Saturday, May 28, 2011

NOAA Researcher Harold Brooks Interviewed on 2011 Tornado Season

The PBS program "Need to Know" on May 27 interviewed Harold Brooks, a tornado researcher at NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). Brooks agreed that 2011 has been an exceptional year for tornado activity, but said that his research has been widely misquoted (click to play).

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Mounting Tornado Count Includes 2 Multiple Rare Californina Storms

Image (click to enlarge): Tornado touching down near Durham, California, 8 miles SSW of Chico, from KCRA-TV.

Midnight Update: The preliminary daily tornado count has increased to 77, including 7 in northern California.

Original post:
Following outbreaks earlier today in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, the preliminary daily tornado count has increased to 68. This includes 2 relatively rare northern California storms in Glenn County, north of Sacramento, in the past hour:
.TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON  
.DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.
..REMARKS..

0512 PM TORNADO 1 ENE WILLOWS 39.52N 122.18W
05/25/2011 GLENN CA LAW ENFORCEMENT

GLENN COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED A TORNADO NORTHEAST OF
WILLOWS NEAR COUNTY ROAD 36 AND U STREET.

0518 PM TORNADO 2 S HAMILTON CITY 39.71N 122.01W
05/25/2011 GLENN CA LAW ENFORCEMENT

GLENN COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED A TORNADO JUST SOUTH OF
HAMILTON CITY.
The bulk of the activity has moved eastward into Illinois, Indiana, and northern Mississippi.

The preliminary monthly tornado total for May now stands at 255.

Multiple Tornadoes in Kansas City Area;
Funnel Clouds Near St. Louis

4:50 PM CDT Update: Mega-hail (near softball-size):
0442 PM     HAIL             ST. LOUIS               38.64N  90.24W
05/25/2011 E4.50 INCH ST. LOUIS CITY MO NWS EMPLOYEE

BASEBALL TO SOFTBALL SIZE HAIL ON SOUTH SIDE OF CITY.

0420 PM HAIL ST. LOUIS 38.64N 90.24W
05/25/2011 M3.50 INCH ST. LOUIS CITY MO TRAINED SPOTTER

NEAR I44 AND KINGSHIGHWAY

0440 PM HAIL ST. LOUIS 38.64N 90.24W
05/25/2011 E2.75 INCH ST. LOUIS CITY MO PUBLIC

ON SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY CAMPUS...RELAYED BY
METEOROLOGY GRADUATE STUDENTS.
4:40 PM CDT Update: Tornado south of St. Louis:
0433 PM     TORNADO          5 SSW FREDERICKTOWN     37.50N  90.33W
05/25/2011 MADISON MO FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

TORNADO NEAR MILL CREEK PICKING UP DEBRIS MOVING NORTH
NORTHEAST.
4:30 PM CDT Update: Baseball-size hail:
0429 PM     HAIL             AFFTON                  38.55N  90.33W
05/25/2011 E2.75 INCH ST. LOUIS MO TRAINED SPOTTER

FUNNEL CLOUD ALSO OBSERVED TO THE EAST

0422 PM HAIL SUNSET HILLS 38.54N 90.42W
05/25/2011 M3.00 INCH ST. LOUIS MO AMATEUR RADIO

OBLONG 3 INCH HAIL.
4:15 PM CDT Update: More reports, including ping-pong size hail:
0412 PM     HAIL             CADET                   37.99N  90.69W
05/25/2011 E1.75 INCH WASHINGTON MO TRAINED SPOTTER

0412 PM HAIL MEHLVILLE 38.50N 90.32W
05/25/2011 E1.75 INCH ST. LOUIS MO PUBLIC

AT LEMAY AND LINDBERGH.

0409 PM HAIL OAKVILLE 38.44N 90.32W
05/25/2011 E1.50 INCH ST. LOUIS MO TRAINED SPOTTER

HAIL SIZE INCREASED QUICKLY FROM QUARTERS TO PING PONG
BALLS.

0409 PM WALL CLOUD POTOSI 37.94N 90.78W
05/25/2011 WASHINGTON MO TRAINED SPOTTER

0403 PM FUNNEL CLOUD BYRNES MILL 38.44N 90.57W
05/25/2011 JEFFERSON MO TRAINED SPOTTER

SPOTTER WAS LOOKING SOUTHEAST.

0403 PM HAIL POTOSI 37.94N 90.78W
05/25/2011 E1.75 INCH WASHINGTON MO TRAINED SPOTTER

0404 PM WALL CLOUD NW ROODHOUSE 39.48N 90.37W
05/25/2011 GREENE IL TRAINED SPOTTER

0403 PM HAIL 1 S CARLINVILLE 39.27N 89.88W
05/25/2011 E1.50 INCH MACOUPIN IL AMATEUR RADIO

0401 PM HAIL IMPERIAL 38.37N 90.38W
05/25/2011 E1.50 INCH JEFFERSON MO TRAINED SPOTTER

0401 PM WALL CLOUD 5 W ROBERTSVILLE 38.41N 90.91W
05/25/2011 FRANKLIN MO TRAINED SPOTTER

0355 PM HAIL 3 N BUNKER HILL 39.08N 89.95W
05/25/2011 E1.50 INCH MACOUPIN IL TRAINED SPOTTER

NEAR INTERSECTION OF HWY 138 AND 159
3:30 PM CDT Update: There have been several reports of funnel clouds and rotating wall clouds in the St. Louis area:
..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

0330 PM FUNNEL CLOUD ST. LOUIS 38.64N 90.24W
05/25/2011 ST. LOUIS CITY MO 911 CALL CENTER

WALL CLOUD WITH POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD ROTATING FROM
I-55 SOUTHBOUND ABOUT 4 MILES NORTH OF LOCATION.

0319 PM FUNNEL CLOUD BRENTWOOD 38.62N 90.35W
05/25/2011 ST. LOUIS MO TRAINED SPOTTER

OBSERVED AT BRENTWOOD MANCHESTER...LOOKING NORTH TOWARD
GALLERIA MALL.

0323 PM WALL CLOUD CLAYTON 38.64N 90.33W
05/25/2011 ST. LOUIS MO TRAINED SPOTTER

WALL CLOUD WITH ROTATION AT I-170 AND LADUE ROAD.

0316 PM WALL CLOUD KIRKWOOD 38.58N 90.42W
05/25/2011 ST. LOUIS MO PUBLIC
Numerous tornado warnings are in effect throughout eastern Missouri.

2:30 PM CDT Update: Aerial views of storm damage from NBC Action News in Kansas City indicate an EF-2 or EF-3 tornado:


Total daily tornado count is up to 20.

2:15 PM CDT Update: The Missouri Highway Patrol reports significant damage in a 4-block area of Sedalia, including a house blown off its foundation; no serious injuries.

The focus of attention for later today shifts eastward in Missouri, toward St. Louis.

1:30 PM CDT Update: Fortunately, the immediate Kansas City area appears to have escaped significant damage from this batch of storms, but the Pettis County, Missouri Sheriff’s Department is investigating damage and injuries from the Sedalia tornado. The daily report total is up to 15.

1 PM CDT Update: A tornado was reported at 12:22 pm CDT, 1 mile southeast of Sedalia, Missouri by law enforcement:
            SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS HOMES AND
BUSINESSES...TANKER TRUCK OVERTURNED...UNKNOWN NUMBER OF
INJURIES
The daily report total is now 10.

Original post:
At least 4 tornado touchdowns or funnel clouds were reported around noon local time in the Kansas City area today. They were in Johnson, Jackson and Cass counties of Kansas and Missouri. This brings the preliminary tornado report count for today to 7.
..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

1206 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 3 E KANSAS CITY 39.12N 94.50W
05/25/2011 JACKSON MO TRAINED SPOTTER

FUNNEL NEAR EAST OF ROYALS STADIUM

1138 AM TORNADO OVERLAND PARK 38.91N 94.68W
05/25/2011 JOHNSON KS PUBLIC

TORNADO AT EXIT 224 ON I-35 OVERLAND PARK

1135 AM TORNADO HARRISONVILLE 38.66N 94.35W
05/25/2011 CASS MO LAW ENFORCEMENT

LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS TORNADO ON THE GROUND SOUTHEAST
OF HARRISONVILLE

1122 AM TORNADO OVERLAND PARK 38.91N 94.68W
05/25/2011 JOHNSON KS LAW ENFORCEMENT

LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS TORNADO ON GROUND 135 AND METCALF

Tornado Rampage Continues Into Arkansas;
Small Town of Denning Reported Destroyed


Image (click to enlarge): Doppler radar capture from KHBS-TV, Fort Smith, Arkansas

May 25, 11 AM Update: Arkansas officials have confirmed 3 deaths in the state from Tuesday's storms. This brings the daily total in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas to 13. The preliminary total of tornado reports for May 24 is 47.

Original post:
The tornado outbreak has continued into the night in Arkansas, where the town of Denning, population about 270, has been reported destroyed by a large tornado which struck around 12:15 am CDT. Spotter reports indicate that the storm may have been as much a 1 mile wide.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Update: Joplin Tornado Upgraded to EF-5, Death Toll 8th Highest in U.S. History;
More Deadly Storms in Kansas, Oklahoma

Image (click to enlarge): Joplin tornado track, from online Wall Street Journal

10:30 PM Update: Meanwhile, multiple strong tornadoes today have reportedly killed at least 4 people in the Oklahoma City area and 2 more in Kansas, about 100 miles west of Wichita.

The preliminary total of tornado reports today has now reached 24.

A tornado warning is currently in effect including the Joplin area until 10 pm CDT:
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN NEWTON...WESTERN JASPER AND SOUTHEASTERN CHEROKEE
COUNTIES...

AT 918 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD 3
MILES SOUTH OF NEUTRAL...OR 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF BAXTER
SPRINGS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
Original post:
The National Weather Service has upgraded the Joplin, Missouri tornado to EF-5 intensity, the highest rating, with winds over 200 mph. As of 6 pm CDT, the death toll is estimated at 122 with 750 injuries. This means the storm is the "deadliest since modern recordkeeping began in 1950 and is ranked 8th among the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history." The path length is still being analyzed, but the path width was 3/4 mile. The death toll is expected to rise, with a reported 1500 people still missing.

The NWS also reported that the 1.83" of rainfall at Joplin on May 23 (Monday) was nearly double the previous daily record of 0.98" set in 1978. The monthly rainfall total to date of 6.46" is nearly 70% above average. Climate records for Joplin date back to 1902.

Video of the ongoing rescue operation, including an interview with FEMA Director Craig Fugate, from the PBS NewsHour:

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Update: Joplin Tornado Death Toll Highest Since 1953 1947;
Count Increased to 116

Midnight Update: The NWS has posted track maps for the 3 tornadoes in the Joplin area (click to enlarge):


This is a closeup view of the Joplin track:

NWS summary of Joplin tornado:
* DATE...22 MAY 2011  
* BEGIN LOCATION...APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JOPLIN
* END LOCATION...1 MILE SOUTHEAST OF DUQUESNE
* ESTIMATED BEGIN TIME...541 PM
* ESTIMATED END TIME...550 PM
* MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-4
* ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...190-198 MPH
* ESTIMATED PATH WIDTH...3/4 OF A MILE
* PATH LENGTH...7 MILES
* FATALITIES...116 REPORTED AS OF 3 PM MONDAY
* INJURIES...400 REPORTED AS OF 3 PM MONDAY
* BEGIN LAT/LON...37.06 N / 94.57 W
* END LAT/LON...37.06 N / 94.39 W

9 PM Update: The NWS reports that the initial storm surveys have been completed and that there are 3 separate storm tracks: the Joplin EF-4 and Galena EF-2, as noted previously, and a second EF-2 in the Wentworth area. (Wentworth is about 30 miles east of Joplin and a few miles south of I-44). Storm track data are still being compiled.

The fact that there were 3 storms in the area shows that, as usual, Chad Myers was talking out of his, shall we say, hat, when he was babbling to the Wolfman on the CNN Situation Room that there was only 1 storm involved.

For some less hysterical video, try the PBS NewsHour coverage:

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.


5 PM Update: The National Weather Service has just rated the Joplin tornado at EF-4 intensity:
            A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY REVEALED 
THAT AN EF-4 TORNADO IMPACTED A LARGE PORTION OF
THE CITY OF JOPLIN.
WIND SPEEDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 190 - 198 MPH.
THE PATH WIDTH WAS ESTIMATED
AT THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE WIDE.
A survey has been completed for another tornado in the Galena area of Stone County, Missouri. That storm was rated at EF-2, with a path length of 7.25 miles and a path width of 1/4 mile.

4 PM Update: CNN is reporting that the Joplin tornado death toll has risen to at least 116. This exceeds the number from the 1953 storms (see below) and makes it the deadliest single tornado since 1947.

An aerial view of the tornado damage from KOTV, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is here.

USA Today has links for "How to help victims of the Joplin tornado".

3 PM Update: The Christian Science Monitor discusses this year's heavy tornado death toll:
Warnings pale in season of violent twisters

Original post:
With a confirmed death toll reaching 89, the Joplin, Missouri tornado is now the deadliest since the infamous Worcester, Massachusetts storm of 1953. The previous deadliest storms:
Date          Location           Deaths
9 June 1953 Worcester, MA 94
8 June 1953 Flint, MI 115
9 April 1947 Woodward, OK 181
6 April 1936 Gainesville, GA 203
5 April 1936 Tupelo, MS 216
18 March 1925 Tri-State (MO-IL-IN) 695
The Weather Channel is reporting that this may be at least the Deadliest Tornado Year Since 1953.

Dozens of Tornadoes Reported From North Dakota to Oklahoma;
Massive Damage in Joplin, Missouri

May 23, 11 AM Update: Pending the outcome of ground surveys of the damage, the National Weather Service has issued this preliminary statement on the Joplin tornado and associated storms:
A supercell thunderstorm tracked from extreme southeast Kansas into far southwest Missouri late Sunday afternoon and evening (May 22nd). This storm produced a strong tornado over Joplin resulting in devastating damage. This storm generated other tornadoes and wind damage along its path as it moved east southeast across far southwest Missouri.

Spotty wind damage also occurred across the remainder of far southern Missouri as the storms moved east. Additionally, these storms produced torrential rainfall and flash flooding across far southwest Missouri particularly in McDonald and Barry Counties.
The preliminary tornado report count has been updated to 48 for May 22. The preliminary year-to-date total is 1168.

Original post:
After slacking off from April's record pace earlier in the month, 47 preliminary tornado reports erupted from North Dakota to Oklahoma on May 22 (Sunday). At least 1 fatality and dozens of injuries were reported in Minneapolis.

The worst storm appears to have been a multi-vortex tornado which created a damage path a mile wide through Joplin, Missouri, according to The Weather Channel. As of midnight, at least 24 were reported dead in Joplin, with a hospital building suffering massive damage.

This followed a deadly tornado in Reading, Kansas on Saturday night (video here). The Kansas storm had a preliminary rating of EF-3.

The National Weather Service will be sending at least 3 survey teams in the field on Monday to evaluate damage in the Missouri storm, but initial images of the damage indicate the Joplin event was likely at EF-4 or EF-5 intensity.

Here are some preliminary storm reports from Joplin:
..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

0541 PM TORNADO JOPLIN 37.08N 94.51W
05/22/2011 JASPER MO PUBLIC

NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TORNADO ON THE GROUND WEST OF JOPIN
AND POWER FLASHES

0546 PM TORNADO 1 S JOPLIN 37.07N 94.51W
05/22/2011 JASPER MO PUBLIC

MULTIVORTEX TORNADO REPORTED NEAR 13TH AND RANGELINE RD.
REPORTS OF DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS TREES AND HOUSES.

0546 PM TORNADO 2 SE JOPLIN 37.06N 94.49W
05/22/2011 JASPER MO PUBLIC

22ND AND BLACKCAT RD NEIGHBOHOOD MASSIVE DAMAGE BEING
REPORTED TO HOUSES AND TREES WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED IN
DEBRIS.

0602 PM TORNADO 2 E JOPLIN 37.08N 94.48W
05/22/2011 JASPER MO PUBLIC

BETWEEN MILE MARKER 10 AND 12. TREES [STRIPPED] OF BARK. OVER
20 SEMITRUCKS AND CARS FLIPPED OFF I-44. ALL INTERSTATE
SIGNS GONE AND DAMAGE.

Seasonal Outlook

Latest seasonal forecast: Click here.


Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.