A historic year

First off, my disclaimer... this is not a shot from today, but it almost could have been... except the sun was in a different spot, but it was this foggy when I let the doggone dog out this morning. It was cool as the fog began to lift. You could see a layer of fog just above surface level, just sort of hovering there in patches. It wouldn't have photographed well... sorry.

Interestingly, yesterday was the first day since... get this... May 21, that there was not a tornado reported. EVERY SINGLE DAY SINCE MAY 22, we have had at least one tornado report, and on one of those days, we had 71 tornado reports! So, without further a-dew...

January 2008, with 88 tornadoes based on Storm Data, was not a record for January. January 1999 retains the record with 212 tornadoes documented in Storm Data. February 2008, with 148 actual tornadoes, appears to have established a new record for that month. The old February record of 83 tornadoes was established in 1971. The 30-year average number of tornadoes for January and February is about 23 each month. Obviously, 2008 started out with well above normal tornado activity!

I think it is interesting and important to point out that they have added an estimate of the actual count, since storm reports overstate actual... why, you ask? Great question! Storm reports are offered by emergency managers, storm spotters and storm chasers. If a report comes in about actual damage caused by a suspected tornado as reported to emergency management by the public, it will be reported as a tornado report. If a storm chaser sees the same tornado and reports it, it will be another storm report... add another chaser who saw the tornado at a different spot. There you have it... 3 tornado reports for the same tornado, and you wouldn't believe how many storm chasers are out there... The SPC estimates that the tornado reports figure of 1520 through June 10 is overstated by approximately 30%, so it is likely that it represents only (HA! hardly only) 1,064 actual tornadoes, still a record for this time in the year. We still have a secondary season coming up... I don't mean to downplay the fact that yesterday WAS a severe weather day. A whopping 446 hail and wind reports came into the Storm Prediction Center. Hundreds of trees and powerlines down, some on houses, some on cars (including a police car)... I heard one report of a tree coming down on a bus full of people... one fatality as a tree fell on a lumberjack. Power outages and damage to roofs... yes folks, it was definitely a severe weather day... and, yet another moderate risk for severe weather exists today in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa... Did I mention that parts of Cedar Falls, Iowa (Iowa's second most populated city) are under mandatory evacuation order because of the flood potential...? Add a tornado threat, and you've got a really bad potential outcome.

Wild, wild weather...

Update for today... Public Severe Weather Outlook... stronger wording...

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS EXPECTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW STRONG TORNADOES OVER PARTS OF THE CORN BELT AND MID-MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.

THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE

WESTERN IOWA
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
EASTERN NEBRASKA

1945 Update: Well, I was out shopping when our first wave of storms rolled in bringing torrential rain and ferocious wind!!! In fact, not far from my house, nickel sized hail was reported and a barn was blown down in the wind.

2230 2 S HAHIRA LOWNDES GA BARN BLOWN DOWN (TAE)

Literally... not far.Thunder is rumbling as I type. My digital telephone is out... and I am soaking wet from the first cell that dropped on me... Severe thunderstorm warnings have been issed with this line.

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
738 PM EDT WED JUN 11 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
SOUTHWESTERN COLQUITT COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...
NORTHWESTERN THOMAS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...
NORTHEASTERN GRADY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...
SOUTHERN MITCHELL COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST GEORGIA...
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...PELHAM...CAMILLA...

* UNTIL 830 PM EDT

* AT 733 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CAMILLA TO 11 MILES EAST OF MEIGS...AND MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
PELHAM BY 805 PM EDT...
MEIGS BY 815 PM EDT...

IN ADDITION TO HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

2100EDT: Just got a few texts from team member Mikey, bringing my attention to a large wedge (likely EF-4/5) in Iowa that hit a scout camp, killing 4 scouts and seriously injuring 40 people. Tornado now heading for Omaha, NE... God, this is awful. remember all the flood problems too. We could see major disaster here.

Have a blessed day!
~Dewdrop