Friday, February 29, 2008

Ozark Storms - Best Resource Blog 2008

Ozark Storms was awarded the Best Resource Blog 2008 by the Springfield Local Area Blogger's Association. Thank you to everyone who cast a Blogaronis vote for Ozark Storms. It was a pleasure to spend time with the other local bloggers at the awards ceremony. Fat Jack did a great job hosting the event. Thanks to all for their hospitality and being kind to a new face.

There is some real talent in that group, not to mention diversity. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners. It's been great to go through the list and visit blogs I haven't been to before. My RSS reader subscription list has grown!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Major Ice Storm - February 11th, 2008

Damaging winter weather has devastated the SW MO area once again. Ice and sleet blasted in on Monday February 11th, and caused hazardous travel, major tree damage and power outages. From my observation, this was worse than the one that hit January 14th, 2007. The damage and power outages back then may have been worse, but had that 2007 storm not already caused major tree damage and cleared the way, this storm would have done the same and probably worse.

Ice accumulation in the Springfield area was in the neighborhood of one inch or more. Trees took the brunt of the damage this time, and in turn caused power outages in the area. At the JMo homestead, we were without power two times, once during the day for about three hours, and once during the night for about four hours. Springfield schools were canceled February 11th, 12th and word is just in they are also going to be closed on Wednesday February 13th.



Thursday, February 7, 2008

At Least 55 Dead From Tornado Outbreak in the South

At least 55 people are dead from tornadoes that were forecast well in advance in the South on February 5th. It's just sad. This was the deadliest tornado outbreak in more than 20 years. The last time tornadoes killed this many was in May of 1985 when 88 people died in an outbreak that hit Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania according to the Weather Underground.

CNN said "Most communities had ample warning that the storms were coming. Forecasters had warned for days severe weather was possible. The National Weather Service issued more than 1,000 tornado warnings from 3 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday in the 11-state area where the weather was heading. The conditions for bad weather had lined up so perfectly that the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., put out an alert six days in advance."

Wow! 1,000 warnings issues. That's just insane. It's sad that so many had to perish with such advance notice.

Out of all the information I read, I found this one interesting story that I had to share. The man to the right is one lucky man. According to CNN, James Kruger was watching election results Tuesday night in Lafayette, Tennessee, when a warning appeared on his TV screen: A tornado was headed straight toward his town. Then the lights went out. He put on sweat pants, grabbed a flashlight, drank a shot of whiskey, "and then I heard this noise," Kruger said Thursday.
Seconds later he was being battered by debris, and found himself laying in the dirt. "I think God was holding my leg, beating my ass, teaching me that I hadn't been doing everything he wanted me to do," he said.

Video showing pictures of the tornadoes, and damage that resulted. Very sad indeed.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Possible Severe Wx on Monday and Tuesday

Sniderman over at The Two Dollar Bill has a post on the possible severe weather for our area tonight and tomorrow. I won't re-invent the wheel. If it were anyone but him, I'd claim rights to weather blogging... but what ya gonna do?