January 2008
You are currently browsing the articles from In The Vortex written in the month of January 2008.
Of all weather phenomena, sandstorms is the one I hate. It’s a sure sign spring is just around the corner when the regular sand storms start in west Texas. The majority of fields are bare, being in between harvest and planting season, and we are most often driest this time of year. Late winter/early spring fast moving storm systems often kick up the winds in to the 40+ mph range and today was no exception. So far at my location the highest gust we had was 52 mph, and the highest in the area was 55 mph.
A couple of wildfires have broken out, one between Midland and Lamesa, TX, and a huge wildfire has erupted near Muleshoe, TX in the southwest Texas Panhandle that is ongoing as I write this. In fact, Muleshoe Emergency Management has requested evacuation assistance in the area and a fire warning released.
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FIRE WARNING
TEXAS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY LUBBOCK TEXAS
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
402 PM CST MON JAN 28 2008
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE
MULESHOE TEXAS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
THE MULESHOE EMERGENCY MANAGER IS REQUESTING ASSISTANCE IN
EVACUATION OF BUILDINGS NEAR AND NORTH OF A GROWING WILD FIRE
LOCATED SOUTH OF MULESHOE...OVER NORTHEAST BAILEY COUNTY...NEAR
THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS 214 AND 746. THE FIRE APPEARS TO BE
SPREADING QUICKLY TO THE NORTHEAST AND HAS ALREADY GROWN QUITE
LARGE. CITIZENS IN THIS AREA ARE REQUESTED TO MOVE TO SAFE
LOCATIONS IMMEDIATELY.
Looks like another windy and sandy day tomorrow before a cool down and small shot at some snow. If you don’t like the weather in west Texas, just wait a minute!
Written by David on January 28th, 2008 with 5 comments.
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In relation to the Vancouver, WA tornado I wrote about the other day, a person I have been subscribed to for quite some time posted a video about his experience with the tornado the other day, as he’s from there. Even more exciting is that he also was present for the OTHER significant tornado to occur there in 1972! He was a broadcaster in the area at the time.
Written by David on January 21st, 2008 with no comments.
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As mentioned in my previous blog post, while we had a tornado event taking place in the deep south, a RARE tornado hit Vancouver, WA on the same day. Rare not only because it’s January, and in the northwest part of the country, but just rare for this area period. In fact, the last time a major tornado hit the Vancouver area was on April 5th, 1972!
On that day an F2 tornado killed 6 people, injured 300 others, flattened buildings and threw boats on land, causing $3 million in damage. Typically this area may only see one or two weak tornadoes per year, usually in rural areas.
Unlike the first time, there were no reports of injuries Thursday’s tornado that cut a path a quarter mile wide and at least 2 miles long. The National Weather Service has rated this tornado an EF1 on the new Enhanced Fujita Scale.
Written by David on January 15th, 2008 with 2 comments.
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More details now about the tornado even in Mississippi on January 10th that I blogged about during the event. There was a long tracked supercell that produced at least 2 strong tornadoes and major damage as it tracked from Holmes, MS northeast in to Caledonia, MS and on in to Alabama, according the the National Weather Service in Jackson, MS.
The above photo from the Associated Press depicts a destroyed school bus that was picked up by the tornado and dumped on top of of the Caledonia High School where students were inside taking shelter from the storm. The NWS posted a radar screen shot of the tornado as it passed over Caledonia, which depicts a strong tornado at 2:16 PM eastern time.
Further to the Southwest where the supercell really started getting cranked up, the first tornado on this storm caused quite a bit of damage in Goodman, MS where 3 people were injured, hundreds of trees where snapped, and several homes heavily damaged or destroyed.
Damage surveys are still underway by the NWS, but there are reports of heavy damage to the northeast of Goodman as the radar continued to indicate the tornado moving near Sallis, and then on to near McCool. The NWS has given the tornado damage in Goodman an EF3 rating with maximum wind speeds of 140 mph and a 3/4 mile wide damage path. This was a LARGE and DAMAGING tornado no doubt!
Reports from Fox News indicate one farm in Attala County suffered extensive damage and loss where 3 farms buildings were destroyed, and 10 cattle were killed while 70 others were injured by the tornado.
The storm of course going on thereafter in to Caledonia causing the aforementioned damage. The area was under a Moderate Risk for severe weather by the Storm Prediction Center, including the possibility of EF2 or higher tornadoes.
By sure and check back for an upcoming post on a RARE January tornado in Washington State!
Written by David on January 12th, 2008 with 2 comments.
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In an event that is ongoing as I write this, several tornadoes have touched down and damaged communities. Details are still coming in, but one particularly long tracked supercell appears to have dropped a series of damaging tornadoes. Tornadoes from this storm have caused quite a bit of damage in Goodman, MS, then went on to the northeast and caused damage in Sallis, MS. From there the storm went on to produce damage in the McCool community further to the northeast.
After what appears to be a brief break in tornadic activity with this storm, it again began to produce tornadoes to the north of Columbus, MS in the Caladonia area, which is reporting significant damage. An elementary school in Caledonia is reported damaged with 3 students injured.
Another tornado report 4 miles NE of Caledonia, and then continuing on a tornado was reported on the ground from this same storm in Vernon, AL. Just to the north of that, 2 homes have been reported destroyed by Sulligen.
It is unknown at this time if these are individual tornadoes from this storm, or on continuous tornado track. I will post another report when I have more in depth details.
Written by David on January 10th, 2008 with 1 comment.
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