bad storms in usa

ossie

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
hope all our american members have escaped from that horrendus weather,
it must be terrifying going through them storms.
OSSIE
 

peterg

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Non-VOC Member
Howdy Ossie,

Here's the latest to rake over us, viewed north westward from the bluff overlooking the Miss river downtown. That is a wall cloud in a single supercell storm with a 50,000 ft cap, 38 miles north to south and 32 miles across. As it was only moving 50mph as opposed to some clocked at nearly 90mph, it had for greater potential for destruction because of lengthy dwell time. We used tornado indexes (VTI) here, 9 means a funnel is lifting your roof top off.

This one started about 45 miles out bearing down on city center with a VTI varying between 7.5 and 8.8 and an incredibly defined bow echo which is where air is drawn in by convective effect to feed it. Many lost electricity and and much damage. Our city is known for its extensive tree canopy, 75 to 100 ft oaks with no tap roots essentialy sitting on top of the soil as clay prevents any root penetration. At this size with massive trunks rising sometimes 40-50 ft before the first branch, they succumb readily to wind and routinely obliterate anything in the path of their fall line, cutting houses to the ground. Averaging weather events on this scale in weekly intervals since early March here, it's the tree issue that is the most wearing for those exposed. My Vin's would be reduced to the film thickness of gold leaf if just one of many surrounding us came down.

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mercurycrest

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VOC Member
As terrible as these tornadoes are, I can't help wondering what the Conservative, Climate Change denying, politicians, (i.e. Senator Innohouf) and Faux News will come up with next in order to pander to the Coal and Oil Industries "Profits Above All" mentality. If you saw Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, everything that is happening now and more to come, was explained in detail. You would expect people would have at least checked the Science for themselves. My only question is: When did stupid become a desired trait for the Human Race?
Cheers, John:mad:
 

notap

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
I flew out of Chicago a few days ago though the edge of one of these storms - pretty frightening experience. I certainly felt for all those poor people effected so badly. The TV footage was distressing to watch.

You Americans certainly know how to throw on a good storm - pity about the beer :)
 

peterg

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Howdy chaps,

Not to beleaguer the topic but find these British and Irish metereologists observations regarding this very storm interesting because, as a local, one forgets others aren't familiar with the nuances of these events. Prior to touchdown where airborne refuse then becomes ammunitation to wreak further damage making the sound of a locomotive on its approach, large hail - in this case with a 4 inch radar signature aloft - swirls and smashes together within the vortex in a high cadence drum beat like roar.

Whether a funnel touches down with any strength or not, the outcome of reaching this stage can be ominous as the convected moist ground air surges aloft to extreme heights only to cool rapidly and descend in large columns creating straight line winds in all directions confounding the preparations of those who've taken measures to protect themselves by keeping vegetation minimal to the customary storm entry from the south west.


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