bingcrosbyb Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Hearing some terrible stuff from Pleasant Grove about people that got into their underground basements and they still aren't here anymore Did everything right and it didn't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gastonwxman Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 It's unbelievable of how powerful this storm system was. We all knew it was coming, but things such as the death tolls, damage cost, speed and strength of the storms, etc. were even more horrifying than we figured. Never in my lifetime have I seen anything like this before, and even now I'm still shook up from hearing all those reports about folks getting killed or a town completely leveled. This is truly a demonstration of what Ma Nature is capable of producing, and I really hope that we never repeat this for a very long time. This will definitely go down in history as an event to remember for several years to come. From tornadoes to major flooding, it's all there on the wall. Regarding coverage, I will also agree with some of you about mets like James Spann staying on top of things. I send my congratulations to him for an exceptionally wonderful job of informing folks about the storms. He was at it ever since the afternoon rolled in and kept going right until the end. An example of a very dedicated met who knows how to do their job. Other folks could learn a lot from watching his live stream/channel. I'm still disappointed that some local news like Channel 5 didn't cover it as much as they should have Honestly...I should think a major tornado outbreak coverage is significantly more important than anything else on television. Lives were on the line constantly! For the first time in a long while, I also want to extend a congratulatory message to TWC for doing a great job covering the quad-state tornado, especially once it had got into Birmingham. I recorded a part of their coverage with my camera and will probably upload it on here at some point to let you folks take a look. Thankfully as the night progressed, the line didn't look as bad as I figured it would for the Carolinas. Just your average strong thunderstorm rolled through for some despite that one supercell crossing the mountain/foothill areas in NC. The wind briefly gusted to 50mph with heavy showers and frequent lightning but that's about it. Imagine if timing was completely different with this setup to where the cold front arrived during the afternoon and not the overnight. I'd hate to think how awful things would have gotten here, especially for our friends in Eastern NC recovering from the 4/16 event. Regardless, I pray for everyone back west to be able to get back to their daily lives soon and of course sending my sympathies to folks who had lost a dear family member or friend. Tragic indeed. I know it's ongoing for Eastern NC today but at least now the majority of us can look to MUCH calmer conditions today as the front begins its departure from the Southeast. Thank goodness the tornado madness is over. I hope anyone that originally didn't take storm threats seriously will do so now, and not do anything foolish that could potentially kill/injure you in the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormsfury Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I wonder how the NWS will handle the damage surveys- there are so many tornadoes some may never be properly rated due to the sheer number of tracks and a lack of personnel. Where to begin with so much that happened yesterday. deltadog gave me a heads up yesterday of what was going on and I stayed with the stream from ABC 33/40 up until time to work yesterday. I saw on a PIS they had 3 teams scheduled to survey today but getting all the information for everything will likely take weeks. Just an incredibly tragic day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LithiaWx Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Was told this pic is from Ringgold GA which got clobbered yesterday.. holy sh*t... The structure of that tornado is amazing. All the videos and pics coming out have such well defined textbook tornadoes in it. Amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tullioz Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Was told this pic is from Ringgold GA which got clobbered yesterday.. This is an old photo I believe. I think remember seeing this same shot a year or so ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audioguy3107 Posted April 28, 2011 Author Share Posted April 28, 2011 I want to also give recognition to an outstanding job done by The Weather Channel as well. I know they've taken a lot of heat for their programming and all, but maybe someone got the message b/c it seems ever since last year's Vortex 2 coverage, they've been on top of it. Everytime I've turned it on during a severe weather event, Dr. Forbes and co. have been all over it. Jeff Morrow's coverage with the debris falling around Birmingham was some of the most chilling coverage I've seen knowing that the storm was still miles away. Fantastic job. I still can't believe the death toll......for those pondering the sheer number of casualties, you have to remember that these types of severe historical outbreaks (from a meteorological perspective) are usually on the great plains where towns are few are far between compared to the southeast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebo Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Was told this pic is from Ringgold GA which got clobbered yesterday.. No that is Iowa either last year or the year before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO SciFan Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Was told this pic is from Ringgold GA which got clobbered yesterday.. That is actually from Orchard, Iowa, June 10, 2008 at 9:04 p.m. See here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brick Tamland Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I can't speak for anybody else, but after having the Sanford/Raleigh EF3 on 4/16 miss me by about 15 miles, and then seeing what it and the other NC tornadoes did? I will be taking severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings a lot more seriously than I did before. I used to blow off tornado warnings (what few I've ever been in the path of) because they always seemed to be based off radar data that never actually turned into a tornado on the ground. After this month, I don't think I'll be making that mistake again, and I'll make sure my wife and kid don't either. Does it seem like these two outbreaks (4/16 and 4/26-27) have had a much higher proportion than normal of radar-indicated signatures that actually touched down? I was thinking the same thing. Usually the tornados on radar are not confirmed to be on the ground, espeically not like what we saw here 4/16 and with the tornados yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bevo Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Bingo. Excellent post. I don't know why everyone seems surprised at the rising death toll. When you are told to shelter in place, because it gives you the best chance to survive, and the "place" is completely swept away, you die. No ones fault, its just the way it is. For every person that died thousands sheltered in place and were uninjured. I think we seem suprised at the rising death toll because we aren't used to seeing it, and because the current numbers aren't far from the 315 in 1974. I know I'm guilty of presuming that we'd be better prepared, better informed and less naive now - what, 37 years later? So it's astonishing to see such a rare occasion when these things break all the rules and overwhelm us, in spite of our great strides in severe weather understanding and improvements. People are trying to cope with what just happened because it just steamrolled their confidence in "how far we've come". It's not that hard to understand why the rising toll is causing many to pause and react that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmersonGA Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I have never posted before, as I am strictly an amateur weather nut and stick to reading all of the knowledgeable people here, which I very much appreciate. I live between Acworth and Cartersville, GA, so the damage starts just about 15 miles to my north. Me and my four kids (plus 2 dogs and 2 cats!) spent most of last night in our basement, and are counting our blessings this morning while praying for those impacted by these storms. I spent all day yesterday checking into these forums, plus the great coverage on the Weather Channel and other news stations. With hubby out of town and being solely responsible for 4 children, I was grateful to have advance notice to prepare a comfortable, safe spot to spend a good portion of our night. I do have something to contribute in response to those who ask, "why were there so many deaths when there were so many warnings?" I have many friends throughout this area of Georgia, and not a single one took this thing seriously. Some of them just had the "it can't happen to me so I won't think about it" attitude - one friend stated that she wouldn't go into her basement until she "heard the train" - I don't know how she doesn't know that it would be too late then. Another thing that concerns me, though, is that technology might actually contribute to the problem. Several friends mentioned that they were watching wsbtv, streaming, and with their "nifty radar" they could tell exactly where the storms were heading, and knew it wouldn't affect their neighborhoods even though the sirens were blaring - so they chose not to take shelter. This concerns me, because as I watched wsbtv, the storms would cycle and flare up with rotation very suddenly - it seems like if you were in the initial stages of re-development, there could be damage even if the "nifty radar" was telling you 2 minutes ago your neighborhood was safe. I don't know if that caused anyone any harm, but I do think it is an important point. The technology is great, but I think it can make people complacent. If you don't have a lot of knowledge the way people here do, and you depend on the modern radar and technology - you might take your safety for granted in a volatile situation, or be completely lost if the power goes out. Not sure what the answers are, but the loss of life is surely devastating. Lots to ponder. Thank you all again for sharing your knowledge! Well hey there neighbor. Nice to see a fellow Bartownian in the house. I dealt with family complacency yesterday myself. As Alabama was being torn apart my father was talking about how it was going to miss us. He was singing a different tune at 10pm when he called me from his basement. Funny thing is he has had an upclose encounter with a tornado like something out of the movie Twister and he still shrugs them off. Thankfully we dodged a bullet last night. I'm probably going to drive up to Kingston tonight and check out the damage. I'll post some pictures possibly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeznado Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 This is an old photo I believe. I think remember seeing this same shot a year or so ago. This photo crops up from time to time- this was taken in IA several years ago. A lot of fake pics/vids may start cropping up, a lot of A&%holes out there.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoWeatherman Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 This is an old photo I believe. I think remember seeing this same shot a year or so ago. No that is Iowa either last year or the year before. That is actually from Orchard, Iowa, June 10, 2008 at 9:04 p.m. See here. Thanks! I deleted my post. Now to talk with the person who sent it to me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LithiaWx Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Ringgold, GA tornado.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jburns Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I think we seem suprised at the rising death toll because we aren't used to seeing it, and because the current numbers aren't far from the 315 in 1974. I know I'm guilty of presuming that we'd be better prepared, better informed and less naive now - what, 37 years later? So it's astonishing to see such a rare occasion when these things break all the rules and overwhelm us, in spite of our great strides in severe weather understanding and improvements. People are trying to cope with what just happened because it just steamrolled their confidence in "how far we've come". It's not that hard to understand why the rising toll is causing many to pause and react that way. I'm sure its hard for meteorologists to come to grip with the fact that, when it comes to mega severe weather events like the one yesterday, all the advances in forecasting and warning times only allow them to tell people a bit sooner that some of them are going to die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATL_Militarypolice Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 From another forum: A poster on another site has stated that WHNT is reporting 36 found dead so far at a housing project in Tuscaloosa, and those are new numbers, not included in current death toll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bevo Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I'm sure its hard for meteorologists to come to grip with the fact that, when it comes to mega severe weather events like the one yesterday, all the advances in forecasting and warning times only allow them to tell people a bit sooner that some of them are going to die. Agree 100% - I would even think some may struggle with feelings of responsibilty or fault in some way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brick Tamland Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 I think we have seen the worst possible scenario with the tornados yesterday in Alabama. A monster tornado, staying on the ground for a very long time, hitting in well-populated cities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bingcrosbyb Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Unconfirmed: 40-50 more bodies recovered from "Rosedale Square" housing in Tuscaloosa. Personnel on scene expect total to escalate. I'm trying to be very cautious with wording, but hearing a number that is too staggering to post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATL_Militarypolice Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 From Brent Adair's FB:Just got information from a search team member in Pleasant Grove, AL....well built homes are no where to be found and people died in there basements. Some basements even damaged or "gone". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkman Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 ..PRELIMINARY EF-4 TORNADO IN MONROE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI SMITHVILLE TORNADO * COUNTY/COUNTIES: MONROE * LOCATION/TIME OF EVENT: DAMAGE AT SMITHVILLE 344 PM CDT * BEGINNING POINT: UNKNOWN * ENDING POINT: UNKNOWN * RATING: EF-4 * ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 190 MPH * PATH LENGTH: UNKNOWN * MAXIMUM WIDTH: 1/2 MILE * FATALITIES: 13...5 STILL MISSING * INJURIES: 40 * SUMMARY OF DAMAGES: DOZENS NEWLY CONSTRUCTED TWO STORY FULLY BRICK HOMES LEVELED. TREES DEBARKED. PROFESSIONAL BUILDINGS DESTROYED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psalm 148:8 Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 The SPC nailed this time with their risk areas....and WSB in Atlanta was excellent as well....I am very troubled by the reports I am hearing that FOX in Atlanta cut to American Idol....Stuid is as stupid does....Very disappointed....I personally do not think much of Glen Burns, but he and the others at WSB do a fine job in storm forecasting/nowcasting....and they did great on the storm in Troup last night...The weather channel and Dr. Forbes also did a fine job! Officially on the SPC page, it was not reported in as yet as a tornado in southern Troup County...that will change and one more red dot will be added to the map....In my 40 years in Troup county, we have never missed a day of school due to tornado/tstorm damage...this is a first....We have had hurricane days though. A report through a friend of a friend.....When the tornado came through, a pastor and his family huddled in a bath tub during the storm....when the storm was over, them and the bath tub were 30 feet from the house... all were safe. (They and their kids were in the bathtub with pillows over their head and saying their goodbye's when the tornado picked them up, destroyed the whole house and the next time they looked up, they were in a field about 30 ft. away from their house still in the bathtub. That was the only thing left of their house.) Read the story here and see the pics of the house. LaGrange Daily News Locally I can only find report of 6 minor injuries here....Gov had declared a state of emergency in our county. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brick Tamland Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 WAFF reports 147 people are dead between Franklin County and Hackleburg County in AL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bingcrosbyb Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Based on these and other reports, the number dead is going to be an unfathomable number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LithiaWx Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Based on these and other reports, the number dead is going to be an unfathomable number. yep, I glad we don't have speculators here....Everyone knows it's going up I just hope it does not get too high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pea Ridge Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 WAFF reports 147 people are dead between Franklin County and Hackleburg County in AL. Thanks for the report. Slight correction. Franklin County (Phil Campbell) and Marion County (Hackleburg). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyewall Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Well the story out of the Rosedale projects in Tuscaloosa is nothing less than horrifying. EMS called in a cold storage unit because of all the bodies they found so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATL_Militarypolice Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Well the story out of the Rosedale projects in Tuscaloosa is nothing less than horrifying. EMS called in a cold storage unit because of all the bodies they found so far. Yea, that's not good. twitter @tuscaloosa tornado that EMS has reached decimated area east of Rosedale housing projects. "Dozens of bodies" are in the streets and have asked for a cold storage unit from the State. THIS IS NOT the same request that we heard from for the mobile morgue last night...that was on the GA AL line. Weather channel reporter is in the middle of a debris field...said he could hear moans coming from rubble, with no organized rescue within site. HVY equipment needed for extraction but the area is just too damaged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brick Tamland Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Yea, that's not good. What are these twitter feeds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATL_Militarypolice Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 What are these twitter feeds? Yea twitter posted on another forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.