OT- NEWS! Major Catastrophe here in U.S.A., 213+ Death Toll Thus Far...
Terraformer_Author
Newcomer
Hi Guys...
This April here in the Eastern half of the U.S.A. has been terrible. We have experienced a month thus far in which every day has seen a severe weather event. We have just had an historic tornado outbreak throughout the entire Eastern and South Eastern U.S. Beginning roughly on April 12th. Entire cities over here have been nearly scraped off of the map by a plague of possibly EF4 and EF5 rated monster tornados, some of which are being estimated at over a mile wide. There is some speculation concerning a few reports of a storm that was 1.5, perhaps 2 miles wide. It appears that in Alabama - not only did the tornado touch the ground - but also the THUNDERSTORM ITSELF!. Right now - the American Red Cross are taking donations, and also several states have declared emergencies. 213 deaths thus far at the moment of writing this. Damage assessments and rescue / recovery operations are currently underway today across the Southeastern U.S.. For those of you on the forum who may be from one of these hard hit places - I certainly hope that you are ok, and that you are faring well through this calamity.
Several thousand people are also likely homeless. The state of Alabama thus far has had the highest currently estimated death toll as of 04 / 28 / 2011. There have been thus far -150 recorded tornados across the entire Southeastern U.S. During this outbreak. Several funnels have even passed relatively close to the Washington D.C. area in Virginia.
Tuscaloosa Alabama was a city that was hit particulary hard by this outbreak - with a death toll thus far of 36 - which would be roughly equivalent to a casualty count for an extremely active storm year for the ENTIRE U.S.. It seems as if "Tornado Alley" has now been expanded to include the entire Eastern half of the continental United States.
Along with tornado damages - many states along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are also facing severe flooding issues as well. The month of April, 2011 has broken records for severe weather to be sure, and this is a tragedy that rivals Hurricane Katrina easily. As of writing this entry - Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee are the worst hit by these terrible storms, and the reminants of this major weather pattern is now hitting the east coast as it moves into the Atlantic (04 - 28 - 2011, 9:22 AM EST). Your prayers for all of those effected by this catastrophe - and any help in whatever capacities both personally, and to the appropriate relief organizations would be greatly appreciated.
Where I am at right now - this state WAS NOT detrimentally affected by tornado damage during this hellacious outbreak - nor at any time during this past horrible month, but by the time April ends - it will have been the wettest month this state has seen in RECORDED HISTORY, as it is facing serious flooding issues. I certainly hope that we never - ever see another month like this EVER again. I have monitored this outbreak by watching the Weather Channel - and following the N.O.A.A. National Weather Service website - and it has been unbelievable. The weather folks over here are saying that this might retire the Super Outbreak of April 1974 . The casualties in Tuscaloosa Alabama now surpass those of the Xenia Ohio tornado of April 4, 1974 - that had a casualty count of 34 - which was one of the worst in U.S. history before April 27, 2011. It has certainly been a frightening and nerve racking month for us all here. This has certainly changed the map over here in many, many places forever.
The following are links to both the American Red Cross - and The International federation of the Red Cross / Red Cresent.
Consult the IFRC website to look into donations or volunteer opportunities from you folks outside the U.S.. Thank you.
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main
http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/directory/
This April here in the Eastern half of the U.S.A. has been terrible. We have experienced a month thus far in which every day has seen a severe weather event. We have just had an historic tornado outbreak throughout the entire Eastern and South Eastern U.S. Beginning roughly on April 12th. Entire cities over here have been nearly scraped off of the map by a plague of possibly EF4 and EF5 rated monster tornados, some of which are being estimated at over a mile wide. There is some speculation concerning a few reports of a storm that was 1.5, perhaps 2 miles wide. It appears that in Alabama - not only did the tornado touch the ground - but also the THUNDERSTORM ITSELF!. Right now - the American Red Cross are taking donations, and also several states have declared emergencies. 213 deaths thus far at the moment of writing this. Damage assessments and rescue / recovery operations are currently underway today across the Southeastern U.S.. For those of you on the forum who may be from one of these hard hit places - I certainly hope that you are ok, and that you are faring well through this calamity.
Several thousand people are also likely homeless. The state of Alabama thus far has had the highest currently estimated death toll as of 04 / 28 / 2011. There have been thus far -150 recorded tornados across the entire Southeastern U.S. During this outbreak. Several funnels have even passed relatively close to the Washington D.C. area in Virginia.
Tuscaloosa Alabama was a city that was hit particulary hard by this outbreak - with a death toll thus far of 36 - which would be roughly equivalent to a casualty count for an extremely active storm year for the ENTIRE U.S.. It seems as if "Tornado Alley" has now been expanded to include the entire Eastern half of the continental United States.
Along with tornado damages - many states along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are also facing severe flooding issues as well. The month of April, 2011 has broken records for severe weather to be sure, and this is a tragedy that rivals Hurricane Katrina easily. As of writing this entry - Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee are the worst hit by these terrible storms, and the reminants of this major weather pattern is now hitting the east coast as it moves into the Atlantic (04 - 28 - 2011, 9:22 AM EST). Your prayers for all of those effected by this catastrophe - and any help in whatever capacities both personally, and to the appropriate relief organizations would be greatly appreciated.
Where I am at right now - this state WAS NOT detrimentally affected by tornado damage during this hellacious outbreak - nor at any time during this past horrible month, but by the time April ends - it will have been the wettest month this state has seen in RECORDED HISTORY, as it is facing serious flooding issues. I certainly hope that we never - ever see another month like this EVER again. I have monitored this outbreak by watching the Weather Channel - and following the N.O.A.A. National Weather Service website - and it has been unbelievable. The weather folks over here are saying that this might retire the Super Outbreak of April 1974 . The casualties in Tuscaloosa Alabama now surpass those of the Xenia Ohio tornado of April 4, 1974 - that had a casualty count of 34 - which was one of the worst in U.S. history before April 27, 2011. It has certainly been a frightening and nerve racking month for us all here. This has certainly changed the map over here in many, many places forever.
The following are links to both the American Red Cross - and The International federation of the Red Cross / Red Cresent.
Consult the IFRC website to look into donations or volunteer opportunities from you folks outside the U.S.. Thank you.
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main
http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/directory/
Comments
I believe that there were about 100 casualties in Tuscaloosa because the last time I peeped the Weather channel they had it up to around 80 - and that was a little while ago. I don't know where these systems head off to after they clear the Eastern Seaboard, but folks in the U.K. should watch your weather because I believe that the Lows generally move over the pole from Europe to Canada - swing across the Conus from the North West - and then trudge East across the Midwest and New England - eventually sliding off of the Seaboard - and then heading back towards the North Atlantic again before occluding. I would assume however that once they hit the Atlantic trade winds they generally get chopped up and dissolve out a bit though, especially since they get pushed away from North America and starved out of the moist Gulf air coming up from the Gulf of Mexico and the tropics, like a sealed candle lantern growing dimmer when it runs out of air to support the flame.
The Gulf of Mexico is a trouble maker weather wise - it's what fuels the bad storms over here. Warm wet air getting sucked up into the Mid West and Eastern U.S. From the swirling Low Pressure H5 and H8 vorts that track across us - dragging low fronts behind them. Considering that - there's a lot to be said for living in Alaska I suppose, lol.