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NOUS44 KEWX 192221 CCA
PNSSAT

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
530 PM CDT MON MAY 19 2003

... TORNADOES ARE OFTEN PRODUCED BY LANDFALLING HURRICANES OR 
TROPICAL STORMS...

NEARLY SIXTY PERCENT OF LANDFALLING HURRICANES SPAWN AT LEAST ONE 
TORNADO. HURRICANE-INDUCED TORNADOES CAN OFTEN AFFECT MORE TEXANS 
THAN ANY OTHER HURRICANE PHENOMENON SINCE THEY CAN OCCUR WELL AWAY 
FROM THE EYE WALL OF THE TROPICAL CYCLONE. THEREFORE...THESE TYPES 
OF TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP WELL INLAND OF A LANDFALLING TROPICAL 
CYCLONE AS WELL AS OVER AREAS OF THE COASTLINE LOCATED CLOSER TO THE 
CENTER OF THE STORM.  

THE RECORD NUMBER OF HURRICANE INDUCED TORNADOES WAS ESTABLISHED IN 
TEXAS...WITH 114 OR MORE TORNADOES SPAWNED DURING HURRICANE BEULAH 
IN 1967.  HURRICANE ALLEN GENERATED 29 TORNADOES OVER SOUTH TEXAS IN 
1980.  ALSO...THE HURRICANE DOES NOT ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE LANDFALL 
OVER TEXAS IN ORDER FOR THE STATE TO BE AFFECTED.  HURRICANE GILBERT 
MADE IN LANDFALL IN MEXICO IN 1988...YET PRODUCED AROUND 40 
TORNADOES OVER SOUTH TEXAS.

TORNADOES EMBEDDED IN HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM RAIN BANDS ARE 
DIFFICULT TO DETECT.  THEY ARE OFTEN SMALL AND HAVE SHORT LIFESPANS.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADARS CAN MORE EASILY DETECT 
TORNADOES THAN RADARS OF YEARS PAST. HOWEVER...THEY REMAIN QUITE 
CHALLENGING TO WARN FOR.  

WHILE MOST ARE RELATIVELY WEAK...TROPICAL CYCLONE INDUCED TORNADOES 
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE MORE INJURIES OR DEATHS THAN REGULAR 
TORNADOES OF THE SAME STRENGTH.  THE RAIN BANDS WHICH GENERATE THESE 
TORNADOES ALSO USUALLY CONTAIN SOME OF THE STRONGEST WINDS INLAND 
LOCATIONS CAN EXPERIENCE DURING A HURRICANE.  THEREFORE...PEOPLE 
SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK SHELTER IN AN INSIDE HALL...INTERIOR ROOM OR 
CLOSET DURING PERIODS OF HIGH WINDS IN A TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE.

TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES USUALLY 
OCCUR IN THE QUADRANT OF THE STORM THAT IS LOCATED TO THE NORTH AND  
EAST OF THE CENTER OF THE STORM. ALMOST ALL THE TORNADOES ASSOCIATED 
WITH HURRICANE BEULAH OCCURRED TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF THE 
CENTER OF BEULAH.  AS A RESULT...COASTAL RESIDENTS WHO EVACUATED TO 
CENTRAL TEXAS WERE MUCH MORE VULNERABLE TO TORNADOES THAN THOSE WHO 
TRAVELED NORTHWEST TO LAREDO...EAGLE PASS OR DEL RIO. HOWEVER... 
TORNADOES DO NOT ALWAYS OCCUR ONLY IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE 
STORM. ACCORDINGLY...TEXAS RESIDENTS SHOULD ALWAYS BE ALERT FOR 
POSSIBLE TORNADOES ANYTIME HURRICANES OR TROPICAL STORMS ARE 
AFFECTING THE STATE. 

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