February 2008
You are currently browsing the articles from In The Vortex written in the month of February 2008.
This morning there was a huge explosion at the Alon Refinery in Big Spring, TX. I have been by this refinery many times. It’s about 70 miles from my house. As luck would have it, this was a Federal holiday, and only 3 workers were at the plant, otherwise it would have been busy with about 170 workers. These three were injured as was someone driving by on I-20 that was hit by debris. I-20 has been closed all day there. No one has been known to have been killed by the blast at this time.
Classes from Big Spring ISD where closed for the day as well as Howard College. The fire is under control right now and there is no threat to the City of Big Spring. People as far away as San Angelo, Tx reported hearing the blast.
That refinery produces 70,000 barrels a day. Incidentally, the fire mostly affected the area that manufactures propane and propylene. The area the produces gasoline was not affected but was shut down for safety. An interesting note is that reports across the area indicate gasoline prices shot up as much as 20 cents a gallon immediately after the news came out about the explosion.
Another lucky draw in this was that the winds were mostly calm. A stark contrast to the weather of late when we have been experiencing many days of high winds over 45 mph and massive grass fires. It’s shuttering to think what this would have been like had this been one of those days. The relatively calm winds produced some wonderful pyrocumulus clouds as well.
You can see all sorts of video and more images and get the latest on this at a sister TV station for the one I chase for, KWES Newswest 9.
Written by David on February 18th, 2008 with 1 comment.
Read more articles on General News and General Weather.
May 22, 2008! I absolutely cannot wait! What ya wanna bet it’s going to be a chase day?
Any of you younger folks that have not had the pleasure of seeing Indiana Jones in action, go out and rent the first 3 movies NOW. It’s a timeless classic and some of the greatest adventure movies of all times that will have you on the edge of your seat most of the time with numerous close calls and seemingly unpossible escapes from impossible situatations. You won’t be disappointed!
Written by David on February 14th, 2008 with 7 comments.
Read more articles on General Talk.
“The rain was more like a vaporized mist/fog, moving very rapidly. Then it began to shift around in all sorts of directions. There was a little bit of small hail, but for the most part it was this very spooky, fast moving mist/fog that would shift around quickly from all directions, sometimes even going UP! If felt as if several people were outside my chase vehicle shaking it from different directions.
I thought “Oh my God, NOOOOO! OH please NO!” I knew there either was a tornado very nearby or was right on top of me.”
That is an quote from a story I wrote back in May of 2007.
With all the stories coming out of the south lately from the recent tornado outbreak, I got to thinking about an experience I had with a nighttime tornado last May. I was also reviewing some video for a little chaser get together we had here in the Panhandle and came across the video from the dashcam that night.
While I still couldn’t see anything, the sounds of that night haunted me all over again. You see, I was caught in a tornado at night, due to poor judgment during a chase. I wrote a story about my experience just after that happened, and have published it on the main website.
I was compelled to revisit how I felt about that, with primary chase season right around the corner. I’ll share some of my thoughts and feelings about it with you here now.
As with all things, time dulls the point on traumatic events in our lives, as it has here with me. I had to keep chasing after that, if nothing than I had contractual obligations I had to fulfill. Some of those chases were at night. It was EXTREMELY stressful for me, but I got through it, like I always do somehow during tough times.
During most of this winter, I have been largely unmotivated to get out and chase any winter events, and my thoughts about an upcoming spring and a chance to chase severe weather again have been punctuated with periods of complete disinterest, followed by great anticipation. Reading again what I wrote back in May that now seems so long ago, and reading of some of the recent tornado victims experiences, had prompted dreams of my own home and town being ripped apart by a tornado, and dreams of the experience of trying to restart life after that. It’s been quite an emotional experience. One I hope I never have to endure outside of dreamland.
While my experience was traumatic enough, at least I had no pieces to pick up. I had no home to rebuild. I had the luxury of leaving that event behind in the Texas Panhandle, only to be reminded of in my writings and in my dreams and maybe the occasional flashback on the road. In that regard I am fortunate.
I have came to the conclusion that I must continue to chase storms. I have known all these years what they could do. I knew the extra risks I take by getting closer than many feel comfortable with. I now will be much more unlikely to try and beat a storm to an intersection I need for safe interception, especially at night. But I don’t think I can let that experience beat me, because to do that would allow it to take a piece of my spirit away from me. In way that is ironic, because much of my spirit I get from my experiences with nature on the plains.
It’s all to clear to me now how mother nature can take away the life she gave, and just as quickly, be it a blade of grass, a tree, a cow, or a human being. It’s a delicate balance we have with nature. One I believe I will be paying much more attention too. I have seen many incredible and tragic things on the road over the years caused by weather. A few have made me consider never chasing again. But then I realize, that I am only an observer being allowed by nature herself to view and document such things. I am powerless to make or prevent it from happening. My being there won’t make it any worse, and perhaps a report or two I hand in will make it better for someone, somewhere. Perhaps the sharing of my chase experiences through pictures and video helps others in some way, or at least brings them along that journey with me. Just perhaps somewhere in all of this, there is a greater good being done in my being out there on the road every time the storms start rolling.
So come the first good storm day, no doubt I will be out there again, even if a little apprehensive now, taking in the incredible sights this planet’s atmosphere offers and bringing it right back here for those that care to come and view. Something will be different this time. Something I can’t quite put my finger on. A feeling? An emotion? I don’ t know. Perhaps that was the beginning of a journey I will find the answers to out on some deserted road, with the wind to my back and a supercell in my face.
Written by David on February 11th, 2008 with 3 comments.
Read more articles on Storm Chasing.
As mentioned before, the February 5th, 2008 deadly Super Tuesday tornado outbreak is the deadliest in over two and a half decades in the U.S. As of this writing, the total deaths so far are 56, and this may well increase. Numbers broken down by state as follows:
Arkansas: 13
Tennessee: 32
Alabama: 4
Kentucky: 7
So far 53 tornadoes have been confirmed from the outbreak, rating as high as EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. President Bush has declared a Federal Disaster in 11 counties in 5 counties in Tennessee so far, and 16 other counties have requested Federal Aid. The Red Cross, United Way and Salvation Army have spread out across the region with volunteers to assist in cleanup and recovery efforts, meals and supplies.
Here is a list of the surveys that have been put online so far that I can find:
NWS Huntsville, AL
Lawrence/Morgan County, AL EF4 Tornado
Jackson County, AL EF4 Tornado
Marshall County, AL EF1 Tornado
Cullman County, AL EF0 Tornado
NWS Nashville, TN
Preliminary Reports and Tornado Tracks
NWS Memphis, TN
Storm Damage Surveys
NWS Birmingham, AL
Lamar/Marion County, AL EF1 Tornado
Fayette/Tuscaloosa/Walker Counties, AL EF2 Tornado
Coosa/Talladega Counties, AL EF2 Tornado
NWS Paducah, KY
Muhlenburg County, KY EF3 Tornado
Christian County, KY EF2 Tornado
Calloway County, KY EF1 Tornado
Trigg County, KY EF1 Tornadoes (2)
Ripley County, MO EF1 Tornado
Jefferson County, IL Straight Line Wind Damage
NWS Louisville, KY
Meade County, KY EF1 Tornado
Hardin County, KY EF2 Tornadoes (2)
Allen County, KY EF3 Tornado
Monroe County, KY EF3 Tornado
Spencer County, KY EF0 Tornado
Washington County, KY EF1 and EF2 Tornadoes
Mercer County, KY EF1 Tornado
Nelson County, KY EF1 and EF2 Tornadoes
Harris County, KY EF2 Tornado
Franklin County, KY EF1 Tornado
Clark County, KY EF0 Tornado
NWS Little Rock, AR
Storm Information Page
Written by David on February 8th, 2008 with 2 comments.
Read more articles on Extreme Weather.
Super Tuesday tornado outbreak surveys are ongoing at this time. In addition to the tornadoes in Arkansas and Tennessee, at least 9 tornadoes swept across Kentucky as well. At this time, the NWS has confirmed through damage surveys at least 9 tornadoes in the state of Kentucky. Here are the stats:
MEADE COUNTY TORNADO
TORNADO RATING: EF-1
MAX WIND SPEED: 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH : 7 MILES
PATH WIDTH : 300-350 YARDS
INJURIES : NONE
FATALITIES : NONE
TIME OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN: 1154 PM EST
TIME OF FINAL DISSIPATION: 1205 AM EST
SPENCER COUNTY TORNADOES
…FIRST TOUCHDOWN…
TORNADO RATING: EF-0
MAX WIND SPEED: 80 MPH
PATH LENGTH : HALF MILE
PATH WIDTH : EIGHTH OF A MILE
INJURIES : NONE
FATALITIES : NONE
TIME OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN: 1238 AM EST
TIME OF FINAL DISSIPATION: 1240 AM EST
…SECOND TOUCHDOWN…
TORNADO RATING: EF-0
MAX WIND SPEED: 80 MPH
PATH LENGTH : HALF MILE
PATH WIDTH : EIGHTH OF A MILE
INJURIES : ONE
FATALITIES : NONE
TIME OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN: 1243 AM EST
TIME OF FINAL DISSIPATION: 1245 AM EST
HARDIN COUNTY TORNADO
TORNADO RATING: EF-2
MAX WIND SPEED: 115 MPH
PATH LENGTH : UNKNOWN
PATH WIDTH : 300 YARDS
INJURIES : NONE
FATALITIES : NONE
TIME OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN: ROUGHLY 1222 AM EST
TIME OF FINAL DISSIPATION: UNKNOWN
WASHINGTON COUNTY TORNADOES
…FIRST TOUCHDOWN…
TORNADO RATING: EF-1
MAX WIND SPEED: 90 MPH
PATH LENGTH : TWO-THIRDS OF A MILE
PATH WIDTH : 150 YARDS
INJURIES : NONE
FATALITIES : NONE
TIME OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN: 101 AM EST
TIME OF FINAL DISSIPATION: 103 AM EST
…SECOND TOUCHDOWN…
TORNADO RATING: EF-2
MAX WIND SPEED: 115 MPH
PATH LENGTH : ONE MILE
PATH WIDTH : 250 YARDS
INJURIES : NONE
FATALITIES : NONE
TIME OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN: 106 AM EST
TIME OF FINAL DISSIPATION: 108 AM EST
MERCER COUNTY TORNADO
TORNADO RATING: EF-1
MAX WIND SPEED: 105 MPH
PATH LENGTH : ONE MILE
PATH WIDTH : 300 FEET
INJURIES : NONE
FATALITIES : NONE
TIME OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN: 120 AM EST
TIME OF FINAL DISSIPATION: 122 AM EST
MONROE AND ALAN COUNTY TORNADOES
TORNADO RATING: EF-3
MAX WIND SPEED: 160 MPH
PATH LENGTHS : UNKNOWN
PATH WIDTHS : HALF MILE
INJURIES : THREE
FATALITIES : FOUR
TIME OF INITIAL TOUCHDOWN: 120 AM EST
TIME OF FINAL DISSIPATION: 122 AM EST
More details on the survey can be found at the National Weather Service Forecast Office Louisville, KY website.
Written by David on February 6th, 2008 with 2 comments.
Read more articles on Extreme Weather.
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