The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
-Psalm 19:1

Do you know that God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash?
-Job 37:15



Thursday, May 14, 2009

Deadly tornadoes ripped through Missouri yesterday

SKY WATCH FRIDAY time! Our hosts: Klaus | Sandy | Ivar | Wren | Louise | Fishing Guy

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!Hope???My capture today demonstrates some teasing skies. My skies have been filled with these gorgeous swelling cumulus clouds, some growing and climbing so fast that it is easily visible. All the while, I'm chanting, "climb, climb, climb...", the National Weather Service is seeing, come on... don't make liars of us again... AND NOTHING HAPPENS. Folks, every single day since Sunday (when I encouraged my wonderful husband to put on the doors and put up the top), the guys have forecasted rain, and only one night... just one night while I was asleep we got 0.06" of rain. Yesterday, I was able to report a whopping trace after feeling a sprinkle the day prior. It's insane, and they persist in this forecast. yeah... rightA comic depiction of this phenomenon was generated by Rick... Thanks, Rick... lolLOL! It's going to be a long summer, indeed.

Unfortunately, the Storm Prediction Center didn't miss the mark at all when they forecasted a likelihood of tornadoes in the Kansas/Missouri/Illinois area, where 20 tornado reports were offered for yesterday's fatal outbreak. The red dots on the graphic represent tornadoes reported during yesterday's event. There were 3 lives lost in Missouri tornadoes. One of those lives were lost when the tornado hit a mobile home. Mobile homes are no match for a tornado or even strong winds. They aren't sturdy and should not be considered a safe place during a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning. An overturned car sits in the lot of Jim Robertson car dealership after it was hit by a tornado Wednesday, May 13, 2009, in Kirksville, Mo. Multiple tornados hit the area as severe storms tore through the state. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)If you live in a mobile home, you should have a plan to go somewhere safe when bad weather is imminent. Two others were located in a neighborhood near the car dealership depicted here, as captured by L.G. Patterson. This apparent tornado caused significant destruction in the hardest hit city, Kirksville, Missouri. A home in the Lakeside Estates is badly damaged after a tornado ripped through Adair County Wednesday evening May 13, 2009, causing extensive damage to Kirksville, Missouri. The city of Kirksville apparently took the hardest hit. Police Det. Sgt. Ron Celian said about 30 to 40 homes were damaged, one was destroyed and an auto dealership sustained significant damage. Two people were injured near the dealership when their car was blown off the road, Celian said. (AP Photo/Al Maglio)(AP Photo/Al Maglio)
Here is a link to video footage of the Kirksville, MO tornado shot by SevereStudios.com's Bart Comstock. He was too close, and worse, he didn't seem to realize it until he saw it right next to him after encountering lots of debris. Not good. Lucky the outcome wasn't a fate much worse. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those impacted and for the families of those whose lives were lost.

It looks like today's forecast is a lot more tame. The remnants of the system that caused the deadly outbreak has lost much of its energy. The line coming across toward the eastern part of the country is a thinning squalled out line of wind, rain and lightning. Take notice that southwestern Texas still has an area highlighted with a slight risk for severe weather, so don't let your guard down.

Have a great day!
~Dewdrop

32 comments:

  1. It's so sad that three lives were lost in Missouri. I wish all people in a tornado's path would find better places to hide than their mobile homes!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's really sad to hear all these weather-related calamities. I could only imagine the horror of listening to the tornado outside. Well, you heard about our wildfire; it's not even summer yet. It's going to be a long fire season here in Cali. We badly need rain for our parched land.

    Hehehe, come back and see what I finally decided to post for skywatch.

    ReplyDelete
  3. So tragic when lives are lost. and hard to reckon such a beautiful cumulus is related to the same phenomenon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've heard about the bad weather you guys have been having recently, so sad when lives are lost. Thanks for sharing, those clouds in the first pic are heavely!

    Have a great week
    Guy
    Regina In Pictures

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my goodness... it's amazing how much damage can be done nature!

    ReplyDelete
  6. hoping things get better there!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm so sorry to hear about the lost lives. Your posts are so informative and contain good tips on what to do.

    I love the shot of the teaser sky. Beautiful cloud.

    ReplyDelete
  8. We have no tornado's in Belgium
    I never had seen one!
    it is terrible experience this.
    Great sky Watch!
    Gr.
    P-TER

    ReplyDelete
  9. is this a more active tornado season than usual? i just think i have heard more about them this season.
    great post and so enjoyed it all.
    take care.

    ReplyDelete
  10. We had rain about 2 weeks ago and that will probably be that, for a couple of months. To be expected, I guess, as this is the High Sierra Desert :-)

    So sad about the tornado deaths. :-( Another blogger posted about riding our one..

    Lovely, fluffy cloud photo..

    ReplyDelete
  11. You are so right, we always enjoy pictures of bright puffy clouds decorating the horizon, but the weather can turn on so much more. Thanks for sharing with us all in sky watch friday.

    ReplyDelete
  12. So sorry to hear about the lives lost! Coming from Texas originally, I'm all too familiar with tornados. Beautiful shot for Sky Watch! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This makes our UK weather seem so tame - changeable yes, but not usually threatening inland. It gives me pause for thought and for that I thank you. (Quite apart from the wonderful photos, of course . . . )

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sorry your rain has not arrived Dew. May that change soon.Great cloud picture.

    When we see the news, showing people who have lost family and possessions through tornados. Our hearts go out to them.Life can be so cruel.

    ReplyDelete
  15. They were some hellish storm last night. We were lucky in that all we got was hail and heavy rain. Sad to say but most of the time there is just not anywhere for a person to go when they live in a trailor park.
    Love your puffy cloud pic. =)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Such extremes of weather are something as jabblog says we just can't comprehend in the UK. In an instant the weather can devastate lives in a way we can't imagine here.Images really convey these extremes are beauty and devastation. Stay safe.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sad to hear about the tornado. Never really happens here on my part of the world but we do experience typhoon more often thus giving more damages. The clouds on the first photo has been captured so well. Thanks too for the info.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Dew! The cloud is great. I see a stuffed puppy dog in it! Woke up this morning at 6:22am to huge b00m of thunder and then no more. Rained an inch. We need the rain here too. Poor folks in Missouri, seems they get all the bad stuff recently. Thanks bunches for the maps. What is the tiny picture in "Dewdropinsga's playlist"? Looks like a baseball player to me. Thanks for the lessons in weather.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow... Like scenes from a movie...
    The story is much more poignant when it's told from a personal perspective ... Hoping for calm skies ~Maria

    ReplyDelete
  20. Amazing clouds...billowy and lovely. I am sorry to hear about the tornados. I'm suprised they do not have underground sheds.

    Happy SWF to you : )

    ReplyDelete
  21. That cloud is rising right up to heaven.
    It is sad for the people affected by the tornado, but still better to cntend with the weather than make wars.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Its sad to see something beautiful yet be devastated on the other...After the rain is the sun so let's hope for better days...

    Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Terrific cottony cloud formation! Awesome capture! :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. It's sad though about the tornado. So sorry to hear that. :(

    ReplyDelete
  25. We have a house in the Florida Keys and have rebuilt it three time in the last 15 years. I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Your cloud picture is fabulous. The results of the tornado is something else. I cannot imagine living in an area prone to such things.

    ReplyDelete
  27. So sad the damage nature can do.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Beautiful clouds!! So sad about the people in the path of those tornadoes.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Unbelievable! When Europeans see a picture like that of the destroyed wooden house he is not able to believe it! I am so surprised to see that so many houses in the States are made of wood in areas where the chance of being destroyed by a hurricane is very high. Why ?
    Please tell me about that!
    Do you rebuild the houses after every tornado and hope that the next tornado does not come your place?
    Cloud formation is great!

    ReplyDelete
  30. You get nothing, others get tornadoes and we get snow. Hmmm. . .

    Love the powerful cumulus!

    ReplyDelete
  31. The contrast between the teasing skies and the sad news was heart-stopping. What a reminder that nature is and that is that.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thanks everyone for all the kind words and encouragement. It was incredibly sad to learn about the lives lost in the tornado outbreak last week. I'm sure that their families and loved one appreciate your prayers.

    Photo, I hope you get some of that much needed rain. Perhaps... fires are awful! We've definitely had many of those around here.

    P-ter, I haven't seen one either. Perhaps one day...

    Erin, it is an above average season, or it was at last check, but May has been wildly less active than usual. It seems that there is a greater following, so it's more out there... even the Weather Channel has a chase team.

    bowledover said...
    Sorry your rain has not arrived Dew. May that change soon.Great cloud picture.
    boy, how right you were.

    Bj, I think it's Neil Young...

    Calm Energy... hm... I hope for no disaster, but calm skies is asking a little much of me.

    The Write Girl, I am sure that those who can afford them, do.

    B Squared, that must be frustrating... I can't imagine.

    Maria, tornadoes are quite random. There is no way to predict where one will occur. People build where they own land and bank on probabilities and low population density to spare them. Tornadoes can and do happen anywhere.

    ReplyDelete

Dew comment, please...