Tornadoes in unexpected places in the world

It has happened again, another tornado in an unexpected place, this time near Tokyo Japan.

Here are a few videos from different parts of the world that show that a tornado can show up almost anywhere.

This is more proof that you should be prepared for severe weather.

Japan

Germany

Columbia

China

Australia

Here is an explanation about tornadoes and where they could strike;  http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/primer/tornado/tor_climatology.html

Safe Rooms - Shelter from Deadly Storms

More tornadoes are being reported and I was just thinking of yesterday being the last day of the National Severe Weather Awareness Week.  What better way to be prepared is to build a shelter in your home for you and your family to be secure when a last minute warning is heard and you have just 12 minutes to run for shelter.

FEMA - Which is the Federal emergency management agency, provides the public with important information to be prepared for weather events.  FEMA's website states the following; Safe Rooms - Know your risk and have a safe place to go... with time to get there.  When extreme weather threatens, individuals and families need advanced warning and protection from the dangerous forces of extreme winds.   Individuals and communities in tornado and hurricane areas need structurally sound safe rooms and early alert systems.  Detailed information from FEMA about Safe Rooms can be found here; http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/saferoom/

I have stated a few times before about the importance of having a Weather Alert radio handy if you live in a area of the country that has storms that cause damage on a regular basis.  Because of recent flooding seen in our area last year, it looks like no area is safe from storms.

An article in today's news mentioned about how more families are building their own tornado shelters.
Several parts of the US has seen terrible storms in just the last two months, people react to the news of tornadoes causing destruction to entire communities and people want to be prepared to protect their families.

Please visit the article in The Times Herald to continue reading this story please click here  http://www.timesherald.com/article/

AP Photo/Dave Martin

Spring is Here!

Welcome to Spring 2012

The Vernal Equinox was reached early this morning at 1:14AM EST, this basically means that the Earth's angle to our Sun allows us to have the balance of an almost equal night and day in terms of 12 hours each.  The graphic below, illustrates the the Earth's axis, info and graphic courtesy of ; http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/march-equinox.html

The warmer weather has been affecting the southwest with numerous severe storms.   Normally Tornado season starts around the end of April.   Due to the higher than average temperatures, this season started early.  Please watch news reports and stay weather aware for the possibility of strong storms.

Mid America faces Terrible Storms

March 2012 - Tornadoes in the West..

I read about storms all day and night, I have to admit I obsess with them. I just looked at my phone and I noticed that I received a text at 3:30 am with storm warnings from the Storm Prediction Center last night(early morning). I did not even realize what time it was when I woke up to read this alert. My lifestyle has changed to where I read about storms that affect our Nation and parts of the world. I follow Text alerts, email subscriptions and The Weather Channel in the background, with this I study to be a more effective weather reporter.

One of the great benefits of YouTube, is that you can watch many eye witness storm videos and it has impacted the internet with such popularity that it has made stars out of several storm chasers.

Here are several videos of recent tornado events that have hit our Mid America region within the last few days. Through many reports that I have read, I honestly lost count of the reported damage and casualties. I do not wish to glorify tornadoes giving the wrong idea. I am not a storm chaser, just a reporter to convey storm awareness. Thank goodness that in our area (SE PA) we do not have storms of this magnitude. However you can never know when a strong storm can impact our area. Lives have been lost in our area last year, from flooding form Irene and Lee. I want people to think about being prepared for bad weather. The most important thing to to stay weather aware by checking the news at least once a day. If you are not able to be near a TV or a computer, and own a smartphone, then I suggest you find a weather alert app. The experts always recommend everyone to buy a NOAA Weather Alert Radio. The problem with computers and smartphones is that they rely on plug in AC power and the internet to receive critical information. The moment we get hit by winds over 45 miles per hour, we can experience power outages which can prevent us from watching TV or using our desktop computer. Higher winds can knock out cellphone service, so buying a battery powered weather radio is the best and safest option.

Please watch these videos, I have a feeling that we will face storms like Irene again in the not to distant future.

Tornadoes in the Southeast

Social Networks were alive all night long, and twitter was actually down for a moment either for maintenance or because it's servers were overloaded.  I did not stay up to see the reports but I tried to follow numerous reports by Meteorologists, Public Safety Workers, Skywarn, etc.  Up to around 21 tornadoes were spotted overnight and this makes one feel happy that we live were we do and we don't have to wake up in the middle of the night worried about our family and if we need to run to find shelter.   Here is an overview by weather.com explaining the many reports that occurred since yesterday.  Looking online there is an unconfirmed report of 4 fatalities in Alabama from Tornadoes.

Please open the link below to read the report written by folks at the Weather Channel.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/january-outbreak-damage-reports_2012-01-23

A Weather Ready Nation

The Nation Weather service, along with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other organizations, have been working together on a large scale plan to prepare our country to be a “Weather Ready Nation”. 

 During the next ten years, a major plan is being constructed in time for the 150 year anniversary of the National Weather Service.  Building a Weather Ready nation would involve using the latest technology, preparation, education and training, to help insure protection of lives and would benefit our economy. 

Evidence of climate change is all around us, being prepared to protect lives is a priority, and there is also the need to protect our Nation’s water supply.  New technology, using tools such as computers, Doppler radar, and satellites, would be used by scientists and meteorologists, to monitor our climate both on Earth and space weather, will help to enhance our ability to detect and study significant possible weather events with better accuracy.  Advancement in information technology using such tools as the internet, computer software, social networks and smartphone technology will help to bridge gaps in vital communication and weather alert status information.

Will we be ready for strong weather events such as Hurricanes, tornadoes, or as the NWS states a High Impact Event?

What is a High-Impact Event?

No standard, nationwide criteria define a high-impact event.  It may impact millions of people or one sector, and it may vary in timing or location.  It is any weather-dependent event that significantly impacts safety, health, the environment, economic productivity, or homeland security, such as:

• Major events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis

• Persistent drought

• Thunderstorms in a congested air space

• Rains that trigger flooding and cause agricultural run-off, leading to harmful algal blooms and dead zones

• Geomagnetic storms that disrupt energy distribution and communication systems

• Snow squalls at rush hour

• An above-average hot day

• Coastal inundation

• Changes in Arctic climate

For more detailed information, please read the Strategic plan 2011,  here ; http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/stratplan/files/2011.06_nws_strategic_plan.pdf