deadly tornados in Iowa

[the rockin edge]

not too far from here either

there's 1 confirmed fatality.

link

The twisters swept across eastern Iowa, with the worst damage in a path from Iowa City southeast through the small town of Nichols, about 20 miles away, the National Weather Service said.

"We have a path in the Nichols area that's four to five miles long," said Maj. Dave White of the Muscatine County sheriff's office.

the 2nd thunderstorm of the year and we get tornados. It may just be me not remembering correctly, but it seems just a little early in the year for this. we usually get storms aroud here with tornados (or threats of tornados) starting in May, maybe late April.

i don't know much about weather science, but isn't the hurricane season longer now than it used to be? how about the tornado season?


i bet it's all down to global warming, the end of the world is upon us!

 

[verte76]

I'm not looking forward to hurricane season, to put it mildly. You guys in Iowa really got screwed by these damn tornadoes. We get tornadoes also and I hate them and hurricanes both.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I was in Mississippi and Memphis last week, both had tornado watches and several touched down. Hiding in a bathroom w/ all my stuff and hearing those sirens was so scary. It was awful to see the destruction and death on the news-one was an 11 month old boy. Last I heard there were almost 30 people (or more) killed that week, I believe it was declared a federal disaster.

 

[Liesje]

I was in Mississippi and Memphis last week, both had tornado watches and several touched down. Hiding in a bathroom w/ all my stuff and hearing those sirens was so scary. It was awful to see the destruction and death on the news-one was an 11 month old boy. Last I heard there were almost 30 people (or more) killed that week, I believe it was declared a federal disaster.

On our way down to the coast, ther were tornadoes near Nashville (we could hear all the sirens as we drove...b/c my dad is dumb and kept going even though no one else was on the highway).

During the whole week on vacation, we watched the construction and sand-sifting still left from Hurricane Ivan, which made landfall exactly where we vacation, and Hurricane Katrina, which gave them a storm sturge larger than the Asian tsunami.

And then on the way back we ran into MORE tornadoes in Tennessee, the ones that killed all those people.

Here's a picture we snapped going along I-65 near Nashville:

 

[Liesje]

the 2nd thunderstorm of the year and we get tornados. It may just be me not remembering correctly, but it seems just a little early in the year for this. we usually get storms aroud here with tornados (or threats of tornados) starting in May, maybe late April.

i don't know much about weather science, but isn't the hurricane season longer now than it used to be? how about the tornado season?

Different parts of the US have different tornado seasons. Florida and the Gulf Coast is first, beginning in Jan/Feb and into early spring. However, many of their tornadoes are offspring of hurricanes during the hurricane season, which is different. When land size is considered, Florida gets more tornadoes than any other place in the world. Next, the tornado season moves northward, which makes sense given the recent tornadoes in Tennessee. It's a little early for Iowa though. Peak season in that region is May/June. Finally, it continues north to where I live, Michigan, and our peak season is actually late summer and into the fall. Last August we had an F3 come by just a few miles from our cottage. An F3 is plenty enough to kill people, but luckily most of the damage was in the forest and not the towns.

 

[the rockin edge]

Re: Re: deadly tornados in Iowa

Different parts of the US have different tornado seasons. Florida and the Gulf Coast is first, beginning in Jan/Feb and into early spring. However, many of their tornadoes are offspring of hurricanes during the hurricane season, which is different. When land size is considered, Florida gets more tornadoes than any other place in the world. Next, the tornado season moves northward, which makes sense given the recent tornadoes in Tennessee. It's a little early for Iowa though. Peak season in that region is May/June. Finally, it continues north to where I live, Michigan, and our peak season is actually late summer and into the fall.

yeah that makes sense. I thought it was a little early for here.

 

[yolland]

I read in our local paper that the reason why tornado season is so fierce and so early this year is because the jet stream has been dipping further south than usual, which pulls high pockets of cold Alaskan air into California (I think this is also related to the flooding out there?) and on into the central Rockies. Then the disturbances created by the high cold air generate a surface low on the other side of the mountains, which in turn pulls up warm moist air from the Gulf (which was exceptionally warm last winter), and the resulting stack of cold air over warm, moist air is what creates severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

There have been more than 400 tornadoes (nationwide) so far in March and April, which is more than twice the average, and also more than 50 tornado deaths so far, which is again way above average.

 

[catlhere]

For some reason I read this thread as "Deadly Tomatoes in Iowa"

I need some more sleep

But yea, scary. I live in California, so obviously I've never been anywhere near a tornado. Thankfully. Must be an awesome sight (not in the good way)

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Re: Re: Re: deadly tornados in Iowa

yeah that makes sense. I thought it was a little early for here.

It may seem early but tornado season really begins in March for Iowa and Illinois. The peak doesn't happen until later as LivLuv pointed out.
Hurricane season begins June 1st for South Florida.

 

[phanan]

I am so glad I don't have to worry about tornadoes and hurricanes where I live. Nor'easters are plenty for me.

 

[Bono's shades]

Yikes! I have relatives in Coralville, which is right next to Iowa City.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I know a lot of people in Iowa City. I checked in with one good friend who was in a hotel because all the windows in his apt were broken. He assured me that everyone I know and care about is fine. Very scary, though.

 

[U2democrat]

On our way down to the coast, ther were tornadoes near Nashville (we could hear all the sirens as we drove...b/c my dad is dumb and kept going even though no one else was on the highway).

During the whole week on vacation, we watched the construction and sand-sifting still left from Hurricane Ivan, which made landfall exactly where we vacation, and Hurricane Katrina, which gave them a storm sturge larger than the Asian tsunami.

And then on the way back we ran into MORE tornadoes in Tennessee, the ones that killed all those people.

Here's a picture we snapped going along I-65 near Nashville:

Wow. I was born in Nashville...I wonder if anyone in my old neighborhood was affected.

 

[the rockin edge]

i was looking through the paper today, loads of pics of bad damage in Iowa City. there were 10-12 tornados in this area. the biggest was an F2 that was right in Iowa City