Coshocton County Emergency Operations Plan
TORNADOES and SEVERE STORMS
ANNEX L
APPENDIX B - TORNADOES and SEVERE STORMS
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this appendix is to identify response and procedures used in case of a tornado
watch, warning, or high wind incident.
II. SITUATION and ASSUMPTIONS
SITUATION
1. Many severe thunderstorms with high wind down drafts have been recorded doing damage
and harm to people and property and even causing death. Many destructive severe storms did
the damage attributed to tornadoes. Past history in Coshocton County does not record
tornadoes.
2. Severe thunderstorms are usually accompanied by lightning. Lightning has killed persons in
Coshocton County. Lightning kills people when they fail to take cover.
3. Since tornadoes can occur at any time of the year or time of day, Coshocton County is at risk
at any given time.
4. Tornado conditions are common in the spring. Therefore, the majority of the public
education on tornado awareness is done in the spring of the year.
5. Preparedness measures are highly encouraged and information is available on how to
develop a family plan and what supplies should be contained in a family disaster supplies kit.
6. The EMA web site (www.coshoctonema.com) offers preparedness information suited to
seasons of the year and suggestions for emergency kits for several different conditions.
7. County Sky Warn volunteers are the “eyes for the county” when severe weather threatens.
The local REACT is also active, as are the Sheriff’s deputies on patrol, some firemen, and
certain individual citizens who have received Sky Warn training. A list of current Sky Warn
volunteers is available in the EMA office.
ASSUMPTIONS
1. The National Weather Service will not always forecast Coshocton County to be in a severe
weather situation because of their distance from this county and the limitations of monitoring
and forecasting equipment.
2. In the event of that local weather gets severe or when a trained spotter has notified the
Sheriff’s Department that severe weather is threatening, the Sheriff's Office will initiate a
warning. All notification messages are issued by the Coshocton County Sheriff's Office, which
is staffed 24 x 7. This will enable residents time to seek shelter.
3. There is a need to build public consciousness about tornadoes and the effects of severe
storms. Coshocton County participates in the Annual Statewide Severe Weather Awareness
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TORNADOES and SEVERE STORMS
Week each spring. Both public and private schools hold drills that coincide with the Statewide
Tornado Drill. Each school has its own disaster plan and these plans are tested at this drill time.
4. Nursing homes and extended care facilities also participate in this safety week.
5. Public education awareness is made available through news releases to local media (press,
radio and television), public service announcements and special speaking engagements.
6. Many people are killed each year by not heeding warnings. These people failed to take
shelter and became vulnerable and occasionally become casualties.
7. It is equally important to avoid using electrical appliances. Power surges from lightning can
damage electrical appliances or overload the A/C compressor, resulting in a costly repair.
III. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
1. National Weather Service releases continuous notices when weather conditions become
severe. Using radio and television, the public can monitor local conditions.
2. All hazard radios are valuable for receiving weather alerts. All hazard radios have been
installed by the EMA office in more than twenty county buildings, all schools, and vital public
service departments such as the sheriff, fire and EMS.
3. Trained Sky Warn spotters and Sheriff's deputies begin to monitor and pay special attention
to weather conditions.
4. Once there is evidence that a warning is necessary, the sheriff will release a notice using the
Emergency Alert System, Code Red, radio and cable television. Radio is the best media for
public source of weather warnings and notification for the public.
IV. ORGANIZATION and ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Refer to Basic Plan, Basic Plan 2.8 Assignment of Responsibilities
Annex A - Direction and Control.
V. ADMINISTRATION and LOGISTICS
Refer to Basic Plan, Annex A - Direction and Control.
VI. PLAN DEVELOPMENT and MAINTENANCE
Refer to Basic Plan, Section 2.3.
VII. AUTHORITIES and REFERENCES
Refer to Basic Plan, Section 2.5.
VIII. ADDENDUMS
Tab 1 - Severe Storm / Tornado Information
Tab 2 - Severe Thunderstorm Checklist
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Tab 3 - Tornado Emergency Checklist
Tab 4 - Lightning Checklist
Tab 5 - Sky Warn Storm Spotters
Tab 6 - Hazardous Weather Web Links
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Tab 1
TORNADO / SEVERE STORM INFORMATION
Thunderstorms usually form when the air is moist and warm. The warm air rises, then cools,
letting the moisture it contains form clouds. Thunderstorms are built up by huge, gray-black
cumulonimbus clouds that can stretch up so high into the atmosphere that water in the highest
regions becomes ice crystals. These crystals usually melt to form rain, but when they remain
frozen, will fall as hailstones.
A supercell storm is one that has managed to gain control of a large area and keeps to itself, not
sharing its fuel (warm, moist surface air) with surrounding storms. The supercell efficiently
takes in surface air (its fuel), sucks it high up into the storms structure, “processes” it, and then
re-deposits the air and moisture through its downdraft mechanism. Supercells are recognizable
by an enormous central column of a cauliflower-shaped cloud. It sucks up air through an uptake
or inflow area in its rear (an area usually marked as the “rain free base”, where little or no
precipitation is falling). The heated and energized air from the surface streams to the top of the
cloud structure, possibly 50,000 feet into the atmosphere and becomes denser than the air
around it and then slows down. Condensed moisture forms droplets of rain or ice crystals.
Supercells can send down an inch of rain in a mere ten minutes or shower the ground with
baseball-sized hailstones. The greater the updraft, the larger the hail will be. Throughout the
storm’s mature and dying phases, severe weather - including tornadoes - is possible.
A lot can be learned about the severity of the storm by simply looking at cloud structures. Wall
clouds are most likely to produce tornadoes. Wall clouds lurk in the area where updraft and
downdraft come together (between the ‘rainy’ areas of the storms and the rain free base). The
wall cloud could maintain its position in the downdraft / updraft area for quite some time. The
entire wall cloud will likely be moving in a huge circular motion.
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground and
is capable of destroying homes and vehicles and can cause fatalities. Tornadoes can occur at
any time of the year. They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or
a cloud forms in the funnel. Tornado behavior is never precisely predictable. The typical
tornado moves SW to NE, but can move in any direction. It may or may not touch the ground,
touch and vanish, rise and touch again, or even spin in one spot for several minutes.
Tornadoes most likely occur between 2 and 10 p.m., but can occur at any time of the day or
night. They typically have a loud, continuous roar or rumble that doesn’t fade in a few seconds
like thunder. Frequently, small, bright, blue-green to white flashes at ground level are seen due
to power lines being snapped. The tornado’s shape can also differ, looking like a long, thin rope
or an upside-down bell. The length from the base of the funnel to the tip of its “trunk” can be
from 800 to 2,000 feet. Faster upper winds usually blow the top of the funnel more quickly than
the lower portion, making the tail seem to drag behind.
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TORNADO / SEVERE STORM INFORMATION
A well-known scale is used to represent the destructiveness of tornadoes. This scale is called
the Fujita-Pearson Tornado Scale or the F-scale. The Fujita scale should be used with caution,
however. Specific wind speeds are still largely undetermined. Different winds may be needed
to cause the same damage depending on how well built a structure is, wind direction, wind
duration, battering by flying debris, and other factors. The process of rating the damage is
largely a judgment call. Even meteorologists and engineers highly experienced in damage
survey techniques may come up with different F-scale ratings for the same damage.
The following table shows the F-scale in more detail:
F-scale
Type of Tornado
Intensity
Estimated
Wind
Speeds
FO
Gale Tornado
Weak
40-72 mph
Fl
Moderate
Tornado
Weak
73-112
mph
F2
Significant
Tornado
Strong
113-157
mph
F3
Severe Tornado
Strong
158-206
mph
F4
Devastating
Tornado
Violent
207-260
mph
F5
Incredible
Tornado
Violent
261-318
mph
F6
Inconceivable
Tornado
Violent
31 8-379
mph
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Appendix B: Tornadoes and Severe Storms 2011
Description of Damage
Some damage to chimneys; breaks
tree branches; damage to signboards.
Peels shingles off roof; tips over
mobile homes and cars; downs trees
and power lines.
Roofs torn off; mobile homes
destroyed; trees uprooted; cars
blown off roadways.
Walls torn down from homes; rural
buildings demolished; trains
overturned; cars thrown.
Well-constructed homes leveled;
large flying debris; cars twisted.
Homes lifted off foundation and carried
considerable distances; cars thrown
100 yards.
None ever recorded; the wind
speeds are very unlikely. It would be
difficult to measure; no objects would
be left to study.
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Tab 2
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CHECKLIST
FACTS — Thunderstorms are intense local storms, averaging 20 miles across and reaching as
high as ten (10) miles. They occur anywhere.
A thunderstorm is a storm with lightning caused by changes in the air pressure. Severe
thunderstorms can bring heavy rains (that can cause flash flooding), strong winds, hail and
tornadoes. At any given moment, nearly 1800 thunderstorms are in progress over the face of
the earth.
WHAT SHOULD CITIZENS DO?
• Turn on the local (WTNS) radio station for the latest advisories or weather bulletins.
• Keep an eye of the sky and look for darkening skies, flashes of light, or increasing wind.
Listen for thunder.
• If you hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning. Go to a safe
shelter immediately.
• Keep car windows closed if you are in a car.
• Avoid taking a bath or shower or running water for any other purpose.
• Turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can overload the compressor.
• Draw blinds shades or curtains over windows. If windows break due to objects blown by the
wind, the closed blinds or curtains will prevent glass from shattering into your home.
• If you are outside, take shelter.
• If you are boating or swimming, go to land and find shelter immediately.
• Go to a low-lying, open place away from trees, poles, or metal objects.
• Make sure the place is not flood prone.
• Be a small target and squat low to the ground. Place your hands on your knees with
your head between them. Make yourself as small a target as possible.
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THUNDERSTORM INTENSITY LEVEL CHART
LEVEL ESTIMATED PRECIPITATION INTENSITY - RATE PER HOUR
1
2
3
4
5
6
Light
Moderate
Heavy
Very Strong
Intense
Extreme
less than 0.1”
0.1 to 0.5”
0.5 to l.0”
1.0 to 2.0”
2.0 to 5.0”
more than 5.0”
WIND SPEED ESTIMATIONS CHART:
MPH EVALUATION
0
1 - 3
4 - 7
8 - 12
13 - 18
19 - 24
25 - 31
32 - 38
59 - 46
47 - 54
55 - 63
64 - 72
73 - above
Smoke rises vertically
Direction shown by smoke drift
Wind felt on face, leaves rustle
Leaves and small twigs in motion, light flags extended
Dust raised, loose paper raised, small branches move
Small leafy-trees move, crested wavelets form on lakes and ponds
Large branches in motion, whistling in telephone wire and wire fences
Whole trees in motion, inconvenience in walking into the wind
Twigs break off; impedes walking
Slight structural damage (chimneys, shingles, etc)
Trees uprooted, widespread structural damage, mainly roofs
Damage to structures major and widespread, roofs and windows damaged
Major and extreme damage
ESTIMATING HAIL SIZE:
Pea size
Marble size
Dime size
Quarter size
Golf ball size
Baseball size
¼ inch
½ inch
¾ inch
1 inch
1 ¼ inches
2 ¾ inches
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Tab 3
TORNADO EMERGENCY CHECKLIST
TORNADO WATCH:
Means to use caution, a tornado or severe weather is possible.

Listen to cable TV or regular local television channels for weather updates.

Listen to WTNS radio, FM 99.3 and AM 1560.

Watch for bad weather, if it looks bad, start thinking about what to do if a storm
enhances.

Secure loose objects outside (such as trash cans, lawn furniture, etc.)

Close blinds and curtains.

Close room-dividing doors.

Close all exterior and interior doors.

Designated safe area should be checked to assure that they are ready if needed.

Important records should be secured.

35% of all tornadoes occur without formal warning.
TORNADO WARNING:
Means a funnel cloud has been spotted and to seek shelter immediately.

All persons should now be moved into designated areas.

Staff should go to designated areas.
AFTER A TORNADO OR DANGER IS PAST:
The all clear signal given, if damage has occurred to a home or building, the following checklist
should be followed:
1. Never use matches, candles, or cigarettes in the area where tornado damage has
occurred since there could be a gas leak.
2. Shut off the main gas line to the damaged building(s).
3. Shut off the main electrical panel if any part of the electrical system is damaged.
4. Assist in evacuation of all persons from damaged buildings.
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5. If you need to evacuate your building see ‘Evacuation Checklist’.
6. Shut off the main water line only if water lines are broken.
7. Watch for fallen power lines.
8. Assign people to keep people away from dangerous areas until emergency crews arrive.
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Tab 4
LIGHTNING CHECKLIST
FACTS — Lightning has been known to strike up to 15 miles away from a parent cloud. Nothing
else can compare to the instantaneous release of intense energy as lightning. It travels at more
than 100,000 miles per second, 3 to 4 miles in length and produces more than 100 million volts
at a temperature five times greater than the surface of the sun.
Lightning strikes about 8 million times each day or about 100 times per second around the
circumference of the globe — a rate of discharge that represents about 4 billion kilowatts of
continuous power.
Lightning is the atmosphere’s way of balancing the electrical charge between itself and the
earth’s surface through thunderstorms. It seeks the shortest path to the earth’s surface and is
attracted to any object taller than ground level.
The average length of a lightning bolt is 3 to 4 miles. The average diameter of a lightning bolt is
1 to 5 inches. Lightning travels at about 100,000 miles per second.
Despite the false evidence provided by the human eye, lightning leaps NOT from the sky to the
earth but from the ground to the cloud.
Lightning is attributed for many structural and forest fires each year.
KNOWING WHAT TO DO IS IMPORTANT WHEN LIGHTENING IS OCCURRING.
Preparedness, before and after electrical storms, can help prevent disasters.
Persons should keep alert to the weather and, when threatening conditions first develop, radio
weather updates are the best way to keep up on a storm status.
Keep an eye on the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of light, or increasing wind. Listen
for the sound of thunder.
If you hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning. Go to a safe
shelter immediately.
IF SOMEONE IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING:
People do not carry an electrical charge and can easily be handled safely.
Call for help by calling 911.
The person struck by lightning has received an electrical shock and may be burned both where
they were struck and where the electricity left their body. Check for burns in both places.
Give first aid. If breathing has stopped, begin rescue breathing. If the heart has stopped
beating, a trained person should give CPR.
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Tab 5
SKYWARN STORM SPOTTERS
SKYWARN is a voluntary program, developed by the National Weather Service, to improve the
warning program. SKYWARN volunteers serve as storm spotters for the NWS and local
emergency management programs. Volunteers serve as important information gatherers by
identifying specific weather conditions as they happen. Current information that is reported to
Pittsburg NWS office is used to sharpen the accuracy of the next weather forecast.
Training is held semi-annually with the instruction done by the NWS personnel. The Coshocton
County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) office schedules a training opportunity every
two (2) years for interested residents.
The training lasts from two to three hours and includes technical weather terms with their
meanings explained. Later, spotters receive by mail, a card with a phone ID, to use to call in a
weather spotting event.
Some groups, offices, departments or individuals that have radio capability may direct their
communications to the Sheriff’s office or weather service. Telephone is many times the only
method of communications to the Sheriff’s office or NWS. Collect calls may be made to the
NWS.
A current list of trained SkyWarn observers is maintained in the EMA Office.
REPORT SIGHTINGS TO THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE OR THE NWS:
1. What you have seen: cloud, tornado, funnel cloud, heavy rains.
2. Where you saw it:
The direction and distance from a known location, e.g., 3 miles south of Coshocton.
3. Make note of the time when observed.
4. Where was it going:
Describe the storm’s direction and speed of travel, size and intensity, and
destructiveness. Include any amount of uncertainty, as needed, i.e., “funnel cloud; no
debris visible at the surface, but too far away to be certain it is not on the ground.”
5. Use your Spotter Identification Code to validate the call.
6. Report:
Tornado, hail, size of hail, damaging wind, flooding rain if it is falling a greater rate than
an inch per hour.
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Tab 6
Hazardous Weather Web Links
1. Storm Prediction Center (SPC)
www.spc.noaa.gov
- Convective Outlooks
- Mesoscale / Convective Discussions
- Storm Reports
- Composite National Radar / Watches / Warnings / Outlooks
2. National Web Site
www.weather.gov
- Access to all web pages in the country
- National Overview of watches/warnings and statements
3. Ohio River Forecast Center (OHRFC) www.erh.noaa.gov/ohrfc
- Precipitation Forecast (QPF)
- Flash Flood Guidance FFG)
- Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service (AHPS)
- River Forecasts
4. Local Office Links
- Cleveland
- Wilmington
- Pittsburgh
- Charleston
- North Webster
www.erh.noaa.gov/cle
www.erh.noaa.gov/iln
www.erh.noaa.gov/pbz
www.erh.noaa.gov/rlx
www.crh.noaa.gov/iwx
5. Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov
- Excessive Rain Potential
- Flash Flood / Flood Potential
- Snowfall Forecasts
- National Surface Map (Fronts / Pressure)
6. NOAA Weather Radio
www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr
7. NWS Publications
www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures.shtml
8. Wind Chill Chart
www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/index.shtml
9. Heat Index Chart
www.crh.noaa.gov/pub/heat.htm
10. National Climate Data Center www.ncdc.noaa.gov
Climate Data
Archive of National Weather Service Products
County Cooperative Observation
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