Boy Scout Camp Ravaged by a tornado during Tornado Outbreak yesterday evening

Sky Watch Friday post time!!! It worked out well posting it on Thursday and since I am leaving for Miami this afternoon/evening... I'd better get posted. (Please visit our host, Tom's blog to participate in Sky Watch Fridays. So much fun!!! I highly recommend it!) Today's Sky Watch Friday Shot is a shot at my sky yesterday... When I stepped out of my office yesterday, I knew that the environment was ripe for some action... The juicy cumulus stacks were climbing high into the sky, filling in all the available sky with convection... I went to my last pain and torture appointment (long story) and went to pick up Mini-Dew for some quick shopping before her practice... While we were shopping, I noticed things were getting rather ominous outside, and I suggested we hurry to miss the rain. Well, we weren't so lucky. As we were checking out at the registers, the leading edge of the storm, with its ferocious wind and torrential downpour, swept in, tossing carts around, knocking down trees, and even tearing down a barn. I heard reports of nickel sized hail. We ran through the slower point in the rain and some less frequent lightning to the car to get on our way. It was wild and crazy with some insane scud dipping down, very LOW cloud bases. It was eerie. As it turns out, it was a significant squall-like event, feeding in off the Atlantic... east to west mover... weird. Apparently:

"It was definitely straight line winds, but what we had happen was the sea breeze boundary from the Gulf coast, an outflow boundary from the north and another one from the east (well ahead of the East Coast sea breeze) collided over Echols County causing a rapid intensification of the storms over Lowndes County. Then, when the East Coast sea breeze caught up later over western Lowndes and into Brooks county, it further strengthened again. This happens sometimes in the summer and can lead to rather strong storms in the afternoon hours." ~Kelly

Cool stuff, huh? Here is a link to the imagery for that. Thanks, Kelly.

Unfortunately, sadly and tragically, I have a top story today. It broke my heart last night watching the coverage of the impact of the tornado that hit the Little Sioux Scout Camp in Iowa, which killed 4 scouts, ages 13 and 14, and injured 48 others. Apparently, the cell was tornado warned for 15 minutes, but the sirens had only gone off for a couple of minutes before the tornado was on top of them. The boys sought refuge under picnic tables, in ditches. The story is horrifying. I can't imagine the intense fear these boys felt as they were experiencing this terror first-hand, a true lesson in survival... how the adults responsible for them felt, charged with keeping them safe... on top of that, wondering about their families at home without any ability to check on them due to poor cell reception in the valley they were camping in... the parents, family and friends at home... not knowing the well-being of their children... listening to the story unfold on the news, the horrific fear that your child could be among the 4 fatalities, or as in early reports, one of potentially 40... or worse... learning that your child WAS among those taken by the vicious storm. My heart-felt prayers go out to all of those impacted. My heart aches for those who have lost family or friends, children under your care. (Click here for a link to the official report from the National Weather Service in Omaha/Valley, NE.) Thanks to team mate Mikey for the updates last night.

If that were all, it would be horrible as it is... but there were actually a total of 52 tornado reports yesterday, including two additional fatalities... (click here for the report about the northeast Kansas tornadoes...) not to mention, it all occurred an already flood stricken, saturated area... Des Moines is dealing with man holes being blown out of the ground... homes are being washed away... and the record crest-leveled waters will only rise from here, as MORE rain is in the forecast... In Norfolk, the heat caused the asphalt to "buckle" sending a motorcyclist flying as he drive over the 8 foot dip in the ground... many lives are being lost to the record heat, which happens to be the number one killer, followed by flooding... two things this country is seeing entirely too much of these days...

Another slight risk exists for today.... close to the same area... God bless them.

Have a blessed day,
~Dewdrop