A week of storms and tornadoes in the U.S. that has left at least 246 dead

[ChickenGuy]

I never knew that they caused this much havoc, death and destruction.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13217726

Tornadoes and storms in the south-eastern United States have killed at least 246 people, officials say.

In Alabama, the worst-hit state, more than 162 have died in recent days - including 36 killed by a tornado that devastated the city of Tuscaloosa.

Deaths and widespread devastation are also reported in Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Virginia.

A state of emergency has been declared in seven states, and federal aid money is being sent to Alabama.

The US National Weather Service has reports of nearly 300 tornadoes since the storm began on Friday, more than 150 of them on Wednesday alone.

Don't know if American JUBbers can view the BBC video in the linked article?

It contained parts of these two vids amongst others:







http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13220454

Photos of the devastation and wreckage afterwards - again, don't know if that appears to American viewers.

Have any JUBbers ever been affected by tornadoes or hurricanes? (I know there's a difference between them)

 

[frankfrank]

Yes CG, tornadoes can cause a lot of mayhem and death.

These kind of outbreaks don't happen every year, though, but maybe once in a generation. I was thinking I couldn't remember this much death from an outbreak since maybe 1974.

Seems that 1953 was one of the worst years for tornadoes as well, and I can just barely remember seeing the aftermath in Flint, Michigan after their tornado on 08 June.

 

[braex27]

So much loss and destruction.

 

[gsdx]

Check out this video. Fast-forward to the 1:20 mark and see a rare 'horizontal' tornado spawned from the main tornado. It appears several times during the rotation:

 

[Light339]

I live close to the edge of Tornado alley here. The cold front came through a couple of days ago with only a light amount of rain, some wind and a lot of lightning. Points north and south of this city were hit pretty hard.

 

[quasar]

Seeing some of the footage over here on the news has been incredible. The power of some of these tornadoes is almost beyond comprehension to those of us in the UK who have never had to experience these nightmarish weather patterns. My heart goes out to those affected by these storms.

 

[thewiz]

A lot of times the tornadoes and hurricanes tend to hit areas with large numbers of mobile homes so the devastation is total. However, this monster hit populated areas and buildings that were constructed of brick, steel, and concrete.

A briefing I was just given this afternoon showed retail locations that were constructed of cinder block with re-rod. The same locations after the tornado showed only a concrete pad remained with some pieces of re-rod sticking out. The Alabama tornado has been classified as a "5" which means winds were over 200 mph; the Georgia and others on the same date appear to have been "4" but the winds can be up to 200 mph.

I believe it was Smithville, Mississippi that had 13 people killed and the entire town is literally destroyed (900 population). City hall, the fire station, police department, grocery store -- all gone.

Looking at the videos and photos made me wonder how more were not killed because we usually tell people to go to an interior space like a bathroom and get in a bathtub should they not have a basement. Many of these areas hit show nothing left of houses -- including the interior spaces so those that tried to take cover did so in vain.

 

[bike10]

Has Pat Robertson blamed gays for the out break of the toranadoes?

 

[roadtripboy]

The size of the tornadoes is what surprised me.

The mid-west and Texas tend to get large tornadoes. But, here in the south we usually get a lot of small ones. These seem freakish large to me.

 

[David DeVour]

I heard on television that one in Alabama shifted from 1/4 to 1 mile wide and touched ground for 100 miles. Usually they just randomly crack a tree onto someone's house or car and lift up again. A 1/4 to a mile wide tornado touching ground for 100 miles is quite remarkable.

The ones around here seem to like Wixom, Michigan a lot. They've hit trailer parks there almost every year, many times more than once a year, usually causing no damage elsewhere.

 

[frankfrank]

I'm hearing it said this outbreak is the worst since 1932, so that even eclipses 1974 and 1953. Yikes...

^ [David DeVour] I wasn't aware of Wixom often having this happen. Maybe the fact that the town has grown so much in recent decades...I had a friend (who died in 1997) who worked in the Ford plant there for years. All that is pretty close to "home" for me because I grew up in nearby Washtenaw County.

Trailer parks and schools seem to be the biggest tornado magnets.

 

[thewiz]

I'm originally from Ionia, MI! Such a small world!

The fact that these were F5 winds pretty much assured destruction of anything in their path. We simply don't build things that strong. It is really a wonder more were not killed....

 

[rjmrjm21]

Hope there's money left over from all of the countries the US has given money to, so that we can help these people.

 

[ariesstar89]

I'm alive..but barely. The tornado came maybe a football field away from my apartment building. I was spared, but hundreds werent so lucky.

After 4 days, i have cable, internet and power back again. My city is destroyed. I've lost a friend who was in the direct path of the storm. I'm mentally and physically exhausted from cleaning and helping my neighbors as best I can. I just want to let the JUB world know that T-town (Tuscaloosa) will never be down, and we are UA.

 

[BostonPirate]

Natural disasters, like this one, explained.

He's just saying that because they skipped the trailer parks this time

 

[DeafFoxDemon]

the death total have increase, I am from alabama, i live in a small town where the tornadoe hit. one town next to mine is gone, the tornado compeltly destoried it

 

[swerve]

I've been to 3 of the impacted places so far...

And it is pretty horrible...

As the WIZ stated earlier in the thread -- EVEN IF you were in a "SAFE ZONE" in your house -- it sometimes didn't matter...

I've lived through 3 tornado's in my life -- and FORTUNATELY, this set of storms didn't affect any of my family or friends...

My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones...



p.s. don't worry about FILMING them -- if you are in their path -- I know it makes GREAT youtubes -- but, COME ON...

 

[David DeVour]

I'm hearing it said this outbreak is the worst since 1932, so that even eclipses 1974 and 1953. Yikes...

^ [David DeVour] I wasn't aware of Wixom often having this happen. Maybe the fact that the town has grown so much in recent decades...I had a friend (who died in 1997) who worked in the Ford plant there for years. All that is pretty close to "home" for me because I grew up in nearby Washtenaw County.

Trailer parks and schools seem to be the biggest tornado magnets.

Hello. Actually we read and heard about it more frequently before Wixom became more populated. In the papers and on the news so often that trailers in Wixom became associated with tornados. It is less common to hear about since I've come back to the area. When I was young we used to have family reunions every year at Bishop Lake, traveling down dirt roads for miles. The town's built up a lot.

 

[castoono]

I'm alive..but barely. The tornado came maybe a football field away from my apartment building. I was spared, but hundreds werent so lucky.

After 4 days, i have cable, internet and power back again. My city is destroyed. I've lost a friend who was in the direct path of the storm. I'm mentally and physically exhausted from cleaning and helping my neighbors as best I can. I just want to let the JUB world know that T-town (Tuscaloosa) will never be down, and we are UA.

My heart goes out to the families of the victims and those who suffered these storms. Here we don't know what's living those natural disasters.
The biggest power of America it's in the heart of its citizens, I'm pretty sure you will deal with it, raise it all again healthier and stronger.