Tornados in September!!

[4WheelVFR]

Tornado warnings and watches have been going on and off all day today. We had a tornado on the ground about 5 miles from my workplace and 2 miles from my home. My house has a little wind damage, but it's not too bad. Just some aluminum siding that dissapeared. Also had some golf ball size hail at work, but thankfully my car was untouched. Being in the midwest, we get lots of tornadic storms in the early/mid spring, but this is friggin September. We're still under a flash flood warning, so it looks like my evening outdoor smoke is off.

[hollywood]

Originally Posted by 4WheelVFR

Tornado warnings and watches have been going on and off all day today. We had a tornado on the ground about 5 miles from my workplace and 2 miles from my home. My house has a little wind damage, but it's not too bad. Just some aluminum siding that dissapeared. Also had some golf ball size hail at work, but thankfully my car was untouched. Being in the midwest, we get lots of tornadic storms in the early/mid spring, but this is friggin September. We're still under a flash flood warning, so it looks like my evening outdoor smoke is off.

just missed the heavy stuff here tonight! looks like a few twisters touched down locally, but thank god not here!! always interesting, huh!? glad you're ok over there.

[4WheelVFR]

Originally Posted by hollywood

just missed the heavy stuff here tonight! looks like a few twisters touched down locally, but thank god not here!! always interesting, huh!? glad you're ok over there.

You too huh? Do you live around here? I'm in Southern Illinois, and there are a few areas with some moderate damage from tornadoes. A couple towns across the river also got hit. My town just barely dodged it.

[The Professor]

I'm in central Illinois -- we missed the nasty stuff; but it's been crap all evening.

~Darrel

[4WheelVFR]

Heck, there's still tornado warnings going SW of here. The lightning has been unbelievable too. It was like a huge strobe light in the sky earlier. I went out with my dog for about 25 minutes, and the sky didn't go dark for even a half second. I've never seen anything like it. It was awsome.

[hollywood]

Originally Posted by 4WheelVFR

You too huh? Do you live around here? I'm in Southern Illinois, and there are a few areas with some moderate damage from tornadoes. A couple towns across the river also got hit. My town just barely dodged it.

cape girardeau, over in semo. passed mostly all around us tonight.

[4WheelVFR]

Originally Posted by hollywood

cape girardeau, over in semo. passed mostly all around us tonight.

I go to Cape quite a bit. My brother plays indoor and club soccer there in the offseason. During soccer season we (carbondale) play a couple Cape teams. My mom also used to work at St. Francis Medical Center.

[doctorcue]

That stuff is scary! Never seen hail beyond the size of peas.

[M1903A1]

I live northwest of Chicago and had to go downtown this evening. I knew we had some nasty storms coming in; when I boarded the train, the sky was darkening, but it looked like the worse stuff was farther north. When I got downtown my friend asked if my train was delayed by a tornado. I thought he was just being a jag, when the station PA announced that trains on the Northwest and West lines were delayed due to a tornado warning. We went to a restaurant some blocks away; when we got close the air-raid sirens started blaring. (The skies still weren't all that bad looking, at least to me.)

We got inside and it started POURING like all hell. Then on the TV I heard a report of a tornado touching down in Humboldt Park (within the city...which hasn't happened since 1967). Then I heard a report of one touching down in the suburb I live in...not until I got home tonight did I see the extent of the damage (which was none).

No damage, but I hate that I missed the show.....

[punch]

Originally Posted by 4WheelVFR

I go to Cape quite a bit. My brother plays indoor and club soccer there in the offseason. During soccer season we (carbondale) play a couple Cape teams. My mom also used to work at St. Francis Medical Center.

Carbondale! I graduated from the Aviation Tech program at SIU-C in 1981. My wife graduated from the Dental Tech program the same year. She was a long term Carbondale resident. I lived in Anna during my Hight School years and graduated from AJCHS. I used to get all of my ammunition reloading components in Cape G.

[montecristo#2]

Originally Posted by 4WheelVFR

Tornado warnings and watches have been going on and off all day today. We had a tornado on the ground about 5 miles from my workplace and 2 miles from my home. My house has a little wind damage, but it's not too bad. Just some aluminum siding that dissapeared. Also had some golf ball size hail at work, but thankfully my car was untouched. Being in the midwest, we get lots of tornadic storms in the early/mid spring, but this is friggin September. We're still under a flash flood warning, so it looks like my evening outdoor smoke is off.

You can always send me your smokes, I will gladly hold onto them for you .

I sometimes wonder which is worse: hurricane, tornado, earthquake or a tsunami.

Hurricane (or cyclone) can cause severe damage to large areas for extended periods of time with high winds and large amounts of rain. However, you pretty much know when they are coming, so you can at least prepare (slightly). Major problems around the gulf of mexico and east coast, obviously need access to water.

Tornado, causes a lot of damage locally, but not as much in terms of area effected. Doesn't have the associated rain and flooding problems like a hurricane. I don't think you can really predict a tornado, you can have warnings but no real way of knowing where they are going to touch down (correct me if I am wrong). Mostly in the central part of the country.

Earthquake, depending on the magnitude, can cause severe damage over a relatively short period of time. Can cause damage over a pretty large area, probably not as much as a hurricane, but much more than a tornado. Greater potential to destroy city infrastructure (excluding what happened in new orleans after katrina). Pretty much no way to predict when it is going to happen and how big it is going to be. Mostly in CA, yippee. I wasn't here for the last big one in 1989, have felt some smaller ones that I wasn't very thrilled about.

Tsunami (after earthquakes in the ocean), something we don't hear about very often and probably wouldn't if it wasn't for that last big one. I guess they have systems in place to predict, but probably not widespread and not accurate (false alarms). The idea of sitting on the beach and seeing a 40 foot way coming out you sounds pretty scary. Potential to cause severe damage, especially in under-developed countries. Obviously only occurs in regions close to oceans.

The power of mother nature can be scary.

[Magdad]

I was flying in lastnight - after many delays - and saw the largest display of lightning I have ever seen, looked like it was over Kentucky. One pilot commented that in over 30 years that was the worst he's seen. Glad I was in the air and not on the ground! As mentioned by 4wheel above, it was a steady burst after burst, very impressive.

[ATLHARP]

Originally Posted by 4WheelVFR

Tornado warnings and watches have been going on and off all day today. We had a tornado on the ground about 5 miles from my workplace and 2 miles from my home. My house has a little wind damage, but it's not too bad. Just some aluminum siding that dissapeared. Also had some golf ball size hail at work, but thankfully my car was untouched. Being in the midwest, we get lots of tornadic storms in the early/mid spring, but this is friggin September. We're still under a flash flood warning, so it looks like my evening outdoor smoke is off.

Wow, that's like getting a Hurricane in Florida at the end of October!

Trust me man, all your fellow BOTL's in Florida are used to wind damage!

ATL

[hollywood]

looks like our whole area here is under a Tornado Watch until 4pm. Been pouring down rain of and on too. Lots of flooding all around. And they say the worst is to come late this afternoon!? Wonderful!

[4WheelVFR]

Originally Posted by hollywood

looks like our whole area here is under a Tornado Watch until 4pm. Been pouring down rain of and on too. Lots of flooding all around. And they say the worst is to come late this afternoon!? Wonderful!

A local news station is saying 7-10 inches of rain yesterday and last night. Also, there seem to be more tornados being produced out of this storm today. Again, that lightning was in-fricking-credible. Pair that with the bizarre yellow sky at dusk.....I just wish I had a good camcorder.