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The South and the bad weather — Parallax Forums

The South and the bad weather

blittledblittled Posts: 681
edited 2011-04-30 14:05 in General Discussion
I just wanted to say that I hope everyone that is where the severe weather was is doing ok. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. It has been a bad year for disasters... New Zealand, Japan and now the southern US.

Comments

  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2011-04-28 07:43
    I am getting ready to leave for Tuscaloosa. This is not exactly the service request I was expecting to receive this morning.
  • Martin HodgeMartin Hodge Posts: 1,246
    edited 2011-04-28 08:03
    We're okay here in East Tennessee. Although we were in the basement at one point. I've seen photos of 1ft high hail-drifts in Faragut, that's Biblical! There is an unbelievable amount of deaths caused by this.
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,568
    edited 2011-04-28 08:28
    As some of you are aware, I live in Oklahoma, right along what's called 'Tornado Alley'. The 'squall line' for most of the storms usually starts just East and South of where I live really only by a couple of miles, right along I-35 & I-44. Typically the storms move SouthWest to NorthEast, but that's not always the case. We are technically just entering the 'tornado season' where the conditions are just right for this kind of weather, where the cold air from the mountains combines with warm air with lots of moisture from the Gulf. In addition, an upper level jet stream disturbance tends to kick-start everything. I have lived in 'Tornado Alley' most of my life and witnessed several tornadoes of my own, but so far this is the worst start that I have seen to the tornado season.

    Basically what I'm trying to say is that unfortunately we have a long way to go yet this season, So keep your thoughts and prayers with everyone so that people will listen to the weather warnings and stay out of harms way.
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-04-28 08:48
    I hope one of you guys comes up with a system that can parse out the National Weather Service weather warnings so that the alarms can distinguish between tornado warnings and other kinds of warnings. When you live atop a windswept hill, it sucks to be repeatedly awakened by the NWS sky alert only to find out it's a warning for a flash flood in a creek 40 miles away.

    Also irksome: why does the NWS use up valuable air time giving tidal reports when the local region is under a freakin tornado warning? When you're in your basement, huddled under the stairs, trying to listen through the static at the robotic voice telling you to take cover, and you're not sure they mentioned your town or not because of the static, but here comes the blippity bleep tidal report for the next 24 hours.... geez!
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-04-28 08:52
    Man, it's hard to fathom, after the mayhem that's already occurred, that the tornado season is just getting started! Up here in the Gray Pacific NorthWet, we snivel incessantly about gloom and drizzle. We really should count our blessings and quit whining.

    -Phil
  • RavenkallenRavenkallen Posts: 1,057
    edited 2011-04-28 09:16
    This is the worst tornado outbreak since the '74 super outbreak. They said that it has killed 210 people so far. That is just so horrible. We need to be praying for these poor people and their families...
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2011-04-28 09:22
    @Phil, seriously!

    It's looking to be a rough season. Stay safe.

    (1' high hail is unreal, sheesh!)
  • Erik FriesenErik Friesen Posts: 1,071
    edited 2011-04-28 11:38
    I live in Southern Indiana. The worst this year is getting my axesstel internet router nearly hit by lightning. I say nearly hit, but the desk had a melted spot on it, and the wall is black, plus I had to replace a bunch of stuff. Lesson learned. If you use an outside antenna, go to the trouble to ground it like you are supposed to, even if its below the roof line.

    Wundermap has storm tracks on it, that show tornadic storms as a purple triangle. I like it, it kind of shows whats happening better than just SAME weather radios. The problem with bad weather is that if you wait to see if its bad or not, its too late to do much, unless you live in wide open spaces where you can see whats coming better.
  • Martin HodgeMartin Hodge Posts: 1,246
    edited 2011-04-28 18:42
    http://im.knoxnews.com/MediaItemView.aspx?id=1254116

    This has never happened here as long as I can remember.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-04-28 19:10
    Wow, I'd hate to be the underwriter for their automobile comprehensive coverage! I only saw hail that big once (but not nearly that much of it), while growing up in Indiana. My folks had just put aluminum siding on the house and had to have a bunch of it replaced.

    -Phil
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2011-04-28 19:11
    Some amateur videos of these tornadoes have been posted on You Tube. In one of the videos the person taking it didn't say a word, but you heard their breathing speed up as the tornado came closer, and then heard the roar of the tornado. Very scary even as a video.
  • william chanwilliam chan Posts: 1,326
    edited 2011-04-28 19:49
    2012 is just next year...
  • Peter KG6LSEPeter KG6LSE Posts: 1,383
    edited 2011-04-28 22:34
    NWS has a Mobile version of there radar that is Cellphone frednly .

    I would use a computer but as soon as I get thiunder I unplug everything .

    no point toasting $10,000 in gear in my room .

    Mind I storm chase so I do not stay In my room If its bad . I am in car with more cams then a NSA spy van .

    Peter...
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2011-04-30 11:58
    I'm visiting family for a week in Charleston SC and I'm thankful & happy to report that other than a good thunderstorm while driving through Kentucky on Wednesday, the weather is great and there hasn't been any damage here. My brother lives in Raleigh, NC, which got pounded last week, but the spectacular damage sensationalized on the evening news was very localized.
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2011-04-30 14:05
    Back from the Tuscaloosa area, where the customer's HD was blown up by the power surge when the power lines went down. We actually skirted Tuscaloosa so didn't see the major damage, but we did pass one point where a powerful tornado crossed the road. There was a small cluster of four slab foundation houses and a double-wide mobile home; in a weird reversal of expectation all the houses had been reduced to toothpick piles and bare slabs, but the double-wide had only sustained minor damage and was still intact.
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