jonsidneyb
Well-known member
This was not a big tornado but took off roofs and sent debris of several buildings more than a mile away.
Horrible Tornado Season in USA
- Thread starter Peggy
- Start date
Onimua
Well-known member
I'd like to know where they're hiding because I rarely see or hear any tornado sightings here.
When it happens, the news around here mentions them, but that is very far and few between.
Peggy
in memoriam 2016
Oh I'm prepared. We have our kit and plan in place. I've lived long enough and been through enough of these to know what to do.
I've run through drills over and over with my son even since he was old enough to understand.
However, since he does have autism, often autistic kids are impervious to danger, and when they DO get it, they tend to freeze. This is my greatest fear.
However, I was really inferring in my post to the tornado sirens. Half the time, in my area, they don't even work. On the news last week, after a tornado hit Trumbull county, which is only a few miles to the north of where I live, the Emergency management team admitted that when they sounded the sirens, 5 out of the 8 didn't go off.
Like I said, you have very little warning.
Peggy
in memoriam 2016
Most tornadoes in Florida occur in the central, west-central, and north part of Florida. Moreso in the gulf areas than on the atlantic side.I'd like to know where they're hiding because I rarely see or hear any tornado sightings here.
I went through many while I lived there.
Onimua
Well-known member
That is a big problem. Aren't there any mandated tests that have to be done every few weeks or something?
Bob
Well-known member
I'd like to know where they're hiding because I rarely see or hear any tornado sightings here.
I'd lived in Tampa for 5 years and never seen one. Moved to Atlantic Beach (Jax) and within a few months seen several (all during the major hurricane run we had). Whats worse than Tornado's are the Micro Bursts during the Hurricanes... you can't SEE them like you can a funnel cloud. Hurricane Francis was the worse and this is what a Micro Burst can do... This 25 Ton Hickory Tree decided to fall on my roof :/ Went through 5 Hurricane that season... said F That and moved back to Montana lol
jonsidneyb
Well-known member
I'd like to know where they're hiding because I rarely see or hear any tornado sightings here.
I see you are in Florida. It did mention that most of them are F-0 and F-1. Those are the milder tornados and I don't think make as much news. Don't tornado's accompany hurricanes. Perhaps when a hurricane hits it causes the numbers to show it large batches.
How far out into the ocean is considered part of Florida. Maybe most of them are out to sea. I have no idea on the numbers.
jonsidneyb
Well-known member
http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-n...nadoes-reported-this-year-than-all-ar-202993/
From here I gather that most of them are F-0 and don't last very long. If all tornado's where F-0 they would not cause as much fear.
"What Florida has in numbers, it lacks in tornado punch."
"Those tornadoes are small, don't last long and pack winds topping out around 85 mph, Godsey said. That would make them an EF0 on the weather service Enhanced Fujita scale that measures tornado strength.
The summer may produce the hit-and-run tornadoes but winter storms spawn larger, longer-lived twisters like the nine that raked West Central Florida on March 31."
From here I gather that most of them are F-0 and don't last very long. If all tornado's where F-0 they would not cause as much fear.
"What Florida has in numbers, it lacks in tornado punch."
"Those tornadoes are small, don't last long and pack winds topping out around 85 mph, Godsey said. That would make them an EF0 on the weather service Enhanced Fujita scale that measures tornado strength.
The summer may produce the hit-and-run tornadoes but winter storms spawn larger, longer-lived twisters like the nine that raked West Central Florida on March 31."
Onimua
Well-known member
True, but we also tend to be very dramatic with things.
And I actually didn't know about tornados coming ahead of the hurricanes. I thought the winds coming off a hurricane (moving in one direction from the circle) would prevent them. Learn something every day.
jonsidneyb
Well-known member
Here is a Tornado hot bed in Kansas. This is how Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas can have soo many in number but so little damage unless a town gets hit, most of our tornado's never get close to people. I have watched a great many tornado's in the distance that did nothing but mess with grass and wheat, some fairly large ones.
jonsidneyb
Well-known member
Yep, hurricanes can produce tornado's
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2005/0608-hurricanes_spawn_tornadoes.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2005/0608-hurricanes_spawn_tornadoes.htm
Peggy
in memoriam 2016
Every Friday at noon in my area of Ohio.That is a big problem. Aren't there any mandated tests that have to be done every few weeks or something?
Peggy
in memoriam 2016
That was just about 6 years ago right? Heh I was living about an hour north of Tampa in a little town called Homosassa Springs. Had 4 hurricanes hit us that summer. I sold most of our stuff, packed up my son and moved us to Ohio.
I have never looked back.
Bob
Well-known member
yuppers.. 2004 ... that was one hell of a hurricane season. Francis hit 3 weeks after Charley. Ivan and Jeanne were the other two majors that hit and there was one other (can't remember the name lol). I did the same thing.. after getting the house fixed up, I sold it and move back to Montana... now I just visit during non hurricane season
jonsidneyb
Well-known member
I have never seen a hurricane so I have no idea what they are like. I imagine the large amount of water it is bringing with it makes it very different then the wind of a tornado.
Onimua
Well-known member
Actually, some hurricanes can have very little in the way of rain (at least flooding rain). I still think a tornado is far more dangerous than a hurricane can be in most cases, particularly because you can prepare for a hurricane and have time to get out. Most of the time you don't have that chance with tornados.
Generally speaking they're not that different. Tornado is more compact but has higher speeds, but they both share common elements like strong winds and rain. I guess you could think of a hurricane as an oversized tornado.
Fred Sherman
Well-known member
Been through 5 hurricanes, and a number of tropical storms. In each case, we had warnings days prior and could prepare or even evacuate.
Tornados are different. The warning system needs to be improved. Its typically issued on a county wide basis, which means the further west you are within the county, the less warning time you receive.
Sometimes you do get advanced warning for tornados as well. On April 26th in TX/OK/LA and the following day for MS/AL/GA, the National Weather Services issued a PDS warning, a Particularly Dangerous Situation - less than 3% of all severe weather warnings get this classification. The combination of a strong dry line meeting warm saturated Gulf moisture along with a upper level wind sheer perpendicular to the line made it a textbook environment for strong (EF4/EF5) tornados. We had a good 12 hour notice to be prepared.
On the date of my picture, the NWS issued another PDS for our area. We had roughly 6 to 7 hours of warning for that event. Just 16 years ago, in 1995 which was the worst tornado year I can remember before this year, we didn't get this kind of advanced notice.
In our area, we have advanced doppler radar systems covering the region. The local weather forecasters can see developing rotation before it even becomes a tornado or even forms the telltale hook echo on radar. The latest upgrade allows them to see hail cores which also appear to the NE of a developing tornado. There are patterns in the storm that can help predict when and where a tornado will occur. The science is getting better.
The Vortex 2 project, in its final year, will add to that body of science significantly, in spite of being run by Okies.
Chimpie
Well-known member
Okay, it's been years since I've seen Twister so I don't recall which weather center was featured in the movie. I want to say it was Norman, OK, but can't say for sure. Where ever it was, I still have to disagree with, "The warning was not sounded until after all this had happened. In fact this system was not expected to have a tornado in it, at first it was called a micro burst but that has been changed." Tornado, microburst, whatever it was, severe weather WAS predicted for that day.
Chimpie
Well-known member
Yet another reason to have a NOAA Weather Radio.
When the NWS issues a watch, warning, special announcement, etc., in addition to websites and tv and radio mediums, it's also sent out over the Weather Radio frequencies. The radios will be alerted so that you can listen to the bulletins as soon as they are issued. From years of experience working with emergency management agencies in one fashion or another, most of the times the sirens are turned on after they (EMA offices) receive a warning via the NOAA Weather Radios. By having the same NOAA Weather Radio in your house, you will get the information before they even turn on the sirens.
Also, keep in mind that sirens are/were designed to warn those that are OUTSIDE that severe weather is approaching. They were never designed to warn those who are inside.
Chimpie
Well-known member
Hurricanes can be and are very dangerous. The winds closer to the eye are stronger than those further away.
Besides the eye, you have to watch the feeder bands, which can reach land days before the eye does. Feeder bands often breed tornadoes which can cause just as much if not more damage than the eye. Heck, just yesterday there was an area of interest (tropical) that formed just off shore from Jacksonville and continued west-southwest toward Tampa. Has the center of the area hit Jacksonville, a feeder band-like area came across Tampa and dumped a decent amount of rain. Wind and heavy lightning was also present.
For those that don't know me that well, I run www.skywarnonline.com, a site that supports the National Weather Service's Skywarn storm spotter program. I've been involved with Skywarn since about 1997. I've also been a volunteer with the American Red Cross since 1997 and just recently returned from Alabama where I led the relief efforts in two counties in the northeast corner of the state.