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This is the time of year when many students head back to school. Did you know that up to 20 percent of weekday morning traffic is school-related? Living in areas with lots of traffic can prompt even more parents to drive children to school to ensure safety. Increased traffic and idling vehicles create air pollutants [...]

Have you ever wondered what causes the different-colored tints in the ocean or freshwater lakes? This colored water – whether red, brown, green or yellow – is commonly known as a “red tide” or a harmful algal bloom. Blooms are formed by single-celled photosynthetic organisms that can sometimes be harmful to humans, wildlife and the [...]

The sun emits radiation in the form of ultraviolet (UV) light, which is classified into three types by wavelength: UVA, UVB, and UVC. In the stratosphere, the ozone layer blocks UVC light (shortest wavelength), but UVB and UVA light can pass through the atmosphere.
How Does UV Affect You? UVA penetrates deeply into the skin and [...]

Strong, gusty winds associated with tropical storms can easily carry away trash and other large items.  Blowing debris can cause injury, damage property and harm wildlife.
Viewer Tip: Prepare your property for high winds by making sure your home and belongings are secure.

Bring lawn furniture, outdoor decorations, trash cans, potted and hanging plants, and any other [...]

During nice, warm weather, people become more active outdoors…and so do ticks! Ticks tend to live in moist environments, especially near wooded or grassy areas. They attach themselves to skin or clothing and take a free ride home with humans or pets.  Unfortunately, ticks can transmit several different diseases, including Lyme disease and [...]

Rising temperatures can take a toll on our bodies. Usually, your body cools as perspiration evaporates off your skin. But on extremely hot days, evaporation slows and your body has to work harder to maintain a normal body temperature. The American Meteorological Society estimates that up to 1,000 people die each year from heat-related illnesses; [...]

Did you know that almost 60 percent of Americans live an area with unhealthy levels of air pollution? Just like a recipe, the atmosphere needs all the right ingredients to make ground-level ozone – a harmful air pollutant that is common during the summer months.  When the temperature rises and the sun is shining, heat [...]

Have you ever wanted to help keep your community by reporting severe weather?  SKYWARN is a volunteer network of nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters around the country.  SKYWARN spotters help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate information to the National Weather Service about weather events like thunderstorms, winter weather and [...]

Although thunderstorms impact relatively small areas when compared to winter storms or hurricanes, they are still dangerous.  Thunderstorms can be accompanied by hail, strong winds and flash flooding; every thunderstorm is accompanied by lightning.
Viewer Tip: In 2010, there have been eight lightning fatalities to date – all of them were outside when struck. Lightning [...]

Mosquitoes have always been a nuisance in the hot and rainy South, and some mosquitoes carry diseases such as malaria and West Nile Virus. On windy days, mosquitoes—which can fly at only a sluggish 1.5 miles per hour—are rarely seen. When winds die down at dawn and dusk, however, mosquitoes take flight to feed. The [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip.
Millions of Americans will be heading outside over Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer. As the temperature rises,  so does the risk for skin damage from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. More than one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the U.S.  The good [...]

May is National Bike Month and May 17-21, 2010 is Bike to Work Week.  The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that there is one adult-sized bicycle per U.S. household, but few adults report taking a bike trip outdoors.  Taking your two-wheeler for a spin not only helps keep you healthy, it also saves money, reduces [...]

Did you know the burns are a common form of injury during  heavy snowfall or freezing rain events? Winter storms may break utility polls or disrupt electric lines, cutting off some households from power, heat and communication. Those unaccustomed to using candles, wood stoves and other heating devices can suffer from burns and other injuries. Wood burning and use of [...]

February 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Oklahoma.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Oklahoma, including tornadoes, flash floods and thunderstorms.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will help ensure you and [...]

February 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Louisiana.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Louisiana, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will help ensure you [...]

February 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Arkansas.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Arkansas, including flash floods, thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will [...]

February 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Arizona.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Arizona, including flash floods, thunderstorms and damaging winds.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside [...]

February 22-26 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Alabama.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Alabama, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside [...]

February 21-27 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Texas.  This is a great time to make sure you and your family are prepared for the kinds of severe weather experienced in Texas, including flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes.
Viewer Tip: Consider building or updating your family emergency preparedness kit this week.  Having supplies set aside will help ensure you [...]

 
 About 15,000 emergency room visits and 500 deaths occur each year because of unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. As a matter of fact, this colorless, odorless gas is the most common cause of poisoning deaths in the U.S. CO is produced when a fuel – natural gas, propane, oil, kerosene, wood, charcoal – is burned. [...]