Freak Storm and Tornado Front blast through The South on Super Tuesday Night

[stephendare]

 "Rare" February tornadoes killed at least 44 yesterday. Storms continue today

Those fierce storms ended up killing 44 people yesterday. The word "rare" has been used to describe tornadoes in February:

    More than 50 tornados hammered the South overnight, flattening cars and buildings, ripping up trees and leaving at least 44 dead.

    The rare winter occurrence became one of the deadliest storms in history for the month of February, and the rampagewasn't over.

    By early this morning, New Orleans, Alabama and Georgia were all under a tornado warning, as the storm moved menacingly eastward.

    The rash of twisters, spawned by violent thunderstorms, tore through seven states, including Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi

[Jason]

That's scary stuff.  Hopefully this storm front will dissapate enough before it gets to us tonight..

[Ocklawaha]

Yeah, old wives tales... "Tornado Alley"... Everyone knows, Oklahoma, Kansas (See the Wiz), up through the Dakotas and East into Ohio and Tennessee are all bad locations for tornadoes.

FOR EXAMPLE:

A "tornado watch" simply means that conditions are right for tornadoes to develop in a storm cell...

A "tornado warning", means a tornado is CONFIRMED on the ground and moving in a certain direction...Take Cover!

Yet our city, county and state, and our news media can't even get those basics straight. I bet I've heard at least 20 "Tornado Warnings" since August right here on Television. Worse yet, do we have a system of Sirens? Simple pole mounted warning devices that could be used for tornado, tropical storms, tsunami, or even air raids. Mounted every couple of miles over the city in a grid these are found from Georgia to Colorado, BUT NOT IN FLORIDA!

We don't report tornadoes on the news either, they always use the NWS first report of "Freak High Winds" and never the conclusive report of tornado. Once the final reports are in guess which state has the MOST TORNADOES per mile in the USA?

FLORIDA!

Guess which part of the state is most prone to Tornadoes and Earthquakes?

FIRST COAST!

I don't want to hear it, if your one of those who replies that "yes, but we never get the serious ones like Texas and Oklahoma..." Guess you missed the swarm that hit Orlando a few years back and killed... 40 was it??? Or maybe you missed the ones last year near Deland and Ocala that also killed and leveled miles and miles including one whole village. As a City Councilman in Oklahoma during the infamous MAY 3 outbreak, largest in history, I was required to attend the NWS studies, spotter school and NWS - EMS training. Without citizen pressure, any summer storm could turn our city into a shambles and a death trap, and we wouldn't even have quality warnings.

Now THIS is a subject we should do an MJ article about...

TWISTER???

"Ever seen an F-5?"

(Camera pans back, and everyone looks stunned, conversation at table comes to a stop)

Matter of fact one roared right over my shelter on that May 3 day, then a second one, an F-4 following the same track! Your ears pop, the pressure changes, humidity is horrible, then those sounds, the sounds of driving through one of those service station car washes. Roar of fans, water spray and whipping around, motors screaming... You are below the ground and still the hair on your back raises. You have just witnessed the hand of GOD!

Ocklawaha

[adamh0903]

A tornado warning can also be issued if Doppler Radar detects storm rotation, which can be done by frequency. Lower if wind is moving away from the radar, higher if wind is moving toward it.

[reednavy]

This is a very personal event. I'm from near Nashville and my parents house sustained damage, from hail and winds. A family friend in Germantown watched as it went behind her subdivision and watched trees go down about 250yds from her. Ock, you were in Moore for the 2 tornadoes?! I was as well. I'm also a meteorologist at NAS JAX btw ya'll.

[adamh0903]

I have always been fascinated by weather, when I was little I was sit in the pilot house of my grandfathers shripboat at mayport and watch all the screens and radars he had in there, I think thats where it started. I really wanted to go into meteorology but I never made it happen.

[Ocklawaha]

"MY TWINS" were the tracks that skirted NW of OKC seen in blue... reported as F3/4 but said to be 5 when they passed over us (lifted thank GOD) and when they hit Mulhall.


Where a Town once stood. MULHALL OKLAHOMA!

Nice to know we don't live in tornado alley right?


Compare this photo with the one above... Same Tornado right? NOT! This is the Central Florida town of Lady Lake, after last years storms.

Ocklawaha