFFER A GREAT DEAL OF DAMAGE DUE TO WINDOWS BEING
BLOWN OUT. CONSEQUENTLY...THE AREAS AROUND THE BUILDINGS CAN BE VERY
DANGEROUS. RECENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS YOU SHOULD STAY BELOW THE
TENTH FLOOR...BUT STILL ABOVE ANY FLOORS AT RISK TO FLOODING.
BE PREPARED THIS HURRICANE SEASON...AND VISIT HURRICANES.GOV
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