Tag: Tornado Chaser

EF-3 tornado ripped through North Texas town, causing damage and injuries, officials say

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destroyed village cottages and uprooted trees after tornado

A powerful storm ripped through the North Texas city of Mineral Wells Tuesday evening and caused serious damage, authorities said. Mineral Wells is located about 45 miles west of Fort Worth. The storm appeared to have blown through an industrial park, shredding buildings, ripping apart roofs and scattering debris across the area. Metal was wrapped around poles and an HVAC plant was heavily damaged, but employees had been sent home ahead of the storm.

Mayor Regan Johnson confirmed two major manufacturers were impacted, though there wasn’t an estimate yet as to how many employees would face job displacement. Debris, downed trees, and leaning power lines littered the area. First responders continued to assess the damage overnight.      City officials said Tuesday night that several people were injured and two were brought to Palo Pinto General Hospital, but no critical injuries or deaths were reported. Officials affirmed this in an update shared Wednesday morning in a press conference, noting that three more people who were hurt were also brought to a hospital via private vehicle.  Mineral Wells Fire Chief Ryan Dunn also said on Wednesday that several other people who were hurt refused transport to the hospital. Dunn said one of the patients taken to the hospital via ambulance faced a traumatic injury; the other faced a medical issue.

The National Weather Service gave the tornado that hit Mineral Wells a rating of EF-3 with peak estimated winds of 145 mph. Officials said other parts of the community, including nearby neighborhoods, were also impacted. Police Chief Tim Dennison said Oncor estimated about 2,200 customers were without power as of Wednesday morning, with that number including both residential and business customers. City officials said curfew has been put in place for the Fort Wolters area via a Declaration of Emergency Powers.

Those areas include the following locations: Energy Avenue (Country Club Estates) to the west US Highway 180 to the south Washington Avenue to the east Armstead Drive to the north The curfew was in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday night through 6 a.m. Wednesday, and will now occur nightly from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. until further notice.

Source: EF-3 tornado ripped through North Texas town, causing damage and injuries, officials say – CBS Texas

And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
1 John 4:21

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North Texas storms spawn multiple tornadoes, injure several and cause widespread damage

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dramatic view of village houses damaged by thunderstorm

Powerful storms, hail up to softball size and multiple tornadoes tore through North Texas on Tuesday, causing serious damage, injuries and widespread power outages. As of Wednesday, nine tornadoes occurred in North Texas between Saturday and Tuesday night.  Tuesday, there was an EF-3 tornado in Mineral Wells with winds up to 145 mph, three tornadoes in Johnson County, an EF-U tornado in Montague County, 70 hail reports, with hail as big as just below the size of a softball, and seven damaging wind reports.  There were also tornado warnings south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where the NWS will analyze damage as well.

In Mineral Wells, several people were injured. The Mineral Wells storm blew through an industrial park, shredding buildings, ripping apart roofs and scattering debris across the area. Metal was wrapped around poles and an HVAC plant was heavily damaged, but employees had been sent home ahead of the storm. Debris, downed trees, and leaning power lines littered the area. Officials said other parts of the community, including nearby neighborhoods, were also impacted. This comes just days after at least two people died after devastating weekend storms. Saturday storms generated more than 100 reports, ranging from baseball‑size hail to 90‑plus‑mph wind gusts and multiple high‑water rescues across the metroplex.

Preliminary data from the National Weather Service shows an EF‑1 that struck Springtown in Parker County with winds of 105 mph and the night’s strongest tornado – an EF‑2 – that hit Runaway Bay in Wise County with winds estimated at 135 mph. Jack County also withstood EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes.

Source: North Texas storms spawn multiple tornadoes, injure several and cause widespread damage – CBS Texas

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:36

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Baseball-sized hail, damaging winds possible across North Texas amid severe weather threat Tuesday

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Tornado with debris and hail hitting a residential neighborhood with damaged houses and vehicles

The two main threats are wind and very large hail, with the possibility of an isolated tornado. Tuesday starts cloudy, warm and breezy, with temperatures in the 70s. Areas of fog are possible for the morning commute.

But it will once again be a busy afternoon with severe storms as a dry line and a cold front increase the potential for severe weather, prompting a First Alert Weather Day.

The timing of Tuesday’s storms will be between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m., with 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. being the most likely timeframe for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. 

Source: Baseball-sized hail, damaging winds possible across North Texas amid severe weather threat Tuesday – CBS Texas

Illinois surpasses 100 tornadoes for fourth year in a row

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dramatic lightning over palmas brazil

Severe weather season has been off to a very active start in Illinois, with everything from flooding, hail, and damaging winds – and more than 100 tornadoes statewide. As of April 22, the preliminary count for tornadoes across the state of Illinois stands at 101 and counting, easily leading the entire country by far. That’s nearly double the annual average of 54 tornadoes in Illinois. With our severe weather season just getting started and lasting through September, that number has the chance to go up.

The typical count for tornadoes per year across Illinois is 54, so we already nearly doubled that. As of April 19, there have been at least 20 tornadoes in the National Weather Service Chicago forecast area, which includes parts of northwest Indiana. The typical number for that forecast area is between 10 to 20 tornadoes per year.

  • March 10th An EF-0 tornado north of Pontiac, IL.
  • An EF-U tornado near Cayuga, IL (midway between Pontiac and Odell).
  • An EF-U tornado in Kankakee Township. This brief tornado occurred prior to the start of the Kankakee-Roselawn
  • EF-3 tornado. An EF-U tornado in Otto Township. This brief tornado lifted just before the start of the Kankakee-Roselawn EF-3 tornado. 
  • An EF-3 tornado that tracked through southern Kankakee and Aroma Park in Illinois and Lake Village and Roselawn in Indiana before ending west of DeMotte, IN.
  • An EF-1 satellite tornado just southwest of Sun River Terrace. This was a southward-moving satellite tornado associated with the Kankakee-Roselawn EF-3 tornado. 
  • An EF-U tornado immediately south of Sun River Terrace. This was a brief satellite tornado associated with the Kankakee-Roselawn EF-3 tornado.
  • An EF-U tornado in southeastern Ganeer Township, southeast of Sun River Terrace. This was another brief satellite tornado associated with the Kankakee-Roselawn EF-3 tornado.
  • An EF-U tornado in Momence Township, north of Hopkins Park. This was an anticyclonic satellite tornado that initially moved north, stopped, then tracked south before ending very near its starting location.
  • An EF-1 tornado that tracked from southwest of Wheatfield to near Dunns Bridge, IN.
  • April 2nd EF-1 near Palmyra and Woosung in northwest Lee County. 
  • EF-1 in Pine Creek Township in southern Ogle County. 
  • EF-0 in Holcomb in northeast Ogle County. 
  • April 17th EF-U in Pecatonica
  • EF-1 in Harrison EF-1 in Roscoe
  • EF-1 in Gibson City
  • EF-1 near Loda and Buckley
  • EF-2 in Darrow
  • EF-1 in Kentland, Indiana

Source: Illinois surpasses 100 tornadoes for fourth year in a row – CBS Chicago

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Storm chaser captures video of tornado in southern Minnesota

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cloudscape with gray storm clouds

Most people run to their basement during severe weather, but Melanie Metz instead runs toward the storm. The National Weather Service confirms three tornadoes hit southern Minnesota Monday night in Amboy, Matawan and Elmore. That’s on top of dozens of hail reports and even some gusts of wind nearing 60 MPH in southern parts of the state.  The weather allowed Champlin based meteorologist and storm chaser Metz to capture some seriously captivating footage. Metz has been chasing storms for 25 years. “I can’t believe it, honestly. I mean, that’s a long time when I started chasing it was before we even had smartphones, so I couldn’t see radar when I was on the road.

It’s been a long time,” she said. Monday night, her vantage point was from Truman, Minnesota — near Fairmont. She met up with a fellow meteorologist and friend to stake out the storm. She captured some incredible videos, including one which depicted an intact, super cell tornado. Metz believes it the tornado NWS pegged in Amboy.  “We ended up chasing this storm for quite a while until it finally started to organize and became a supercell and produced a couple of tornadoes right in front of us,” she said. Metz says the chase is thrilling, fascinating and combines her love of storms and photography. But—it’s not something to try without experience.

Source: Storm chaser captures video of tornado in southern Minnesota – CBS Minnesota

A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9