Understand Weather Warnings to Stay Safe

7/12/2022 (Permalink)

If you suspect any damage to your home from a recent storm, call SERVPRO of Putnam County.

There are about 42 various types of weather warnings, all grouped into seven different categories. That’s a lot of information to take in if a severe storm is on the rise!

Understanding what a weather advisory could mean for our community can help you keep safe in the face of disaster. You can also safeguard your home prior to severe weather to reduce potential property damage.

Knowing about the many types of weather situations can be helpful, but knowing what type of weather might touch down in Putnam County is even more vital.

How Alerts Are Issued

So, since weather forecasts are merely predictions, how is the intensity, location, and duration of a storm measured? How are these weather warnings issued, to begin with? There are many different factors that influence the issuing of these warnings.

The National Weather Service is in charge of weather predictions and issuing any required alerts as a result. To ensure these warnings are location-specific, there are six regional offices and hundreds of sub-offices located around the country that issue these alerts. Mahopac’s alerts come straight from nearby at the Eastern Region headquarters in Bohemia.

Meteorologists and other personnel with the NWS use many kinds of data to create predictions, including satellite radar, weather balloons, seismic activity meters, and even ocean buoys. While the type of information used changes pertaining to the magnitude of the weather emergency, meteorologists’ main goal is to make as accurate a forecast as possible.

The Most Important Alerts to Understand

You’ve undoubtedly received a weather advisory that contained the terms “watch” or “warning.” This is terminology that is used in almost all weather warnings, including those for thunderstorms, winter storms, and flooding.

A watch means you should start planning for a potentially dangerous storm that could pass through our area. A warning is given in a limited area, such as a county or city, whereas a watch is delivered in a larger area.

A warning indicates that a severe storm is impending and you should prepare yourself and your home immediately for a disaster.

Knowing what kind of weather our community faces on a daily basis will help you better understand the weather alerts given during severe weather. Mahopac, for example, gets snow often during the winter season. You can expect winter storm alerts to be sent throughout these freezing cold months when conditions worsen.

Protecting Your Home During a Storm

Being aware of the different types of weather warnings is the wisest way to ready yourself and your home for any kind of weather, but there are a couple of other ways you can safeguard your home to prevent property damage.

Clean your gutters regularly and secure any outdoor items to protect your home from extreme weather such as flooding or strong winds. Locate a shelter packed with supplies to survive a storm and have an emergency evacuation plan prepared in case you and your family need to exit.

After a storm, if your home is left with structural damage that needs to be repaired, give SERVPRO a call. We can be on the scene as soon as you need us to restore as much of your home as possible to return it to its original condition.

Being knowledgeable about our weather can help you ride out the next storm that comes your way. Learn the different warnings that might be issued during severe weather so you’ll know how you can prepare you and your family for severe weather conditions.

Experienced storm damage to your home or property? Contact us today for a quick response!