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2011-04-30 -Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Second deadliest twister spate hits Alabama
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Posted by anon1 2011-04-30 08:57|| || Front Page|| [11131 views ]  Top

#1 I am truly sorry for the devastation. I am saying prayers tonight for those that live in areas prone to those terrifying freaks of nature.

Sorry for your loss.
Posted by anon1 2011-04-30 08:59||   2011-04-30 08:59|| Front Page Top

#2 Thank you, anon1. Like Japan or your own Australia, we can be grateful that the number of deaths and injuries might have been considerably worse. Nature is not always kind, and each part of the world has its own risks.
Posted by trailing wife 2011-04-30 11:03||   2011-04-30 11:03|| Front Page Top

#3 National Weather Service numbers on the tornado itself here.
Posted by trailing wife 2011-04-30 12:20||   2011-04-30 12:20|| Front Page Top

#4 
Redacted by moderator. Comments may be redacted for trolling, violation of standards of good manners, or plain stupidity. Please correct the condition that applies and try again. Contents may be viewed in the sinktrap. Further violations may result in banning.
Posted by George Tholutle5614 2011-04-30 12:47||   2011-04-30 12:47|| Front Page Top

#5 Trailing wife, were it true that the number we lost was insignificant,...

You are putting words into her mouth. Suggest you take a chill pill and wash it down with a glass of Thorazine, George Tholutle5614. That was offensive and insulting.
Posted by SteveS 2011-04-30 12:54||   2011-04-30 12:54|| Front Page Top

#6 George that was too blunt a stroke as we try to have a "civil well reasoned discourse" here. Many other sites I have visited are bloated with that sort of talk. We have visitors from all the world and I would like for them to see a site that promotes logic rather than emotion. When the bloods up we all can say things that we might regret later. Enjoy your visit but please try to tread lighter.
Posted by Dale 2011-04-30 13:08||   2011-04-30 13:08|| Front Page Top

#7 stop assailing the world with whatever the Hell you think you should be saying.

I am most disappointed in your outburst Geo. Please step up to the blackboard and write the above phrase 100 times. I will not have one of my third graders acting in such a manner!
Posted by Mrs. Woods 2011-04-30 13:31||   2011-04-30 13:31|| Front Page Top

#8 Prayers and strength for search and rescue, it is an important day.

Those of you unfamiliar with tornadoes, there is a lot going on there. It is easy to focus on the vortex because, well, its fascinating, hypnotizing, in fact our department reminds those spotting to not get tunnel vision when we go out. See, its not the vortex which is deadly, it is the debris flying about. Forks stuck in walls, 2x4's impaling the engine cabin of a tractor, all that is real. After that, it is large hail. This storm, which lingered in Arkansas and Texas for a couple of days, I believe I saw reports of 3.5"+ hail and that size is a killer. Lightning. If low-precipitation there are lightning fires. If you get a high-precipitation event then flooding is a concern.

All that is with your weak to mid-level tornado. I was with a meteorologist the other day, the kind who chases for legit research (not the tourists, not going to start that rant).

First, some perspective. The Greensburg tornado, easy EF5, some measurements had the vortex at 2.25 miles across, nails the town. (Puts on tour guide hat) The town of Greensburg is/was famous for its 109 foot hand-dug well and 1000 lb. pallasite meteor, located at the bottom of the well. That tornado sucked that meteor out of the well and threw it 3 miles away. There were survivors of the hit, with stories about how they were scared they would drown as they hid in the basement bathroom and watched the water get sucked out of the sink and faucet...but they lived.

Meteorologist said some of these tornadoes were the same power, but concentrated into a smaller vortex (which increases wind speed) and with that happening, it creates that situation where a person could be in ideal protection and still not make it. Debris is more than sticks and stones and glass, but cars, houses, trees, basically anything not attached to the ground, and most of the stuff which is/was. That stuff falls...somewhere. And there is not reason to it. Greesburg story, tornado picked up a garage roof, threw 2 cars into the car already there, then dropped the roof - for real, its crazy.

Its the debris why the basement or interior room or bathtub (for a number of reasons bathrooms can be left standing when the rest of the house is gone, cover with a mattress or heavy blanket.) under stair case, is suggested. Trailer/Mobile homes can topple and roll in 60 mph winds - I heard that there were winds at 200 mph.

As I said earlier, this storm lingered a bit in Arkansas & Texas (mostly), and reports in my area about the potential severity of this system a full day beforehand so I would guess an area acclimated to such sever activity was well on top of this. Now, why people go camping or boating or whatever when only a severe storm would ruin your day I can't say, but there was plenty of heads-up on this. And as I explained, some of these were simply and unfortunately no-chance situations. I'm afraid to say that it may be another week before we have a fairly accurate count of losses, and I am afraid it will go past my personal guesstimate. I mean, they are still trying to clear roads and find safe shelter for people. And you can's sit there and sweep the roads it would take too long, but all that debris just destroys tires. Gotta get S&R/Water/Food in and Patients out.

So with good preparation, advanced information, motivated and mechanized S&R, good medical system, population density considerations, in conclusion yes it could have been worse. In fact, as a rule of thumb, it can always be worse. Speaking of thumbs, GT5614 why don't you take yours out of your ass and stick it back in your mouth before you say something else turtleshit stupid.
Posted by swksvolFF 2011-04-30 13:58||   2011-04-30 13:58|| Front Page Top

#9 "stop assailing the world with whatever the Hell you think you should be saying"

Follow your own advice, George, and go crawl back under whatever rock you slithered from. You're the hypocrite.

Oh, and the camel horse you rode in on.
Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2011-04-30 14:27||   2011-04-30 14:27|| Front Page Top

#10 Y'know, George, I used to like the old days here when you could say what you think. But posters used a regular nym, and you always knew where they stood and they were willing to take as good as they got.

If you had any courage to stand behind your words, you wouldn't be posting with a random nym and using a bogus IP.

Right now you're the punk, the wannabe, the slimy little freak who stands in back of the crowd and throws the rock, then slinks away.

So even though I long for the old days of uninhibited discourse where posters could say what they think, your comment is redacted.

Because you're a coward.
Posted by Pappy 2011-04-30 14:45||   2011-04-30 14:45|| Front Page Top

#11 Thank you for this session of Rantburg U, swksvolFF.

My apologies to George Tholutle5614 and anyone else who feels I was tactless. Tact is not, unfortunately, one of my strengths. Quite possibly George Tholutle5614 is one of those affected by the storm, making his touchiness on the subject understandable, and his reticence to make of himself an object a matter of praise rather than otherwise. In these difficult times, stress occasionally bursts out in unexpected directions.

I am grateful to have so many valiant defenders, and feel quite humbled by your kindness. Thank you all.
Posted by trailing wife 2011-04-30 15:30||   2011-04-30 15:30|| Front Page Top

#12 
TW wrote: Like Japan or your own Australia, we can be grateful that the number of deaths and injuries might have been considerably worse.

I was thinking the same thing when I read that comment: as bad as it was it could have been a lot worse. Since TW said I didn't think I needed to, but I was definitely thinking it. I am saddened for the people we lost and am praying for their families, the injured and the homeless. It could have been a lot worse.

George: does all that make me a bad person?
Posted by Steve White 2011-04-30 16:03||   2011-04-30 16:03|| Front Page Top

#13 "George: does all that make me a bad person?"

Probably in his eyes, Dr. Steve.

Of course, he actually is a bad person, so he wants to drag everyone else down to his level.

It's called projection. From the bottom of a mile-deep pit.
Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2011-04-30 16:26||   2011-04-30 16:26|| Front Page Top

#14 "My apologies to George Tholutle5614 and anyone else who feels I was tactless."

Nobody else feels that, tw, and you don't owe that little asshole "George" an apology. He owes you one.

"Quite possibly George Tholutle5614 is one of those affected by the storm"

You're kinder than I am, tw (but we knew that), but I doubt it. If he'd actually been affected by the storms, he wouldn't have time to be on the internet bad-mouthing people who express sympathy and pray for those affected.

Assuming he even had any electricity.
Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2011-04-30 16:34||   2011-04-30 16:34|| Front Page Top

#15 You are welcome. Fortunately not many people have real first hand experience with tornadoes, especially not the monsters. I will admit I stopped short of a full story, on account that the rescue window is still very open and that part is quite frankly just not appropriate at the moment. Fair weather and good response time getting at it instead of waiting for the Fed's to show. First night is the worst - its the missing glasses theory "I need my glasses to find my glasses". Its like that but with light; it is dark, there are no landmarks, and every step is dangerous. At this point they should be moving right along, still good chances of rescue.

The other thing it seems they have on-scene are counselers. If that sounds out of place it isn't...there are toughies who find out they are not so tough at this, and there are regular people out there who don't like this but are sucking it up to go help anyways.

I don't know who GT5614 is, but if so grieved as to outburst like that ya need to put the damn keyboard down and take care of business. If you need to talk about it, talk about it. If you were just looking for a reason to rail on someone you need to go sit on the wrong end of a bar stool.
Posted by swksvolFF 2011-04-30 18:09||   2011-04-30 18:09|| Front Page Top

#16 I finally heard from my relatives who live 3 miles from where the Birmingham tornado touched down. All are well and no damage. I have experienced tornados first hand and I am always awed by the power they release.
Posted by Deacon Blues 2011-04-30 20:21||   2011-04-30 20:21|| Front Page Top

#17 I finally heard from my relatives who live 3 miles from where the Birmingham tornado touched down. All are well and no damage. I have experienced tornados first hand and I am always awed by the power they release.
Posted by Deacon Blues 2011-04-30 20:21||   2011-04-30 20:21|| Front Page Top

#18 God bless them (and you, of course), Deac
Frank
Posted by Frank G 2011-04-30 20:33||   2011-04-30 20:33|| Front Page Top

#19 Thanks, Frank G. I wonder why that posted twice?
Posted by Deacon Blues 2011-04-30 20:46||   2011-04-30 20:46|| Front Page Top

23:45 Pappy
23:43 JosephMendiola
23:34 trailing wife
23:32 twobyfour
23:20 European Conservative
23:06 swksvolFF
22:56 Frank G
22:52 Frank G
22:41 Besoeker
22:37 Dale
22:31 European Conservative
22:26 Besoeker
22:06 Besoeker
22:04 European Conservative
22:04 Steve White
22:01 Barbara Skolaut
21:56 European Conservative
21:51 Besoeker
21:05 Mike Kozlowski
20:48 Glenmore
20:46 Deacon Blues
20:33 Frank G
20:30 Deacon Blues
20:21 Deacon Blues









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