DOCSLIB.ORG

3291248.PDF (7.836Mb)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
3291248.PDF (7.836Mb) T h e Un i v e r s i t y o f O k l a h o m a G r a d u a t e C o l l e g e WARNING RECEPTION, RESPONSE, AND RISK BEHAVIOR IN THE 3 MAY 1999 OKLAHOMA CITY LONG-TRACK VIOLENT TORNADO A D issertation S u b m it t e d t o t h e G r a d u a t e F a c u l t y in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of D o c t o r o f P h i l o s o p h y By M a t t h e w D a v i d B id d l e Norman, Oklahoma 2007 UMI Number: 3291248 UMJ UMI Microform 3291248 Copyright 2008 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 WARNING RECEPTION, RESPONSE, AND RISK BEHAVIOR IN THE 3 MAY 1999 OKLAHOMA CITY LONG-TRACK VIOLENT TORNADO A DISSERTATION APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY BY J. Scott Greene - Chair M ark Meo Karl H. Offen T. H. Lee Williams Charles A. Doswell III © Copyright by Matthew David Biddle 2007 All Rights Reserved. D e d i c a t i o n This work is dedicated to the victims of the tornadoes of 3 May 1999, their families, the first responders, the weather service personnel, and all that were touched by the forces of Mother Nature that fateful Monday evening. The generous gifts of stories and photos, fears and tears, and observations and recommendations are of tremendous value if not only for history’s sake, but with the hope of preventing similar disasters in the future. Damaged Residence in Moore, 4 May 1999 - Todd Lindley - Copyright. and To my daughter - Faith Aleksondra Biddle (b. 2002) - who has been a source of immediate and continuous inspiration, is a source of incessant pride and joy. and will always be the focus of my deepest love. I could not have done this with out the help of many, but 1 likely would not have done this without Faith. I .J t t i S i m Matthew and Faith Biddle • c. October 2004 - Debt Ellis - Copyright -IV- A cknowledgments I would like to thank my parents - Peter and Jan Biddle, and Sondra and John Henry; and family - Andrew, Shawn, and Delaney Biddle; Jason, Nancy, Madison, Luke, Lauren, and Megan Biddle; I love you all. My ex-wife Mamie Sprinkle seems a strange one to thank - but she really was key when the stroke took my life for 20 months (and beyond). Thank you. I would like to thank the Committee - who stayed on with me after I changed topics, but through my stroke - J.Scott Greene, Karl Offen, Mark Meo (all DOG), T.H. Lee Williams (DOG and Graduate College), and Charles Doswell III (SOM). [Department of Geography (DOG) and School of Meteorology (SOM)]. James Goodman (deceased), Gary Thompson, Bret Wallach (all DOG) for believing in me despite the hang ups - which lasted some 20 years. May Yuan, Dustin Howard, William McPherson, Melissa Scott, and Mike Klatt helped with the maps and GIS (all DOG). Catherine Blaha, Lauren Browder, Todd Fagin, Kaye Carter, Melaney Dickens, Marco Micozzi, Dave Robertson, Fred Shelley, Julie Rice, Monica Wilkinson, Helen Robertson, Joyce Green, Melissa Scott (all of DOG); Kathy Kanak (NSSL) and Jerry Straka (SOM); Eve Gruntfest (Univ. of Colorado-Colorado Springs); Duncan Burgess and Elizabeth Woollen (OUPD); David Van Nostrand (OCEM), Gayland Kitch (Moore CEM), John Hansen (OCFD), Susan Ghere and Gary England (KWTX-9); Doris and Tom Grazulis (Tornado Project); Greg Stumpf, Harold Brooks, Kevin Scharfenberg, Ed Kessler (retired), Erik Rasmussen (all NSSL); and Jim Purpura, Dave Andra, Doug Speheger, Dan Miller, and Pat Burke (all WFO-OUN); Roger Edwards and Rich Thompson (SPC); Christine Cagle of the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office; Keli Tarp (NWC) for help on the dissertation. Mark Askelson (NSSL - and his wife) and Casey Dick (Norman High) who helped with the surveys so long ago. The RNs and MDs and physical / occupational / speech therapists - who helped out not only with the stroke, but with countless things that are too many to name. Julie Jones (Norman Hospital) helped with my speech and the finalizing of the dissertation. I have aphasia, so I think there are some people I didn’t thank but you know who you are. Thank You ........ I have to thank (very much) - Kent Sanmann, Charles Doswell III, Kelly Dixon, Mark Herndon, Debi Ellis, and Melissa Scott for insisting I could do it (even though I answered “yes” to everything for approximately one month after the stroke) and never taking “no” for an answer during my stroke. I thank you for more than this dissertation. Thanks for standing behind me with stroke and recovery, and believing that there is a chance for life after a stroke. I am an expert on aphasia, though I am getting better every month! I am 70 % back from having the stroke, and perhaps in a few years from now, you will not know I had it? But, I thank Faith Aleksondra Biddle for coming along, with the stroke, or not. When the stroke hit, I did not fall into depression, because there is something about a 3 to 5 year old daughter cheering you on. I want her to know that if she reads this one year, or ten years, or fifty years from now, this dissertation was for her benefit even though it’s going to benefit me for the rest of my life. She’s my daughter and I want to find out what she’s going to be (so I am going to be around awhile). Faith: I love you. -V- T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s L ist of T ables ...........................................................................................................................................................................................IX L ist of F ig ures a nd P h o t o g r a ph s ..........................................................................................................................................X A bstr ac t ......................................................................................................................................................................................................XI 1 - I ntroduction ..........................................................................................................................................................................................1 1 .1 - K ey R ese a rc h Q u e s t io n s ........................................................................................................................................2 1.2 - A R eview of N atur a l H a z a r d s and W arning T h e o r y ................................................................. 3 1.3 - E nvironmental R isk and R isk P e r c e p t io n ............................................................................................ 5 1.3.1 - C ommunicating R is k V ia H a z a r d s ................................................................................................ 7 1.3.1.1 - Communicating Uncertainty....................................................................................... 8 1.4 - T he H u m a n E co lo g y of W e a th er W a rning and V ulnerability ........................................ 9 1.4.1 - W a r n in g B e h a v io r a n d C o p in g S t y l e s .........................................................................................13 1.4.1.1 - Confirmation Behavior ................................................................................................. 15 1.4.1.2 - False Alarms, Close Calls, and Cry W olf Syndrom e ..................................... 18 1 A .2 - W a r n in g M e s s a g e C o n t e n t ................................................................................................................. 19 1.4.2.1 - C a ll-to -A c tio n S ta te m e n ts ...............................................................................................20 1.4.2.2 - Spatial and Temporal Information ............................................................................ 20 2 - C ontemporary T o r n a d o W a rning Sy s t e m s.................................................................................................................23 2.1 - E v o lutio n of the W a t c h -W arn in g P r o g r a m ......................................................................................24 l . \ . \ - B r i e f H is t o r y OF N W S Wa r n in g P r o g r a m ...................................................................................25 2.2 - T he US T o r n a d o P r o b l e m .....................................................................................................................................26 2.2.1 - T o r n a d o C l im a t o l o g y a n d t h e G e o g r a p h y o f R i s k ........................................... 27 2.2.1.1 - T o rn a d o E p id e m io lo g y........................................................................................ 29 2.3 - O k l a h o m a T o rn a d o C l im a t o l o g y ................................................................................................................31 2.3.1 - P r e v io u s O K C -A r e a T o r n a d o E v e n t s o f I m p o r t a n c e .......................................................33 2.4 - T he T o r n a d o W ar n in g P ro c ess U nd er the In t eg r a t e d W a r n in g S y s t e m ..................34 2 .5 - D issemination 36 2.5.1 -S i r e n s ...............................................................................................................................................................36 2.5.2 - Te l e v i s i o n ...................................................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • National Weather Service Instruction 10-1601 November 3, 2005
    Department of Commerce $ National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration $ National Weather Service NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INSTRUCTION 10-1601 NOVEMBER 3, 2005 Operations and Services Performance, NWSPD 10-16 VERIFICATION PROCEDURES NOTICE: This publication is available at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/. OPR: OS52 (Charles Kluepfel) Certified by: OS5 (Kimberly Campbell) Type of Issuance: Routine SUMMARY OF REVISIONS: This directive supersedes National Weather Service Instruction 10-1601, dated April 10, 2004. The following changes have been made to this directive: 1) Introductory information on the legacy verification systems for public (section 1.1.1) and terminal aerodrome (section 6.1.1) forecasts has replaced outdated information in these sections. 2) The verification of fire weather forecasts (section 1.4) and red flag warnings (section 1.5) has been added. 3) Monthly preliminary reporting requirements for tornado and flash flood warning verification statistics have been discontinued and respectively removed from sections 2.1 and 4.1. 4) Rule 2, implemented January 1, 2002, for short-fused warnings, has been discontinued for all tornado/severe thunderstorm (section 2.1.2) and special marine (section 3.3.2) warnings issued after February 28, 2005. Once VTEC is implemented for flash flood warnings (section 4.1.2), Rule 2 will also be discontinued for all flash flood warnings issued after the change. 5) The time of warning issuance for tornado, severe thunderstorm and special marine warnings is taken from the Valid Time and Event Code (VTEC) line (sections 2.1.3 and 3.3.3). 6) The National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF) are now verified.
    [Show full text]
  • Moore, Oklahoma—Growth Cushions Tornado Impact
    Cover Story Moore, Oklahoma—Growth COVER STORY Cushions Tornado Impact By Sandra Patterson photo courtesy City of Moore Economic Development Department oore, Oklahoma, is a city on the fast track of growth. Straddling I-35 and just 10 miles from Mdowntown Oklahoma City and 8 miles from Norman, home of the University of Oklahoma, Moore is a bedroom community experiencing an unprecedented surge in new home construction and an accompanying growth in retail development. According to Moore’s Economic Development Author- ity, more than 826 new home permits were issued in 2005 and commercial construction was valued at more than $16 million. The commission reports that the town’s assessed valuation has increased an average of 10 percent per year since 2001 to over $200 million in 2005. With a population of 18,781 in 1970, the city had grown to 41,138 by the 2000 census. It is expected to top 49,000 in 2006. Moore is also located in that part of the country known as Tornado Alley. And, of all the tornado-prone areas that comprise Tornado Alley, Moore is situated in one of Figure 1. Path of 1998 tornado (Map from National Weather Service the two that experiences the highest tornado count per Web site) square mile. Six Years, Three Tornadoes Since 1998, three tornadoes have torn through Moore. On October 4, 1998, a tornado struck the southwest side of the city (figure 1). With only F1 strength (see page 9 sidebar on the Fujita Scale), the damage was limited to ripped up vegetation, downed property fences, and torn roof shingles.
    [Show full text]
  • Developing a Tornado Emergency Plan for Schools in Michigan
    A GUIDE TO DEVELOPING A TORNADO EMERGENCY PLAN FOR SCHOOLS Also includes information for Instruction of Tornado Safety The Michigan Committee for Severe Weather Awareness March 1999 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS: A GUIDE TO DEVELOPING A TORNADO EMERGENCY PLAN FOR SCHOOLS IN MICHIGAN I. INTRODUCTION. A. Purpose of Guide. B. Who will Develop Your Plan? II. Understanding the Danger: Why an Emergency Plan is Needed. A. Tornadoes. B. Conclusions. III. Designing Your Plan. A. How to Receive Emergency Weather Information B. How will the School Administration Alert Teachers and Students to Take Action? C. Tornado and High Wind Safety Zones in Your School. D. When to Activate Your Plan and When it is Safe to Return to Normal Activities. E. When to Hold Departure of School Buses. F. School Bus Actions. G. Safety during Athletic Events H. Need for Periodic Drills and Tornado Safety Instruction. IV. Tornado Spotting. A. Some Basic Tornado Spotting Techniques. APPENDICES - Reference Materials. A. National Weather Service Products (What to listen for). B. Glossary of Weather Terms. C. General Tornado Safety. D. NWS Contacts and NOAA Weather Radio Coverage and Frequencies. E. State Emergency Management Contact for Michigan F. The Michigan Committee for Severe Weather Awareness Members G. Tornado Safety Checklist. H. Acknowledgments 2 I. INTRODUCTION A. Purpose of guide The purpose of this guide is to help school administrators and teachers design a tornado emergency plan for their school. While not every possible situation is covered by the guide, it will provide enough information to serve as a starting point and a general outline of actions to take.
    [Show full text]
  • A Climatology and Comparison of Parameters for Significant Tornado
    106 WEATHER AND FORECASTING VOLUME 27 A Climatology and Comparison of Parameters for Significant Tornado Events in the United States JEREMY S. GRAMS AND RICHARD L. THOMPSON NOAA/NWS/Storm Prediction Center, Norman, Oklahoma DARREN V. SNIVELY Department of Geography, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio JAYSON A. PRENTICE Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa GINA M. HODGES AND LARISSA J. REAMES School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma (Manuscript received 18 January 2011, in final form 30 August 2011) ABSTRACT A sample of 448 significant tornado events was collected, representing a population of 1072 individual tornadoes across the contiguous United States from 2000 to 2008. Classification of convective mode was assessed from radar mosaics for each event with the majority classified as discrete cells compared to quasi- linear convective systems and clusters. These events were further stratified by season and region and com- pared with a null-tornado database of 911 significant hail and wind events that occurred without nearby tornadoes. These comparisons involved 1) environmental variables that have been used through the past 25– 50 yr as part of the approach to tornado forecasting, 2) recent sounding-based parameter evaluations, and 3) convective mode. The results show that composite and kinematic parameters (whether at standard pressure levels or sounding derived), along with convective mode, provide greater discrimination than thermodynamic parameters between significant tornado versus either significant hail or wind events that occurred in the absence of nearby tornadoes. 1. Introduction severe thunderstorms and tornadoes (e.g., Bluestein 1999; Davies-Jones et al. 2001; Wilhelmson and Wicker Severe weather forecasting has evolved considerably 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • PRC.15.1.1 a Publication of AXA XL Risk Consulting
    Property Risk Consulting Guidelines PRC.15.1.1 A Publication of AXA XL Risk Consulting WINDSTORMS INTRODUCTION A variety of windstorms occur throughout the world on a frequent basis. Although most winds are related to exchanges of energy (heat) between different air masses, there are a number of weather mechanisms that are involved in wind generation. These depend on latitude, altitude, topography and other factors. The different mechanisms produce windstorms with various characteristics. Some affect wide geographical areas, while others are local in nature. Some storms produce cooling effects, whereas others rapidly increase the ambient temperatures in affected areas. Tropical cyclones born over the oceans, tornadoes in the mid-west and the Santa Ana winds of Southern California are examples of widely different windstorms. The following is a short description of some of the more prevalent wind phenomena. A glossary of terms associated with windstorms is provided in PRC.15.1.1.A. The Beaufort Wind Scale, the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Scale, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Cyclone Severity Scale and the Fugita Tornado Scale are also provided in PRC.15.1.1.A. Types Of Windstorms Local Windstorms A variety of wind conditions are brought about by local factors, some of which can generate relatively high wind conditions. While they do not have the extreme high winds of tropical cyclones and tornadoes, they can cause considerable property damage. Many of these local conditions tend to be seasonal. Cold weather storms along the East coast are known as Nor’easters or Northeasters. While their winds are usually less than hurricane velocity, they may create as much or more damage.
    [Show full text]
  • Jane Jayroe-Gamble She Overcame Her Fears and Shyness to Win Miss America 1967, Launching Her Career in Media and Government
    Jane Jayroe-Gamble She overcame her fears and shyness to win Miss America 1967, launching her career in media and government Chapter 01 – 0:52 Introduction Announcer: As millions of television viewers watch Jane Jayroe crowned Miss America in 1967, and as Bert Parks serenaded her, no one would have thought she was actually a very shy and reluctant winner. Nor would they know that the tears, which flowed, were more of fright than joy. She was nineteen when her whole life was changed in an instant. Jane went on to become a well-known broadcaster, author, and public official. She worked as an anchor in TV news in Oklahoma City and Dallas, Fort Worth. Oklahoma governor, Frank Keating, appointed her to serve as his Secretary of Tourism. But her story along the way was filled with ups and downs. Listen to Jane Jayroe talk about her struggle with shyness, depression, and a failed marriage. And how she overcame it all to lead a happy and successful life, on this oral history website, VoicesofOklahoma.com. Chapter 02 – 8:30 Grandparents John Erling: My name is John Erling. Today’s date is April 3, 2014. Jane, will you state your full name, your date of birth, and your present age. Jane Jayroe: Jane Anne Jayroe-Gamble. Birthday is October 30, 1946. And I have a hard time remembering my age. JE: Why is that? JJ: I don’t know. I have to call my son, he’s better with numbers. I think I’m sixty-seven. JE: Peggy Helmerich, you know from Tulsa? JJ: I know who she is.
    [Show full text]
  • Minutes of a Regular Meeting, October 23, 2013
    MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA OCTOBER 23, 2013 MINUTES Page Regular Meeting held September 18, 2013 ............................................................................... 33874 CAMERON UNIVERSITY REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY ......................................................33867 Substantive Program Changes ......................................................................................33868 Fiscal Year 2012-2013 External Audits ........................................................................ 33869 Curriculum Changes .....................................................................................................33870 ROGERS STATE UNIVERSITY REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY ......................................................33870 Contracts and Grants ..................................................................................................... 33871 125 Plan Document Service Provider ........................................................................... 33872 Multi-Campus Videoconferencing System ...................................................................33873 Fiscal Year 2012-2013 External Audits ........................................................................33873 THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY ......................................................33874 HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER Professional Service Agreements ................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • George C. Mdrrhall Space Flight Center Marshall Space F/@T Center, Alabdrnd
    NASA TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM (NASA-TU-78262) A PRELI8INABY LOOK AT N80- 18636 AVE-SESAHE 1 CONDUCTED 0U 10-11 APRIL 1979 (8lASA) 52 p HC AO4/HP A01 CSCL 040 Unclas G3/47 47335 A PRELIMINARY LOOK AT AVE-SESAME I CONDUCTED ON APRIL 10-1 1, 1979 By Steven F. Williams, James R. Scoggins, Nicholas Horvath, and Kelly Hill February 1980 NASA George C. Mdrrhall Space Flight Center Marshall Space F/@t Center, Alabdrnd MBFC - Form 3190 (Rev June 1971) ,. .. .. .. , . YAFrl," I?? CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ........................... iv LIST OF TABLES ............................ vii 1. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE ...................... 1 2. DATA COLLECTGD ......................... 1 a. Rawinsonde Soundinps.... .................... 1 b. Surface a* Upper -Air -..+ .................... 4 3. SMOPTIC CONDITIONS ....................... 4 a. Synoptic Charts ....................... 4 b. Radar.. .......................... 5 c. Satellite.. ........................ 5 4. SEVERE AND UNUSUAL WkXPIk h. REPORTED ............... 37 PRriCICDINQ PAGE BUNK NOT FKMED iii - .%; . ,,. r* , . * *. '' ,..'~ LIST OE' FIGURES Figure Page Location of rawinsonde stations participating in the AVE-SESAME I experiment ................. 3 Synoptic charts for 1200 GMT. 10 April 1979 ....... 6 Surface chart for 1800 GMT. 10 April 1979 ........ 9 Synoptic charts for 0000 GMT. 11 April 1979 ....... 10 Surface chart for 0600 GMT. 11 April 1979 ........ 13 Synoptic charts for 1200 GMT. 11 April 1979 ....... 14 Radar sunmxy for 1435 GMT. 10 April 1979 ........ 17 Radar summary for 1935 GMT. 10 ~pril1979 ........ 17 Radar summary for 2235 GMT. 10 April1979 ........ 18 Radar sumnary for 0135 GMT. 11 ~pril1979 ........ 18 Radar summary for 0235 GMT. 11 ~pril1979 ........ 19 Radar sununary for 0435 GMT. 11 April 1979 ........ 19 Radar summary for 0535 GMT. 11 April 1979 .......
    [Show full text]
  • 4B.5 Connecting the Dots: a Communications Model of the North Texas Integrated Warning Team During the 15 May 2013 Tornado Outbr
    4B.5 Connecting the Dots: A Communications Model of the North Texas Integrated Warning Team During the 15 May 2013 Tornado Outbreak 1* 2 1 1 Dennis Cavanaugh , Melissa Huffman , Jennifer Dunn , and Mark Fox 1National Weather Service Forecast Office Fort Worth/Dallas, TX 2National Weather Service Forecast Office Houston, TX On 15 May 2013, 19 tornadoes occurred across North and Central Texas, killing 6, injuring over 50, and causing more than $100 million in property damage. The majority of the impacts to life and property were the direct result of EF-3 and EF-4 tornadoes that affected the communities of Cleburne and Granbury. This study focuses on an examination of the North Texas Integrated Warning Team (IWT) communications through a thorough analysis of interactions between IWT members during this event. Communications from all members of the IWT were collected and organized so that a quantitative analysis of the IWT communications network could be performed. The results of this analysis were used to identify strengths and weaknesses of current IWT communications to improve the consistency of hazardous weather messaging for future high impact weather events. The results also show how effectively communicating within an IWT leads not only to more consistent messaging, but also to broader dissemination of hazardous weather information to the public. The analysis techniques outlined in this study could serve as a model for comprehensive studies of IWTs across the country. 1. INTRODUCTION media representatives, amateur radio operators, * and the National Weather Service (Doswell et al. On 15 May 2013, 19 tornadoes occurred 1999). IWTs work to provide a consistent message across North and Central Texas, killing 6, injuring regarding a hazard because at-risk populations over 50, and causing more than $100 million in will not immediately take action in response to the property damage (NCDC 2013).
    [Show full text]
  • 2014 Heartland Regional Emmy® Award Recipients
    2014 HEARTLAND REGIONAL EMMY® AWARD RECIPIENTS Morning Newscast - Larger Markets “7NEWS NOW: Snow Storm and Barricaded Man” KMGH, Denver Keely Walker, Producer Nicole Denne, Executive Producer Mitch Jelniker, Anchor Kelly Schuberth, Breaking News Producer Dana Hogan, Producer Bob Sandoval, Director Mike Nelson, Chief Meteorologist Tyler Lopez, Reporter Lindsay Sablan, Reporter Morning Newscast - Medium Markets “Good Morning Kansas: Tornado Touchdown” KAKE, Wichita Mike Iuen, Anchor Jemelle Holopirek, Anchor Jordan Shefte, Reporter Melisha Regier, Producer Daytime Newscast - Larger Markets “4 O'Clock on 9News Colorado Floods” KUSA, Denver Jennifer Marnowski, Producer Bob Pusatory, Director Linda Kotsaftis, Executive Producer Cody Crouch, Helicopter Photojournalist Matthew Fess, Pilot Daytime Newscast - Medium Markets “FOX23 News at Noon” KOKI, Tulsa Michelle Hodge, News Anchor Gregory DeBrosse, Managing Editor Evening Newscast - Larger Markets “Fox 31 Denver News at 9 - Front Range Floods” KDVR, Denver 1 Maureen Capasso, Executive Producer Brendan Wilkerson, News Producer Evening Newscast - Medium Markets “FOX23 News At 5” KOKI, Tulsa Suzanne Nadell, News Director Grace Orcutt, Executive Producer Brianna Collett, Producer Ron Terrell, News Anchor Evening Newscast - Smaller Markets “13 News at 6” WIBW-TV, Topeka Jon Janes, News Director Weekend Newscast - Larger Markets “A Community Stands Together” KUSA, Denver Liz Lambert, Producer Adam McPherson, Director Weekend Newscast - Medium Markets “FOX23 News Saturday” KOKI, Tulsa GregoryDeBrosse,
    [Show full text]
  • FEMA Tornadoes Fact Sheet
    adoes Torn Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. They come from powerful thunderstorms. They appear as a funnel- or cone-shaped cloud with winds that can reach up to 300 miles per hour. They cause damage when they touch down on the ground. They can damage an area one mile wide and 50 miles long. Before tornadoes hit, the wind may die down, and the air may become very still. They may also strike quickly, with little or no warning. Am I at risk? Fact Check 1. Where is the safest place in a home? Tornadoes are most common between March and August, but they can occur at any time. They 2. True or False? If you see a funnel cloud, seek can happen anywhere but are shelter immediately. most common in Arkansas, Iowa, 3. Which of the following weather signs mean a Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, tornado may be approaching? Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, a. A dark or green-colored sky. Oklahoma, South Dakota, and b. A large, dark, low-lying cloud. Texas - an area commonly called c. A rainbow. “Tornado Alley.” They are also d. Large hail. more likely to occur between 3pm e. A loud roar that sounds like a freight train. and 9pm but can occur at any time. All except for C (a rainbow) can be signs for a tornado. a for signs be can rainbow) (a C for except All (3) unpredictable and can move in any direction. any in move can and unpredictable True! Do not watch it or try to outrun it.
    [Show full text]
  • A Background Investigation of Tornado Activity Across the Southern Cumberland Plateau Terrain System of Northeastern Alabama
    DECEMBER 2018 L Y Z A A N D K N U P P 4261 A Background Investigation of Tornado Activity across the Southern Cumberland Plateau Terrain System of Northeastern Alabama ANTHONY W. LYZA AND KEVIN R. KNUPP Department of Atmospheric Science, Severe Weather Institute–Radar and Lightning Laboratories, Downloaded from http://journals.ametsoc.org/mwr/article-pdf/146/12/4261/4367919/mwr-d-18-0300_1.pdf by NOAA Central Library user on 29 July 2020 University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama (Manuscript received 23 August 2018, in final form 5 October 2018) ABSTRACT The effects of terrain on tornadoes are poorly understood. Efforts to understand terrain effects on tornadoes have been limited in scope, typically examining a small number of cases with limited observa- tions or idealized numerical simulations. This study evaluates an apparent tornado activity maximum across the Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain plateaus of northeastern Alabama. These plateaus, separated by the narrow Wills Valley, span ;5000 km2 and were impacted by 79 tornadoes from 1992 to 2016. This area represents a relative regional statistical maximum in tornadogenesis, with a particular tendency for tornadogenesis on the northwestern side of Sand Mountain. This exploratory paper investigates storm behavior and possible physical explanations for this density of tornadogenesis events and tornadoes. Long-term surface observation datasets indicate that surface winds tend to be stronger and more backed atop Sand Mountain than over the adjacent Tennessee Valley, potentially indicative of changes in the low-level wind profile supportive to storm rotation. The surface data additionally indicate potentially lower lifting condensation levels over the plateaus versus the adjacent valleys, an attribute previously shown to be favorable for tornadogenesis.
    [Show full text]