Kansas...watch out. God is mad at us again ... take cover tornados

[greenbriar]

here is the radar

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ict/

http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=ICT&product=NCR&overlay=11101111&loop=yes

[greenbriar]

1. please don't lock I am by myself. Hubby and kids are camping

and I am a scaredy cat in storms.

[thinkingwoman]

2. Hey greenbriar

You still there?

I'd be happy to talk you through the storms. I'm a Hoosier...we know tornadoes too. :hi:

[greenbriar]

7. I am in Wichita...we are okay so far, bu the night is the worst

at least during the day you can see the clouds

[thinkingwoman]

15. I completely agree

Since we moved into our new house 6 months ago, EVERY tornado watch/warning has happened after dark! I hate not being able to see.

[seabeyond]

18. ours are almost always in the afternoon and evening

i mean almost always. wow. isnt that interesting. ya.... i like mine better. though the siren has gone off at 2 in the morning a couple times waking us up. not fun

[thinkingwoman]

20. our house is too far

from the sirens for us to hear during a storm. We can hear fine during the drills. :eyes:

Usually one of us (me, hubby, or teenage daughter) stays up if storms are coming late at night and monitors the situation. We've been thinking about getting a NWS alarm thingy though so that we can all get some sleep. Do you have one of those?

[seabeyond]

24. my husband has a radio and i think it is what you are talking about

an alarm comes up when national weather puts out an alert. good stuff. i feel much better when he has that on at night to sleep. see, has been so long since a night one, i forgot about that. yes, do get one. will last forever nad well worth it.

[thinkingwoman]

25. thanks! I will! nt

[seabeyond]

8. wow i have an excellent site. i am going to find it for you and post.

be right back. i am in tornado alley to. so hearing you. just keep remembering the odds. odds are strongly, so out there, in your favor. be right back with this kick ass weather site

[seabeyond]

10. put in your zip code. this is for my area

put in your zip code. click on the map. then click on animated map. you can also click on track and it will show you the directions of the storm. an awesome site. good luck


http://www.weatherunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=79106

[greenbriar]

11. awesome site

thanks

[seabeyond]

13. you know what else you can do. you can drag a box and it will zoom in.

and then you can zoom back out clicking on zoom out. play with it. it will keep you occupied and it is fun. also down below there are these you can do to tailor to your preferences more.

anyway. you are welcome

[thinkingwoman]

17. that's a great site!

It's our weather bible!

[seabeyond]

19. mine too. i love it.

and it just makes me feel better to be able to watch as things go instead of not knowing anything

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Where are you in Kansas?

[Dr.Phool]

4. That looks nasty

Crawl under the covers.

[Scout1071]

5. Where are the warnings? nt

[greenbriar]

14. kingman a county over

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ict/

[seabeyond]

6. hey, dont fuck with god, kansas and tornados. kansas is too close

to me. and i dont need you prodding god with tornados. not my favorite thig hearing the siren, gathering kids and heading for the basement. not fun at all. tis the season. so .... be nice

[greenbriar]

9. I hate storms

got that from my grandma ...

she used to sit in the hallway away from windows

[seabeyond]

12. i didnt realize you were sitting in it

i thought it was someone teasing kansas. lol lol. because of all their silly rules of late. i love storms. always loved storms until i moved to texas panhandle. now, with the threat of tornados i just cant enjoy a good ole storm like i use to. what has doen good for me is my hubby got me these weather sites so i can do my own tracking. i have learned quite a bit what to watch for.

not fun, i know. but this too shall pass. and you will be getting osme rain. we are soooooo dry

[vickitulsa]

29. I'm watching the storms too, Greenbriar.

They're pretty far west of us here in Tulsa, but that's a mighty powerful looking train of storms far closer to you.

I punched Wichita in to the customizable Weather Channel desktop program I use and got an enlarged version of your radar -- with waaay too much red on it to feel comfortable with! I'm thinking of you and hoping you are doing okay.

What about your hubby and kids camping, are they out of the danger zone I hope?

I guess I'm lucky since I've never been real panicky about storms ... that comes from my family background, just like you picked up fear of them from your grandma, I suppose. Neighbors on both sides of us had storm cellars ("fraidy holes") but Mom and Dad never wanted to go to them unless they could tell it was getting truly dangerous outside. Even when we did go, I remember Dad and the neighbor dad keeping the cellar door open and they'd stand in it watching the clouds, even at night when you could only see what was happening when lightning lit the sky.

I always felt safe for some reason -- and that was even after I'd ridden out a tornado in the car with my family! It lifted the roof off the bowling alley across the highway from us, we learned the next day, and it shook our car a lot and was pretty scary. Carried the bowling alley roof a good mile, almost in one piece!

Well, I'm sorta rambling just to try and make you feel like someone's HERE with ya ... keep posting, at least till you get too sleepy to stay up. :) I see that your tornado watch is in effect until 3 a.m. -- we have a storm watch here, too, but from what I saw earlier on TV, that line of storms is expected to continue "training" pretty much along the path it's in now, not moving eastward toward us in T-town.

Do you have any pets to keep you company?

[greenbriar]

30. Hubby and kids are two counties east of us.

I have our dog but she barks at everything and sometimes that is worse than not having anything...but she is some comfort


My dad used to take us out in the country to watch them. I had to be slapped once because I was hysterical and then had to lay on the floorboard of the car.

I HATE storms with a passion

[vickitulsa]

32. I know what you mean about a dog that barks at everything --

my Bebo does that, I think it's the chihuahua in him. And he is absolutely petrified of loud thunder ... jumps like he's been shot and usually right on top of me, clawing, scratching to get closer. I feel better that he's with me, anyhow ... maybe because I have to pay attention to him, comforting him, and that distracts me from my anxiety.

And I DO get anxious when it gets really windy and the sirens sound ... I'm not totally comfortable in bad weather. We had some hail last year that dinged my car and made me remember that I can't run to either the car OR the storm shelter up by the clubhouse (I live in an RV park) once the hail starts!

Looks like that storm line IS moving eastward, but not real fast ... just drags out the worry for ya, huh?

That's a damn shame, what your dad did to you -- no wonder you're anxious! My dad was like that a lot of the time, too, about other things, so I can relate....

Hang in there!

[Rainscents]

16. Everyone, please stay safe.

Tornado and Hurricane season will be long and sever this year. I wish all of us well.

[thinkingwoman]

23. Unfortunately

I believe you are right. I think we're going to be talking a lot of Du'ers through bad bad hurricanes this summer and fall...well, talking them through as long as they have power and then worrying like hell until they all check back in. :eyes:

[greenbriar]

21. shit shit shit...moving closer

I hate this

[thinkingwoman]

22. Is that the only storm

you'll have to worry about tonight (note: saying "only" as a relative term)? Is there one squall line or are storms training toward you?

[SPKrazy]

26. Here's A Different Radar View-Central Plains Loop

lots of storms

good luck

they'll be at my house around 1 or 2 am

hopefully they'll have weakened a lot by then

edited to add link to the loop, duh!

http://www.thehometownchannel.com/wxmap/4290868/detail.html

[greenbriar]

27. they might be moving away higher up

I hope

[blonndee]

28. Stay safe, greenbriar. I live in the tornado target area of OK

and I've been waiting for this all day. Fortunately it LOOKS like the main threat is going to be straightline winds and maybe hail.

[greenbriar]

31. dang I hope those lines from Enid to Kingman don't connect

http://www.weatherunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?num=6&delay=15&scale=1.00&noclutter=0&ID=ICT&type=N0R&lat=37.76628113&lon=-97.27998352&label=Wichita,+KS&showstorms=0

[SPKrazy]

33. Sometimes The More You Have A Line

the less chance of tornadoes you have.

More chance of straight line winds, which can do a lot of damage on their own.

[seabeyond]

42. you know what this is reminding me of, looking at the map

the other day we had the storms all around us. they couldn't miss. but...... amarillo does something and as the storms approach the have been weakening so we aren't getting much. kinda looked like that from that picture. anyway, pretty picture huh.

i clicked tracking and it is tracking to the east of Wichita

[merh]

34. Stay safe greenbriar

If you don't mind, I'll be saying prayers for your safety. :hug:

[greenbriar]

36. I don't mind! thanks

I can use all the prayers.

[merh]

37. You've got 'em

:hug:

[SPKrazy]

40. Looks like they are going north of you

is that right?

[greenbriar]

44. yea, look like north and east for the moment

I hope that stays the trend.

[thinkingwoman]

52. hang in there greenbriar

I'm hoping the trend continues for you!

[greenbriar]

50. crap...going to my brothers house in Harvey county

in Newton



he loves this...he and my dad

he goes out and watches them and takes pictures

One time he was watching and it got pretty close, he decided he needed to move and his car battery had died.

[donco6]

35. Heading right for my sisters in Manhattan.

Looks like a rough night.

[xmas74]

38. Sounds like tomorrow will be the kicker, at least in MO.

Chance of "strong tornadoes", as NWS put it.

Just get your kit together and keep it in an easy to reach spot. There's no point in worrying over something that might not happen and you cannot prevent.


(I'm not trying to sound mean about it at all. I'm in the same boat-tornado alley here also. I had to get my daughter out of bed Thurs night for a warning. BTW-have you ever read a NWS bulletin that stated "strong tornadoes"? I never have before.
"THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL
AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AS WELL AS EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS.

...STRONG TORNADOES POSSIBLE IN NORTHERN MISSOURI TOMORROW..."

Tomorrow is gonna suck.)

[thinkingwoman]

39. Strong tornadoes?

Oh, I think that is completely unnecessary don't you?

I think you should "just say no" to strong tornadoes. :evilgrin:

[xmas74]

41. Does that mean at least F3 activity?

I'm not Northern-I'm West Central so I don't have to worry about strong at least. I guess I'll get the "regular-strength tornado" that we get in my county nearly every other week.

I think MO has already had enough tornado bs in the past month to last us for a while. But the meterologists are thinking something much different.

(On edit: SHIT! I'm working all night tonight at my job and NWS has already stated that spotters will be called out. If I sleep through it I'll miss the cool stuff; if I spot I will be too exhausted to work tomorrow night. What's a girl to do?)

[thinkingwoman]

43. that would be my guess

but I honestly don't know.

[xmas74]

47. I read further.

They think it will generate supercells.

Tornadoes are awesome; I could stand and watch them all the time if I were allowed. Supercells, OTOH, really suck and tend to do more damage in my region than the damn tornadoes do!

[thinkingwoman]

51. Ugh

sounds nasty. Take care tomorrow!

[xmas74]

54. I had to promise my daughter that I would no longer chase

the storms, like I used to.

We'll be fine but I suspect that I will be green w/ envy tomorrow over all the storm chasers out there! If I didn't have to work tonight I'd find a babysitter and drive to Chillicothe to station myself for the beginning of the storms.

[RoyGBiv]

63. I used to do this ...

...in an official capacity with the county Civil Defense team.

Twelve-pack of some high-caffeine beverage, "Ride the Lightning" and "Riders on the Storm" in the CD player, radios on, old beat-up truck with bullet-proof glass for windshields fully gassed ... go.

It was a hoot.

I damn near got myself killed doing it. I was with a rookie driver with more highly developed sense of insane adventure than intelligence, and he zigged when he should have zagged, leaving us right in the path of a rain-wrapped F3 while out in the open. I spent one too many minutes lying in a ditch with debris flying around me for comfort. Now I just sit on the covered porch with a beer and watch.

Miss it some days, though.

[xmas74]

66. I miss it too.

I took the spotter training right out of high school and decided one day, w/ the advice of a few very drunk friends, to take it to the next level.

We were completely amateur about it-just out for the adventure and maybe a few cool pics. My F3 roadside did change my mind about it.

I wish I still did it but we've all grown up. I stand outside and watch instead.

[vickitulsa]

45. Yeah, I'd think "strong tornadoes" is a bit REDUNDANT also!

Never seen a "weak" one, anyhow. Come to think of it, though, I seem to recall our local weather guy on TV was talking about this particular line of storms we're seeing tonight the same way, something about "really bad tornadoes" possible with it, I think. Rather unusual, as these guys see the worst tornado alley has to offer and they aren't prone to hyperbole.

Looking at the latest radar, it appears that break in the line running down into OK is giving YOU a break ... the fiercer part of the storm seems to be moving just north of you. Let's hope so!

[SPKrazy]

55. The Difference Between an F0 and an F5 Is The Difference

between a weak and a strong tornado

an F 0 can do damage

an F 5 can take the pavement off a road

there is no safe place above ground in the path of an F 5

F 3 and F 4 are strong too
I wouldn't want to be in any of them, but your chances of surviving an F 0 are pretty good

whereas, an F 5 is catastrophic

[xmas74]

60. Actually, they are changing the ratings on them now.

I would consider an F5 to be castastrophic but I received a huge lecture on it the other day at a Red Cross meeting. Now it's an F6 that gets that classification.

I can't count the times I've been through 0's and 1's, have had a few 2's and one 3. I love tornado season but I don't like the thought of 4's and 5's.

I just wonder what their cutoff is on strong and weak. I'd start it at a 3 and go up.

[SPKrazy]

65. An F 6? Is This Just A Reclassification of Existing Tornado winds

or is an F6 something that hasn't happened?

The OKC/Moore Tornado a few years back had clocked winds around 317 mph I believe

It was catastrophic

Jasper Texas back in the 90's had one that destroyed the town, left nothing in it's path, even took the paving off the roads, unbelievable. Catastrophic

Are these now F6'ers, or is an F6 even stronger than that? Or at least theoretically?

[xmas74]

68. Technically, they've had the F6 for a while.

We've never officially had one. An F6 right now is total destruction w/ 4's and 5's spinning about it.

But what they are doing now is a reclassification. I believe the reclass came about because of Moore in '99 but I'm not sure. I do know that some of it has to deal w/ total damage amounts, not just speeds. I believe that size will be further taken into consideration too.

[RoyGBiv]

69. Why?

Do you know the reason for the reclassification?

I ask because an F5 is rather rare as it is. Are they restructuring the whole scale so that F5 has a lower threshhold than it once did?

The current scale is based on a combination of wind speed and potential for damage. Anything above the F5 point, as I understand it, means the building is gone and the foundation is damaged. Saw that in OKC a few years ago, and I have no desire to see it ever again. I'm not sure I understand the need for an F6 classification.

[xmas74]

71. Supposedly it has to deal w/ total damage,

taking account of straightline and funnel.

F5 is rare but I believe that it will be a lower threshhold. I've been trying to get more info but haven't been too successful. I can say that the person who informed me of this does disaster management so I hope they know what's up.


This is all I've found so far.
http://www.disasternews.net/news/news.php?articleid=3048

(on edit: currently there is an F6. It's considered to be inconceivable damage. Moore clocked in at just a bit over 300+ mph. An F6 has wind speeds beginning at 319 mph. I'd say in the new system Moore would have been an F6)

[seabeyond]

46. last spring we had tornados dropping all around us here

siren was going off most all the time. friends from up the street came to our basement. they have two boys, along with my two boys. hubby and the wife of other couple were outside looking for them. i was cooking corndogs for all. our kids had so much fun that they were hoping for another tornado day

[xmas74]

49. I love watching for tornadoes.

A few Sundays ago we had tornado day. It lasted from 3 pm til 11:30 pm-nearly nonstop sirens.

[SPKrazy]

56. Must Be Nice To Live Where Basements Are Places You Can

spend time

In the south, basements are rare, and usually musty, and prone to dampness

I grew up where you had basements that you could actually spend time in -spent many an afternoon playing in the basement when I was a kid

[HeeBGBz]

58. Southern MIssouri looks rough too

We don't have that "strong tornado" warning though. Better dig in deep.

[xmas74]

64. The basement is stocked.

I'm in W. Central so I'm not so worried but I have family in Carrollton and friends in Moberly. They'd get this crap in a heartbeat.

[Pugee]

75. I am in Moberly.

I do not want to relive another night like a couple of weeks ago, when the sirens went on and off all evening and they killed a few people in Renick (about 6 miles south)

[xmas74]

83. I remember that night.

Someone was killed in Sedalia and we spent most of the night in the basement.

[HeeBGBz]

84. We got beat down by hail that weekend

Damaged everything. We were in an F-0, but it was still scary.

[RoyGBiv]

48. You should be okay ...

Just take cover if you hear the train a'comin.

This system isn't currently as nasty as it could be, upper level sheer or something, the same thing that can knock the tops off hurricanes and keep them from strengthening. I understand Kansas has a tornado warning in Hutchinson County due to detected circulation. Hopefully it won't produce an actual funnel. It does look like Kansas is getting the worst of it, though. I'll be sending good vibes your way.

The strongest part of the line in OK is moving through OKC as I type. The lightning hasn't reached the intensity I typically associate with tornadic storms, and Gary England, local weather legend and inspiration for, of all things a drinking game, is downplaying the severity in OK, which is good for us I suppose.

[xmas74]

53. I'm am so gonna modify that w/ Katie Horner in my area!

If a drop of rain hits the ground she interrupts w/ five hours of unscheduled weather programming.

This could be the best game yet!

[RoyGBiv]

57. It's hilarious ...

That guy came up with the game, which apparently became popular at the OU campus with meteorology students, and spread like wildfire, no pun intended. A local radio morning show picked up on it, called Gary and asked him about it, and he laughed a lot. It has since taken on a life of its own.

Spread it far and wide, I say. :-)

:toast:

[xmas74]

62. It shall be done.

I bet an old high school friend might have heard of it, depending on how long it's been around. She attended the OU meteorology program a few years back.

[YouthInAsia]

59. Kansas just banned any signs visible from the highway

that advertise "anything obscene." So strip clubs, adult book stores, etc I suppose are out of luck. Even though godknowswhat constitutes "obscene"

[SPKrazy]

73. How About All The Anti Abortion Signs

along I-70 between Salina and the Colorado line

[Scout1071]

74. Great. Frankly, I'd rather not have our highways look like Missouri's

highways which are nothing but 200 miles of XXX billboards all the way down I-70.

I'm not a prude by any means, but I couldn't be happier they banned those billboards. I would be fine if they were allowed some other type of signage to point to the business, but I get pretty feckin' sick and tired of seeing those billboards when I have to travel I-70 in Missouri.

[SPKrazy]

61. Uggggh, It's Oppressively Humid and Warm Here

in Arkansas

just waiting for the storms to come here

[greenbriar]

67. where in Ark?

we lived in Bentonville for 2 years

[SPKrazy]

70. Down South Of There

Fort Smith to be exact

[SPKrazy]

72. Getting A Real Bow Wave Echo In Oklahoma

http://www.thehometownchannel.com/wxmap/4290868/detail.html

looks pretty intense too

[vickitulsa]

78. It's 11:23 pm here in Tulsa and the wind is buffeting my RV

so much my dog is trying to crawl onto my keyboard, he's so scared. I've been here for three years and this is the WORST the old motorhome has rocked in the wind! It is NOT a good feeling!

I guess how "strong" or how "bad" a storm is really gets sorta subjective when it's YOUR home that's rocking or coming apart! Yikes!

[thinkingwoman]

76. I'm heading out and before I go

I wanted to say that I hope the worst is over for you and yours tonight. Take care.

And to those of us in the path of this front for the next 24 hours: duck and cover. :evilgrin:

Stay safe everyone.

[greenbriar]

77. Thank you ALL>>>looks like the worst is over...but the storm is now where

hubby and kids are camping.

Keep them in your prayers


and thanks for being there for me!!!:grouphug: :yourock:

[Atman]

79. Glad the worst is over, but this New Englander has a question...

Tornadoes are pretty rare here, although not unheard of, so forgive me if I don't get it...

but is sitting posting on DU really the safest place to be when tornadoes are about? I guess if you have a wireless laptop you could keep posting as you got sucked up into a funnel cloud, but it just seems like kind of an odd thing to be doing. Shouldn't you be rounding up Toto or something?

[greenbriar]

80. if we had had warnings here, I would have been in the basement

but until the actual warnings for a specific county, all you can do is watch TV weather, or computer weather maps and just talk to people to keep from imagining the worst

[Atman]

81. Gotcha

I'm actually from Florida, living in N.E. now...I know the difference between a "watch" and a "warning." Slipped my mind. It's late, after all. Glad to hear you're safe!

[greenbriar]

82. watches are not really scarey until the storms form all around you

currently we are in a watch until 3 am, but from the radar looks like most of the scarey part is over.

it was only when the county next to us came under a WARNING that I got spooked.