The first billion-dollar weather disaster of 2012 for the U.S. was the March 2 - 3 tornado outbreak in the Midwest and Southeast, said NOAA today. They put the total cost of the tornadoes that killed 41 people in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Alabama at 1.5 billion. Global reinsurance company AON Benfield, in their latest monthly Global Catastrophe Recap Report, put the damage at $2 billion. The outbreak spawned two EF-4 tornadoes, one which devastated Henryville, Indiana, and another that plowed through Crittenden, Kentucky. The two other tornado outbreaks of note that occurred in February and March had damages less than $1 billion: the Leap Day tornadoes in Illinois and surrounding states ($475 million), and the Dexter, Michigan tornado EF-3 tornado of March 15 ($275 million.) I expect that the tornadoes that swept through the Dallas, Texas region last week will likely have a damage tally in the hundreds of millions, but fall short of the billion-dollar mark. In 2011, we already had two billion-dollar weather-related disasters by the first week of April, so we are behind last year's pace. NOAA's National Climatic Data Center logged a record fourteen billion-dollar weather disasters in 2011. There has been just one other billion-dollar disaster in the world this year, according to AON Benfield--severe flooding in Australia's New South Wales and Victoria states in late February and early March that caused $1.58 billion in damage. A separate flooding episode in late January and early February caused an additional $920 million in damage in Australia.
Figure 1. A school bus mangled by the EF-4 Henryville, Indiana tornado of March 2, 2012. Image credit: NWS Louisville, Kentucky.
A week for severe severe weather across the Plains and Midwest
Expect severe weather and tornadoes every day this week across the Plains and Midwest U.S., says NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC). A warm, unstable airmass will collide with cold air funneling down from Canada most of the week, creating conditions ripe for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes all week. The main focus of severe weather today will be over Western Oklahoma and portions of the Texas Panhandle, where SPC has issued their lowest highest level of alert, a "Slight Risk."
Figure 2. Severe weather threat for Monday, April 9, 2012.
Video 1. Wunderground tornado expert Dr. Rob Carver alerted me to this remarkable railroad surveillance video recently posted to YouTube that captures a train derailed by a Tornado January 7, 2008 in Harvard, IL. The tornado moved across the Chicago and Northwestern railroad where it blew 12 railroad freight cars off the track. The train was moving at the time the tornado hit it, so as the main engine stopped, the remaining cars on the track continued along it and slammed into the front part of the train. No one was injured, but 500 residents in the nearby unincorporated town of Lawrence were evacuated because of the potential for a hazardous materials situation.
Jeff Masters
3/2/12 tornado damage to a business I pass on my way to and from work. This was a beautiful brick building.
Beginning of Tornado in Franklin, NC. Taken by a local Wal Mart Worker and was uploaded to Weather Channel on March 2, 2012
This picture of a small tornado was taken on Friday March 02, 2012 in southern Lincoln County, Tennessee about 7 miles south of Fayetteville.
Photographer: Angela Currey-Echols
This pic was taken last night near Lumberton Mississippi
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 — Blog Index
<
i think stronger
Filled the cisterns to the top!
First rain in over 2 weeks.
Real Nice!
Showers in Barbados this afternoon as well, delaying the Cricket Match between Australia and West Indies.
As I typed this, we have just taken the wicket of Aussie Capt. Michael Clarke.
If anyone sees Aussie around here, tell him his team is BOO !
heheheheh
yeah, that's interesting!
The severity of the storms could be similar to the Early March Outbreak. We could see some violent tornadoes, very large hail, and damaging winds on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but since the upcoming outbreak won't be as widespread, there might not be as many tornadoes.
Link
Its already based on technology we know that works. We just have to hope power companies would catch on to the idea. Granted it would probably mean an increase in electric bills for us all but it would be worth it in the end. Sacrifice always comes along with doing what is right for all.
I got it from here
Link
Monday April 9
KS southwest, south-central - 2 to 3
NM east - 2
OK west - 4
TX east panhandle - 4
TX southwest - 2
Other areas - 1 or less
Tuesday April 10
AR southwest - 2
LA north, central - 2
OK southwest - 4
OK southeast - 2
TX eastern, southern panhandle - 3
TX northeast - 2
Other areas - 1 or less
Wednesday April 11
CO southeast - 2
NM east - 2
OK southwest, west panhandle - 2
TX southern panhandle - 3
TX northern panhandle - 2
TX southwest - 2 to 3
TX north-central - 2 to 3
Other areas - 1 or less
Thursday April 12
KS west, central - 5
NE southwest - central - 5
OK west, central - 5
TX northwest - 4 to 5
Other areas - 2 or less
Early '12 tops US heat records
Dr. Greg Forbes Torcon Index
I'm curious what his scale is. Zero to what number is the top of the scale?
Meanwhile, today's 3pm outlook from the SPC, Roger Edwards has identified a MOST PROBABLE SUPERCELLULAR GESTATION ZONE (cute) NEXT FEW HOURS... ON MANUAL AND AUTOMATED MESOANALYSES...
That blue whirlpool on your chart, just below Alaska looks dismally depressing. Whats it lightly to do that might cause anoyance?
TOR:CON Value Descriptions
*
8:High probability of a tornado
*
6:Moderate possibility of a tornado
*
4:Low chance of a tornado nearby, but hail and/or strong wind gusts possible
*
2:Very low chance of a tornado, but hail and/or strong wind gusts possible
*
0:Near-zero chance of a tornado or a severe thunderstorm
whats up hydrus?
Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoesMod (40%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (F2-F5) tornadoes
Low (20%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events Mod (30%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
Mod (30%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
High (70%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Mod (50%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events High (80%)
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 152
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
325 PM CDT MON APR 9 2012
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA
WEST TEXAS INCLUDING THE PANHANDLE
EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 325 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.
HAIL TO 2.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 100
STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF
CLINTON OKLAHOMA TO 30 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF LUBBOCK TEXAS.
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).
REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 151...
DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE INTENSIFYING THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS
WEST TX AS WEAK ASCENT SPREADS EASTWARD INTO A MODERATELY UNSTABLE
AIR MASS. STEEP LOW/MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND SUFFICIENT EFFECTIVE
SHEAR WILL PROMOTE A RISK OF ORGANIZED/SUPERCELL STORMS CAPABLE OF
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS PERSISTING THROUGH MUCH OF THE
EVENING.
AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 27025.
...HART
Live chopper over Long Island, filming a wildfire.
april 8, 2012 TCHP
hard to beleive that the Euro is predicting a system while the Canadian is not... That canadian usually pulls out wierd systems this time of year... More in May and June though.
Puerto Ricans: Please have everyone face South Florida and b-l-l-l-l-o-o-o-o-w-w-w-w!! We will TAKE those pesky rain clouds and that excess rainfall off your hands...happily....
Action: Quote | Modify Comment
Member Since: July 14, 2008 Posts: 1 Comments: 6357
So at the end of the two frames, it keeps heads west..(I had to be the first to say it)
Thank you.
172. MAweatherboy1
Interesting in MCD 479 that goes with that watch... A DISTINCT VORT MAX
IS IMPLIED ON WV IMAGERY AS OF 1945Z OVER ERN NM/WRN TX...LIKELY
CONTRIBUTING TO FORCING FOR ASCENT.
If you look real close, can see it on WVL.
Yea
The system comes from the the southwest, and head north before being sucked under the strong azores high, and heads northwest. This could actually imporve tropical circulation being stuck between the two highs.. would increase ventilation for the system, and would overall crank up the circulation.. This could become an interesting scenario.
My arm is bleeding because I cut it on a tree, my leg is bleeding because I skint it on the sidewalk at kid jail. My mouth is bleeding because somehow I cut it on a bubble gum ball, and my finger is bleeding because I got a paper cut.
Maybe I should go to bed and try again tomorrow?
Yea, I don't want to know
yeah, we had quite a bit of warming over the last week or two
yeah, maybe
Nothing compared to the physical injuries one might sustain to themselves while reading WU during lulls in hurricane season.
My advice is HeadOn.
Viewing: 151 - 201
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 — Blog Index