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The requested URL /link was not found on this server.9 deaths reported as fast-moving tornadoes rattle the South - WDAM-TV 7-News, Weather, Sports-Hattiesburg, MS
A wall cloud is seen on the ground near Yazoo City, MS. (Source: @WLBT_DKenney/Twitter)
Photo taken in SW Winston County facing the intersection of Mississippi Highway 19 and Highway 25. (Source: @markandertoncfd/Twitter)
Damage is reported around the northern part of Tupelo, MS. (Source: @TabithaHawk/Twitter)
Residents in north Alabama take shelter as storm cells that already produced one tornado move toward them. (Source: Marie Waxel/WAFF)
The storm threat moves east to the Deep South on Monday, according to NOAA. Pictured is the "convective outlook" as of 12:31 p.m. CT. (Source: NOAA)(FEMA/CDC) - Be alert to changing weather conditions. When there are thunderstorms in your area, turn on your radio or TV to get the latest emergency information from local authorities. Listen for announcementsBe alert to changing weather conditions.Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms.Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms.Injury may result from the direct impact of a tornado, or it may occur afterward when people walk among debris and enter damaged buildings.
No, a tornado did not carry an Oklahoma mobile home and a woman named Dorothy nearly 130 miles to Kansas.No, a tornado did not carry an Oklahoma mobile home and a woman named Dorothy nearly 130 miles to Kansas.Carlton Hurt - Source: FamilyGovernor Phil Bryant will sign a State of Emergency after a&line of severe storms moved&across the state Sunday morning. MEMA Director Lee Smithson will provide updates and answer questions about the damage that some areas received.Governor Phil Bryant will sign a State of Emergency after a&line of severe storms moved&across the state Sunday morning. MEMA Director Lee Smithson will provide updates and answer questions about the damage that some areas received.Cleanup continues following a possible tornado that left 10 miles of damage across Calhoun County. (Source: WALB)Cleanup continues following a possible tornado that left 10 miles of damage across Calhoun County.Cleanup continues following a possible tornado that left 10 miles of damage across Calhoun County.Photo credit: WDAMPhoto credit: WDAMJust off Edwards Street in Hattiesburg, in a small mobile home park, two Hub City residents lost their lives in the Saturday tornado.&Just off Edwards Street in Hattiesburg, in a small mobile home park, two Hub City residents lost their lives in the Saturday tornado.&Source: ViewerAs part of the NWS& Severe Weather Awareness Week, WAFB wants you to know more about: Tornadoes.As part of the NWS& Severe Weather Awareness Week, WAFB wants you to know more about: Tornadoes.
(RNN) - A large tornado touched down in Bessemer, just south of Birmingham, AL
late Monday, the latest touchdown in day where millions huddled in storm shelters and basements across the South.
In all, at least 11 fatalities have been confirmed in Mississippi and Alabama as a massive, fast-moving severe weather system pushed through the southeast on Monday.
According to a National Weather Service preliminary report, 58 tornadoes were tallied Monday.
Reports of tornadoes continued throughout the night and into the early morning Tuesday across Alabama. Tornado warnings early Tuesday morning included several counties.
As the storm moved into the state, sirens sounded in Tuscaloosa and
Birmingham, just three years and one day removed from a massive tornado
outbreak that devastated the area in 2011.
The Birmingham-area tornado, caught on camera by affiliate WBRC, hit
to UAB Medical West Hospital and continued to track south of the
city of Birmingham before weakening.
The extent of the damage is not
known, nor are injuries, but an apartment complex in Bessemer was
reported to have been badly damaged. The residents had to be rescued, according to WBRC.
In Tuscaloosa, AL, city officials confirmed the likely storm-related death of a 21-year-old man, according to WBRC.
The Associated Press confirmed four deaths southeast of Athens, AL. Another two occurred at a trailer park in Coxey, AL.
A female victim died when their vehicle either hydroplaned or was blown off a road south of Tupelo, MS, according to . Mississippi officials at a late-night press conference with the state's governor said they are working to confirm other storm-related deaths.
Two fatalities were reported by the Lincoln County Medical Center in Tennessee.
There were also reports of damage in Kimberly, AL, north of Birmingham, where a fire department was destroyed, according to the National Weather Service. WBRC reported that a gas station was being used as a triage site.
In Limestone County, AL, the Clements Fire Department and Clements High School took direct hits from the storm.
Affiliate WAFF reported heavy damage to homes in Aroney, AL, in the north part of the state, and in DeKalb County.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared a State of Emergency for the entire state. Bentley has also mobilized the Alabama National Guard and placed them on standby.
"Some of our communities have already experienced significant damage as a result of the tornadoes that began moving through Alabama earlier today," Bentley said in a . "By issuing a State of Emergency, I am directing all state agencies to take necessary actions to respond to Alabama communities that need help."
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has also
a State of Emergency in advance of the severe weather.
"At this juncture, we've declared the emergency for the entire state because it's impossible to pinpoint where the weather will hit," Deal said in a statement. "Georgia is threatened at least through [Tuesday] and perhaps into Wednesday. We're prepared now and we'll be ready for recovery should we, God forbid, experience tornado damage or flooding."
Earlier in the day, a large tornado was confirmed near Brandon, MS moving east at 35 mph. The National Weather Service in Jackson, MS confirmed on
a tornado passed south of their office, but tweeted they are "in good shape and fully operational."
A large tornado, three-fourths of a mile wide, was reported near Louisville, MS, shortly after 4:30 p.m. CT.
reported winds of 150 mph above ground with that funnel cloud. According to the Associated Press, 45 people were injured in storms that passed through Louisville, and no deaths have been reported.
In all, 16 counties in Mississippi reported tornado damage, according to Mississippi Emergency Management.
A tornado warning was also issued in North Carolina, as well as severe thunderstorm warnings for storms that could produce golf ball-sized hail and winds up to 60 mph in six North Carolina counties, according to .
There were reports of damage at a marina between Coxey and Athens, AL, as the storm
traveled through northwest Alabama, with a rain-wrapped tornado with 165 mph of wind shear, WAFF reported.
Meteorologists at
likened the storms in Alabama to the storm that ripped through Tupelo, MS earlier Monday.
"These storms are not weakening," said WAFF meteorologist Lauren Jones via . "The atmosphere is very unstable and this threat continues for all areas [in northern Alabama] through the night."
Sunday marked the three-year anniversary of the storms that killed 316 people across the South and Midwest, including the EF-5 tornado that hit Tuscaloosa, AL. A reported 208 tornadoes touched down during that outbreak.
In Mississippi, the Tupleo area appeared to be the hardest hit.
Several tractor-trailers were reportedly blown off of the road at the busy intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and U.S. 45, according to .
The Weather Channel stated "major damage" took place at a shopping mall and other nearby buildings as a result of a severe storm cell. Residents and storm chasers posted pictures of flattened structures on social media sites like .
"Avoid the Tupelo area at all costs due to major damage," storm spotter Steven Heicher .
Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton told CNN that city workers went through an emergency preparedness drill in the morning to get everyone ready.
a tornado touched down in Plain Dealing, LA around 3 a.m. Monday morning and damaged several homes.
Warnings were also issued after 2 p.m. for parts of Virginia and Tennessee. Areas around
spent the majority of the day under watches or warnings as well.
People across the Gulf Coast states have been told to brace for severe weather, only one day after deadly storms drove through the Midwest.
The National Weather Service predicted "several tornadoes" for the areas of northern and central Mississippi,
Alabama, western and
Tennessee and extreme northeast Louisiana. It also forecasted states as far west as Iowa and Texas and as far east as the Carolinas could see dangerous weather.
The NWS expected damaging straight-line winds and "very large hail" as well.
On Sunday, 17 people were killed as 31 tornadoes hit several states - 15 died in Arkansas, one in Kansas and one in Oklahoma. The towns of Mayflower and Vilonia
a tornado that peaked at a half-mile wide ripped through them while forming a path 80 miles long.
President Barack Obama made a statement during his visit to the Philippines, offering his deepest condolences to victims and pledging federal resources.
Copyright 2014 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
Strong storms on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday brought tornadoes, flooding and severe weather to the South and Midwest, killing at least 35. Strong storms on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday brought tornadoes, flooding
and severe weather to the South and Midwest, killing at least 35.
Wildfires are raging in California, burning homes and prompting evacuations. At least 17 have died, and more than 3,000 structures have burned.Wildfires are raging in California, burning homes and prompting evacuations. At least 17 have died, and more than 3,000 structures have burned.The search for survivors continues after a powerful earthquake in Mexico on Tuesday.The search for survivors continues after a powerful earthquake in Mexico on Tuesday.Harvey is lashing a wide swath of southeast Texas with strong winds and torrential rain as the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade.Harvey is lashing a wide swath of southeast Texas with strong winds and torrential rain as the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade.Wildfires fueled by hot weather has burned thousands thousands of acres in the West and spurred a state of emergency in California.Wildfires fueled by hot weather has burned thousands thousands of acres in the West and spurred a state of emergency in California.(Source: WALB)There have been several reports of storm damage throughout Southwest Georgia.There have been several reports of storm damage throughout Southwest Georgia.(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer). People push a stranded taxi during a snowstorm, Tuesday, March 13, 2018, in Boston.
The third major nor’easter in two weeks slammed New England on Tuesday, bringing blizzard conditions and more than a foot of snow to some com...The third major storm in two weeks has lashed the Northeast with hurricane-force winds, heavy snow and widespread power outages and now millions of people are facing yet another cleanup.The third major storm in two weeks has lashed the Northeast with hurricane-force winds, heavy snow and widespread power outages and now millions of people are facing yet another cleanup.(Erica Yoon /The Roanoke Times via AP). A vehicle drives through snow on Bent Mountain Road near Snake Drive in Copper Hill, Floyd County, Va., Monday, March 12, 2018.The third major nor'easter in two weeks is starting to slam the storm-battered Northeast with more than a foot of snow and high winds expected in some areas.The third major nor'easter in two weeks is starting to slam the storm-battered Northeast with more than a foot of snow and high winds expected in some areas.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File). FILE - This is a Sept. 23, 2017, file photo showing Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa wears a message on his cap for those affected by the Hurricane in Puerto Rico during the second inning of a baseball game. Cor...Carlos Correa skipped the Houston Astros' visit to the White House to help arrange for more relief supplies for shipment to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, where he grew up.Carlos Correa skipped the Houston Astros' visit to the White House to help arrange for more relief supplies for shipment to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, where he grew up.No, a tornado did not carry an Oklahoma mobile home and a woman named Dorothy nearly 130 miles to Kansas.No, a tornado did not carry an Oklahoma mobile home and a woman named Dorothy nearly 130 miles to Kansas.The heaviest snow is forecast from New York to Maine with blizzard conditions expected in Massachusetts and Maine. (Source: WHDH/CNN)The heaviest snow is forecast from New York to Maine with blizzard conditions expected in Massachusetts and Maine.The heaviest snow is forecast from New York to Maine with blizzard conditions expected in Massachusetts and Maine.Much of the Northeast is bracing for blizzard conditions, a foot or more of snow and high winds as the third major nor'easter in 10 days bears down on the region. (Source: WCVB/CNN)Much of the Northeast is bracing for blizzard conditions, a foot or more of snow and high winds as the third major nor'easter in 10 days bears down on the region.Much of the Northeast is bracing for blizzard conditions, a foot or more of snow and high winds as the third major nor'easter in 10 days bears down on the region.Shelly Island is officially gone from the Outer Banks. (Source: NASA)Shelly Island is officially gone from the Outer Banks. (Source: NASA)Remember Shelly Island, the island that popped up in summer 2017? It's officially gone, according to NASA.&Remember Shelly Island, the island that popped up in summer 2017? It's officially gone, according to NASA.&The Northeast is bracing for its third nor'easter in fewer than two weeks.The Northeast is bracing for its third nor'easter in fewer than two weeks.(Michael Bryant/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP). Crew members from PIKE electric company from Maryland pull a downed power line on New Road in Aston, Pa., in order to reconnect it on Thursday, March 8, 2018. Pennsylvania utility companies say more th...The recovery from the latest storm to pummel the Northeast will likely stretch through the weekend as utility crews work to restore electricity to hundreds of thousands of customers _ with a possible third...The recovery from the latest storm to pummel the Northeast will likely stretch through the weekend as utility crews work to restore electricity to hundreds of thousands of customers _ with a possible third nor'easter in the offing.It's an extremely rare and short-lived phenomenon. (Source: @NWSElko/Twitter)It's an extremely rare and short-lived phenomenon.&It's an extremely rare and short-lived phenomenon.&
2362 U.S. Hwy 11 Moselle Moselle, MS 39459 (800) 844-9326
(601) 544-4730How Do You Spot a Tornado Using Weather Radar?
Dennis Mersereau
05/05/14 10:30AM
During the recent severe storms, weather geeks were posting radar images all over social media. Since not everyone is a weather geek, one of the most common questions people asked was
&what am I looking at?& Fear not -- here's how you can see a tornado using weather radar. Doppler radar is a pretty big dealDoppler radar in the United States is arguably the single greatest advance in weather technology in the past 50 years. Before the late 1980s, weather radar could only detect precipitation. It could see where rain was falling and how heavy it was, but that was it. Starting in 1988, the National Weather Service rolled out a new type of radar, which you'll sometimes see referred to by its official name -- &WSR-88D,& which stands for &Weather Surveillance Radar-1988, Doppler.&Doppler radar can not only see the precipitation itself, but it's able to detect which way the precipitation is moving and how fast it's going -- essentially, it can detect both precipitation and wind. The product that shows winds is called &base velocity,& since it's really measuring the velocity of the rain and hail inside the storm. The ability to see the winds inside of a thunderstorm is a huge deal. Meteorologists used to issue tornado warnings almost solely when someone spotted one on the ground and reported it, or when the thunderstorms on radar had the classic &hook& that possibly indicated the presence of a strong tornado.When they gained the ability to see the winds rotating within a thunderstorm, it greatly increased tornado warning lead times, saving countless lives over the past few decades.The hook brings you back...The vast majority of tornadoes that touch down in the United States don't come with the (in)famous hook echo that people are familiar with. Most tornadoes are relatively weak and short-lived, and you'd never know they were there if you were looking at a regular radar image showing precipitation.Here's an example of a rather tiny supercell with a classic hook as it
on Christmas Day 2012. Looking at the radar leaves little doubt that the storm is rotating and likely producing a tornado.On the other hand, take this image from south-central Mississippi back on April 7 of this year. At the time this image was captured, there was a tornado just as strong but three times larger (1/3 of a mile wide) tearing through a few small farm communities. Can you spot it?No? There's a good reason for that. You can't. The tornado is completely wrapped in rain so it looks no different from its surroundings on the precipitation image. If this had occurred in 1982 instead of 2014, meteorologists never would have issued a tornado warning unless someone called to report spotting it. Here's the same view, but with the base velocity image telling us what the winds are doing inside of the thunderstorms.Even if you don't know exactly what you're looking at, it's clear that there's something abnormal going on towards the center of the image. That's where the tornado was located, and this base velocity image is just screaming out &rotation!& when there was nary a blip on the reflectivity (precipitation) image. The colors tell the storyBase velocity shows winds that are moving either towards or away from the radar site. For most outlets that publish/display radar imagery, red colors show winds moving away from the radar, while green colors show winds moving towards the radar.
Darker shading indicates slower winds, while brighter colors indicate faster winds. The base velocity product is usually measured in knots, but in my radar software I've added code to convert it the imagery to MPH, so that's the scale used in the images in this post.
CoupletsIt can be tricky to figure out where the radar site is most of the time, but you don't need to worry too much. When you're looking at the radar to spot a tornado, you want to look for couplets. A couplet is when red and green colors show up side-by-side within a thunderstorm on the base velocity image. When couplets are large and relatively weak, it's indicative of broad rotation within a thunderstorm that needs to be watched but may not show a tornado on the ground. When the couplet is tight and bright, it shows strong rotation within a thunderstorm that could produce (or is producing) a tornado.This is an animated example of the couplet produced by the tornado in Mississippi that I used as an example above. You can see that the red and green colors are very close together and relatively bright, showing strong rotation within the thunderstorm. Rotation on radar widely varies from storm to storm. Sometimes a tornado is so small or happens so quickly that the radar can't or doesn't have time to detect it. This is especially true of tornadoes that occur in landfalling tropical systems, squall lines, and storms very far away from the radar site.Larger tornadoes are a different story.This is a side-by-side view of precipitation (left) and winds (right) of a 600-yard wide EF-3 tornado as it moved through Lincoln County, Tennessee during the tornado outbreak last week. The supercell has the classic hook echo in the precipitation image to the left, and the winds on the base velocity image to the right shows a very well defined circulation with intense winds wrapping into the tornado. Even though the image is static, the couplet is so intense that you can almost see it spinning.Dual-PolarizationThe latest advance in weather radar technology is the relatively new &dual-polarization& -- called dual-pol for short -- that the NWS just finished installing across the country. In addition to seeing where and how fast precipitation is moving, dual-pol technology allows us to see the size and shape of the objects off of which the radar beam is bouncing back to the radar site. This proves incredibly useful for spotting tornadoes.One of the dual-pol products that helps meteorologists detect the presence of a tornado is called the &correlation coefficient,& or CC for short. CC tells you how similar the objects in a certain area are to one another, on a scale from 0% to 100%. Values close to 100% mean that everything in the area is uniform -- all of the precipitation is the same size and the same shape, indicating that it's likely all rain. Lower CC values indicate that the beam is bouncing off of objects that widely vary in size and shape. If you have a small area of very low CC values within the strong rotation showing up on the base velocity images discussed above, there's a good chance that you're looking at the radar beam reflecting off of debris swirling around inside of a tornado.In general, warmer colors indicate higher CC values (more similar in size/shape) and cooler colors indicate lower CC values (less similar in size/shape).
Very strong dual-pol correlation coefficient with
northeast of Tupelo MS at 2:54 PM CDT
-- Tornado Quest (@TornadoQuest)
Dual-pol technology was used to confirm the presence of the Mississippi tornado that I've used as an example throughout this post. It was also used extensively in the tornado outbreaks last week to help meteorologists determine if the strong rotation was producing tornadoes. The embedded Tweet above shows the CC image for the EF-4 tornado that struck Tupelo, Mississippi last week. The dark ball towards the center of the image is the low CC values showing the debris in the air. A huge note of caution...Now that you (hopefully) know what to look for on weather radar when there are tornadoes somewhere in the country, do not look for a tornado on radar if you go under a tornado warning. Meteorologists issue tornado warnings for a good reason -- if you're under one, you're in danger. This information is mainly to help you understand what you're looking at when there's dangerous weather far enough away from your location that you're not in any danger. [Top image via NWS, all others via Gibson Ridge]Follow
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