A tornado tears through Adair County Wednesday evening. This photograph was taken by Dr. Curtis Roof from Highway 6, facing west. The tornado traveled on a northeastern path, damaging several homes along the way. (Dr. Curtis Roof/Kirksville Daily Express)
The quiet rural area of Kirksville, Missouri was ripped apart Wednesday evening by four tornadoes that destroyed and damaged homes and claimed the lives of three people. The first of the series of tornadoes was reported at 5:49pm local time near this town 120 miles northeast of Kansas City.
Adair County bore the brunt of the line of severe storms as they moved northeast across the nation’s midsection. Two twisters were reported near Novinger, one near Troy Mills and the most damaging one in Kirksville. The Kirksville tornado destroyed at least one house and damaged 30 – 40 others as well as a car dealership.
Two victims were killed in Adair County according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. No details on the circumstances or their names have been released other than to say they were tornado related. One woman was killed in neighboring Sullivan County when a tornado struck her mobile home.
Last year's Windsor tornado highlighted just how dangerous weather in Colorado can be. Are you and your family prepared?
As is customary, the governor has declared this week Severe Weather Awareness Week. This is an opportunity for the public to get reacquanted with the dangers severe weather presents in Colorado.
Tornadoes, lightning, hail, severe wind and flooding are very real hazards that Coloradoans face every year during severe weather season. It is important that you know what to do to protect you and your family.
In conjunction with the National Weather Service, Examiner.com will be publishing our Severe Weather 101 series. Each day this week a weather hazard will be discussed in depth and we will outline protective measures you can take to keep yourself and your family safe. Please be sure to check back every day to read these important message.
Thunderstorm hazards around the corner…are you prepared?
Severe thunderstorm season will be soon upon us. Do you know how to stay safe around tornadoes, flash floods, lightning, hail, and damaging winds? This is the week to learn. This week, April 19th to 25th, is Colorado severe weather awareness week. This is the time to learn more about severe weather in Colorado, develop severe weather preparedness plans, and test vital communications.
Can we learn lessons from the past severe weather events? Just last year on may 22nd an EF3 tornado raced north through Weld and Larimer counties resulting in one fatality. Several injuries and destroyed or heavily damaged hundreds of homes. Two years ago, on March 28, 2007 the town of Holly was heavily damaged by another EF3 tornado that resulted in two fatalities. Twelve years ago on July 28, 1997 a devastating flash flood occurred in Fort Collins resulting in 5 fatalities and millions of dollars in damage.
Each year for the past 20 years there have been an average of 50 tornadoes in Colorado, 3 people killed by lightning and another 15 injured by lightning.
The National Weather Service offices which cover Colorado will issue a series of public information statements during the week covering the following topics:
Monday…Watches and warnings
Tuesday… Tornadoes and tornado safety
Wednesday…Flash floods and flash flood safety
Thursday…Downburst wind and hail
Friday…Lightning and lightning safety
Saturday…A review of the week
A time to test your warning reception and communications systems is planned. Each national weather service office serving Colorado will send test tornado warnings on Tuesday April 21 between the hours of 8 am MDT and 11 am MDT. These test warnings will be sent to the emergency alert system, the internet, NOAA weather radio and law enforcement communications systems.
Safety information, watches, warnings, forecasts, past weather and much more information is available at your local National Weather Service web sites:
Thus far the 2009 tornado season has been quiet compared to years past.
The severe weather season has started in earnest now and last week’s deaths of five people from tornadoes highlight the danger this time of year brings. Thus far however, 2009 is below the three year average not only in the total number of tornadoes reported but also in the number of tornado related deaths.
In terms of the number of tornado reports, through yesterday there have been 303 preliminary reports in 2009. Over the last three years the United States has averaged 391 per year through April 13th. That means that 2009 is thus far 23% below average.
Tornado Reports by Year Through April 13th
2009
2008
2007
2006
3yr Avg
303
494
286
392
391
It is important to note that all of those counts are based on preliminary tornado reports. The actual number of tornadoes that occurred typically is reduced by about 15 percent as duplicate reports are eliminated. Nevertheless, this does show 2009 is running well below average.
In terms of fatalities caused by twisters, there have been 14 thus far this year. This too is below the three year average of 54 per year through April 13th. That is a large 75% reduction which is notable and something certainly to be thankful for.
Tornado Fatalities by Year Through April 13th
2009
2008
2007
2006
3yr Avg
14
70
52
50
57
It is important to note that while this year shows promise for being a less deadly and less destructive tornado season, the season is far from over. May and June are typically the most active months of the season and one large outbreak could radically change these numbers.
A tornado rips through Murfreesboro, TN where a mother and child lost their lives in the twister.
The end of the week saw severe weather claim the lives of seven people across the nation on Thursday and Friday.
Mena, Arkansas Tornado Claims Three Lives
Daylight Friday in the western Arkansas town of Mena brought a devastating sight after a tornado tore through the town killing three people and injuring at least 24. Reports are that hundreds of homes and businesses have been destroyed in the town of 5,000.
Tornado sirens blared yesterday evening in the town warning of the coming danger. At about 8:30pm local time the twister struck. Two women and one man lost their lives in the storm. One victim died in a collapsed house, another in a front yard and the third in a Masonic Lodge.
Wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma Wildfires Claim Two Lives, Injure Dozens
Wind-driven wildfires in Texas And Oklahoma proved deadly Thursday afternoon as a Texas couple was killed in the blazes and dozens more injured. The fires in western and central Oklahoma injured at least 34 people and burned over 100 homes. In Texas, a former television reporter and his wife were killed.
High winds, low humidity and an abundance of dry fuels sparked the wildfires and made for prime conditions for them to quickly burn out of control. In Oklahoma the fires started along I-35 and forced its closure for a time although it is now open. Entire towns were evacuated including Healdton, Sparks, Velma, Wellston and Midwest City.
Mother and child killed by tornado in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
A mother and her three month old baby were killed in Murfreesboro, Tennessee today when a tornado went through the central part of the state Friday. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reports that 30 were also injured by the twister as a line of storms stretching from Alabama, across Tennessee and into Kentucky wreaked havoc. The deadly twister comes on the heels of one that killed three people in Arkansas Thursday.
The mother and child whose lives were lost were taken to Middle Tennessee Medical center but were dead when they arrived. The city of 105,000 saw roofs ripped from homes and trees downed as the twister struck the northern and western parts of the city.
Want to be an official storm spotter or maybe just want to learn more about severe weather? Here’s your chance!
We have written before about the great opportunity the National Weather Service provides by giving storm spotter training during the start of the severe weather season. That time is now here and training sessions start in the coming week and new sessions have been added since we last reported on the topic.
The storm spotter program is a nationwide program with more than 280,000 trained spotters. These volunteers report weather hazards to their local National Weather Service office providing vital information when severe strikes. Data from spotters include severe wind, rain, snow measurements, thunderstorms and hail and of course tornadoes.
Storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives.
By completing one of these training classes you can become an official storm spotter. When severe weather strikes, you can report it by calling a special toll free number or submit your report via the National Weather Service’s website.
These are great sessions for anyone wanting to learn more about the severe weather we experience in Colorado, whether you want to be an official spotter or not. All training is free. Topics include:
The Weather Channel's new season of Storm Stories will feature the Windsor Tornado from May 2008. This scary image was taken by the webcam of MyWindsorWeather.com as the twister tore through the town on May 22, 2008.
This Sunday, February 22nd at 6:00pm MST, the Weather Channel will premiere the new season of its series Storm Stories. Most notably, the first episode will highlight a weather event from last year that struck very close to home – the May 22nd Windsor Tornado.
For those that haven’t seen Storm Stories, it is an exciting, sometimes scary and sad series discussing significant weather events as seen through the eyes of those that experienced it firsthand. For the Sunday episode, renowned storm tracker Jim Cantore from the Weather Channel will tell the story of the twister using footage from a variety of sources, including the video most have seen from KUSA (see below).
The kickoff of the new season of Storm Stories is actually the beginning as well of the Weather Channel’s ‘Tornado Week’ in which twisters are front and center. Other episodes of note during the week:
Monday – the “Parkersburg, IA, Tornado” on May 25, 2008, killed seven people and demolished the southern half of the town; first-hand accounts are given by residents.
Tuesday – the “Greensburg, KS, Tornado” on May 5, 2008, wiped out the entire town. The story is told through the experiences of next-door neighbors who saved a mother and her baby from the rubble.
Wednesday – “Super Tuesday” tornadoes cut a swath over a wide area Feb. 5, 2008; touching stories come from people that were affected in Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Thursday – the “Boy Scouts Tornado” hit the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in western Iowa last June, catching everyone off guard. The surviving scouts are forced to put their training to use in the midst of a terrifying situation to help keep injured scouts alive in the aftermath.
The biggest sporting event of the year is of course the Super Bowl and no doubt this year’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals is sure to be no different. Super Bowl XLIII will be held in Tampa Bay, Florida and the weather forecast is looking to be just about perfect – see our game day forecast below.
What about Super Bowl’s in the past? Was there ever any notable weather during the big game? You bet there was. Here are some fun facts (courtesy wx-man.com):
17 of 42 Super Bowls played indoors
16 of 42 Super Bowls had a trace or more of rain nearby
2 Super Bowls had snow on game day (1982,2006)
1 Super Bowl played during an ice storm (2000)
Warmest high temperature of 82° (1973,2003)
Coldest high temp for dome game 16° (1982)
Coldest high temp for non-dome game 49° (1985)
Wettest Super Bowl .92 inches (2007)
Outside games with high wind gust (1980, 1984, 1989,2007)
You will notice there isn’t really any mention of severe weather in those statistics. The NFL has been pretty fortunate on that front with nothing particularly notable – rain always seems to be the biggest threat.
For a more in depth look at severe weather in February in Florida, the Super Bowl forecast and some interesting tornado statistics, please visit our Examiner.com story.
2008 will go down as the second most active year for tornadoes on record.
According to the latest data from the Storm Prediction Center, the number of confirmed tornadoes in 2008 will finish well above average. Final numbers through the end of October count 1,621 twisters, exceeding the average over the last ten years of 1,270 per year.
Once the data is finalized, the year will most likely go down as the second most active tornado year on record since record keeping began in 1950. 2004 was the most active year with 1,871 and the number three year was 1998 with 1,424.
While some alarmists may look to climate change as a reason for what seems to be an increase in the number of twisters, the explanation is actually much simpler than that. Technology like radar now allows us to ‘see’ tornadoes in rural areas that normally would have gone unreported. Further, as population grows, there are simply more people living in areas that were unpopulated before and thus twisters are spotted more often.
What about Colorado? Certainly we all remember the Windsor tornado in May. Beyond that, there were a total of 61 tornado reports in 2008. The actual number of twisters will certainly be lower than that once duplicate reports are removed and the tally is official.
TORNADO TOTALS AND RELATED DEATHS...THROUGH 12/31/2008
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0726 AM CST THU JAN 01 2009
...NUMBER OF TORNADOES... NUMBER OF KILLER
TORNADO DEATHS TORNADOES
..2008.. ..2007.. 2006 2005 3YR 3YR 3YR
PREL ACT PREL ACT FIN FIN AV 08 07 06 05 AV 08 07 06 05 AV
JAN 136 84 29 21 47 33 34 7 2 1 4 2 4 1 1 2 1
FEB 230 148 87 52 12 10 25 59 22 0 0 7 12 3 0 0 1
MAR 150 126 214 171 150 62 128 4 27 11 1 13 3 10 7 1 6
APR 189 189 187 165 245 132 181 0 9 38 0 16 0 3 9 0 4
MAY 597 460 282 250 139 123 171 43 14 3 0 6 10 4 1 0 2
JUN 394 289 152 128 120 316 188 7 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0
JUL 120 94 55 69 71 138 93 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
AUG 145 99 87 73 80 123 92 0 1 1 4 2 0 1 1 3 2
SEP 133 111 63 51 84 133 89 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1
OCT 28 21 115 87 76 18 60 0 5 0 0 2 0 3 0 1 1
NOV 20 - 7 7 42 150 66 2 0 10 28 13 2 0 3 5 3
DEC 50 - 22 19 40 26 33 0 1 2 0 1 0 1 2 0 1
---- --- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
SUM 2192 1621 1300 1093 1106 1264 1159 125 81 67 38 62 37 26 25 13 21
PREL = 2009 PRELIMINARY COUNT FROM NWS LOCAL STORM REPORTS.
ACT = ACTUAL COUNT BASED ON NWS STORM DATA SUBMISSIONS.
TORNADO-RELATED FATALITY NUMBERS ARE ENTERED WHEN CONFIRMED BY NWS
FORECAST OFFICES.
The Doppler On Wheels (DOW) surveys storm clouds looking for tornadoes.
Our friendly little bird from the Discovery Channel continues to offer us – and you – sneak peeks of coming episodes of Storm Chasers. The episode guide for this coming Sunday’s episode says:
HAIL TO THE BEAST – Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Reed and Josh’s teams struggle to find the perfect storm in Nebraska. Reed’s girlfriend Jene gets lost in a deadly hailstorm while the DOW fleet mistakenly drives into an oncoming tornado.
The sneak peek the Discovery Channel has offered us this week is aptly titled, “Green Skies.” As anyone who has been around severe weather knows, green skies mean hail – and tornadoes. We see this is Denver occasionally but in this clip, the TornadoVideos.net team finds themselves separated from each other while under a sky completely filled with green clouds. It is a rather eerie – and scary – effect.
Now that is heavy metal! The TIV 2 is a machine designed specifically for driving into a tornado. Image courtesy Discovery Channel.
The 2008 tornado season was historical for its ferocity. Record breaking numbers of twisters struck Tornado Alley with a frequency not seen in years. In June, north central and western Kansas were ground zero for tornado outbreaks that went on for days.
ThorntonWeather.com continues to be granted special access to the Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers (Sunday’s @ 8:00pm MST) footage. In this coming Sunday’s episode, the crew finds itself right in the thick of things. The episode guide says:
No Place Like Kansas – Nov. 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
With the DOW and all the chase vehicles up and running again, the team finds themselves hunting in the same territory as the rival TVN crew. Tornadoes are forming all over western Kansas on what looks like the biggest day of the season.
This week’s sneak peak – A funnel cloud begins to form in the skies over Quinter, Kansas as the the Storm Chasers scramble to approach it.
Weather, natural disasters & climate news and information.
