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Tornado Emergency Possibilities


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Any situations in the past that you guys think that a TORE could have/should have been issued and wasn't? I am going to exclude Joplin from this since it has already been discussed extensively.

A few I can think of would be:

- Gallatin, TN (4/7/06)

- Parkersburg/N. Waterloo Metro, IA (5/25/08)

- Picher, OK; Racine/Neosho, MO (5/10/08)

- Castalian Springs/Lafayette, TN (2/5/08)

- Atkins/Clinton/Mountain View, AR (2/5/08)

- Newbern/Bradford, TN (4/2/06) (Especially considering this cell's tornadic history)

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For reference, this is what is in the NWS directive regarding tornado warnings and the use of tornado emergencies.

In exceedingly rare situations, when a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage from a tornado is imminent or ongoing, the forecaster may use the terminology "TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR [GEOGRAPHIC AREA]" in the third bullet of the warning. Additionally, in such a situation, this terminology should only be used when reliable sources confirm a tornado, or there is clear radar evidence of the existence of a damaging tornado such as the observation of debris.

Section 3.3.4:

http://www.nws.noaa....1005011curr.pdf

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Any situation where a tornado has been confirmed on the ground and damage has been witnessed.

I am kind of partial for reserving the term only for metro or highly populated area use where a large tornado is on the ground. Using it just because a tornado is on the ground in an open field seems absurd.

I say the best answer is somewhere in between these two. A tornado on the ground with damage witnessed to a grain farm approaching nothing but open field probably should not qualify. At the same time, a mile wide wedge approaching a town of 1000 people should definitely still warrant at TORE, even if its not a "highly populated area".

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I say the best answer is somewhere in between these two. A tornado on the ground with damage witnessed to a grain farm approaching nothing but open field probably should not qualify. At the same time, a mile wide wedge approaching a town of 1000 people should definitely still warrant at TORE, even if its not a "highly populated area".

I think you have a valid point there. But the question is, are we at a point where confirmed reports can be relayed to the NWS in time to do this? I would venture to say we are close with Facebook and Twitter. Hell, my kids find out when a friend has broken up with someone 30 seconds after it happens.

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At the same time, a mile wide wedge approaching a town of 1000 people should definitely still warrant at TORE, even if its not a "highly populated area".

Bulls-eye.

Parkersburg/New Hartford tornado was a glaring exception to that.

Unfortunately, that phrase has been overused by some forecasters.

It seems personal forecaster preferences sometimes affect this decision, which is a bit of a problem.

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I would think any tornado ef2 or higher in a Major City or any ef4+ in an town where the population is over 10000. Ill give some examples that weren't posted above

Springfield, MA June 1 2011 was an ef3

Minneapolis, MN May 22 2011 was an ef3

Atlanta, GA March 13 2008 was an ef2

Salt Lake City, UT August 11 1999 was an ef2

Indianapolis, IN May 30 2004 due to the Indy 500 ef3

The one out of those that I could have pictured the most being issued a TORE would have been the 2004 indy 500, but all of them should have been considered for it IMO

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I would think any tornado ef2 or higher in a Major City or any ef4+ in an town where the population is over 10000. Ill give some examples that weren't posted above

Springfield, MA June 1 2011 was an ef3

Minneapolis, MN May 22 2011 was an ef3

Atlanta, GA March 13 2008 was an ef2

Salt Lake City, UT August 11 1999 was an ef2

Indianapolis, IN May 30 2004 due to the Indy 500 ef3

The one out of those that I could have pictured the most being issued a TORE would have been the 2004 indy 500, but all of them should have been considered for it IMO

How do you rate tornadoes in real-time?

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I would think any tornado ef2 or higher in a Major City or any ef4+ in an town where the population is over 10000. Ill give some examples that weren't posted above

Springfield, MA June 1 2011 was an ef3

Minneapolis, MN May 22 2011 was an ef3

Atlanta, GA March 13 2008 was an ef2

Salt Lake City, UT August 11 1999 was an ef2

Indianapolis, IN May 30 2004 due to the Indy 500 ef3

The one out of those that I could have pictured the most being issued a TORE would have been the 2004 indy 500, but all of them should have been considered for it IMO

No it wasn't.

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I am kind of partial for reserving the term only for metro or highly populated area use where a large tornado is on the ground. Using it just because a tornado is on the ground in an open field seems absurd.

Compromise between you and turtle's opinion would be any large population center AOA 10,000 people.

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I say the best answer is somewhere in between these two. A tornado on the ground with damage witnessed to a grain farm approaching nothing but open field probably should not qualify. At the same time, a mile wide wedge approaching a town of 1000 people should definitely still warrant at TORE, even if its not a "highly populated area".

Instead of highly populated, maybe it should be densely populated area.

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I would think any tornado ef2 or higher in a Major City or any ef4+ in an town where the population is over 10000. Ill give some examples that weren't posted above

Springfield, MA June 1 2011 was an ef3

Minneapolis, MN May 22 2011 was an ef3

Atlanta, GA March 13 2008 was an ef2

Salt Lake City, UT August 11 1999 was an ef2

Indianapolis, IN May 30 2004 due to the Indy 500 ef3

The one out of those that I could have pictured the most being issued a TORE would have been the 2004 indy 500, but all of them should have been considered for it IMO

For the historical record, the 2004 Indy tornado was F2 and struck several miles from the race track.

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I was witness to this tornado form in Morgan Co., and it went south of the track, thank god. I concur one could have been issued for this storm on that day.

I can only recall the tornado emergency wording from IND on one date...9/20/02. If you subscribe to the tornado emergency concept then this would've been a good candidate due to the population in harms way even though it missed the track by a relatively wide margin.

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