Statistics

During 2000, in the state of Kentucky, there were a total of 28 tornadoes with no deaths and 47 injuries with damage costs over $122 million. Kentucky ranks number 31 for the frequency of tornadoes, number 12 for fatalities, number 10 for injuries per area and number 24 for costs per area, based on data from 1950 to 1995.

Most tornadoes occur during the months of April, May and June. Records show there have been one or more tornadoes in every county of Kentucky since the mid 1950's. Kentuckians have every reason to take full precautions to protect against severe storms all year round.

Tornado Facts

Tornadoes can form any time of the day or night, but are most likely to occur between 3:00 and 9:00 p.m. The typical tornado moves from southwest to northeast, following its parent thunderstorm. Tornadoes can move in any direction and can change directions at any time. Tornadoes rarely move in straight lines. They usually weave back and forth, traveling over any terrain. The typical tornado is on the ground for less than 10 minutes. However, the tornado may touch down for a time then lift again into the storm system. It can, sometimes, move along the ground for an hour or longer. One important misconception is that it must rain, hail or both before there can be a tornado. Not true! Rain or hail can fall in one area of a storm system while tornadoes may form somewhere else entirely different.

Safety Tips

Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls during a tornado. The safest place to be is underground, such as a basement, or as low to the ground as possible. If you do not have a basement, consider an interior hallway or bathroom on the lowest floor. Putting as many walls as you can between you and the outside will provide additional protection. Always protect your head and chest and get under something sturdy. If you are in a mobile home or vehicle, leave and go to a substantial structure. If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch, ravine or culvert with your hands shielding your head. Never try to outrun a tornado in your car.

Tornado Preparedness Measures

A Tornado Watch means severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. It does not mean that they will occur. It only means they are possible. Keep a watch on the sky for threatening weather and stay tuned to radio and television for weather bulletins. Keep a battery powered radio and extra batteries close at hand. A special NOAA Weather Radio (162.475 MHz in Louisville) gives continuous broadcasts of the latest weather information directly from the National Weather Service office in Louisville. Some are equipped with a specially designated warning receiver, which sounds an alarm when watches and warnings are issued.

A Tornado Warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by radar. When a tornado warning is issued, seek safe shelter immediately.

Emergency Supplies

Emergency supplies needed for home and car:

Battery Powered Radio or TV with Extra Batteries
Flashlight with Spare Batteries
Bottled Water
Non-Perishable High Energy Foods
Combination Can/Bottle Opener
Knife
Eating Utensils
Paper Towels
Warm Clothing
Blankets or Sleeping Bag
Matches
Candles
First-Aid Kit and First-Aid Manual

In your car you also need:

A Short, Strong Shovel for Digging
Traction Mats or Tire Chains
Jumper Cables
A Few Basic Hand Tools

Lightning and Flash Flooding Facts

In the state of Kentucky in 2000, there were 4 deaths, 1 injury and $135,000 in damaged property due to lightning. In the United States, 75 to 100 people are killed each year by lightning, although most lightning victims do survive. Records for the decades since the 1960's show that the danger from lightning increases sharply in May, hits its peak in June and July, and lasts until September. It is estimated at any given moment that nearly 2,000 thunderstorms are in progress over the earth's surface and lightning strikes the earth 100 times each second. It is a myth that lightning never strikes the same place twice. In fact, lightning will strike several times in the same place in the course of one discharge. The electrical potential of a lightning strike can be as much as 100 million volts and the temperature can reach 30,000 degrees Celsius.

Lightning Preparedness Measures

If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning.

In your home, Draw blinds and shades over windows. If windows break due to objects blown by the wind or large hail, the shades will help prevent glass from shattering into your home. Turn off the air conditioner. Power surges from lightning can overload the compressor, resulting in a costly repair job. Unplug computers and appliances to avoid possible damage. Avoid using the telephone or any electrical appliances. Leaving electric lights on, however, does not increase the chances of your home being struck by lightning. Avoid taking a bath or shower, or running water for any other purpose. Metal pipes and plumbing can conduct electricity if struck by lightning.

If you are outside, get inside a home, large building or an all-metal vehicle (not a convertible). Stay away from natural lightning rods such as tall isolated trees or other isolated objects and structures. Don't make yourself a lightning rod. Avoid open areas. Get out and away from open water, tractors or other metal farm equipment, motorcycles, scooters, golf carts and bicycles. Put down golf clubs and take off golf shoes. Stay away from wire fences, clothes lines, metal pipes, rails and other metallic paths, which could carry lightning to you from some distance away. In a forest, seek shelter under a thick growth of small trees. In an open area, go to a low place such as a ravine or valley, but be alert for flash floods. If you are hopelessly isolated in a level field and you feel your hair stand on end, indicating lightning is about to strike, squat low to the ground on the balls of your feet. Place your hands on you knees with your head between them. Do not lie flat on the ground to avoid lightning. Doing so could make your body an electrical conductor.

Flash Floods

Flash floods are the number one weather-related killer in the United States. In 2001, floods were responsible for 2 deaths, 5 injuries and $18 million in damage. Nearly half of all flash flood fatalities are auto related. When a flash flood warning is issued for your area or the moment you first realize that a flash flood is imminenet, act quickly to save yourself. You may have only seconds. Get out of areas subject to flooding. Do not attempt to cross a flowing stream on foot where water is above your knees. Never attempt to cross rushing waters in a vehicle, the road may not be intact under the water. If you vehicle stalls, rapidly rising water may engulf the vehicle and its occupants sweeping them away. Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams and washes, particularly during threatening conditions. As always, stay tuned to your NOAA weather radio (162.475 MHz), commercial radio or television for information that may save your life.

Evacuation Preparedness

If you are requested to evacuate, you should be prepared to do so immediately. Take your emergency supplies with you. Lock your home securely. Use the travel routes specified by local authorities -- don't take a chance on short cuts, which could be impassible or dangerous. If you are certain you have time, shut off the water, gas and electricity if instructed to do so. Post a note stating what time you left and, if you know, where you are going.

Transmitting Emergency Weather Information

The Emergency Broadcast System was replaced in November of 1994 by the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on radio and broadcast stations. Since December 31, 1998, cable systems that have 10,000 or more subscribers are part of the EAS. The EAS uses digital technology to distribute messages allowing improvements in providing emergency information to the public. The new system provides state and local officials with a new method to quickly send out important local emergency information targeted to a specific area. The information can be sent out through a broadcast station and cable system even if those facilities are unattended. The EAS digital signal is the same signal that the National Weather Service (NWS) uses on NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) allowing NWR signals to be decoded by the EAS equipment at broadcast stations and cable systems. Broadcasters and cable operators can then retransmit NWS weather warning messages almost immediately to their audiences.

When called by the National Weather Service in Louisville, Bullitt ARES operators go to the National Weather Service to set up a Net Control Station to gather emergency weather information to pass on to the meterologists at hand. The Net Control Station will be using the callsign WX4NWS.

When the SKYWARN Emergency Net is in operation, contact the Net Control Station only if you have emergency weather conditions to report. Do not check into the SKYWARN Emergency Net with non-emergency traffic, to report non-threatening weather (i.e. to report light rain, moderate winds) or requesting a weather report for your area. Also, do not check in to relay weather information from local broadcast stations or the Weather Channel.

Report weather conditions only of which you are trained and knowledgeable to report. Sending in misinformation to the National Weather Service is detrimental to our purpose. For more information on severe weather spotting, please review the SKYWARN Net Handbook.

Amateur Radio's Role in Transmitting Emergency Weather Information

Spotting severe weather is serious business and requires hours of training. Severe weather spotters are constantly being trained throughout Kentucky under the Skywarn Training Program. Once an observer is trained in severe weather spotting procedures, they are one of the most reliable tools of the National Weather Service meterologist. Consider attending a training session soon. The information that needs to be reported includes estimated wind speed, direction, damage, rain intensity, flooding, hail size. Reporting funnel cloud and tornado information requires its current location, direction of movement, general description, and the time of the sighting.

Amateur Radio Safety Issues

The best protection from lightning is to disconnect all antennas from equipment and disconnect the equipment from the power lines. Disconnect your equipment from incoming telephone lines and cable television sources as well. Ground the antenna feed lines to safely bleed off any static buildup. Eliminate possible paths for lightning strikes. Rotator cables and other control cables from the antenna should also be bonded together and safely grounded through a driven ground-rod system. Some possible protective measures would be to install transient-protective devices such as metal-oxide varistors (MOVs). Large ones can be installed at the service entrance box and the smaller strip type can be plugged into wall receptacles. There are also lightning arrestors you can install on the coax feed line at the entrance point to the shack.

Safety Tips Regarding Fire

If possible, contain the fire. If not, leave immediately. Stay low in a burning building. Heat and smoke rise. Hot air can scorch your lungs and smoke may contain toxic fumes. Take short breaths and, if possible, cover your face with a damp cloth and breathe through your nose. Be sure of your escape route. Do not let the fire get between you and a way out. Check doors before opening them. If a door is hot, do not open it. Open a door carefully if it is cool, keeping your head to one side to avoid any blast of hot air. If your clothing catches fire, drop and roll. Once you and your family safely escape a fire, do not go back inside a burning building for any reason.