*Highlighting how shared information is used. Some prioritization explanation and a Request* (The request is near the bottom of this post and we strongly urge you all to please consider taking the steps involved) In these three side by side images is displayed the power of information sharing. The first image, side by side radar shots. The left side of the image is of the cell that did so much damage in Philadelphia yesterday before it was Tornado Warned. The left side image was grabbed at about 2:48 pm eastern 8-20. The right side image is of the same cell about 10 minutes later after it was Tornado Warned (note the purple Tornado Warning box visible in the right image but not in the left). The right side image was grabbed at 3:06 pm eastern 8-20. You may recall that yesterday we were able to post this message: Can not stress enough, the cell heading into Sweetwater and Madisonville is extremely powerful and may be becoming very dangerous. ~SM This message was at 2:55 pm and can be found here: https://facebook/EastTennesseStormChaseTeam/posts/801861513168367 That message was posted before the tornado warning. How did we know this storm was particularly dangerous? First, there were some tell-tale markers in the radar imagery. Also, the utilities built into the software we use were also highlighting this cell as being probably producing hail. Still... we often times see the same thing in radar imagery. Occasionally, the radar imagery and the truth on the ground dont always add up. *However, note the orange icon which is more visible in the left image than the right image. The orange icon looks like a sort of star (but means hail) and shows the figure 1.75. This orange hail icon is an actual storm report submitted by John Q public, or perhaps police or fire etc. The important item here is that somebody who was in that location actively observed conditions there and reported There was hail here and it was 1.75 inches in diameter. Another way to say 1.75 hail is Golf-Ball sized hail. Anytime you get hail in this range, that means that winds are extremely powerful in the cloud that produced them. You cant really get hail that size without the same sort of wind as is generally displayed by storms capable of producing a tornado. So, the radar imagery clued us in, but that report (called in by someone) was nearly the clincher... we felt comfortable enough to say ...may be becoming very dangerous. It is very possible that it was that report, combined with radar observations, and *probably* other reports from spotters which caused NWS Morristown to pull the trigger on the actual Tornado Warning. The second image is centered around Sweetwater. On the right side of the pic is the radar imagery we were seeing at the time. Clearly visible on the radar was the softwares interpretation of the data presenting itself as a meso (the yellow ring made of two arrows representing a circular motion). A meso in this case means a small scale rotation in the clouds. This meso feature would appear then disappear from our radar imagery. It was a prompt caused us to look deeper into other types of radar imagery that clearly showed rotation. Still, sometimes the radar shows a thing that is probably there but never shows as visible from the ground. Fortunately it wasnt too long before the wonderful picture on the left side of this image, looking up into a Wall Cloud from head on, was posted to this page. Both the radar image and the picture from the ground were taken at very nearly the same moment in time. Once again, the radar image informs us something is up and the actual imagery from the ground, provided by somebody actually at the scene, gives the actual confirmation. In this image, clearly visible, is a wall cloud from head on. Whats more, you are essentially looking right up into the teeth of the thing. Important note: We are thankful for this imagery. We are more thankful that it didnt drop a tornado in that very spot. In this particular situation, the camera is most likely in the direct path of the probable tornado drop zone. **If you see this in the sky from this or a similar angle (especially if it is coming right at you or near enough), you are in a hazard zone and should take shelter immediately. Truly, this had the potential to be an extremely dangerous situation.** As it was though, a tornado did not form in this location. The picture, though taken in a dangerous situation, was highly informative. The third image is centered around Athens. While this looks like the same Wall Cloud and meso visible in the prior image, and could in fact be that, it is probably a new set of each produced by a separate cell which emerged just west of the Sweetwater cell. On the right, you can again see a meso signature. This one too would appear and disappear from the imagery and once again prompted us to take a deeper look at the other imagery available to us. Once again, we knew something was probably up... the radar definitely indicated as much. Still, it wasnt absolutely clear until people from those areas began offering information of what they were seeing. Sometime later, the picture on the left half of the image, clearly another wall cloud, emerged on our wall. Ah-ha! So thats what was there! This image too, while not taken from directly head on, is also taken very close to the hazard zone. Again, you see something like this, especially if it is heading more or less at you, its time to take shelter. The moral of the story, and one we truly hope our readers will take to heart, is: First... stay safe. Dont take unnecessary chances. Dont go for the money shot. There isnt much money in it anyway, your family probably likes you some, and you cant report (or do much else) if you arent physically able to. Second if you have information or pics, share those things! While we will do what we can to share that information with services that really need it, such as NWS US National Weather Service Morristown Tennessee, emergency management services of all types etc, and while we absolutely appreciate and use this information ourselves, we are also NOT the primary place you should be sharing this information. ***The Request***Go ahead and use the Morristown link above and Like their page. If you want to post your information here, then by all means, please do that. Also, please make sure it gets to Morristown as well. If you cant get it to Morristown, then please call your local police department or sheriffs office etc ****VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you use the NON-EMERGENCY numbers to do this UNLESS you have just witnessed a home take serious structure damage or someone seriously injured**** 911 call centers get very busy during severe storms. Reporting hail, high wind, even a wall cloud... until there is actual severe structure damage to property or an obvious injury is NOT an emergency. Critical, but not right-this-second dire in the same way as a structure fire, a collapsed structure, someone actively hurt is. You dont want to be the person that clogs the actual emergency line during these times!! It is submitted information by people on the scene which often flips the switch from probably to definitely. It is active participation from folks out in the world that makes the difference between radar warned (dangerous enough) and confirmed on the ground tornado Please actively participate! Do it here on this page but, more importantly, do this same thing on Morristowns page. And call in those storm reports to non-emergency numbers if you can! Images such as these in this video link (language warning) are outstanding: https://facebook/EastTennesseStormChaseTeam/timeline/story?ut=3&wstart=0&wend=1409554799&hash=-5656149918244415643&pagefilter=1&ustart=1 With each one of these the National Weather Service has direct access to comes an increased understand of the science behind them, the damage they can cause, how to better warn them, and how best to deal with the damage after they are gone. Thank you for the time you took in reading this. It is greatly appreciated. We hope it was informative. Thank you also to those of you who will take the extra steps requested! I assure you, through this type of action, the entire region will reap benefits down the line. Be well and have a great rest of your evening! ~SM
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 00:45:40 +0000
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