Severe Weather 2013 Spring, Summer and Fall

[my_tee_mouse]

Thank you for your concern. We are doing great. We had some violent winds and heavy rain, but fortunately it was short lived on Tuesday. Yesterday we got over two inches of rain in less than an hour and had some localized flooding in my part of Greene County, other areas had some trees down as well as the flooding. Thank goodness we are supposed to be relatively strom free for Memorial Day weekend!

I am with you on the pets. I was supposed to go to the store on Tuesday, but I refused to leave my two cats and my ferret home alone with the severe weather. I loved the video of the little old lady who found her doggy while giving an interview. No matter how many times I watch that video I still cry tears of joy for her and her little pooch. I am praying that many more pets and owners can be reunited in the days to come.lease:

Also, in regards to the little dog that was found with her deceased "owner", turns out that was not the case, here is an update on her story.

http://www.kctv5.com/story/22401174/dog-who-guarded-bodys-owner-is-alive-they-have-been-reunited

Good news for the pup and the pup's daddy. So sweet of the pup to stay with the poor deceased person. Animals have such big hearts. Thanks for sharing the updated information!

 

[Show Me]

Addition TorCon index information is available on the TorCon link below in my signature.

Sunday, May 26

Isolated severe thunderstorms in east-central and southeast MT, southwest ND, west and south SD, NE, northeast WY, west and central KS, west OK, east TX panhandle and southwest TX from near Childress to Midland and Fort Stockton. TOR:CON - 4 south-central NE; 3 west NE, southwest SD. Severe thunderstorms spread into west IA overnight. TOR:CON - 2 to 3

TOR:CON details:
IA west - 2 to 3 (Sunday night)
KS west, central - 2 to 3
MT southeast, east-central - 2
ND southwest - 2
NE south-central - 4
NE west, north-central, east - 3
OK west - 2
SD west, south - 3
TX east panhandle, west near Childress to Midland, Fort Stockton - 2
WY northeast - 2 to 3


Monday, May 27

Isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms in southeast MT, southwest ND, northwest, central, and southeast SD, extreme southwest MN, IA, central and east NE, northwest, central, and northeast KS, north MO, west OK (excluding panhandle), west TX in a strip from Childress and Wichita Falls to Abilene, Midland, and Fort Stockton.

TOR:CON - 4 northeast KS, southeast NE, southwest IA.TOR:CON details:
IA southwest - 4
IA northwest, central, southeast - 3
KS northeast - 4
KS central - 3 to 4
KS northwest - 3
MN southwest - 2 to 3
MO north - 3 to 4
MT southeast - 2
ND southwest - 2
NE southeast - 4
NE south-central - 3 to 4
NE southwest, north-central, northeast - 3
OK west half (excluding panhandle) - 2
SD northwest, central, southeast - 2 to 3
TX west in strip near Childress and Wichita Falls and Fort Stockton - 2


Tuesday, May 28

Isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms in east SD, northeast NE. TOR:CON - 2

Wednesday, May 29

Could be a severe thunderstorm outbreak. Scattered severe thunderstorms in SD, west half NE, west KS, west OK, east TX panhandle.

TOR:CON
KS west - 4
NE southwest - 4
NE northwest - 3
OK west third - 3 to 4
SD east - 4
SD west - 3
TX east panhandle - 3 to 4

 

[Shelby1]

Looks like we have some serious storm possibilities this week.

 

[oceanblue]

Thanks Show Me for posting the predictions. I'm in MO without a basement and I appreciate all the info. I like to be as prepared as possible!

 

[SeekingJana]

As has been discussed in this thread, there are NO public storm shelters in most of OK and N. TX ( I don't know about the rest of TX).
I wondered why when we moved here, as I was very used to them being in the deep South, although I only went to one church once when I was living in a townhouse nearby. So I utilized a public facility exactly once in over 30 years.

Here's an article from my county's newspaper from the Sheriff explaining ( I guess) why no public storm shelters have been built. I also think an unspoken reason is liability issues if someone was hurt inside one.

http://hcnews.com/pages/page_one_news/why-no-public-storm-shelters/

Basically, he says:
People would likely be injured by the storm trying to get to the shelter
Not enough shelters possible to be built for all residents in the county
Shelter just as likely to be hit, sheltering in place just as safe
And a few other reasons.

IDK where the truth really lies on this issue

 

[Show Me]

As has been discussed in this thread, there are NO public storm shelters in most of OK and N. TX ( I don't know about the rest of TX).
I wondered why when we moved here, as I was very used to them being in the deep South, although I only went to one church once when I was living in a townhouse nearby. So I utilized a public facility exactly once in over 30 years.

Here's an article from my county's newspaper from the Sheriff explaining ( I guess) why no public storm shelters have been built. I also think an unspoken reason is liability issues if someone was hurt inside one.

http://hcnews.com/pages/page_one_news/why-no-public-storm-shelters/

Basically, he says:
People would likely be injured by the storm trying to get to the shelter
Not enough shelters possible to be built for all residents in the county
Shelter just as likely to be hit, sheltering in place just as safe
And a few other reasons.

IDK where the truth really lies on this issue

A really good article SeekingJana. I know in some areas of the USA rock just below the soil makes it expensive to build a basement and some areas have too high a water table in the soil making it hard to keep a basement from flooding.

Bank vaults make great shelters above ground. A sturdy built reinforced large interior closet is an above ground option.

I'm hoping you do have a secure place to go at your home?

 

[SeekingJana]

A really good article SeekingJana. I know in some areas of the USA rock just below the soil makes it expensive to build a basement and some areas have too high a water table in the soil making it hard to keep a basement from flooding.

Bank vaults make great shelters above ground. A sturdy built reinforced large interior closet is an above ground option.

I'm hoping you do have a secure place to go at your home?

ShowMe, thank you so much for your sweet and genuine concern for others. You are a lovely poster!!

Since we moved here, we have taken refuge during direct storms under our staircase ( it's a very tall, elaborate staircase) in a " Harry Potter" type room which the house designer designed as a whimsical touch, I think. It is finished out as a small room but has no special reinforcement and is probably too small to have the steel reinforcements done as an after-market renovation. A safe room is a bunker, and this is a very small room to begin with.

Both of us, hubby and I, would prefer an underground shelter. The problem is the soil yes. And those who make underground shelters also jack up the prices here, citing soil, rock, and other things. Our neighbors had to ante up about $30,000 extra when their pool was being excavated because the pool company hit solid limestone which had to be jackhammered out. We are one lot off the river's edge and had no rock ledge like they had when our pool was excavated.

Now, I wish we had built a super duper modern shelter and a smaller pool.
Life is a gamble no matter what, I guess. If I have my way, we will have a small inground storm shelter for the two of us and our small pets before next year's tornado season though.

I have a thread in the JR asking people if they have had an after-market safe room or inground storm shelter built and no one has replied that they have had. I know they are an expensive thing to have but survivors of direct hit tornadoes DO get them built after living through the hell of the storm. I think we must all be pro-active. I wish FEMA would help out some like they used to with funding home storm shelters.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right, SeekingJana?! Helping people to build safe rooms and obtain storm shelters before disaster strikes seems so much more cost-effective than having to shell out money to help people rebuild.

I have learned the hard way that often government entities only look at the bottom line, and in this case the "bottom line" would appear to be preventive measures. But sigh. No one ever said government entities and common sense were synonymous, I guess.

 

[Show Me]

Thank you SeekingJana. Is it cheaper to build a tornado shelter in the winter months? Some construction projects are cheaper in Missouri if you do them in the winter time, like carpeting, sun room building etc.

I don't know why we don't give at least a tax break to people who put a shelter in my-tee-mouse.

I've also seen on tv underground shelters that are very small and maybe only 5 feet tall. Just enough room to protect a family. Probably not good for someone with claustrophobia.

 

[mysteriew]

SeekingJana in artiles I saw about Moore they talked about government money for storm shelters. I think it is through FEMA. It is probably because they are in tornado alley. Why don't you give them a call and see if any is available for your area?

 

[tlcya]

See the little red tornado warning in central IL? Yep that's us, although unless they extend it it should end in a few minutes.

The heaviest downpour with driving winds and rain just moved past about 15 minutes ago. The rain was driving straight sideways. Kinda scary for a few minutes there but all is well for me and mine.

ETA still keeping my eye out though because the sky and everything has that greenish spooky look to it. Waiting to see if the other shoe is gonna drop.

 

[tlcya]

just to update. Those greenish caste skies I mentioned inteh post above apparently spawned either a small tornado or some pretty scary straight line winds. As I was posting this was happening in a trailer park that is about twenty minutes due east of me. Same park was hit back in 2006 or 2007 when my sister aunt and uncle lived there. Last time was much worse. Thankfully no injuries either time and this and last people have been evacuated do to damages and gas/utility concerns.

http://www.wics.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_11302.shtml

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Thank goodness no one was hurt!

 

[SeekingJana]

SeekingJana in artiles I saw about Moore they talked about government money for storm shelters. I think it is through FEMA. It is probably because they are in tornado alley. Why don't you give them a call and see if any is available for your area?

From what I can glean, Moore, OK, will be or is already eligible for FEMA rebates or FEMA assistance on shelters and safe rooms built to FEMA standards because the city is a designated federal disaster area.

Moore, OK, has qualified for FEMA- aided sheltering once before, when a tornado leveled much of it in 1999. MANY people built shelters then and were safe in this latest monster storm.

There is no disaster declared in the county in which I live where a section was hit by EF-4 tornadoes. There were 3 separate tornadoes, but many or most of the homes damaged were lower income homes. The county is reporting in the newspaper that the monetary damage amount does not meet the federal standard for " disaster relief" aid. IF the county had qualified ( which is a double- edged sword for sure!!!) then there is a very good chance that all residents of this county would have qualified for FEMA aid in shelter building. I think it's WRONG for disaster relief to be dictated by a monetary threshold when so many of the residents had no insurance and lost everything they had.

We have a 6 bedroom house. (We got a great deal on it). To qualify for imaginary FEMA rebates, our 2 person household would have to build a shelter capable of sheltering at least 8 people comfortably, as I understand it, which is larger than we need personally. People cannot under- build a shelter and get FEMA certification and a FEMA rebate ( if rebates were available again).. The size has to be commiserate with the house size and expected occupancy, and the structure must meet or exceed all FEMA standards. Both criteria make sense and are for the good of the inhabitants as a general rule.

 

[Reader]

Midwest braces for more possible tornadoes

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/27/18524573-midwest-braces-for-more-possible-tornadoes?lite

Americans in the Midwest begin another week bracing for severe weather, with forecasters warning of possible tornadoes for a large swath of the country -- including the suburbs of Oklahoma City that were pummeled last week.

The first three days of the week bring the possibility of tornadoes, forecasters said, but the biggest threat is on Wednesday..........

On Tuesday, storms packing heavy rainfall will bring the possibility of large hail, dangerous wind gusts and tornadoes to the
central U.S., according to Weather Channel meteorologist Greg Forbes.

Forbes said that the most severe threat of tornadoes will occur Wednesday, with a huge portion of the country from Texas up to North Dakota at risk. That includes Moore, Okla., where an EF5 tornado blew through last Monday and killed 24 people.........[unreal...those poor people!]

The predictions for potentially devastating storms follow a Memorial Day weekend full of wild weather. Three people died in powerful floods in the San Antonio, Texas, area over the weekend. Some 130 people had to be rescued during a storm that dumped more
than a foot of rain on the city in just 24 hours. Cars and a city bus were swept off the streets.............more...............

******

Our turn is coming.....

NOAA Predicts Extremely Active Hurricane Season

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/20...son-2/?partner=socialflow&smid=tw-nytnational

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its 2013 Atlantic hurricane outlook on Thursday, with a warning that the United States could be hit by up to six major hurricanes this year. The seasonal average is three.

Oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the Atlantic basin are expected to create stronger and more hurricanes, setting the stage for an “above normal and extremely active” season, said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster for NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, who explained the underlying reasons in a NOAA video. [link]

“These conditions include weaker wind shear, warmer Atlantic waters and conducive winds patterns coming from Africa,” Mr. Bell said.......more.......

 

[STEADFAST]

Oklahoma Tornado Doc/Photo Recovery Page -- Facebook page to post photographs and documents found in the wake of the Moore tornado so that the owners can get them back.
https://www.facebook.com/May2013OklahomaTornadoDocPhotoRecoveryPage/photos

 

[tlcya]

awesome link STEADFAST. All those memories. Those are the things that you cannot replace. Photos, birth certificates, cards, poems, drawings of grandkids. So much lost

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Oy. 05/28/13 tornadoes in Bennington and Salina, Kansas area this evening:

[video=youtube;q7TVhkO8C4g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7TVhkO8C4g[/video]

AND


http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/05/28/tornado-reported-near-bennington-kansas

 

[longtallcold]

This was last night in MI - we usually don't see rotation like what was seen last night - more threat all week long! I don't like it, and we have a basement!


More at link: http://www.wnem.com/slideshow?widgetid=81639

 

[Show Me]

Wednesday, May 29

Severe thunderstorm and tornado outbreak likely in SD, NE, KS, west and central OK, northwest MO, IA, central and south MN, central and southwest WI, extreme northwest IL, east TX panhandle, west TX near Wichita Falls, Mineral Wells, Abilene, San Angelo, Del Rio. TOR:CON - 6 west OK; 6 central KS and south-central NE.

Isolated severe thunderstorms in southeast MI, NY, VT, NH, MA, CT, north and east PA, north NJ, northeast OH. TOR:CON - 2 to 3.

TOR:CON details:
CT - 2 to 3
IA - 3
IL extreme northwest - 2 to 3
KS central - 6
KS west - 5 to 6
KS east - 4 to 5
MA - 2 to 3
MI southeast - 2 to 3
MN central, south - 3
MO northwest - 4
NE west - 2 to 3
NE east - 4 to 5
NE south-central - 6
NH - 2 to 3
NJ north - 2 to 3
NY - 2 to 3
OK west - 6
OK central - 5
PA north, east - 2 to 3
SD west, central - 2 to 3
SD east - 3 to 4
TX east panhandle - 5 to 6
TX near Wichita Falls, Mineral Wells, Abilene, San Angelo, Del Rio - 2 to 3
VT - 2 to 3
WI central, southwest - 3