Weather!

[BMAONE23]

WIKI Tornado Records

The most extreme tornado in recorded history was the Tri-State Tornado, which roared through parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925. It was likely an F5, though tornadoes were not ranked on any scale in that era. It holds records for longest path length at 352 km (219 mi), longest duration at about 3.5 hours, and fastest forward speed for a significant tornado at 117 km/h (73 mph) anywhere on Earth. In addition, it is the deadliest single tornado in United States history (695 dead).

For 37 years, the most extensive tornado outbreak on record, in almost every category, was the Super Outbreak, which affected a large area of the central United States and extreme southern Ontario in Canada on April 3 and April 4, 1974. Not only did this outbreak feature an incredible 148 tornadoes in only 18 hours, but an unprecedented number of them were violent; 6 were of F5 intensity and 24 were F4. This outbreak had a staggering 16 tornadoes on the ground at the same time at the peak of the outbreak. More than 300 people, possibly as many as 330, were killed by tornadoes during this outbreak. However, this record was later broken during the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak, which resulted in 325 tornadic fatalities and had 358 tornadoes touch down

Click to view full size image

TOP 10 worst tornadoes
So the cooling of the early 70's was the period of the worst outbreak of the time
And apparently the current plateau to agrueably cooling is the time period of the 2011 outbreak

[mjimih]

http://science.time.com/2013/05/21/torn ... e-weather/
Tornado-Proofing Cities in the Age of Extreme Weather

Not much could have saved the homes and businesses destroyed by the Moore twister, but is there a way to ensure that the lives of people in tornado country can be protected from extreme weather?
The answer is yes—with the right policy and the right incentives. But first we have to understand how the risks from extreme weather are changing—and for the most part, increasing. (Hat tip to Andrew Revkin of Dot Earth, whose post earlier today touched on much of this material.) As I wrote yesterday, there’s no clear trend on the frequency or strength of tornadoes hitting the U.S. It had actually been a historically quiet 12 months for tornadoes until recently. And it’s not clear what, if any, impact warming temperatures are having on tornadoes.

Building a private structure and full underground shelter that could withstand a major tornado is certainly possible, but as the economist Kevin Simmons of Austin College told me, “it would be out of the reach of anyone who is not wealthy.” Private safe rooms can be built—Simmons, who lives in tornado country north of Dallas, just put one in his own house for $4,000—but it’s still likely to be out of the reach of a lot of people in Oklahoma.

The state of Oklahoma and the federal government have begun to use financial incentives to encourage more resilient construction in tornado zones. Oklahoma is instituting a lottery to provide people with a maximum rebate of $2,000 to go towards building a tornado safe room, using funds provided by the federal government. More than 10,000 above and below-ground safe rooms have been built so far using that money.

Thank goodness something is being done to strengthen buildings and provide safe shelters in tornado alley. It's only a matter of time until another large one will hit another residential neighborhood somewhere god forbid.

Mark

[mjimih]

Published on May 22, 2013
Video by Lt. Col. Lindy White Oklahoma National Guard
Uncut Black Hawk aerial video from start to finish of the
Moore tornado damage path. Produced by Lt. Col. Lindy White.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

This shows just how bad this tornado really was.

[bystander]

2013 Moore Oklahoma Tornado Google Crisis Map
You can select before and after satellite imagery and click on points to see images.

[mjimih]

I didn't know about googles' crisis maps. what a cool thing to have. It showed to me just where the beast hit and that it could have been even worse if it hadn't veered to the east at the last second and avoided the heart of Oklahoma City!

[orin stepanek]

It was really stormy last night and it rained and thundered all night! I checked the rain gauge this morning and there was 2 and 20/100's inches in it! So far we are getting ample rainfall! In the last week and 1/2 we got about 5 inches of rain! I noticed that last year my Maple tree produced oodles of maple seeds before the drought! This year it produced hardly any seeds at all! I hope that is a good sign that we will have a fairly wet year! No floods please! The forecast is 100% chance of rain today with thunder and lightning!

[Beyond]

Ever want to see a tornado from the inside? Storm chasers in Kansas drove into one.
Here's the 2 1/2 minute video and article. http://www.wfsb.com/story/22434171/stor ... as-tornado

[mjimih]

yikes! looks like it got a little too harry to keep filming? maybe he felt it was time to hunker down lower in his seat in case a dangerous object came flying by at 120 mph? I'm sure my light weight Civic would have gotten airbourne in those winds.

[geckzilla]

Went to the beach today because the weather was so perfect for it with the warm sun and cool breeze. Ended up a little bit crispy fried. I definitely was watching my skin to make sure it wasn't turning red while I was laying there. It was such a delayed burn! The redness and burning feeling didn't start until hours later around dinnertime. Thanks for the UV rays, Sol.

[bystander]

If you wait until you start turning red, you've been out way too long.

[Beyond]

A red gecko

[neufer]

If you wait until you start turning red, you've been out way too long.

<<Sunburn can occur in less than 15 minutes. Nevertheless, the inflicted harm is often not immediately obvious. After the exposure, skin may turn red in as little as 30 minutes but most often takes 2 to 6 hours.

Pain is usually most extreme 6 to 48 hours after exposure. The burn continues to develop for 24 to 72 hours, occasionally followed by peeling skin in 3 to 8 days. Some peeling and itching may continue for several weeks.>>

[rstevenson]

<<Sunburn can occur in less than 15 minutes. Nevertheless, the inflicted harm is often not immediately obvious. After the exposure, skin may turn red in as little as 30 minutes but most often takes 2 to 6 hours.

Pain is usually most extreme 6 to 48 hours after exposure. The burn continues to develop for 24 to 72 hours, occasionally followed by peeling skin in 3 to 8 days. Some peeling and itching may continue for several weeks.>>

A succinct description of my typical summer. I should never come out of my basement workshop.

Rob

[geckzilla]

Haha, yes, thank you guys for the information about sunburn process which is very obvious to me now. I've been paranoid and put lotion on for so long I guess I just needed the sun itself to remind me. The burn isn't really that bad thankfully, just unexpected. Sort of, anyway.

[Chris Peterson]

Went to the beach today because the weather was so perfect for it with the warm sun and cool breeze. Ended up a little bit crispy fried. I definitely was watching my skin to make sure it wasn't turning red while I was laying there. It was such a delayed burn! The redness and burning feeling didn't start until hours later around dinnertime. Thanks for the UV rays, Sol. 8-)

Try things around here. At 10,000-12,000 feet, it's more like space burn! Five minutes will do you in. Sunscreen, hats, and long sleeves are de rigueur.

[geckzilla]

Yeah, I'll bet. Or you could grow a luxurious coat of hair like your little goats.

[rstevenson]

Speaking of sun, there was a bright thing in the sky today, with the temperature getting up to 27°C. So I dragged myself out of the basement workshop, onto my bike and went for a 28km ride along the harbour. I got a little red in the process, and I got a few pics too...

Here's Halifax Harbour looking north from Eastern Passage. The big flat-sterned ship on the right is a "Ro-Ro", short for roll on, rool off, for transporting vehicles. The towers of downtown Halifax are on the left. The three red and white stacks of the Dartmouth Generating Sation are between the two harbour bridges, with Bedford Basin invisibly beyond.

My mode of transport, looking south-east out to sea, Lawlor Island on the right.

Looking west across the harbour to the south end of Halifax, I could see the Burke-Gaffney Observatory atop a student residence at my home away from home, Saint Mary's University.

A great day for a ride! Now for a beer and barby.

Rob

[mjimih]

http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/su ... kin-cancer
Facts About Skin Cancer and Sunburn

What's the harm in sunburn? A person's risk for melanoma--the most serious form of skin cancer--doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns.

Unfortunately, getting sunburned is much more common that it ought to be. In a recent survey conducted in partnership with iVillage, The Skin Cancer Foundation learned that 42 percent of people polled get a sunburn at least once a year

(I added the color)

A It doesn't matter how often you sunburn yourself, and B it doesn't matter how long ago you sunburned yourself, to elevate your skin cancer risk. If you got sunburned a lot when you we're a child into adolescence, you should be extra careful not to get sunburned in the future. Especially if Melanoma Carcinoma runs in your family.

Since my Uncle had his carcinoma removed ugh!, I'm never ever going to get sunburn again if I can help it.

Mark

[bystander]

---

Exciting evening. Had a multiple vortex tornado spring up west of OKC. At one point the storm track was over a mile wide. The storm was tracking due east toward OKC. Lifted and set down again twice as it swept across the south side of the city. Many other tornadoes were reported with this storm complex. We still have heavy rain and hail. Flooding is the main problem right now. The storms keep reforming west of town and tracking east over the same area.

[geckzilla]

Looking at the radar images the storm is similar to smoke billowing over the city from a fire. Actually, I guess it's tracking north slowly. How many days do you suppose the power from that storm could supply electricity to OKC if it were harnessed? Too bad we can't or we'd actually look forward to such monstrosities.

[orin stepanek]

bystander; I was thinking of you and all the people there for the CWS and all the people in the storm area!

[neufer]

Exciting evening. Had a multiple vortex tornado spring up west of OKC. At one point the storm track was over a mile wide. The storm was tracking due east toward OKC. Lifted and set down again twice as it swept across the south side of the city.

So, where do you go when the sirens sound

[bystander]

bystander; I was thinking of you and all the people there for the CWS and all the people in the storm area!

Thanks, Orin

So, where do you go when the sirens sound

The sirens go off whenever a tornado warning is issued in the county. That's a big area. A lot of sirens yesterday, but these storms weren't really very close to me. I live on the north side of the city, near the intersection of I-44 and I-235. The tornadoes were on the south side.

When the sirens go off, I turn on the TV, if it's not already on. If it looks like it's going to come close, the neighbors have a basement. There is also a public shelter in a church basement about 4 blocks south of me, if the neighbors aren't home.

[neufer]

So, where do you go when the sirens sound

The sirens go off whenever a tornado warning is issued in the county. That's a big area. A lot of sirens yesterday, but these storms weren't really very close to me. I live on the north side of the city, near the intersection of I-44 and I-235. The tornadoes were on the south side.

When the sirens go off, I turn on the TV, if it's not already on.

bystander & Toto going to neighbor's house

• • Gary England
  PBS shows make him out to be some sort of Wizard.

If it looks like it's going to come close, the neighbors have a basement. There is also a public shelter in a church basement about 4 blocks south of me, if the neighbors aren't home.

Don't let them know that you censor bible quotes at the Asterisk*

[bystander]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

• • Gary England
  PBS shows make him out to be some sort of Wizard.

Gary is indeed an icon in Oklahoma weather forecasting, but contrary to the video, he is not cool and calm. He is, in fact, almost too excitable for me. He has, however, revolutionized the reporting and forecasting of severe weather, not just for Oklahoma, but all over the nation. The low loss of lives during Oklahoma tornadoes can be attributed, in part, to his innovations in weather forecasting and reporting.