Tornado Watch 2011

Originally posted by Pharyax

This may be reaching, but with those massive 9.0 quakes (Japan, and the 2004 event), it changed the speed of the rotation of the planet by a few 0.xxx microseconds. I wonder... could this effect the weather? I doubt such tiny change would, but we don't know.

I made a warning post on current events the morning before this all started. I am on a meteorologist only chase forum. Farther down in the posts Below is my reply to someone who had a question about stronger storms:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

About the stronger storms. This is something that has been theorized for a while now - and something I have believed would happen as well. It's 3rd grade science at it's root.

The main problem is that the pacific waters are warmer- which moves the Jet Stream into a new track -higher latitudes in the northwest and then this odd dipping loop into the center of the country. This is pulling down colder air than normal from the upper atmosphere. At the same time the Gulf area is warmer and the Jet Stream is creating low pressure systems which act like a 'vacuum' - sucking the warmer very moist Gulf air into collision course with the cold air over a large area.

Basically it is a result of warmer ocean waters overall. But this pattern is now in place - possibly for the rest of the season.

The Jet Stream is 'guided' by warm or cold waters in the Pacific and Atlantic - warm air rising or cold air dropping.

The Pacific has been in 'warming mode' for a few years now and the Jet Stream has basically been forced farther north over the Pacific - then it seems then to be 'self correcting' by dropping farther south over the US. A deep loop. When the forward edge of that line hits the warmer-moister air being pumped up from the Gulf - kabaam!

That is a very simplistic way of describing it- but it will help you get a visual.

The heat wave in Russia last summer and floods in Pakistan were a result of a wonky Jet Stream pattern over that area. Over Russia the Jet Stream went very far north- pulling hot air up from the south. Then we saw this 'self correcting' behavior by the time it got over Pakistan - dumping moisture out at the wrong time in the wrong place.

This is just the first year we are seeing some strong effects from this - and it actually started with our winter blizzards.

Here is an amazing picture from near Cullman, Alabama:


This was posted at GLP here:
www.godlikeproductions.com...

This is a picture I took in the aftermath of the Cullman, Alabama, tornado. This 2x10 or so wooden beam just punched through the concrete block wall. My wife works for one of the local businesses. This is right behind the building she works in. Luckily the owner decided to close up shop before the weather got bad. It's amazing to me the power a tornado has.

If anyone is curious amidst all the rumors, most of Cullman is still there. The tornado did indeed cut a swath of destruction straight through the middle of the town, but the significant damage was contained within about a block's width. Many trees are down outside this path of course, but most buildings are not damaged significantly outside of that block width path.

So if a board can punch through a cement block wall like that, imagine what high speed debris could do to a mobile home or car! Or worse, directly to the human body.

Also, CNN now has the death toll so far at 342, making it the second most deadly tornado outbreak in US history:
www.cnn.com...

I grew up within 10 miles of Ringgold, the parents still live there and their neighbor is the Sheriff up that way. They spoke to him yesterday and he said of the 8 victims in Ringgold, 4 were from the SAME family! I feel so bad for that area.

Ringgold residents return to 'utter devastation' from tornadoes

Video of devastation in Ringgold:

I was at my parent's house today when the power came up at 4 am. Everyone in the house was up to celebrate. Driving through Athens made me sad as there was a lot of destruction. My parents were extremely lucky b/c a tornado was only a mile from their place.

OH MY what a week I have lived through!

Our community was hit by a tornado last Wednesday night. Seven people were killed and over 150 homes were completely destroyed. Thankfully our home wasnt affected but we did lose our barn, it was crushed by 4 giant oak and maple trees. All I have to say is that it is great to be alive, its wonderful to be sleeping in my own bed ( many of our neighbors are not ) Also I will never for as long as I live ever disregard a tornado warning thinkin that the mountains that I live by will block us from a possible tornado.

Here is a great post-storm discussion between the Alabama meteorologists, (J. Spann included) storm chasers, spotters, videographers, etc who were in the middle of the Alabama outbreak:

www.alabamawx.com...

If you are interested in the on the ground events of the day and the particulars of how this storm happened from the people up close and personal- here it is.

From an early warning thread started the morning of the storm outbreak at
www.abovetopsecret.com...

So here's another recent short tornado video, showing it cutting across a road with traffic on it. It appears at least one car got caught up in it...

reply to post by TrueAmerican


You gotta love the WAWWWWW and more so the second WAWWWWWW. How did that guy not use bad language in that situation.

Now this is about as close as you could possibly get to a tornado, film it, and live to tell about it. Amazing. Lucky and stupid, but amazing:



It appeared to come right at them, but just missed his family's house by mere feet.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


Yeh, saw this posted on Twitter by chaser - Chris Sanner.
Awsome clip.

Man! Pretty serious tornado hit Joplin, MO, devastation pretty bad, hospital on fire, so far one dead, watching live stream here, wetaher channel guy out in debris looking for bodies, and worst of all: limited police/medical on scene yet it appears:

www.weather.com...


Wow, even the weatherman lost it and is crying on air the devastation is so bad.


He's begging for help, immediate help needed!

Watching it now. The entire place looks leveled all but the hospital which looks to be in bad shape...

reply to post by Thrace


I swear it looks like a nuclear bomb went off. The place is leveled. Unbelievable.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


I've never seen anything like this in my 30 years! I mean leveled has a new meaning...

Liejunkie here wishing everyone well, just southwest of me.

I have been through Joplin.

Need any help just holler.

I forgot here is ksdk.com in St louis.

//www.ksdk.com/weather/radar/default.aspx

We had tornados nearby yesterday. I heard on the news an EF5 went through Redding,Ks. I put that in a search and came up with little to go on about an EF5 tornado. Is there anyone who lives in that area? Does anyone know for sure? There is a rumour that is a choas there.

www.news-leader.com...

Ryan Nicholls with the Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management has confirmed there are 24 fatalities in the wake of a tornado touching down in Joplin. The number of injuries is unknown. Damage was widespread across the city's south side. John Campbell, operations director for the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, confirmed fatalities have been reported. Phone communications in and out of the city were largely cut off.

Tornado just took out Joplin Missouri and there are tornadoes on the ground as we speak heading towards Ozark Missouri and heading into Arkansas...I seen it coming so i went and hung out in the basement of the hospital with others
nothing like a million tons of re-enforced concrete to protect you from the big bad wolf

Oh my gosh. I hope everyone there is safe. So the weather is still ongoing. I thought it was calm now.