Be prepared!

Well, if you listen to me, you have hooked up, or you immediately went out to purchase your weather radio. Hopefully, you purchased one that is SAME (Specific Area Message Encoder) code enabled. If not, don't freak, just having a weather radio could mean the difference between life and death. If you got one that is SAME code enabled, you are able to program your radio using specific codes, so your radio will only alert you when weather advisories pertain to that specific county. You can find codes for the counties you want alerts for by selecting your state at this link. Now what? Well, you wait for "inclement" weather. You will hear weekly tests of the EAS (Emergency Alert System), so the broadcasters can be certain the signal is going out properly. Anyone who didn't hear the National test of this alert system can recognize the value of the test. When inclement weather is present, the test will not occur. Generally, the alert in your area will start with a watch of some sort. Ideally, a severe thunderstorm or even a tornado watch will be issued for your area. A watch simply warns you that conditions are favorable for the weather described in the watch to occur. This should alert you to be aware and mindful of rapidly changing conditions, have your emergency kit ready. You should always have a disaster kit ready, but now's your chance to freshen it up, double check those batteries. Be mindful and vigilant. A watch means that the weather could happen.

Then, you might just experience a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning. When that is issued, it means one of two things, either those conditions have been witnessed by a credible source (SKYWARN spotter or law enforcement) or the radar that the National Weather Service meteorologists are observing is showing an imminent threat. If you are in the path of the storm, this is the time to get below ground, or if no basement is available, an interior room, away from windows. Cover up with a mattress; wear a helmet; put infants and small children in a car seat. Most injuries and deaths from severe weather occur when degree becomes projectile. Stay there until the warning expires.

... and that is how you stay prepared.
~Dewdrop

Tornado warnings in Alabama and Georgia

Damage, trees down, and people trapped in a home in Americus, Georgia with a line of storms currently barreling through southeast Alabama and southwest Georgia. People in the path of this dangerous storm system should be ready to get into a safe spot. It is tornadic and has produced damage. Turn on your weather radios (if they aren't already on, and take any warnings seriously.

TORNADOES
2220 7 SW ARITON, COFFEE COUNTY, AL
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED A TORNADO SOUTHWEST OF ARITON, AL ALONG COUNTY ROAD 51.

2225 ROCKY HEAD, DALE COUNTY, AL
EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED DAMAGE IN ROCKY HEAD WITH DOWNED TREES.

WIND REPORTS
2245 UNK SPEED AMERICUS, SUMTER COUNTY, GA
TREE DOWN ON A HOUSE ON OGLETHORPE STREET WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE. SEVERAL REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS.

~Dew

Tornado warning headed my way

LINGERING THREAT FOR MARGINAL SEVERE STORMS OR EVEN AN ISOLATED TORNADO MAY PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ACROSS THE DISCUSSION AREA. WW -- WHILE NOT IMMINENT -- COULD BECOME NECESSARY AHEAD OF ONGOING/BROKEN CONVECTIVE LINE.

It's headed this way. Not showing rotation though. Looks like hail.

Action in South Georgia

Meso Mike has deployed to the red dot. We just got the EAS for the rapidly approaching cell. There is still some opportunity for blow up with continued gulf feed interaction with the front.

0715 PM CDT THU OCT 15 2009

AREAS AFFECTED...SRN GA

CONCERNING...SEVERE POTENTIAL...WATCH UNLIKELY

THE THREAT FOR ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS CAPABLE OF LOCALLY STRONG WIND GUSTS AND PERHAPS A BRIEF TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF SRN GA TONIGHT. A WW IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

Mike is going to the southeast to try to get ahead of it.

Significant weather alert...
1014 PM EDT THU OCT 15 2009

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT FOR BERRIEN...COOK...
LANIER AND LOWNDES COUNTIES...

* UNTIL 1100 PM EDT

AT 1013 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR RAY CITY...OR 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
NASHVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
LAKELAND BY 1035 PM EDT.

WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS...AND IS ALSO PRODUCING NEARLY CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. 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.

~Dew

It's fast approaching, round 1... round 2 is mine.

The sun is shining here... making our environment ripe for an outbreak. We've also got some ferocious wind!

~Dew

Rick is deployed

Tornado warned cell into Cordele, GA... did I not call that?! Looks wet. It'll be hard to see!

Rick is deploying west to Mitchell County to try to intercept the tornado warned cell in the city of Colquitt.He's the red dot.

Incidentally, the tornado watch box has been expanded and extended until 6PM. :DLooks like we've got a ball game with round 2. Gtb and I should be out after about 3:00 or 3:30. I hope we don't miss it!

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

DISCUSSION...A LARGE MCS WITH EMBEDDED BOW ECHOES/SUPERCELLS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ENEWD IN ASSOCIATION WITH A WEAK MESOLOW IN SW GA...AND A WARM FRONT LIFTING SLOWLY NWD FROM SRN INTO CENTRAL GA. A FEED OF MID-UPPER 60S DEWPOINTS FROM THE NE GULF OF MEXICO WILL MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY FOR STRONG UPDRAFTS...WHILE LOW-LEVEL AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR WILL REMAIN STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND A COUPLE OF TORNADOES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.

~Dew

Decisions... decisions...

I just woke up, and there is a nice couplet just outside of Dothan, AL, that is severely rain wrapped. I could get set up in position, up in Cordele for an intercept, but I probably wouldn't see anything unless it's right on top of me, so I'd have to be in the exact spot at the time of intercept to avoid major problems.In contrast, I could just wait around here, see what happens with the line and let it come my way.I probably should mull this over for a few, not too long though cause if I am going to move, the time is now.

7:49AM I really think the big event is yet to come, if the sun gets a chance at all. I think this cell will not survive all the way across GA in all this mess of rain, so going after this one rain wrapped cell would be a waste of time. I am leaning on holding tight until this afternoon, and going after whatever then. From Tally:

THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY WILL AFFECT THE PANHANDLE AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA THIS MORNING BEFORE SHIFTING WEST EAST INTO THE BIG BEND AND GEORGIA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

8:30AM Looks like I made a good decision. That one cell seems to have mostly been absorbed into the big wall of rain headed this way. If we get any substantial sun to break through, we've got ourselves a ball game!!

~Dew

A little too close to home!!!!

POST IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST!!!

TORNADO REPORTS
0545Z 6 S CAIRO GRADY COUNTY GA
CONFIRMED TORNADO WITH MANY TREES DOWN 6 MILES TO THE SOUTH OF CAIRO. SEMI-TRAILER TRUCK OVERTURNED. (TAE)

0605Z 1 S THOMASVILLE THOMAS COUNTY GA
WDIESPREAD TREES AND POWER LINES FELLED BY CONFIRMED TORNADO AT THE INTERSTION OF 319 AND PINE TREE ROAD. (TAE)

0620Z BOSTON THOMAS COUNTY GA
WIDESPREAD TREES DOWN THAT WERE TWISTED AND SNAPPED OFF. WIDESPREAD POWERLINES DOWN AND MANY ROADS IMPASSIBLE. (TAE)

0715Z VALDOSTA LOWNDES COUNTY GA
TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON VALDELL ROAD OFF OF HWY 41 IN VALDOSTA. (TAE)

Well, it appears that the tornadic activity last night (starting just prior to 1AM and lasting through... what time did I post that???) was limited to an area of within 70 miles or so of my house. There was a report of an actual touchdown, just about 3 1 miles from my house, which was the last one that occurred last night. I can't tell you what a horrible sound it is to have the EAS tone sound at 1AM and announce a tornado heading dead at you. I have my SAME codes set for surrounding counties so I have a heads up. The scary part is that the first one was within 6 miles of my gtb's children. What a night!12:39AM(radio woke me, and AL Mike called within seconds to make sure I was aware):12:44AM:12:50AM:12:55AM:1:01AM:1:07AM:After the 1:07AM capture, I was watching it with a lot of analysis... not really paying attention to capturing, more in a protect life and property mode... it looks like it had lost its energy, but just as it approached my county (very close to me...) it started to rotate again, and it had a strong signature on the relative velocity. Just as I had made the decision to take cover, the weather radio alerted me that the Tallahassee Weather Service office agreed and were issuing a tornado warning for my area. Grabbed Mini-Dew, the dog and a mattress and we took cover, all the while getting texted updates from Mike and Rick, who were vigilantly watching on my behalf. Incidentally, it was our first time having to do that, and well, happy birthday Mini-Dew... as she shivered in my arms behind the mattress. While, we were under the mattress during our tornado warning, the SPC upgraded our Severe Thunderstorm Watch to a Tornado Watch... I had to chuckle... just prior to the 4th and final tornado, they saw fit to escalate the watch...

2:08AM (after it had passed) I don't have captured from when it touched down 3 miles to my south. I was a little busy:That's my report! Again, a HUGE THANK YOU to Alabama Mike and Rick for having our backs! The Southern Weather Brigade is a great team!

WHEW... aside from that, and now that my pulse is finally returning to normal... SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! Please visit Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Louise and Fishing Guy, the team for SKY WATCH FRIDAY (click the word to link and participate!) Thanks to Dot and Tom, who were instrumental in the success of this blogging event. You should definitely come fly with us! In honor of last night's (well, this morning's) long tracking tornadic supercell. I thought I'd share a pic with you today of one of my favorite supercells, which produced my first captured funnel clouds (3 of them!) In this particular supercell, you see the mesocyclonic striation bands on the anvil which are an indication of strong rotation. You see the wall cloud on the right dissipating and feeding into the inflow of the newly forming wall cloud on the left. It was in the wall cloud on the left where 3 needle funnel clouds descended, while we were watching. It was amazing, and it was such a scenic opportunity. I can't wait to get back out there. This was somewhere in SD on June 6, 2007.

Have a great day!
~Dewdrop

Mike's cell is tornado warned

Mike's cell is tornado warned... I was telling him that it was hooking when we got cut off, and then it got warned!

5:04PM EST:

5:10PMEST:It just exploded! He is the red dot, btw.

3.5" hail core...

5:24PM EST Still going...

5:28PM capture... just exploded again and let off some extra weight.

5:33PM EST:Our special cell has got offspring...

5:46 EST Pea sized hail, but the core is showing 3.75" hail and golf ball sized has been reported from this storm... street flooding.... very, very gusty winds, cloud to ground lightning. Debris flying from trees. Bigger hail now... 5:47PM. Getting bigger.Winds have changed direction... Hail getting bigger... on the edge of circulation. Huge hail.

He is in a bad spot... didnt make it to the other side in time... hit in hail core, lost him while I was talking to the NWS on his behalf.Now, his phone rings off the hook. He was stuff in mud with the circulation going over his area.

He's ok.

El Reno/Oklahoma City, OK Tornado Warning, Yukon, OK, Union City, OK...

I AM UPDATING TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST...

Our first tornado warning has been issued, with a strong radar signature between Oklahoma City and El Reno, OK... Looks like a strong tornado potential here...


3:25EST Still looking strong...

HAIL REPORT
1522EST 2.50" 2 W YUKON, OK REPORTED BY BROADCAST MEDIA

Another tornado watch has been issued for extreme northeastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas as the threat moves to the northeast. My friend in the Ozarks... be vigilant and watchful! Feel free to click on the graphic for retails.

3:50EST like the Energizer Bunny...

4:03EST: These look more impressive now than the one that is still tornado warned...
4:09EST, they are streaming live footage of the large tornado produced by the tornado warned cell... headed toward Guthrie, OK, near Waterloo, OK in Edmond, OK. Here is the link. Thanks, Alabama Mike!

4:13EST: Can I call em or what?! Yukon area, Oklahoma.Cars with people trapped inside and powerlines on them... bad day...

4:30EST: More...Langston, OK, headed for Stillwater, OK.
Another at Union City,
4:40EST: Broadway and Waterloo, significant damage reported... serious hook presentation in the Langston, OK warning signature.
... and Yukon, OK...


Hail, the size of tennis balls being reported...
~Dew

Tornado Watch... here?... really?

We have been placed under a tornado watch tonight, and a tornado warning has been issued for a cell 3 counties west of here, actually not far from where gtb's children live. I am keeping an eye on things. It's the junk ahead of the big bow echo that make me nervous.

Update 11/15 7AM:

Tornado Reports
0738 3 ESE DUNN, NC
WIND DAMAGE AND DEBRIS REPORTED AT 12000 HARNETT/DUNN HIGHWAY.

0748 4 ESE BENSON, NC
DAMAGE TO HOUSE AT WOODS CROSSROADS AND FIVE POINTS ROADS. BARN ALSO DESTROYED AND TREES DOWN. TIME EST BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND RADAR.

0800 5 ESE SMITHFIELD, NC
COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORT DAMAGE IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS JOHNSTON COUNTY. UNKNOWN NUMBER OF INJURIES REPORTED. RESCUE OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS.

0810 KENLY, NC
*** 1 FATAL *** AT LEAST 10 HOMES HAVE BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED TO DESTROYED IN THE KENLY AREA NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SCOTT ROAD AND BRIDGERS ROAD. CARS HAVE BEEN OVERTURNED

0820 1 NE LUCAMA, NC
HOMES DAMAGED IN LUCAMA.

0840 3 WSW ELM CITY, NC
*** 1 FATAL *** A HOUSE WAS DESTROYED AT 3850 LONDON CHURCH ROAD. ONE FATALITY HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY EMERGENCY SERVICES AT THE SCENE.

Here's a link to the story that Meso Mike shared... link

Oh, in true Dew-fashion, I watched the strong bow echo dissipate as it approached my neck of the woods. Anyone interested in the Dewdrop-Storm-Deterrent-System just let me know... there's got to be a way for this to benefit me...

It's over...
~Dewdrop

Tropical Storm Fay still Dragging Herself across the Peninsula/

SKY WATCH POST BELOW...

There are several tornado warnings on a band coming at me from the Jacksonville area. We have had some gusty wind this afternoon and a constant drizzle.

...NEW INFORMATION...

AS TROPICAL STORM FAY MOVES WESTWARD...RAINFALL WILL INCREASE WITH GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE REGION DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES TODAY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA.

We have about an hour before that potentially tornado producing band makes it our way.

~Dew