Page 6 - PGA Community News - May '22

Page 6, PGA C.A.N.! May 2022 May 2022

Northern Notes

Tornadoes your home, such as an interior room on the lowest floor emergency plans and check supplies and your safe room.
with no windows. Conduct a family severe thunderstorm Be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or you suspect
By Katie Roundtree, drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a tornado a tornado is approaching. Acting early helps to save lives!
Director of Finance and is approaching. Make sure all members of your family Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center for
Administration, Northern know where to go when tornado warnings are issued. Don’t counties where tornadoes may occur. The watch area is
Palm Beach County forget pets if time allows. typically large, covering numerous counties or even states.
Improvement District What Is The Difference Between A Tornado Watch And Tornado warning: Take action! A tornado has been
The recent tornado on A Tornado Warning Issued By The National Weather sighted or indicated by weather radar. There is imminent
April 2 in Palm Beach Service? danger to life and property. Move to an interior room on
Gardens, highlighted the Tornado watch: Be prepared! Tornadoes are possible the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If in
fact that tornadoes can strike in and near the watch area. Review and discuss your a mobile home, a vehicle, or outdoors, move to the closest
anywhere at any time. We substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.
have been fortunate not to Warnings are issued by your local forecast office. Warnings
experience them often in typically encompass a much smaller area (around the
this area; however, you cannot let your guard down. From size of a city or small county) that may be impacted by a
an afternoon thundershower, to a hurricane or tropical storm, tornado identified by a forecaster on radar or by a trained
severe weather can spawn a tornado if the conditions are right. spotter/law enforcement who is watching the storm.
About 1,200 tornadoes hit the United States every year, If you are in a tornado warning, go to your basement,
and every state is at risk. Tornadoes can strike in any season, safe room, or an interior room away from windows. Don’t
but most often occur in the spring and summer months. They forget pets if time allows. If you are at your workplace
are nature’s most violent storms, spawned from powerful or school, follow your tornado drill and proceed to your
thunderstorms. Tornadoes appear as a rotating, funnel- tornado shelter location quickly and calmly. Stay away
shaped cloud extending between a thunderstorm and the from windows and do not go to large open rooms such
ground. Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while others as cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums. If you are
may be hidden from view by rain or nearby low-hanging outside, seek shelter inside a sturdy building immediately
clouds. Winds in most of these storms blow at 100 mph or if a tornado is approaching. Sheds and storage facilities
less, but in the most violent occurrences, wind speeds can are not safe. Neither is a mobile home or tent. If you have
reach 300 mph. These measurements are scientists’ best time, get to a safe building. If you are in a vehicle, the best
estimations. Anemometers, which measure wind speed, course of action is to drive to the closest shelter. If you
cannot withstand the enormous force of tornadoes to are unable to make it to a safe shelter, either get down in
record them. Tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate your car and cover your head, or abandon your car and
a community in seconds. Damage paths from these weather seek shelter in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine.
events can exceed one mile wide and 50 miles long. Stay aware and stay safe. Be prepared for this and
Using units F0 to F5, the Fujita scale measures a all types of natural disasters. More information about
tornado’s intensity by analyzing the damage the twister has emergency preparedness can be found at www.Ready.gov,
done and then matching that to the wind speeds estimated to a service of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
produce comparable damage. The United States now uses NPDES tip: Before a storm, make sure all of your
the EF (Enhanced Fujita) scale, which takes more variables grass clippings and tree trimmings have been properly
into account when assigning wind speeds to a tornado. stored – do not leave them outside to become potential
Tornadoes form when warm, humid air collides with projectiles, and clog the storm drains and canals.
cold, dry air. The denser cold air is pushed over the warm
air, usually producing thunderstorms. The warm air rises
through the colder air, causing an updraft. The updraft will
begin to rotate if winds vary sharply in speed or direction.
As the rotating updraft, called a mesocycle, draws in
more warm air from the moving thunderstorm, its rotation
speed increases. Cool air fed by the jet stream, a strong
band of wind in the atmosphere, provides even more
energy. Water droplets from the mesocyclone’s moist air
form a funnel cloud. The funnel continues to grow and
eventually it descends from the cloud. When it touches
the ground, it becomes a tornado.
Be prepared, know what to look for. Check the weather
forecast regularly to see if you’re at risk for tornadoes.
Listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay
informed about tornado watches and warnings. Watch the
sky, since the skies that produce many of the thunderstorms
that create tornadoes are known to have a dark, greenish
color. Hail is a common occurrence in these types of storms
as well.
Create a communications plan. Have a family plan
that includes an emergency meeting place and related
information. If you live in a mobile home, identify a
nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a
church or family member’s home. Pick a safe room in

Pressure Washing & Roof Cleaning

We are ready to exCeed your expeCtationS!
“We Clean Barrel Tile, Metal,
Asphalt Shingle Roofs & Cedar Shake Roofs”

• Screen Enclosure Frames
• Driveways • Paver Sealing
• Eco Friendly • Much More! $25 OFF
Our Guarantee - If your house doesn’t Roof Cleaning
look 157% better than before, we will With this coupon. May not Licensed and Insured
refund you 100% of your money. be combined with other
offers.
Call James for Specials!

561-248-1053

We Are Commercial Specialists!
Workman’s Comp Licensed & Insured www.pwpbg.com