On May 4, 2007, the town of Greensburg, Kansas was devastated by an exceptionally strong tornado. With maximum winds estimated to be in excess of 205 miles per hour, and leaving a damage path as wide as 1.7 miles, the storm would go on to be rated a rare EF5, the first recorded in the United States since 1999. When the storm finally subsided, 95 percent of Greensburg had been destroyed, killing eleven people.
The Setup
May 4 began in much the same way as many other spring days in the Great Plains. Cool, dry air from the north clashed with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, creating the sort of unstable atmosphere that is so common to "Tornado Alley." An intense low pressure system moved in and stalled over the area during the morning hours, providing all the ingredients that meteorologists and storm chasing groups expect for severe weather. With an extremely volatile mix of conditions in place, the National Weather Service began to issue watches in anticipation of developing storm activity.
By late afternoon and early evening, storms began to blow up across parts of Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. Although the storms began with only moderate and disorganized activity, they developed quickly into well-organized, explosive storms. As the day wore on, the National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center began to issue more urgent updates to alert the public to the growing danger. Several storm chaser teams began to close in on the southern portion of Kansas, where conditions appeared most favorable for twister development.
As evening approached, several thunderstorms began to take on the characteristics of a supercell thunderstorm. Supercells, which are intense, broadly rotating thunderstorms, are the most v...
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...ing path that nearly caused it to strike the town a second time. The storm system continued on, spawning another massive twister shortly after that damaged the community of Trousdale. In all, the Greensburg supercell alone was responsible for as many as 22 tornadoes, including at least 12 twisters confirmed by the National Weather Service. During the three-day outbreak, a total of 123 tornadoes were confirmed across several states.
Although Greensburg was almost entirely destroyed, the storm helped to reinforce the important role that storm chasers play in the tracking and warning process of severe weather. By having well-trained, experienced people in the field, meteorologists and weather services are better able to track the exact location and characteristics of tornadic events, relaying that information to the public faster and more accurately than ever before.
Although the tornado of 10 June 1938 has been known about, at least anecdotally, within the scientific community since it was brought to light in 1939 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, this potentially rich source of historic information has lain fallow. It is within this rich field of mobile, American thinking that we undertake this effort. A team of scientists with courage, brains, and even heart brought the resources to bear on the challenge.
In the article by Jeff Piotrowski and the article on the Joplin Tornado: Evil Swirling Darkness, explains that the Joplin tornado took out the city of Joplin, Missouri. The tornado came into the town of Joplin on May 22, 2011 and was about a mile wide. Fires were attacking the city and homes from broken gas lines, and many people were buried alive in their houses. The fire department was gone and no one could find any police to help. Neighbors helped neighbors, pulling each other out of the ruble. Over 125 people had died all from being trapped and suffocated, to be cut open by sharp objects that fell. In the end many people had died and were injured during the tragic tornado that came through and left Joplin in horror and terror.
I have chosen the scene when the tornado actually hits during this scene there are two main characters Dexter and famous storm chaser Dr. Norman Gage. Dexter is eleven years old and loves to study the weather he says when he grows up he wants to be a storm chaser just like Dr. Norman Gage. The other main character is Dr. Norman Gage he has his own T.V. series showing him chase storms but in the scene he makes a terrible mistake of getting out of his car and trying to get some good footage of the tornado and gets swept away. Dexter’s mom and dad allowed him to go storm chasing while they left the town.
...al Kentucky, and a unexpected and maybe the most damaging part of the storm to the southernmost portions of Virginia and West Virginia. A terrible combination of interacting factors contributed to absolutely terrible flooding in the hills and mountain valleys of the Appalachians.
On May 11, 1953 in the town of Lorena Mclennan County in Central Texas this deadly disaster strikes and damage very thing in its path. This intense spinning of a tornado is partly the result of the updrafts and downdrafts in the thunderstorm interacting with the windshirt.
In conclusion, the deadliest and most devastating U.S. tornado outbreak of the 20th century was the April 3–4, 1974, “Super Tornado Outbreak.” It lasted 16 hours and at least 148 twisters tore up 2,500 miles of Earth through 13 states over a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service. The "super outbreak," as meteorologists now call it, left 330 people dead and 5,484 injured. Property losses were placed at $600 million and only ten of the thirteen states that were hit, were declared a disaster area.
At sometime between 4:45 p.m. (Regina: The Early Years, 2014) to 5:00 p.m. (Saskatchewan Archives Board, 2011) local time on Dominion Day, June 30, 1912, a funnel cloud, and possibly a second funnel cloud which dissipated early on, touched down 18 km to the south of Regina, Saskatchewan, near 50.4547° N, 104.6067° W (see Figure 1), and travelled north along the ground (see Figure 2). The tornado, popularly called the Regina Cyclone, first cut through several farmlands, then Wascana Lake, before hitting downtown Regina (Heidorn, K.C., 2008), and continued to travel 12 km north past the city of Regina until it subsided (Saskatchewan Archives Board, 2011). The tornado was three blocks wide (Heidorn, K.C., 2008), and managed to demolish farms, residential areas, the downtown core, and the warehouse and railway districts (CBC, 2013). It traversed the city in about three minutes (Regina Public Library, 2007).
Did you know that the Tornado 2000 whistle was the loudest whistle in its time? I bet you didn’t!
On May 22nd, 2011 a massive tornado hit Joplin, Missouri killing 162 people and injuring 1150. With wind speeds of 322km/h, the tornado made a total cost of over $2 billion for the city. 8000 structures were destroyed, 2000 of which were homes. Many people were left homeless. The tornado held an incredible EF5 rating on the Fujita scale, measured from the amount of destruction. The tragic event lasted 38 minutes, from 5:34 pm to 6:12pm. Cool wind from the Rockies in Canada and warm wind from the gulf of Mexico formed into a supercell thunderstorm creating a tornado in Kansas. The tornado rapidly moved into Joplin and continued on its 35 km path.
The storm of 1938 was one of america's worst natural disasters. A category 5 hurricane with wind speeds up to 150 mph. With no warning to the east coast the hurricane was a big surprise to everyone. Because of the surprise no one was prepared which caused huge impacts. Not only was the storm fatal because no one had time to prepare it was also one of the strongest hurricanes recorded in american history.
A tornado struck Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011 at around 5:40 pm. With a population around 50,559, it killed 161 people and injured approximately 1,100 people. The cost was an estimated $2.8 billion in damage. The American taxpayers had to give about $500 million in recovery money. This made it the deadliest tornado since 1950, which was when modern recordkeeping began. Since it was an EF5 tornado, it destroyed everything in its path. The city was ruined with only piles of debris left. It was a half-mile wide when it hit Joplin and grew to three-quarters of a mile wide. It destroyed nearly 7,000 homes in Joplin and damaged hundreds more. It covered over 1,800 acres of land. The warnings that the Joplin residents received were through three different ways. The tornado warning that was sent out for Joplin’s county was from Jasper County Emergency Operations Center (JCEOC) and they claim that the first siren went off at 5:11 pm. Two other warnings for the Joplin residents was they saw the tornado heading their direction, and the media coverage which was all local electronic media switched to wall-to-wall coverage seeing live footage of the tornado.
About a week later a tornado razed a better part of North Houston. It brought rain. It brought hail. It upended cars; it flooded houses. And in its trail it left fallen branches and trees, and removed, in whole, one tiny tomato-onion-potato-and-green-bean garden located behind my garage.
Tornadoes are one of the deadliest and most unpredictable villains mankind will ever face. There is no rhyme or reason, no rhythm to it’s madness. Tornados are one of the most terrifying natural events that occur, destroying homes and ending lives every year. April 29th, 1995, a calm, muggy, spring night I may never forget. Jason, a buddy I grew up with, just agreed to travel across state with me so we could visit a friend in Lubbock. Jason and I were admiring the beautiful blue bonnets, which traveled for miles like little blue birds flying close to the ground. The warm breeze brushed across the tips of the blue bonnets and allowed them to dance under the perfectly clear blue sky. In the distance, however, we could see darkness. A rumbling sky was quickly approaching.
...encircled by the eyewall, a ring of storms that produce the highest surface winds of the hurricane" (Caldwell, 9) this produces a situation where a plan could easily be tossed of course, should the winds be strong enough. Even if you move past the danger, there isn't any use of this kind of technology for explorers and researchers (besides storm researchers). The main use for this is to warn the publc and prevent as many casualties as
Since storm chasing was established back in 1960’s, Only 7 storm chasers have died during the chase and only three were actually caused by the tornado they were chasing. Even though storm chasing can be deadly, the risks storm chasers and meteorologists take are not high if handled responsibly and are justified by the lives they save.