Storm News

A massive storm system stretching from Texas up to Minnesota was moving northeast on Sunday when it spawned several tornadoes that touched down in Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa, causing damage and injuries. A trailer park community located near Oklahoma City was struck by a twister that flattened homes and sent residents running for cover. At least four tornadoes touched down in the state of Oklahoma Sunday, injuring a couple dozen people.

The large system also dropped hail the size of softballs and heavy rain as it marched across the country’s mid-section Sunday. In the central portion of Oklahoma, homes were ripped off their foundations, powerlines were down and trees were torn out of the ground. The Twin Lakes area outside Wellston saw some of the worst damage that roared through Sunday afternoon, prompting the governor of Oklahoma to declare a state of emergency for that county as well as for fifteen others.

A tornado was also spotted south of Wichita late Sunday which put that city and the surrounding areas under a tornado warning. The twister took down some power lines and damaged a few homes but no massive damages were reported nor were there any injuries. There were also tornadoes spotted on the ground near Udall and Emporia, KS.

The weather forecast is not looking good for the mid part of the country early this week. Forecasters are warning that there very well could be more tornadoes as well as large hail and damaging winds as the low pressure system in the Plains will keep things very unstable and stormy as we head into the new work week. The threat for bad weather including tornadoes will move its way into the Great Lakes area by late Monday or early Tuesday where large hail and damaging winds are also possible.

May is usually a very active tornado month in the US but this year it’s been quite slow. However, there was a deceptively quiet beginning to the tornado season in 2011 but that season ended up being one of the most deadly on record. The Joplin, MO tornadoes and those which touched down in several other states resulted in May 2011 being above average with over 300 tornadoes being reported, 178 deaths, thousands of injuries and billions of dollars worth of damages.

People living in the Midwest are being told that a strong spring storm is heading their way. That’s not great news for people living in dozens of Michigan counties as a great portion of the Great Lakes State has had more than its share of rain over the past week or so. There are flood advisories in effect for several lower Michigan counties Wednesday of which many may be changed to flood warnings as heavy rain is in the forecast.

In the west, scattered snow is expected throughout the day Wednesday in the central Rockies. Snow will be falling in the central High Plains as well and on to the Red River Valley as stormy weather grows stronger over the eastern portion of Nebraska. There are flood watches in effect from Missouri to Michigan Wednesday as a big system from the west is moving toward the Corn Belt and on into the Great Lakes. Between two and four inches of rain may fall from the eastern portion of Oklahoma to Michigan over the next few days, making flooding fears more intense for scores of potential flood victims.

People living in the southern portion of Minnesota have a real ‘slop fest’ to look forward to mid-week. That part of the state could see a variety of weather Wednesday and Thursday ranging from light snow to a rain & snow mix to mainly snow that could accumulate up to five inches or more. And yes, Minnesotans also could see sleet and thunder to broaden the weather spectrum even more. The next wave of weather to hit Minnesota looks to be much stronger, windier and snowier Thursday night into Friday. By the time it all ends later Friday, people there will have seen a little bit of everything and will spend the start of the weekends shoveling yet another batch of wet, sloppy snow off their walks and drives. The Twin Cities of Minnesota have seen its snowiest April in eleven years and if the current forecast plays out as expected, more springtime weather records may be shattered. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Sandbagging efforts were underway in Lake County, Illinois Wednesday as that area braces for flooding. The National Weather Service says that there could be very serious flooding along the Des Plaines River as well as other area rivers and creeks. If that county does get the forecast heavy wet snow and up to four inches of rain, experts say that moderate to major flooding could indeed occur during the coming days.

A strong storm system with moderate to heavy rainfall and thunderstorms is making its way across the Gulf Coast and will begin moving into the Southwest by early Thursday. Because the system is coming off the Gulf of Mexico, it will have a significant amount of moisture in it along with some thunderstorms which may become severe in the northern portion of Florida and adjacent areas of the Southeast. The biggest concerns include strong gusting winds, damaging hail and even the threat of tornado activity. Residents of Florida are being warned to keep an eye on local weather conditions and to be prepared to take cover if need be, some companies were receiving dozens of calls to help with tarps and wind/hail related repairs.

Hail the size of softballs pummeled one Texas town near Houston earlier this week. Residents of Hitchcock, TX were shocked by the fast moving storm that brought large hail with it. Scores of vehicles and homes in the community were damaged by the large pounding hail as were seven of the town’s 11 police vehicles. Forecasters said that large hail also fell across other areas of Texas as did up to two inches of rain. There was flooding in Houston as the heavy rains washed over roadways during the evening rush hour on Tuesday. There were also several reports of basements flooding in the greater Houston area as most of the two or more inches of rain that fell came down within a 2 hour period from 4:30 to 6:30 pm.

The potent storm system that’s taking shape in the Gulf will spread heavy rain, thunderstorms and the risk of flooding and severe weather to a greater part of the southeastern portion of the country Thursday into Friday. Some locales with the greatest risk of dangerous thunderstorms include Tallahassee, Panama City, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, to name a few. Severe weather also could stretch as far north as Savannah, Georgia.

The thunderstorms produced winds in excess of 60 miles per hour in the Houston area Wednesday. It’s being forecast that the same could happen in Florida’s panhandle as well as in northern and central Florida Thursday going into Friday. A bit further to the north, a heavy downpouring of rain will also soak areas from eastern Alabama into Georgia and most of the Carolinas. Residents in many coastal communities along the Gulf are being warned to be aware of the threat of flooding as the rainfall could be very heavy at times. Damaging winds are also a threat as gusts up to 60 miles per hour are possible. Winds of that strength can easily take down trees and powerlines. T

A line of severe thunderstorms attached to a cold front moved through the central portion of Florida Sunday, resulting in widespread wind damage. In Orange County, officials told motorists to drive with extreme caution as there were multiple reports of downed power lines and non-functioning traffic signals. The winds ahead of the line of thunderstorms were gusting at around 40 miles per hour. Some locations in the Sunshine State reported wind gusts in excess of 80 miles per hour. This was the case in the Orlando area Sunday night as wind gusts of 86 miles per hour were recorded at the Orlando International Airport. Over 100 intersections in the Orlando area were without power and working traffic lights Sunday as work crews scrambled to repair downed power lines.

Storm activity in the eastern portion of the country last week triggered a variety of damaging weather stretching from the Southeast to the Northeast, causing over $100 million in insured losses in the state of Mississippi alone. The weather caused baseball-sized hail to fall, strong winds to gust up to 95 miles per hour and at least 480 reports of tornadoes in the Southeast. There was also more than two feet of snow that fell in some portions of the Northeast which put spring on hold for millions of Americans.

Georgia had some strong thunderstorm activity over the weekend. In downtown Atlanta, several businesses sustained damage from the result of trees and limbs crashing into their facades. Gusting winds not only knocked down limbs and entire trees but it also tore down powerlines and badly damaged some homes. The wind even tore doors off the hinges on some Atlanta-area homes, it was that strong.

The storm damage was so severe in Lake City, Florida that the scene there was surreal. Many homes in that community sustained severe damage from fallen branches and trees. A local car dealership had a lot of cleaning up to do Monday as several vehicles were completely destroyed as a result of large tree branches crashing onto them. In total, at least 300 tree branches fell in Columbia county, home to Lake City, displacing at least eight families from their homes.

Now is the time of the year that homeowners should look to their roofs. Missing shingles and lifted shingles which are missing their glue seals should be repaired quickly. If strong wind blows just one shingle off a roof, it can make a whole group of shingles blow off. If the missing shingles are not discovered in time, water can easily make its way into attics causing all types of problems ranging from structural damage to potentially dangerous mold infestations.

The monster blizzard that’s being called Nemo has left about 500,000 people without power across the Northeast and has made travel extremely dangerous and nearly impossible. As of early Saturday, already a foot and a half of snow has fallen in Boston, which is forecast to receive up to 3 feet of snow. If that occurs, it will be the most snowfall ever recorded for that city.

Driving snowfall and harsh winds have been battering the East since Friday afternoon, jamming public transportation and emptying roadways. The blizzard had people all across New England hunkering down to ride out the massive storm. In a move rarely made, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick banned traffic on his state’s roads beginning at 4pm Friday. That is the first time traffic has been banned there since the big blizzard that struck in 1978. The only people allowed to travel in Massachusetts are public safety, utility workers and the news media. Others, if caught, will be fined up to $500 and could face spending a year in jail. The travel ban is being accepted by most because during the big blizzard of ’78, over 100 people lost their lives in New England when they became stranded in their vehicles.

As much as 3 feet could fall in some portions of the East before Nemo moves out of the region. The falling snow is being propelled by winds as high as 75 miles per hour which is creating whiteout conditions all across the region. The harsh weather has prompted city officials up and down the East coast to warn residents of the possibility of significant flooding at high tide Saturday. In some Massachusetts communities along the coast, people were being urged to evacuate their homes Friday night.

Scores of utility crews were being organized to respond to power outages throughout the region Friday. An estimated 4,200 snowplows and tractors were expected to hit the roads Friday night while 5,000 National Guard members were told to prepare for activation. There were already more than 300,000 power outages reported in Massachusetts by 1am Saturday morning. The entire city of Quincy outside Boston was thought to be without power by midnight Saturday. A couple dozen residents were forced to evacuate their Quincy homes Friday night as flooding in their neighborhoods appeared to be imminent.

When people in much of Minnesota return to work Monday, they’ll be facing extremely cold weather. Highs on Monday and Tuesday may be below zero which is uncomfortable to say the least. Extremely cold weather is not only hard on our bodies but on our homes as well. Cold temperatures and high winds which are being forecast for Minnesota can easily result in frozen pipes inside homes.

Plumbers are now gearing up for what could be a big rush in business in places like the Twin Cities area. However, with a bit of pre-planning, a homeowner can avoid having to call a plumber because of frozen pipes. To keep pipes from freezing, turn on faucets so that a small trickle of water runs out out. You also can prevent freezeups by keeping attached garage doors closed to keep cold air out. You also should leave cupboard doors open under sinks and keep the temperature inside your house at the same temp. In other words, don’t turn down your thermostat during a cold snap in an attempt to save money. If you are not going to be home, have someone check on your house daily to make sure that your pipes don’t freeze.

Friday’s warm weather in the Twin Cities resulted in the city closing down several ice rinks and warming stations. However, with the raw, frigid cold coming in, those rinks and warming houses will undoubtedly re-open their doors. Healthcare professionals at Twin Cities’ hospitals already have been busy treating patients for frostbite. At the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, already about 2 dozen frostbite cases have been seen.

So just how cold will it be in Minnesota? The National Weather Service is telling residents of several southern portions of the state that their highs may be between -6 and -10. And, overnight temperatures will be colder with wind chills in the double digits. These types of freezing cold temperatures are rough on vehicles and especially on car batteries. If you suspect that your battery is at the end of its life, replace it now before you end up becoming stranded in the bitter cold because your car won’t start.

The winter storm system dubbed Draco that slammed into the Midwest Thursday is on an eastwardly march, bringing with it heavy snow and high winds. The fierce storm is forcing thousands of people living in the East re-think their holiday travel plans.

The storm system brought blizzard conditions to many locations this week as numerous communities across the Plains and Midwest received around a foot of snow. In Madison, Wisconsin, over 15 inches fell, causing all types of travel headaches there. When the winter storm picks up moisture from the Great Lakes and mountainous areas it will dump more and more snow as it chugs along.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning Friday for portions of West Virginia and Maryland and warned that up to a foot of snow may fall. It also said that the system will have sustained winds of 35 to 40 miles per hour. Some gusts may be as high as 55 miles per hour which will make weekend travel very hazardous. High whipping winds will cause the snow to drift which could possibly close roadways if plows can’t keep up.

In the East, temperatures are expected to dip into the single digits on Saturday as the system moves into that region of the country. Up to 18 inches of snow is predicted to fall further south in portions of Pennsylvania where over 50 mile per hour wind gusts may occur. Officials there are warning people not to venture out on the roads this weekend unless there’s an emergency as roadways will be very slick and white-outs can occur.

Winter storm Draco claimed two lives in Iowa near Fort Dodge when 30 cars piled up on the interstate. That accident was just one of over 100 that took place in Iowa this week when the blizzard struck. Hundreds of airline flights were canceled over the past few days due to heavy snow, ice and winds. In the Great Lakes region, over a foot of snow fell with more expected through Saturday, making for very dangerous travel there.

Draco is the first major winter storm to hit the United States this winter. As it chugged along slowly, it left many downed trees and powerlines in its wake as well as numerous isolated power outages in the Midwest. Fallen trees were the primary concern in many communities as they blocked roads and cut power. In places like Ameren, Illinois, power company workers were out in full force trying to restore power to hundreds of homes as quickly as possible.

Contracting companies, cranes and specialized transport equipment from all across the country were dispatched to the storm-ravaged Northeast in the wake of superstorm Sandy – one of the region’s worst natural disasters on record.

The massive storm which was a rare late-season hurricane, struck the East with incredible power, taking down trees, moving homes like toys and causing widespread severe flooding and power outages due to thousands of trees and power lines going down. Sandy set a record for being the largest hurricane in diameter ever observed in the North Atlantic.

Once the initial rescue, recovery and emergency work was done and much-needed supplies were delivered to those stranded inside their homes and apartments, millions of tons of debris has been hauled away to dumps and landfills. Among the debris being hauled away were over a quarter of a million wrecked vehicles.

The aftermath of Sandy has been nothing short of horrifying and gut-wrenching as there were many lives lost and scores of homes and businesses completely destroyed. Portions of Queens in New York City were obliterated by wind, water and fire. Now, gas is being rationed, many roads are still impassable and thousands of people are still in the dark as power is yet to be restored to many areas.

Thousands of independent contractors, utility workers, volunteers and relief workers from numerous federal agencies also have been arriving in the Northeast during the past two weeks to help storm victims recover and cleanup from the hurricane. What newcomers to the area are seeing is being described as “shocking” and “unbelievable” which are two words locals are also using to describe the widespread devastation left in Sandy’s wake.

Volunteers, recovery workers, firefighters and National Guard members have been working tirelessly in Queens and Staten Island to help clean up the mess by clearing small mountains of garbage, sand and debris. These types of scenes can be seen along across the East as the storm caused massive, widespread damage in hundreds of communities. The misery of cleaning up after Sandy was compounded last week when a winter storm lashed the region with more high winds, rain, sleet and snow. In all, nearly 9 million utility customers lost power at some point between Sandy and the new storm that followed in its wake.

Hurricane Sandy is like a storm the northeast has never seen before. One reason is that most of the Northeast is not used to seeing Hurricanes. Another reason is that Hurricane sandy is a tropical storm which is moving west instead of east, meanwhile at the same time there is a winter storm, which is moving in from the Midwest during a full moon. This full moon will effect the storm surge along the coast, possibly magnifying the strength of the storm.

The nation’s top weather officials are now stating that there is now a 90 percent chance that Hurricane Sandy will hit the East Coast early next week, on Monday or Tuesday, with adverse weather related to the storm slaming the Northeast as early as Sunday. Hurricane Sandy’s first projected landfall in the United States is expected to be somewhere between Virginia and southern New England. Hurricane Sandy is projected to travel toward southeastern and central Pennsylvania before moving north into upstate New York.

State and local emergency officials across the Northeast have outlined their plans among growing concern about the size and potential impact of Hurricane Sandy on the North Eastern states. The projected path is a large swath of the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and New England. The states that will most likely see Hurricane sandy make land fall are West Virgina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and possibly Rhode Island. Hurricane Sandy is being described as one monster of a storm. Hurricane Sandy has the potential to be a Potential historic storm. Hurricane Sandy’s adverse weather may even set new flood records across the North Eastern United States. As Hurricane Sandy makes its way north residents of effected states are urged to be prepared.

People in the projected areas of landfall may start seeing adverse weather, related to Hurricane Sandy as early as Sunday. Rains and high winds, even snow in some areas such as western Virgina. From Sunday to Wednesday there is the strong possibility of losing power in some areas of the projected storm. Emergency Management and Government officials strongly urge everyone in the Northeast to have plans in place not only for the storm, but the possible loss of power and other utilities.

Most of the North East is not used to seeing Hurricanes make landfall. Hurricanes are one of natures most destructive weather patterns. In areas where people are used to hurricanes, less injuries, deaths and property damage result. Residents of hurricane prone areas are familiar with procedures such as emergency boarding of their homes windows for example. All residents of Hurricane Sandy’s projected path are highly urged to prepare for the worst. It does not take a lot to prepare, but failure to do so could result in serious harm to ones family or property. Residents of the Northeast should review their family emergency plans, and make sure they emergency supplies such as batteries, water radio, and emergency shelter. It is better to be prepared and not need to be, then to be caught unprepared should disaster strike.

Strong thunderstorms that pounded portions of the east coast produced two tornadoes in NYC Saturday and caused flooding in many New England communities. Tens of thousands of people lost their power in Washington DC when the storms rolled into the nation’s capital.

A tornado touched down in an oceanfront neighborhood on the edge of the Big Apple Saturday. A second twister touched down a short time later about ten miles away. The two twisters that struck the outer edges of New York City hurled debris into the air and knocked power out. Thankfully no serious injuries were reported although area residents were startled by the twisters as they’re not used to tornadoes in that part of the country.

Some amateur videos taken by area residents showed the first tornado sucking up water, sand and portions of buildings as it moved across a peninsula in Queens. The other twister touched down in Brooklyn along the waterline shortly after the first tornado struck. That twister was stronger – with winds in excess of 100 miles per hour, doing some damage to homes and trees. A tornado warning was issued for Brooklyn twenty minutes before the funnel cloud touched down, giving folks plenty of time to take cover. The tornado picked up picnic tables and dumpsters and tore the roofs off some beach cabanas. While tornadoes are rather rare in the New York City area, there have been a few occurrences over the past few years.

In Buffalo, NY, strong winds ripped roofs off some buildings and sent bricks falling into the city street when the line of thunderstorms moved into the area. In Washington there were reports of malfunctioning traffic lights and downed trees and powerlines. The severe weather that moved into the DC area brought with it lightening, heavy downpours of rain and winds in excess of 60 miles per hour.

A cold front interacted with a moist, unstable air mass, caused the turbulent weather. The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings for many areas across New England Saturday into Sunday which could result in dangerous lightening strikes, large hail heavy rains and possible tornadoes. A warning was posted on the NWS website telling people that if they can hear thunder, they’re close enough to be struck by lightening.