Category Archives: Natural Disasters

National Weather, Natural Disasters

Tornadoes kill 5 in Oklahoma – Video from storm chasers

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A screenshot of video taken of a multiple=
A screenshot of video taken of a multiple vortex tornado that struck in Oklahoma on Monday, May 10, 2010. Watch the video below. (Scott Weberpal / Ryan Wichman)

It is a little known but amazing phenomenon that sometimes accompanies tornadoes – multiple vortices coming from one larger twister. Storm chasers descended on the area of yesterday’s deadly tornado outbreak and two were able to capture amazing video of what looks like small tornadoes circling a larger twister.

When witnessed from the ground, multiple vortex tornadoes are an amazing sight. The larger twister will appear no different than what one might expect, but smaller vortices will be seen rapidly circling around and through the main funnel.

These suction vortexes are usually short-lived and will die out as the main funnel moves and then new satellites will reappear. These satellite vortices are oftentimes present but not visible due to debris and clouds.

Storm chaser team Scott Weberpal and Ryan Wichman captured amazing video of a multiple vortex tornado as it tore through the Oklahoma countryside. Watch the video below.

Natural Disasters

Crew aboard the International Space Station snaps photos of Gulf oil slick

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International Space Station Expedition 23 flight engineer Soichi Noguchi photographed the tail end of the Mississippi Delta (top right) showing the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico on May 5, 2010. (NASA) See a larger image below.
International Space Station Expedition 23 flight engineer Soichi Noguchi photographed the tail end of the Mississippi Delta (top right) showing the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico on May 5, 2010. (NASA) See a larger image below.

As the oil slick from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to encroach on the Gulf Coast, crewmembers of the International Space Station were able to photograph it from their perch more than 200 miles above the Earth.

The image released by NASA and taken by Expedition 23 crewmember and flight engineer Soichi Noguchi clearly show the slick approaching the Mississippi River delta. This image, along with others taken by NASA and NOAA satellites since the explosion in the Gulf of Mexico allow officials to monitor the movement of the slick.

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig has allowed 5,000 barrels per day to flow into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The original cause of the accident is still unknown however a blow-out preventer designed to stop the flow of oil in the event of an accident apparently did not activate as it should have.

As the slick continues to threaten the coast, its economic impact is already being felt. NOAA has shut down all commercial fishing in a large area between the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Pensacola, Florida.

Related (Examiner.com): NOAA and NASA satellites tasked with monitoring Gulf of Mexico oil spill

International Space Station crew captures images of Gulf Oil slick (NASA)
International Space Station crew photographs Gulf of Mexico oil slick. (NASA)

From NASA:

Image above: The Mississippi River Delta and nearby Louisiana coast appear dark in the sunglint. This phenomenon is caused by sunlight reflecting off the water surface, in a mirror-like manner, directly back towards the astronaut observer aboard the International Space Station. The sunglint improves the identification of the oil spill which is creating a different water texture (and therefore a contrast) between the smooth and rougher water of the reflective ocean surface. (NASA)

Natural Disasters

Satellites from NOAA and NASA capture images of Gulf of Mexico oil spill

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Satellites operated by NASA and NOAA are now training their 'eyes' on the growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA) See images of the expanding oil as seen from space in the slideshow below.
Satellites operated by NASA and NOAA are now training their 'eyes' on the growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA) See images of the expanding oil as seen from space in the slideshow below.

From their perch hundreds of miles in the air satellites provide an invaluable view of our Earth, most often associated with weather and disasters. With the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon well and the subsequent oil spill, these space faring tools are now tasked with monitoring the oil as it hits the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Satellites from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA began tracking the oil slick soon after the April 20th rig explosion. Since then, they have watched from above as the slick approaches Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta threatening an ecological disaster greater than the Exxon Valdez.

In 2005, NASA and NOAA satellites focused on Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. Today, once again, they focus on the same area but for a different kind of disaster.

The satellite imagery provided by the services is crucial to government agencies planning their response to the spill and its clean up. The satellite imagery can provide near real time position information of the slick as it approaches the Gulf Coast ensuring resources are deployed as necessary.

As the slick continues to threaten the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coasts in the immediate future, the satellites will continue to train their eyes in the sky on the area.

A change in wind patterns now threatens to shift the oil to the southwest toward the Florida Keys. While unlikely, if it does so and the oil enters the Gulf Stream, there is a threat the oil could impact the United States East Coast.

From the day after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig until today, government satellites have captured images of the oil slick as it expands.

Colorado Weather, Natural Disasters

Colorado researchers join VORTEX2 tornado project

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This tornado in Goshen County, Wyoming in 2009 was intercepted by VORTEX2 teams and is considered the “most intensely examined tornado in history.” (NOAA) Watch video of the twister and see more photos at the complete story on Examiner.com. (NOAA)
This tornado in Goshen County, Wyoming in 2009 was intercepted by VORTEX2 teams and is considered the “most intensely examined tornado in history.” (NOAA) Watch video of the twister and see more photos at the complete story on Examiner.com. (NOAA)

For the second year in a row, a team of over 100 scientists and dozens of vehicles will take to Tornado Alley in an attempt to study one of Mother Nature’s most destructive phenomena. Like last year, Colorado researchers will be helping with the project.

Among the Colorado-based participants are University of Colorado students and researchers. They join others from 11 other universities from across the nation including the University of Oklahoma, Penn State University, and the University of Massachusetts.

Perhaps most well known, Dr. Josh Wurman of the Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR) in Boulder will be a key contributor. Watchers of the Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers series know Wurman well as the operator of a Doppler On Wheels (DOW) radar truck and coordinator of the TV series’ storm chases.

Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment 2 (VORTEX2) is simply the largest, most extensive in-field tornado study in history. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the VORTEX2 team will prowl the Great Plains hunting their elusive prey from May 1st to June 15th.

Once again, a veritable armada of scientific equipment will be deployed. Ten mobile radar units, dozens of vehicles, over 70 other instruments and even an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) will cover thousands of miles on the Great Plains.

There's more to this story on Examiner.com!For the rest of this story including photos of all the equipment and amazing video of the tornado in Wyoming that the team intercepted last year, visit the Denver Weather Examiner.

Natural Disasters

Volcanic lightning on display in Iceland

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The Chaitén volcano erupting in Chile in 2008. (Carlos Gutierrez)
The Chaitén volcano erupting in Chile in 2008. (Carlos Gutierrez)

The images are nothing less than astounding – so unreal appearing in fact that the reaction of many people is to conclude they are fake. However, volcano-induced lightning is a very real phenomenon and one that is not well understood.

The Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupted last month and that event was followed by a larger eruption on Wednesday, April 14th. While not a big eruption by most standards, volcano-induced lightning was once again photographed.

Images of the light show put on by Eyjafjallajokull were taken by many photographers including the Associated Press as well as astronomer and volcano expert Marco Fulle. Fulle’s images – click here to view them – show lightning shooting from the ash plume as the stars pass overhead in an amazing display of nature’s fury.

In May of 2008 the Chaitén volcano in Chile erupted for the first time in more than 9,000 years. In an impressive explosive eruption, nighttime images taken by Carlos Gutierrez displayed lightning shooting from the rising plume of ash, smoke and steam. So incredible were the images that many believed they were digitally manipulated even prompting myth-busting website Snopes to issue a story explaining that they were real.

Because of copyright protections we cannot display all of the images of volcano-induced lightning here but we encourage you to head over to the Natural Disasters Examiner to check them out.  They are truly amazing.

Natural Disasters

Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano disrupts travel across the globe

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Taken Wednesday, April 14, 2010, this image from the Icelandic Coastguard shows smoke and steam rising from the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland, which erupted for the second time in less than a month, melting ice, shooting smoke and steam into the air and forcing hundreds of people to flee rising floodwaters. (Icelandic Coastguard)
Taken Wednesday, April 14, 2010, this image from the Icelandic Coastguard shows smoke and steam rising from the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland, which erupted for the second time in less than a month, melting ice, shooting smoke and steam into the air and forcing hundreds of people to flee rising floodwaters. (Icelandic Coastguard)

With no signs of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland stopping its latest eruption, international flights to and from Europe at Denver International Airport were cancelled for the second day in a row in Friday. The ash plume from the volcano has cancelled thousands of flights worldwide and stranded tens of thousands of passengers.

Travelers through Denver expect the weather to cause problems but rarely would they think a volcano more than 3,500 miles away would cancel their travel plans.

Both United Airlines and British Airways canceled their non-stop service to and from London Thursday and Friday and it now appears Saturday’s flights will be cancelled as well.  London’s Heathrow Airport is reporting that it will remain closed until at least 1:00am (local time) on Sunday.

As the ash cloud has spread, so too have its effects. The European air traffic control agency, Eurocontrol, said that flights have also been grounded in France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Belgium.

Volcanic ash presents a very real danger not only those close to an eruption but also to airplanes flying anywhere in the vicinity. The ash from volcanoes can travel hundreds of miles and when ingested by jet aircraft engines, can result in a total loss of power.

KLM Flight 867, a 747 bound for Anchorage, Alaska in December 1989 inadvertently flew into ash that had been discharged by Mount Redoubt. All four engines lost power for give minutes and the aircraft fell from 27,900 feet to 13,300 feet before it was able to restart its engines.

In 1982 a British Airways 747 flew through the ash cloud of an erupting Mount Galunggung in Indonesia. All four engines on the aircraft lost power but were able to be restarted after the aircraft exited the cloud.

More information on the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption from the Natural Disasters Examiner:

Natural Disasters

NASA’s Terra satellite captures images of erupting Iceland volcano

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NASA's Terra satellite captured astounding images of the erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. See a larger image below. (NASA)
NASA's Terra satellite captured astounding images of the erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. See a larger image below. (NASA)

A week ago the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupted forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate as lava and ash shot into the air. The eruption has continued since and NASA’s Terra satellite recently flew over the island nation and captured stunning images of the volcano.

A fissure in the earth nearly one half mile long has opened and continues to experience heightened activity.

In addition to the dangers presented by the ash and lava, Eyjafjallajokull sits beneath a massive glacier of the same name. Should the eruption spread, it could begin to melt the glacier creating massive flooding.

Eyjafjallajokull last erupted in 1821, an event that lasted for more than a year but was relatively minor in nature. Prior to that, an explosive eruption occurred on the mountain in 1612.

Officials fear that the increased activity at Eyjafjallajokull may trigger an eruption at Katla, a bigger and potentially more powerful volcano. Past activity at Eyjafjallajokull has done just that and residents are casting a wary eye on both mountains.

NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the area on Wednesday and from its perch in space, it captured images clearly showing the flowing lava, steam and plume of smoke.

Editor’s note: The images above and below are from the March 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull.  Newer satellite images of the most recent activity can be found from the Natural Disasters Examiner – click here.

For all the latest on volcanoes as well as all types of natural disasters, be sure to visit the Natural Disasters Examiner!

Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland (NASA)
Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland. (NASA)

Natural Disasters, World Weather

Queensland, Australia readies for Tropical Cyclone Ului

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Satellite image - Tropical Cyclone Ului poised to strike Queensland, Australia. (ABM)
Satellite image - Tropical Cyclone Ului poised to strike Queensland, Australia. (ABM)

The eastern coast of Australia was on high alert as Tropical Cyclone Ului prepared to make landfall in Queensland. Packing winds approaching 75 mph (165 km/hr), the government has begun evacuations in advance of the powerful storm.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that Ului had shown intensification over the past six hours and was warning it may strike land as a Category 3 storm packing winds to 105 mph (170 km/hr). Very destructive winds are forecast to begin affecting coastal areas late Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Landfall is expected 625 miles north of Brisbane (1000km) between Bowen and Proserpine. As with any cyclone, the wind presents the most immediate danger. However heavy rain raises the risk of severe flooding as 8 to 12 inches is expected in the hardest hit areas.

In advance of the storm, Queensland issued a disaster declaration which clears the way for the government force the evacuation of those at risk. Currently the communities Townsville, Burdekin, Rockhampton, Whitsunday, Charters Towers, Mackay, and Isaac fall under the mandatory evacuation orders. Resort areas along the Great Barrier Reef have already been evacuated.

For the complete forecast map and details, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

National Weather, Natural Disasters, Severe Weather

85 years ago today – The nation’s deadliest tornado

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A Chicago Herald Examiner headline covering the Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925. (Wikipedia) Follow the link below for images of the destruction.
A Chicago Herald Examiner headline covering the Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925. (Wikipedia) Follow the link below for images of the destruction.

News reports portray a dreary start to March 18, 1925 with heavy rain in the morning but nothing that would foretell the disaster that was to come. Before the day was over, parts of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana would be torn asunder and nearly 700 people would be dead.

Today marks the 85th anniversary of what we now call the Tri-State Tornado. The deadly twister was of the likes that had never been seen before – and hasn’t been seen since. That morning, the U.S. Weather Bureau’s forecast called for “rains and strong shifting winds.” Nothing that would indicate the horror that was to come.

The first reports of the tornado happened at 1:01pm near Ellington, Missouri. As it moved to the northeast the twister tore through the towns of Annapolis, Redford, Cornwall, Biehle, and Frohna. By the time it exited Missouri, 11 people were dead.

Illinois bore the brunt of the tornado as it continued on its deadly path. It crossed the Mississippi River and tore through Gorham, Johnston City, Murphysboro, De Soto, Hurst-Bush and a half dozen other Illinois towns. Entire towns were reduced to rubble, over a thousand people were injured and 613 people in the state were dead.

Far from over, the twister crossed into Indiana where the towns of Griffin, Owensville, and Princeton were hit. 71 people are thought to have died in the state.

The horror finally came to an end at 4:30pm, three and a half hours after it started. The tornado dissipated southwest of Petersburg, Indiana but not until after it had covered a path of at least 219 miles and left death and destruction the entire way. From southeastern Missouri, completely across southern Illinois and into southwestern Indiana, the tornado was the longest tracking twister ever recorded.

For more about the deadly tornado, maps of the path and images of the aftermath, read the complete story on the Natural Disasters Examiner.

National Weather, Natural Disasters

North Dakota & Minnesota brace for widespread flooding

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More than a third of the contiguous United States has an above average flood risk currently. (NOAA) Click on the image for photos from the flood preparations in North Dakota and Minnesota.
More than a third of the contiguous United States has an above average flood risk currently. (NOAA) Click on the image for photos from the flood preparations in North Dakota and Minnesota.

With the Red River continuing to rise and expected to crest at more than 20 feet above flood stage, communities in North Dakota and Minnesota are preparing for widespread flooding. Weather forecasters are expecting that the river may approach the record levels seen just last year, potentially flooding hundreds of square miles.

The filling of sandbags and reinforcing dikes and levees has taken on a sense of urgency along the river.

In Fargo, North Dakota, the Red River was already nearly 13 feet above flood level Wednesday morning – major flood stage by National Weather Service standards. It is forecast to rise seven more feet by Sunday morning.

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco warned in a statement that it flooding is likely to be extensive. “It’s a terrible case of déjà vu, but this time the flooding will likely be more widespread. As the spring thaw melts the snowpack, saturated and frozen ground in the Midwest will exacerbate the flooding of the flat terrain and feed rising rivers and streams.”

For more on what President Obama and the governors of those states are doing to help residents, read the complete story on the Natural Disasters Examiner.