May 22, 2011 Joplin, MO Tornado Survey - NWS

The National Weather Service office in Springfield, MO has updated the survey report of the May 22, 2011 EF-5 tornado in Joplin, MO. There is quite a bit of information, with tabs at the top of the report for each section.

Good News From Joplin, MO!

In the midst of the "missing" list being posted, some good news has come out of Joplin, MO! The very first person on the list is ALIVE!!!! This according to ABC News!

"Sally Adams, 75, said neighbors rescued her Sunday after the storm destroyed her house and took her to a friend's home. When The Associated Press told Adams she was on the missing list, she laughed and said "Get me off of there!"

I want to hug this woman for some reason...

New Before/After Aerial Photos of Joplin, MO Tornado Devastation

Here is a link to the New York Times story that has an interactive before and after slider with aerial photos from Joplin, MO. The photos showing damage from the May 22, 2011 tornado are heartbreaking. There is one big photo, and options at the top to pick specific areas.

God bless everyone touched by this disaster.

Tornado Watch Until 6pm

A tornado watch has been issued for much of MO and parts of AR until 6pm.

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Severe Storms Expected Today

Another round of severe weather is expected to develop along the Highway 65 corridor and east. Areas Springfield and east are either in a slight risk or moderate risk box. The Springfield NWS office lists today's hazards as:

• Elevated Tornado Risk
• Elevated Significant Hail Risk
• Elevated T-Storm Wind Damage Risk
• Elevated Lightning Risk
• Significant Flooding Risk

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Before and After Photos of Joplin, MO 5/22/11 Tornado

Here are before and after pics. The Home Depot and Walmart pictures are just insane...

Tornado Watch Until 3AM

There is a Tornado Watch until 3AM. This watch covers the western half of Missouri. Much of Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma are also under Tornado Watches.

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Joplin Tornado Rated EF-5 - Latest May 22, 2011 Joplin, MO Tornado Stats

The tornado that ripped through Joplin has been upgraded to the largest Enhanced Fujita Scale rating of EF-5. The winds were above 200 MPH.

This is the deadliest tornado since modern record keeping started at the National Weather Service. It is now ranked as the 8th deadliest in history.

As of the evening of 5/24/11, 122 have been confirmed killed. About 1500 are missing, but due to communication issues, that number should come down quite a bit as people report in.

Tornado Outbreak Expected Today

The Storm Prediction Center has the Ozarks in a moderate risk box, and From the Joplin, MO area west in a high risk box. It appears the tornado outbreak will be in the central Kansas and central Oklahoma areas. As these storms push eastward, some tornado development is still possible. According to the SPC, From Joplin west, there is a 30% probability of significant tornadoes to develop, eastward towards Springfield, that probability drops to 15%, which is still concerning.

This information WILL LIKELY change through the day, but right now it's looking like severe development around 4PM with it arriving in the western MO area between 6pm and exiting by Midnight.

The National Weather Service in Springfield list the risks for SE KS and SW MO as:

• Elevated Tornado Risk
• Elevated T-Storm Wind Risk
• Significant Hail Risk
• Significant Lightning Risk
• Extreme Flooding Risk

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Google Map Of May 22, 2011 Joplin MO Tornado Path

View Joplin, MO Tornado in a larger map

Unofficial Joplin Tornado Stats As Of Monday Night

EF-4 with winds up to almost 200 MPH

3/4 miles wide

6 mile path

116 dead

400 injured

Another Aerial View Of The Joplin, MO 5/22/11 Tornado Damage

Storm Chaser Footage From Joplin, MO 5/22/2011

Tornado Video From Joplin, MO 5/22/2011 - Small To Wedge Tornado In Seconds

Strong to Severe Storms Likely Today

Strong to Severe storms are expected again today in the Ozarks. The Storm Prediction Center shows us in a slight risk box. The NWS Office in Springfield lists the risks as:

• Elevated Tornado Risk
• Significant Hail Risk
• Elevated T-Storm Wind Risk
• Elevated Flood Risk
• Significant Lightning Risk

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Region Under Moderate Risk of Severe Weather Today

Fresh on the heels of yesterday's tornado which impacted the Joplin area, the region is once again under a moderate risk of severe weather. Very large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes will be possible in and near the areas above that are outlined in red. This includes all of the Missouri Ozarks.

Additionally, with the recent heavy rains coupled with the amounts forecasted over the next few days, there is a Flash Flood Watch for the region as well.

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Joplin, Missouri Devastated By Tornado

The city of Joplin was pummeled by a very large tornado earlier this evening. The massive amounts of information that continue to stream in at this hour is so patchwork that it is hard to decipher facts from rumors. We is what I can confirm or let you know that local media is reporting:

* Nearly 75% of the community of over 40,000 was impacted by the storm.

* The city has been declared a local emergency disaster area by the mayor.

* The latest casualty number (and I urge that this will likely increase) is at 25 as of this blog post.

* St. John's Hospital was hard hit. The building was evacuated. Critically injured are being transported to Freeman Hospital, while the walking wounded were being advised to head to Memorial Hall. That triage location is full so McAuley High School has been opened to handle the overflow.

* All available medical help in the area is being urged to come to Joplin to assist. All others (including sightseers and gawkers) are urged to stay out!

* Joplin Public Schools will be closed tomorrow. The high school sustained a direct hit from the tornado.

There is the potential for severe weather tomorrow as well. The Storm Prediction Center has already issued a moderate risk for storms.

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Additional updates will be made to this blog as time permits. In the meantime, please check out The Joplin Globe and other local media outlets for the latest information.

Tornado Watch Until 9PM

Tornado Watch for the Ozarks until 9PM. Please monitor local media and weather alert radios.

Tornado Victim Finds Missing Cat During Interview

If this story doesn't warm your heart, or maybe even bring a tear to your eye... I don't know what will. Not the fact she found her cat, but the fact that when she did, she felt like she had everything she cared about even though she lost her possessions in the storm. Bless her heart...

Severe Storms Possible Later Today and Tonight

The Storm Prediction Center shows the western portion of the Ozarks in a slight risk box for severe weather today. Springfield is on the very eastern edge of this risk. The Springfield National Weather Service office lists the risks today as:

• Tornado Risk: Limited
• Hail Risk: Elevated
• T-Storm Wind Damage Risk: Elevated
• Lightning Risk: Significant
• Flooding Risk: Limited

The best chance for severe weather will be this evening and into the overnight hours, mainly west of Highway 71.

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Severe Storms Possible This Afternoon and Evening

The Storm Prediction Center shows much of the Ozarks in a slight risk box for severe weather today. The Springfield National Weather Service lists the risks as:

• Elevated Risk for Hail
• Elevated Risk for Severe TStorm Winds
• Elevated Risk for Lightning
• Limited Risk for Tornadoes

Storms are likely to develop over the entire region this afternoon and evening.

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Severe Storms Possible Today and Tomorrow

The Storm Prediction Center has SW MO, SE KS, NE OK and NW AR (and many other areas) in a slight risk box for severe weather, both today and tomorrow. According to the National Weather Service office in Springfield, MO, the risks include:

• Elevated Risk for Hail
• Elevated Risk for Severe TStorm Winds
• Elevated Risk for Lightning
• Limited Risk for Tornadoes

As of Wednesday afternoon, there is already a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10pm for a large area west of Springfield, MO.

You should stay tuned to local weather forecasts. Make sure your NOAA All Hazards Radio is on and backed up by battery. If you don't own a NOAA All Hazards Radio, you should. Click the link for a previous blog post on selecting one.

Storm Spotter Report Questioned in Indiana

As a storm spotter, I have mixed emotions about this news story. I have to believe there is more to it than the media reported. Maybe there is a history of false reports, either by this spotter or others. But this brought two things to mind that I wanted to write about.

First, during every severe weather event, reports come in and reports are scrutinized. That's just how it works. There is a reason it is suggested that spotters pair up and get multiple views of storms. Different views of a storm can reveal different aspects.

A great example of this is the April 22, 2011 severe weather that came through the area. Jeff Kerr (KC0VGC) and I (KB0WVT) were on the south side of a tornado warned storm in Christian County. Between Nixa and Highlandville, we were right under the storm. At one point, there appeared to be a funnel. Jeff and I pulled over to give it a closer look and it was gone. We did not report a funnel, because we couldn't verify it. From our view, it was dark on dark, so it was hard to confirm. On the south side of the same storm, with the benefit of back lighting, Ron Hearst (KC0TCD), Chief Meteorologist at KY3, and his wife recorded video of the same storm. It is fairly clear in the video there is a funnel. Different eyes with a different perspective saw things in different light. Again, this is just how the system works.

Secondly, SkyWarn net control operators, and NWS, know many of the spotters. I think it's fair to say that the experience level of SkyWarn spotters and interactions with them tend to give those folks an idea of the credibility of the report. That's not meant to be a dig on new spotters at all, it's just with experience comes more accurate and meaningful reports.

With all of that being said, I think that this is far from news. What this TV station made into a news story happens all the time. Most of the time it's not intentional, it's just what may appear to be one thing to one person, may not be the case from a different view. I think there is a harmful side effect here if it means spotters are afraid to report what they are seeing until a building is being destroyed.

To any spotters out there, my best advice is just do what you are trained to do. Report what you see, and report what you don't see. Don't assume anything. If you think you see a funnel, but can't confirm rotation, then say that. If it looks like it's on the ground, but you don't debris, then say that. I personally like to have verification of my reports if at all possible.

What's more important than any of this, spotters, be safe and thank you for volunteering to help save life and property.

Picture of April 22, 2011 St. Louis Tornado

This is an image of the April 22, 2011 St. Louis tornado shot from Wentzville as the tornado moved eastward, just south of I-70. This image was sent to me by Scott Turner, and was taken by his brother Jeff Turner.

April 2011 Tornado Statistics from NOAA

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released their April 2011 tornado information. The data on the April 27, 2011-April 28, 2011 outbreak is horrific. You can read the report here. Here are a few statistics that are completely unbelievable. Please read the full report for more information.

• 266 tornadoes in a 24 hour period
• Average lead time for tornado warnings: 24 minutes
• 90% of the tornadoes had tornado warning issued
• 344 fatalities from the outbreak, 334 of those in a 24 hour period

The Significance of April 27, 2011 and the Enhanced Fujita Scale

Two tornadoes from last Wednesday have been rated EF-5, with more possible. The Fujita Scale was introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, and for years was used as a measurement of the severity of a tornado. Many think the F rating was based on the size, or wind speed of a tornado. In reality, it is the damage that can be verified that in turn rates a Fujita rating, and correlates to estimated wind speed.

In 2006, the Enhanced Fujita Scale was implemented. The enhancement was using additional information such as construction methods, radar data, and damage to vegetation. For example the construction of a house constructed in 1950 may be structurally different than the wall from a house built this year, so the collapse of that wall could mean two completely different wind speeds.

The first EF-5 tornado (the highest rating) was the Greensburg, KS tornado in 2007. The second was in 2008 in Parkersburg, IA. The significance of this is that since 2006, there have only been two EF-5 tornadoes. On April 27, 2011 a major tornado outbreak hit the Southeast. While watching this event unfold, I predicted something I normally would not, simply based on real time information. I estimated we would end up seeing three to five EF-5 rated tornadoes once the damage was assessed. The radar signatures on these storms was off the charts, the areas affected were highly populated (more damage to assess), and the damage reports coming in were very, very severe.

To date, two tornadoes in this event have been rated EF-5, which is already rare. These are the Smithville, MS tornado and the Hackleburg, AL tornado. I would be surprised if we don't at least see the Tuscaloosa tornado end up EF-5. Considering there have been only two in five years, and there are already two confirmed in one day, this is quite a historic event.

The Weather Channel has a great write up on F/EF-5 tornadoes.

Weather Channel information on the Enhanced Fujita Scale

I plan on posting soon about the death toll as well. As of this writing, there are 340 confirmed dead, which makes this the second worst tornado fatality event in our history. The only event that was worse was in 1925 where 695 people were killed. There are many reasons why these numbers are not apples to apples, and I would like to discuss that more later.