Tornado-Warned Storm Approaching Scaly Mountain and Highlands Area

**3.57pm** The Severe Thunderstorms has been cancelled. It looks like most of the storm will passing through Jackson and Transylvania Counties.

**3.34pm** The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southeastern Macon Macon for this storm.

A tornado-warned thunderstorm is in the Habersham/Rabun County area headed northeast and may reach the Scaly Mountain and Highlands are in the next 30 minutes or so.

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They provide complete tree care, are licensed and insured. Specializing in low ground impact. Danger tree removal. Crane Service, Pruning, Views, 24 hr emergency service. Call 828-421-0967 for more information.
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Published at 3.25pm on Wednesday, September 25, 2024

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Tornado Watch Issued for Region Until 7pm Tonight (08-07-2023)

**note** Due to the timing of these storms, Macon Media will not be covering tonight's meeting of the Franklin Town Council and will cover the potential severe weather outbreak instead. Please try to avoid being away from protected structures during this time period and be prepared for power outages.

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URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 600
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1120 AM EDT Mon Aug 7 2023

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Western North Carolina Middle and Eastern Tennessee

* Effective this Monday morning and evening from 1120 AM until 700 PM EDT.

* Primary threats include... A few tornadoes possible Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely Isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible

SUMMARY...A combination of supercells and intense clusters/line segments will pose a severe threat through the afternoon, including the possibility of tornadoes and widespread damaging winds.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 115 statute miles east and west of a line from 55 miles north of Knoxville TN to 60 miles south of Crossville TN. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and 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.

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DAY SPONSOR

Young Tree Service is sponsoring Macon Media for today.

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Torndao Warning for Macon County Until 3:15pm **2:52pm** The Warning has been canceled.

**2:52pm** The Warning has been canceled.

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
231 PM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
Northeastern Rabun County in northeastern Georgia...
Southeastern Macon County in western North Carolina...

* Until 315 PM EDT.

* At 230 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 7 miles east of Clayton, or 6 miles east of Mountain City, moving north at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
Dillard around 240 PM EDT.
Sky Valley around 250 PM EDT.
Highlands around 300 PM EDT. Franklin around 310 PM EDT.
Other locations impacted by this dangerous thunderstorm include Pine Mountain, Ellijay, Scaly Mountain, Otto and Cullasaja.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Heavy rainfall may hide this tornado. Do not wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

Please report damaging winds, hail, or flooding to the National Weather Service by calling toll free, 1, 800, 2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, or by posting on our Facebook page, or Tweet it using hashtag nwsgsp. Your message should describe the event and the specific location where it occurred.

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Their phone number is 371-4718.

They can handle all your tree removal needs in good or bad weather.

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Torndao Warning Rabun County **12:00pm** This warning has been canceled.

**12:00pm** This warning has been canceled. However, remain vigilant today.

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
1147 AM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021
The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
Central Stephens County in northeastern Georgia...
Northeastern Habersham County in northeastern Georgia...
Rabun County in northeastern Georgia...
Southwestern Oconee County in Upstate South Carolina...

* Until 1230 PM EDT.
* At 1147 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 4 miles northeast of Toccoa, moving north at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
Tallulah Gorge State Park and Tallulah Falls around 1200 PM EDT.
Lakemont and Lake Rabun around 1210 PM EDT.
Clayton, Mountain City, Black Rock Mountain State Park and Tiger around 1220 PM EDT.
Dillard and Sky Valley around 1230 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this dangerous thunderstorm include Turnerville and Long Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Heavy rainfall may hide this tornado. Do not wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

Please report damaging winds, hail, or flooding to the National Weather Service by calling toll free, 1, 800, 2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, or by posting on our Facebook page, or Tweet it using hashtag nwsgsp. Your message should describe the event and the specific location where it occurred.

DAY SPONSOR

Carrion Tree Service is underwriting Macon Media for today. they are a fully licensed and insured tree service, specializing in dangerous tree removal, view clearing, pruning, and crane services with a 24 Hour emergency response.



Their phone number is 371-4718.

They can handle all your tree removal needs in good or bad weather.

Weather Sponsor



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help you with your next project.

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Tornado Watch in effect Until 7pm Tonight

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 444
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1040 AM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Tornado Watch for portions of
Northeast Georgia
Western North Carolina
Western South Carolina

* Effective this Tuesday morning and evening from 1040 AM until 700 PM EDT.

* Primary threats include...
A few tornadoes likely
Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible

SUMMARY...The remnants of Fred will continue to track northward across Georgia, with bands of thunderstorms affecting the watch area. Isolated tornadoes and gusty winds will be possible through the day.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles either side of a line from 35 miles west northwest of Asheville NC to 65 miles south southeast of Spartanburg SC. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and 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.

&& OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 443...

AVIATION...Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 0.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 16025.

DAY SPONSOR

Carrion Tree Service is underwriting Macon Media for today. they are a fully licensed and insured tree service, specializing in dangerous tree removal, view clearing, pruning, and crane services with a 24 Hour emergency response.



Their phone number is 371-4718.

They can handle all your tree removal needs in good or bad weather.

Weather Sponsor



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help you with your next project.



Published at 10:47am on Tuesday, August 17, 2021

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Today Marks the 7th Anniversary of the 2011 Super Outbreak Preparedness Information Included

The Super Outbreak of Tornadoes that occurred from April 25-28, 2011 cost at least 360 people their lives, injured over 3,000 people left thousands without their homes and businesses. It caused the equivalent of over $12 billion in damage in 2018 dollars. Below is a video from James Spann recounting that day in Alabama, then a couple of videos from people who filmed various tornadoes that day, then a list of resources you can use to prepare yourself for severe weather.








WEATHER SPONSOR



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help with your with your next project.





Andy Gabrielson, the storm chaser who shot the above video, was later killed while returning from a chase by a drunk driver on February 4, 2012. EarthSky has a tribute to him on their website. [LINK]



This video is from the EF4 tornado that went through Tuscaloosa, AL on 4/27/11. It was taken from the University Mall parking lot.



The storm that hit Tuscaloosa eventually made it to Macon County [see the above radar image of the Tornado Warning] just before midnight and a tornado caused damage in Saly Mountain, NC. [LINK]

A more comprehensive write up on the outbreak by the local weather service office is also online. [LINK]

With that in mind, although our mountains do protect us from most tornadoes, that protection is not 100% effective so it would be prudent to prepare for them just in case.

Here is some general information on severe weather to assist you in becoming more prepared...

Severe Thunderstorms, Tornadoes and Hail

• Are You Ready for a Thunderstorm? Here's what you can do to prepare yourself and your family. From NOAA.
• Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Lightning (pdf) A preparedness guide including tornado safety information for schools. From NOAA.
• Red Cross Safe & Well List If you have been affected by a disaster, this website provides a way for you to register yourself as "safe and well". From the American Red Cross.
• Thunderstorms! Severe weather safety quick facts from StormStudy.com
• Residential Safe Rooms How to build a "Safe Room" for your home. From FEMA.
• Facts About Thunderstorms and Lightning Thunderstorm Factsheet from FEMA.
• Thunderstorm Terms Know your thunderstorm terms. FEMA
• What to do BEFORE a Thunderstorm Severe weather preparations you can do to help protect your life and property. FEMA
• What to do DURING a Thunderstorm FEMA
• Severe Weather PreparednessBe prepared whenever severe weather like thunderstorms strike.
• Thunderstorms and Tornadoes Complete overview, including illustrations, of thunderstorms and tornadoes.

• Tornado! From FEMA
• Tornado Terms Learn and know your Tornado Terms. FEMA
• What to do BEFORE a Tornado Tornado safety preparation. FEMA
• What to do DURING a Tornado Protect yourself in any situation. FEMA
• What to do AFTER a Tornado FEMA
• USA Today - Tornadoes Flash animation showing how tornadoes form and what you can do to protect yourself.
• Tornado Safety From the American Red Cross.
• Tornado FAQ Frequently asked questions about tornadoes and how to survive them.
• Tornadoes Causes, safety factors, and other important considerations.
• FEMA Tornado Tips Fact sheet about tornadoes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
• Tornado Safety -The causes of tornadoes and tips for tornado safety.
• Tornado Safety Find out what causes tornadoes and the truth about some tornado myths.

• Hail Season - Tips to avoid costly damage during hailstorm season.
• What Causes Hail - The causes of hail and an overview of the trends of hail in the United States
• What is Hail - How hail forms, its composition, and the difference between hail and other severe weather conditions.
• Where Hail Forms - Hail is a global concern.
• Hail Fact Sheet - Basic facts about hail and the destruction it causes.
• Hail Facts - Random tidbits of information about hail.

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All-Hazards Emergency Messages on NOAA Weather Radio

NWR broadcasts National Weather Service (NWS) warnings, watches, forecasts and other non-weather related hazard information 24 hours a day. During an emergency, NWS forecasters interrupt routine broadcasts and send a special tone activating local weather radios. Weather radios equipped with a special alarm tone feature sound an alert to give you immediate information about a life-threatening situation.

NWR broadcasts warnings and post-event information for all types of hazards: weather (e.g., tornadoes, floods), natural (e.g., earthquakes, forest fires and volcanic activity), technological (e.g., chemical releases, oil spills, nuclear power plant emergencies, etc.), and national emergencies (e.g., terrorist attacks). Working with other Federal agencies and the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System (EAS), NWR is an all-hazards radio network, making it the most comprehensive weather and emergency information available to the public.

Life-threatening weather emergency messages are alerted on NWR. Many of those same weather-related emergency messages are also broadcast via the EAS.

More Information:

Station Listings

Live Streaming Audio

Audio Files for Download or Online Listening

Coverage Maps

SAME Coding 

Special Needs Info

General Information

Frequently Asked Questions

North Carolina Station Listing

North Carolina Station Table
Weather Forcast Office (WFO)

Site Name	Transmitter Name	Call Sign	Frequency	Power	WFO
New Bern	Glenburnie Garden	KEC84	162.400	1000	Newport, NC
Winnabow	Winnabow	KHB31	162.550	1000	Wilmington, NC
Cape Hatteras	Middletown	KIG77	162.475	1000	Newport, NC
Mooresville	South Iredell County	KJY85	162.525	1000	Greer, SC
Warsaw	Duplin County	KXI95	162.425	300	Newport, NC
Windsor	Windsor	WNG537	162.525	300	Wakefield, VA
Linville	Grandmother Mtn.	WNG538	162.450	300	Greer, SC
Henderson	Macon	WNG586	162.500	300	Raleigh, NC
Mount Jefferson	Ashe County	WNG588	162.500	300	Blacksburg, VA
Ellerbe	Richmond County	WNG597	162.400	300	Raleigh, NC
Garner	Garner	WNG706	162.450	300	Raleigh, NC
Buck Mountain	Badin	WWF60	162.500	1000	Raleigh, NC
Margarettsville	Margarettsville	WWG33	162.450	300	Wakefield, VA
Robbinsville	Teyahalee Bald Mtn.	WWG82	162.525	300	Greer, SC
Mamie	Mamie	WWH26	162.425	300	Newport, NC
Winston-Salem	Sauratown Mtn.	WXL42	162.400	1000	Raleigh, NC
Saint Pauls	Saint Pauls	WXL50	162.475	1000	Wilmington, NC
Asheville	Mt. Pisgah	WXL56	162.400	300	Greer, SC
Chapel Hill	Durham	WXL58	162.550	1000	Raleigh, NC
Rocky Mount	Tarboro	WXL59	162.475	1000	Raleigh, NC
Charlotte	Spencer Mtn.	WXL70	162.475	1000	Greer, SC

CROWDFUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online. You have made it possible for Macon Media to begin purchasing state of the art equipment and begin work on building a real website with features not employed by any local news outlets.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia

5:45 pm on April 27, 2018

#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety

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Storm Chasers Get Too Close to Tornadoes in Oklahoma Is it Time to License Chasers?

I'll just leave this here and let you compare the hypocrisy of The Weather Channel's Mike Bettes speak for itself. People like him, Brandon Sullivan and Reed Timmer give legitimate severe weather chase teams a bad name with their blood lust for better footage in the name of TV Ratings and profit from the sale of footage of tornadoes.


Mike Bettes in 2011 on storm chasers who get too close to storms, risking getting flipped and injured:


“Chasing can be an educational and exhilarating experience, but it also is inherently dangerous. An increasing trend I see happening is chasers trying to get as close as possible to one-up their competition, and cash in on dramatic video. And the one thing I always hear from professional chasers is how safety is their number one concern, and warning the public is their number one priority. Me? I Call B.S. on that one. When you’re being hit by debris, and you’re flipping your car while pursuing a tornado, you’re not very concerned about your safety, or anyone else’s. You’re setting a bad example for a younger generation of chasers who follow your lead.” - Mike Bettes, 2011 

Compare that to the following video from yesterday, where he gets too close, gets flipped and suffers minor injuries:


Video of Brandon Sullivan purposefully driving into the circulation of a tornado and getting pounded by debris:

Commentary

The videos above show examples of the type of "storm chaser" that gives legitimate severe weather research teams a bad name.


I am a small government type of guy, but I believe the time has come for storm chasers to go through a licensing process by the federal government, probably the National Weather Service and licenses should be permanently revoked for getting this close to a storm unless they're in an approved research vehicle.

The people in the above videos should NEVER be allowed in a storm area unless they live there.

One way to stop this storm chasing for profit would be for the legitimate research teams to start providing footage to the networks and TV Stations for free or next to free. And perhaps they could have Public Information Officers to liaise with the media and the public via social media and live streams.

If you can devalue the sale of video footage and photographs of tornadoes, then that might stop some of the nonsense of people chasing to solely sell video.

People like Reed Timmer and Brandon Sullivan is an example of the type of "storm chaser" that gives legitimate severe weather research teams a bad name. 

At this point, as I mentioned above, I would even support a type of federal licensing program, but I think it would be a bear to set up and monitor. Perhaps it could be like what amateur radio operators have to go through that would subject the license holders to severe fines if they violate the terms. 

I am sure this will be a topic of discussion on Monday night's episode of "Weather Brains." You can follow along  on Google Plus or their website.


PS: Here are some guidelines for chasing severe weather responsibly:

Responsible Chasing

Acting responsibly is a good way to ensure that chasing isn't associated with yahoos, wackos, and thrill-seekers. Apart from ensuring that safety is a constant consideration and courtesy is an automatic action, what do I mean by responsible storm chasing?

1. Keeping our enthusiasm for violent weather in the proper place. If you've had your home and perhaps loved ones taken from you by a tornado, then you are probably not going to react favorably to a bunch of folks whooping it up enthusiastically over a tornado. When I first drove into the damage path of the Union City tornado, shortly after it left town, I realized that the tornadoes that I wanted to happen could wreak havoc on people's lives. After some reflection, I realized that what I wanted didn't really change the weather (good thing, too!), and that by happening in front of trained observers, what we learned could be used to mitigate the impact of such storms in the future. But I still feel uncomfortable dealing with tornado victims. Talking about death and destruction as a good thing in front of the wrong people, even as a joke, can create an awful impression of storm chasers. Virtually all storm chasers would be delighted to have tornadoes happen only in open country where not even crops would be damaged.
2. Chasers can be of tremendous help to science and to the public if they will take a few moments to report what they have seen. Call or visit the appropriate NWS office and give the report of what was seen, including the location of the event(s) and the time(s) of occurrence. I personally do not believe it is necessary to break off a storm chase to call in a report, unless you have some electronic communication aboard your chase vehicle so that you can make a report without terminating the chase. However, as soon as possible afterward, you should report the event(s). If you feel that the storm is about to strike without any warning and you have the opportunity to do something to warn people, then by all means do what you are able to do.
3. Responsible chasers don't endanger themselves or others. Keep in mind that your actions might be used to portray storm chasing as a whole. If you behave recklessly, without regard for your safety and, especially, the safety and well-being of others, then you invite people to make the unfair comparison. I don't want the job of having to answer for your irresponsible actions!
4. Effective chasing is a constant learning process, and responsible chasers need to be aware of what is going on in severe thunderstorm and tornado science. It behooves all of us to be informed about the latest scientific findings, even if the only rationale is to make us better chasers. Participate in the process and don't be selfish with it. If you have seen something noteworthy, you can be responsible for preventing future disasters through sharing what you have seen. Knowing what is noteworthy requires you to be knowledgeable about the science of severe storms, so it is a two-way street that works most effectively when everyone shares what they know for scientific and educational purposes freely.
5. Chasing can become a dangerous obsession. Student chasers who let their studies go to follow the convection run the risk of sacrificing their careers. Chasers who neglect their family responsibilities to chase are not folks I admire, no matter how much they "succeed" in chasing. Letting chasing get in the way of any work responsibilities is also a problem, in my view. Some folks wear their obsession about chasing as some sort of badge of honor, but I say "Get a life!" Everyone has to decide on an individual basis what is their operational definition of "responsible" chasing from this personal point of view. All I know is that building a life totally around storm chasing, in my opinion, is not a very responsible life.
6. Stay out of tornado damage areas if possible. During a chase, this seems fairly obvious. Damage paths are full of hazards that no one would enjoy if it is possible to avoid them; downed power lines, jagged pieces of sheet metal, boken boards, etc. When the chase is over, some chasers may want to do their own damage survey ... in general this is a bad idea! Stay out of such places unless you have been invited to participate as part of an organized storm damage survey or a cleanup crew. You are likely to be in the way of cleanup and folks who have been hit by a tornado tend to be suspicious of strangers in their midst. Gawkers are not appreciated and being taken for a potential looter is not likely to make you welcome!

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