Severe Weather Week

This week is severe weather week. As many of you are aware, the National Weather Service in Shreveport is predicting a very activate severe storm season this spring due to La Nina. Now is the time to begin preparing. In fact there is a potential for some strong thunderstorms across the area later this week.

The following is a portion of a news release from the NWS:

...THE GOVERNORS OF LOUISIANA...ARKANSAS...OKLAHOMA...AND TEXAS HAVE PROCLAIMED THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 20TH THROUGH THE 25TH...2011...AS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE STATES...

SPRING IS THE SEASON WHEN SEVERE WEATHER IS MOST LIKELY TO STRIKE.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN FORM IN A MATTER OF MINUTES...BRINGING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...DANGEROUS TORNADOES...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.

THESE STORMS CAN ALSO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...DROPPING SEVERAL INCHES IN THE SPACE OF AN HOUR...AND CAUSING DEADLY FLASH FLOODING.

THE FOUR STATE REGION RECORDED 25 TORNADOES IN 2010 WHICH IS FAR LESS THAN THE 83 TORNADOES WHICH OCCURRED IN 2009...HOWEVER 2010 DID INCLUDE THE STRONGEST TORNADO TO STRIKE THE REGION SINCE THE 1999 BENTON TORNADO.  ON NOVEMBER 29...2010...AN EF4 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN WEST OF THE COMMUNITY OF ATLANTA LOUISIANA.  FORTUNATELY...NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES OCCURRED.  ALTHOUGH THIS WAS A FALL TORNADO SOME OF THE LARGEST OUTBREAKS ACROSS THE REGION HAVE OCCURRED IN THE SPRING...INCLUDING THE APRIL 2009...APRIL 2000...MAY 1999...AND APRIL1999 OUTBREAKS WHICH FEATURED NUMEROUS STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES.

THE 25 TORNADOES CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS...1 EF4...1 EF3...1 EF2...4 EF1...18 EF0.

Keep it tuned to Eagle 106.3 for all of your weather information, and online get weather on demand HERE.