Thunder Pig: storm chase

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Showing posts with label storm chase. Show all posts

Monday, September 24, 2018

Almanac for September 24, 2018

9/24/2018 02:12:00 AM 2018 Almanac , Almanac , Hurricane Rita , September 2018 Almanac , storm chase 0 comments

This is the Almanac for Monday, September 24, 2018. For the next few months, features will be added or removed. If you have suggestions for what you would like to see included here, please email editor@MaconMedia.com and include Almanac in the Subject line of the email.

Weather Averages for September in and around Macon County

	Franklin	Highlands	Andrews	Clayton	Cullowhee	Bryson City
High	78	72	80	79	78	80
Low	54	61	54	55	55	55
Rain	4.61	7.64	4.45	5.94	4.21	5.04
Snow	0	0	0	0	0	0

Today in Weather History

1926: The lowest temperature for September in the continental United States occurred at Yellowstone. It was -9 °F.

1956: Hurricane Flossy made landfall in the panhandle of Florida and would later dump several inches of rain in North Carolina on the 26th.

NWS [LINK]
Wikipedia [LINK]

2005: Hurricane Rita Landfall and tornado outbreak.

The Hurricane Rita tornado outbreak was a significant tropical cyclone-produced tornado outbreak and severe weather event that resulted from the remnants of Hurricane Rita in late-September 2005. The event was the fourth-largest tornado outbreak caused by a tropical cyclone in recorded history. After the hurricane made landfall on the extreme southwestern coast of Louisiana on September 24, the tropical cyclone's strong rainbands affected much of the West South Central and East South Central States, producing heavy rainfall in addition to numerous tornadoes. Tornadic activity was distributed roughly evenly from September 24–25, though activity shifted slightly eastward on September 25. The severe activity ended by September 26, by which time the remnants of Hurricane Rita were absorbed by a frontal boundary.

Wikipedia: Tornado Outbreak [LINK]

Wikipedia: Hurricane Rita [LINK]

Hurricane Rita Coverage (9/24/05 - Landfall) - The Weather Channel

Hurricane Rita Coverage (9/24/05 - 12am) - CNN

KPLC Remembers Hurricane Rita (Southwest Louisiana)

Lesson Learned: A Look Back at Hurricane Rita

Stormchaser: Hurricanetrack (Mark Sudduth) Website [LINK]

2012: Macon County was under a frost advisory. The low was 34 °F and the high was 71 °F. [LINK]

Record Weather Events for September 24th

Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)

Highest Temperature 89°F in Highlands in 1931
Lowest Temperature 29°F in Franklin in 1963
Greatest Rainfall 4.27 inches in Franklin in 1965

Record Weather Events for September
(1872-2017)

Highest Temperature 98°F in Franklin on Sept 4, 1975
Lowest Temperature 27°F in Franklin on Sept 30, 1967
Greatest Rainfall 11.87 inches in Highlands on Sept 29, 1964

Record weather events for this date and month in Macon County

Record Weather Events for Sept 24th in North Carolina

Highest Temperature 104°F in Belhaven, Beaufort County in 1921
Lowest Temperature 23°F in Oconaluftee, Swain County in 1999
Greatest Rainfall 7.46 inches in Greensboro, Guilford County in 1947
(rainfall was due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Four (called How by the US Air Force) of 1947. Storms

were not named by the National Weather Service at that time) .

Record Weather Events for September in North Carolina

Highest Temperature 109°F in Weldon, Halifax County on 09-07-1954
Lowest Temperature 23°F in Marion, McDowell County on 09-28-2000
Greatest Rainfall 18.30 inches in Southport, Brunswick County on 09-16-1999

Sun and Moon

Sun

Begin civil twilight 6:58 a.m.
Sunrise 7:23 a.m.
Sun transit 1:25 p.m.
Sunset 7:27 p.m.
End civil twilight 7:53 p.m.

Moon

Moonrise 7:06 p.m. last night
Moon transit 12:53 a.m.
Moonset 6:46 a.m.
Moonrise 7:37 p.m.

Phase of the Moon on September 24, 2018: Full Moon at 10:52 p.m. (local daylight time)

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Published at 2:10 am on September 24, 2018

#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconAlmanac

Data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, The National Weather Service, National Climatic Data Center, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, CNN, The Weather Channel, Mark Sudduth of Hurricanetrack.com, and the Weather Prediction Center.

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

6/01/2013 11:08:00 AM commentary , Concepts , Public Safety , science , storm chase , Tornado , weather 0 comments

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!

Cowee Valley Lightning

7/10/2012 05:17:00 AM clouds , lightning , photoblog , storm chase , thunderstorm 0 comments

There was a pretty good show of lightning over Cowee Valley early this morning. This was the only shot that came out decent.

Severe Weather Possible in WNC Mtns this Morning

4/26/2012 07:32:00 AM Advisories Watches and Warnings , breaking news , storm chase , weather 0 comments

A line of severe thunderstorms that has developed into a bow echo is headed toward western North Carolina this morning. Please be careful and aware of your surroundings this morning.

For more information, please visit The National Weather Service.

I will be away from my house this morning in Jackson County, so I won't be able to post minute by minute updates as usual. I will post what I observe via twitter. I have embedded a widget below for that purpose:

Plains Tornado Outbreak Expected Today
List of Online Resources to Monitor Event

4/14/2012 05:27:00 AM Advisories Watches and Warnings , PSA , storm chase , Tornado , weather 0 comments

Tornado Risk

There is expected to be a tornado outbreak in the plains today, and since I will (for the most part) be out of the loop at the 11th district Republican party convention this morning and afternoon and will not be able to provide timely updates, I have posted information on how you can follow the outbreak and monitor the storms, the storm chasers and the public safety response to this dangerous weather event.

Breaking Severe Weather Events

Severe Weather Warnings Courtesy the College of DuPage Meteorology Department

Storm Prediction Center

My Storm Chaser Twitter List

Radio Reference (the best place to listen to public safety radio traffic online)

Radio Reference Top 50 Feeds When the storms break out and tornadoes hit, the public safety channels with tornado traffic will zoom to the top of the list as people start listening online

National Map

Resources to Track Storm Chasers

Live Storms Network

Chaser TV

Severe Studios

Storm Chase Live

Midwest Storm Chasers and Researchers

TV Stations that Follow Storm Chasers

Channel 9 in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Discovery Channel Chaser Tracker

Radar

Weather Underground National Map of Radars

Damaging Hail Risk

Text of initial advisory from the Storm Prediction Center:

SPC AC 140543

DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1243 AM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

VALID 141200Z - 151200Z

...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SVR TSTMS TODAY ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL
AND EASTERN NEBRASKA AND PARTS OF ADJACENT NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS/WESTERN IA...

...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SVR TSTMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS INTO NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA...

...THERE IS A MDT RISK OF SVR TSTMS SURROUNDING THE HIGH RISK AREA
ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA...WESTERN
IOWA...NORTHWEST MISSOURI...CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS...AND PARTS
OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA...

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS SURROUNDING THE MODERATE RISK
AREA ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS...

...SYNOPSIS...
MODELS ALL INDICATE THAT A STRONG MID/UPPER JET STREAK...NOW DIGGING
INTO THE BASE OF A LARGE-SCALE UPPER TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN
U.S...WILL CONTINUE EASTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLATEAU
TODAY...BEFORE NOSING NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES INTO
THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY LATE TONIGHT. THIS IS EXPECTED TO INCLUDE A
90-100+ KT 500 MB JET CORE...WHICH MAY BE PRECEDED BY ANOTHER
SIGNIFICANT SPEED MAXIMUM ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES/ CENTRAL
PLAINS REGION DURING THE DAY. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT ASSOCIATED
FORCING WILL CONTRIBUTE TO RAPID INTENSIFICATION OF A SURFACE
CYCLONE TO THE LEE OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES...WITH A 1000 MB LOW
CENTER DEEPENING BELOW 990 MB ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO INTO SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA BETWEEN 14/12Z AND 15/00Z. WITHIN ITS WARM SECTOR...A
SOUTHERLY LOW-LEVEL JET WILL STRENGTHEN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN INTO
CENTRAL PLAINS /50+ KT AT 850 MB BY LATE AFTERNOON...INCREASING UP
TO 70 KT DURING THE EVENING/. THIS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE
CONTINUING NORTHWARD ADVECTION OF INCREASINGLY RICH MOISTURE
RETURNING OFF THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO...BENEATH AT LEAST MODESTLY
STEEP LAPSE RATES. MIXED LAYER CAPE IS EXPECTED TO EXCEED 2000 J/KG
WITHIN A CORRIDOR ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH MUCH OF OKLAHOMA AND
CENTRAL/EASTERN KANSAS...INTO THE VICINITY OF A WARM FRONTAL ZONE
EXTENDING EAST OF THE LOW ACROSS NEBRASKA INTO THE MISSOURI VALLEY.

THIS ENVIRONMENT IS EXPECTED TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR A SIGNIFICANT
OUTBREAK OF SEVERE STORMS...THAT MAY IMPACT PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD. THIS MAY INCLUDE
SEVERAL TORNADIC SUPERCELLS...AND PERHAPS...BY TONIGHT... THE
EVOLUTION OF A SUBSTANTIAL SQUALL LINE.

...NEBRASKA...
NORTH AND EAST OF THE DRY LINE WRAPPING INTO THE DEEPENING SURFACE
CYCLONE...INTO THE VICINITY OF THE WARM FRONT...CONDITIONS APPEAR
LIKELY TO BECOME VERY CONDUCIVE TO THE FORMATION OF DISCRETE
TORNADIC SUPERCELLS...AS THE EXIT REGION OF THE CYCLONIC MID/UPPER
JET OVERSPREADS THE REGION. THIS COULD OCCUR AS EARLY AS
18-21Z...IF NOT BEFORE...ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL
NEBRASKA...BEFORE DEVELOPING EASTWARD AND INCREASING IN COVERAGE
ACROSS CENTRAL INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
AFTERNOON. THIS IS WHERE LOW-LEVEL HODOGRAPHS ARE EXPECTED TO
BECOME LARGE AND CLOCKWISE CURVED...AND SUPPORTIVE OF LONG-LIVED
SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG TORNADOES.

...KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA INTO NORTH CENTRAL/NORTHWEST TEXAS...
BARRING COMPLICATIONS FROM RESIDUAL EARLY DAY CONVECTIVE
DEVELOPMENT...THE WARM SECTOR ENVIRONMENT AHEAD OF THE DRY LINE
ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL/EASTERN KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA PROBABLY WILL
STILL BE CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING LONG-LIVED SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING STRONG TORNADOES. HOWEVER...CONCERN EXISTS THAT THE
POTENTIAL COVERAGE OF DISCRETE SUPERCELL STORMS MAY REMAIN SOMEWHAT
SPARSE...PRIOR TO SQUALL LINE EVOLUTION THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT
OVERTAKES THE DRY LINE AND SURGES EASTWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS. ONCE
THIS OCCURS...DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL MAY BECOME THE PRIMARY
SEVERE THREAT.

..KERR/LEITMAN.. 04/14/2012

NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 1 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 1300Z
CURRENT UTC TIME: 0806Z (4:06AM)

Tropical Storm Lee Remnants to Bring Floods to WNC Mountains

9/04/2011 04:01:00 PM Advisories Watches and Warnings , citizen journalism , PSA , storm chase , weather 0 comments

Tropical Storm Lee in the Gulf of Mexico on Sep 4th 2011
Image Courtesy GOES-13
Cropped by Bobby Coggins

Western North Carolina will be receiving several inches of rain over the next few days as the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee pass over our area. Forecasts range from 3 inches to over 10 inches. Stay tuned to the National Weather Service for up to date information and your favorite local media outlet for specific road and business closures that will undoubtedly arise from this storm dumping so much rain on us in such a short period of time. You can keep an eye on conditions in western North Carolina via this Weather Dashboard provided by the GSP Office or you can watch real time GRLevel III Radar Data at a special page on Dacula Weather. I will be posting updates on this blog and via Twitter as the situation warrants and I continue to have access to the Internet. I will be out and about Tuesday afternoon and evening gathering photos and video of local flooding and the planned meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen at 7pm.

Here is a screenshot I took in Google earth of a model run displaying probable rain totals for the next 5 days this morning for western North Carolina:

QPF for Days 1-5. Data from 0904 06z GFS Model run
Data provided by NWS and Map by Google
Cropped by Bobby Coggins

QPF for Days 1-5. Data from 0904 06z GFS Model run
Data provided by NWS and Map by Google
Cropped by Bobby Coggins

As you can see, it looks like the most rain will probably fall in an area encompassing most of Macon and Jackson Counties and continuing in a northeasterly direction from there for the next 50 or so miles. This is where at least 8 inches will fall. The official NWS forecast for my location 4 miles northeast of Franklin, NC calls for 6 to 10 inches over the next 3 days. The National Weather service has already instituted a Flash Flood Watch for the entire area to alert people to the developing weather hazard that will include flooding and potential mudslides. I remind you of the mudslide that killed 4 people in the Peeks creek Community after the remnants of Hurricanes Frances and Ivan passed over our area.

Latest Area Forecast Discussion from the National Weather Service GSP Office:
(click on highlighted words for NWS Glossary definition)

000
FXUS62 KGSP 041858
AFDGSP

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
258 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE CAROLINAS TONITE AND STALL OVER THE
AREA EARLY THIS WEEK. MEANWHILE...TROPICAL STORM LEE WILL PUSH
NORTHEAST TOWARD THE AREA...WITH THE REMNANTS OF LEE THEN MOVING
NORTH TO CENTRAL TENNESSEE...AND INTO CENTRAL KENTUCKY BY MID WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/...
SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN
THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN COVERAGE EXPECTED AS
APPROACHING COLD FRONT TAPS INTO MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL
STORM LEE. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON IS LOW.
HOWEVER...THERE ARE MODERATE LEVELS OF DOWNDRAFT CAPE ACROSS
PORTIONS OF THE MTNS...SO AN ISOLATED MICROBURST IS NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION. ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA...CONVECTION THIS
AFTERNOON SHOULD REMAIN ISOLATED. BY ABOUT MID-EVENING...RAIN
CHANCES WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY...AS
RAIN BANDS CIRCULATING AROUND LEE BEGIN TO ENCROACH ON THE AREA.

AS THE FRONT FINALLY PUSHES INTO THE REGION LATER TONIGHT...FORCING
WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE AS WILL THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT. IN FACT...THE
GFS DEPICTS A FAIRLY INTENSE REGION OF LOW-LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS
WITHIN LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AXIS. THIS DEGREE OF FORCING ACTING ON
A TROPICAL AIR MASS WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO RESULT IN HEAVY RAIN ACROSS
THE MTNS PRIOR TO 12Z. INCREASING SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL ENHANCE
AMOUNTS ACROSS THE SW NC MTNS/WESTERN UPSTATE MTNS/NORTHEAST GA MTNS
LATE TONIGHT/EARLY MONDAY THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY. UNFORTUNATELY...
THE FRONTOGENESIS BAND IS PROGGED TO MOVE ONLY VERY SLOWLY DURING
THE DAY MONDAY. AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES WILL BE LIKELY
ACROSS THESE AREAS BY 00Z TUESDAY.

AHEAD OF THE MAIN FRONTOGENETICAL BAND...NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS...AND UP TO 2
INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS BY THE END OF THE DAY MONDAY.
IN ADDITION...SOME INSTABILITY (ALBEIT WEAK) WILL LIKELY BE REALIZED
IN THE PIEDMONT. A MODERATELY STRONG SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET WILL
RESULT IN VERY LONG...STRONGLY TURNING HODOGRAPHS. ISOLATED MINI-
SUPERCELLS AND BRIEF ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TOMORROW
AFTERNOON.

&&

.SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 240 PM SUNDAY...THE UPPER TROF SWEEPS ACROSS THE OH VALLEY MON
NIGHT AND TOWARD NEW ENGLAND TUE...WHILE THE UPPER LOW ASSOC WITH
THE REMNANTS OF TS LEE MOVES FROM THE LOWER MS VALLEY TUE...N TOWARD
THE OH VALLEY WED. THE OFFICIAL TRACK OF THE SFC CIRCULATION ASSOC
WITH TS LEE WILL MOVE FROM S MS/AL MON NIGHT TO CNTRL AL TUE TO
CNTRL TN WED. WITH DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE...ISENTROPIC LIFT AND GOOD
UPSLOPE FLOW OVER THE CWA MON NIGHT THRU TUE INTO TUE NIGHT...
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE WITH A SIGNIFICANT FLOODING
THREAT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE MTNS...FOOTHILLS
AND ADJACENT PIEDMONT. CAPE VALUES OVER 1000 J/KG ARE FCST TUE AFTN
AND WITH BULK SHEAR OF 20-30KT...SVR STORMS WILL BE PSBL WITH AN
ISOLD TORNADO OR TWO PSBL. LOWS WILL BE ABOVE AVG TUE MRNG WITH AFTN
HIGHS BELOW AVG. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BELOW AVG WED.

&&

Early Morning Lightning

6/28/2011 04:49:00 AM lightning , storm chase , weather 0 comments

This lightning is part of a storm that moved through Towns County, Georgia a little after 3.30am today. I was watching it from 4 miles NNE of Franklin, NC. The storm was about 20-30 miles to my Southwest. Shortly after that the ubiquitous early morning fog moved in and ruined the show.

(VIDEOS) April 16th Tornado Outbreak in North Carolina

4/17/2011 07:45:00 AM disaster , north carolina , storm chase , Tornado , weather 0 comments

Preliminary Local Storm Reports as Shared in the National Weather Service Chatroom late yesterday afternoon.Link to Storm Reports on the Storm Prediction Center website.

There was a tornado outbreak in the Carolinas and Virginia yesterday that killed an unknown number of people and injured scores. The Raleigh News & Observer puts the preliminary death toll at at least 10.

Most areas hit by the storms do not have online newspapers that have reported on the damage to their area, but here are a few that have reported:

The Sanford Herald has perhaps the best reporting on the storms that hit their area, and an excellent Twitter Account. There stories are here, here, and especially here. I have listed, in chronological order, the Sanford Herald tweets regarding the storms in their area at the end of this article. You should check it out.

The FayObserver reports 1 death and 85 injuries by the storms in the Fayetteville area.

The Goldsboro News-Argus makes no report of the storms in Wayne County, but note that the annual Wings Over Wayne Air Show cancelled flights due to high winds.

The Relector reports that Greenville, NC was spared by the storms and that Farmville was hit hard. No fatalities were reported and no number of the injured was reported either.

This was the worst outbreak of tornadoes in North Carolina since the 1984 Carolinas Outbreak, which was responsible for 57 deaths, 1248 injuries, and confirmed tornado damage in 2 counties in Georgia, 8 counties in South Carolina, and 17 counties in North Carolina, according to data from the National Weather Service and the National Climatic Data Center records and statistical data.

Satellite Loop of the Three Day Outbreak

Videos of Sanford Tornado

Tornado in Sanford near Lowe's

Video of damaged Lowe's in Sanford, NC

Videos of Raleigh Tornado

WRAL TV Coverage of Tornado moving through Raleigh, NC

Footage of people taking shelter in the Raleigh Museum of Science

Damage Survey in Raleigh

Brief survey of Damage in Raleigh, NC

Damage Survey on South Saunders Street in Raleigh, NC

This is footage that someone has swiped from Storm Chasing Videos.com

Videos of Wilson Tornado

Skywarn Spotter Video from an Amateur Radio Operator in Wilson County

Wilson, NC

A family sees the Wilson Tornado

Family Chases Tornado with A-Ha playing in the background. Surreal.

Videos of Tornadoes in Other Places in North Carolina

Wall Cloud North of Greenville, NC

Another Wall Cloud, this one near Simpson, NC

Fake or Stolen Videos

This video claims to be of a tornado in Raleigh, NC. This is NOT the Raleigh Tornado because the Raleigh Tornado was a rain-wrapped monster. This is a video from last April, filmed in Zebulon, NC and I found it on zzzzzoinks, a You Tube Channel known for stealing other people's content and repurposing it as their own.

Here are the tweets from The Sanford Herald newspaper, presented in chronological order: