WebProNews

Tag: midwest

  • Gustnado: What is It? Should You Be Worried?

    “Gustnado”, or “gust-front tornado,” is a low-level rotating cloud that is short-lived. It can sometimes form within a severe thunderstorm. Reports say that the average gustnado lasts just seconds to a few minutes.

    According to the National Weather Service, gustnadoes are wispy, and their wind speeds could reach up to 80 mph. Gustnadoes have less in common with tornadoes, and have more in common with whirlwinds.

    Deaths and injuries are not typically associated with gustnadoes. However, strong gustnadoes can bring extensive damage to an area.

    Just yesterday, 12 tornadoes were reported in western Wyoming, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. This was accompanied by severe flooding and baseball-size hail. The intense weather activity has sparked interest in lesser known weather terminology like, “derecho“, and “gustnado”.

    A number of people in the Midwest reported seeing gustnadoes within the past few days.

    Dramatic footage of gustnadoes in action

    Yesterday, NBC News erroneously tweeted a warning at 7:30 a.m., stating that “Severe storms, destructive winds and a ‘gustnado’ threaten millions today.” Gustnadoes cannot threaten millions. As the video footage reveals, gustnadoes are comparable to whirlwinds. However, there have been instances where winds destroyed property, and caused deaths.

    Nonetheless, much of the areas highlighted in red did not even get rain.

    Other reports stated that over 35 million Americans were affected by destructive winds of yesterday’s storm in the Midwest. Late Tuesday, the National Weather Service recorded 1.08 inches of rain at the Omaha Airport over the span of 8 minutes—about 8 inches per hour. As a result, the airport closed.

    Although “gustnado” has not yet been accepted as official weather terminology, the term is widely used in the Midwest of the United States, where sightings of the phenomenon are most common.

    What Is A Gustnado?

    Image via YouTube

  • Derecho Threat: Severe Storm Pummels Midwest

    A derecho is often classified as a type of extreme weather phenomenon, which refers to an inland-type of hurricane accompanied by heavy thunderstorms. Derechos are capable of inflicting extensive damage to wide areas. According to the Storm Prediction Center, derechos are at least 240 miles wide and produce long-lived straight-line wind damage.

    On Tuesday, extreme weather, heavy flooding and severe storms brought on by a possible derecho, affected more than 35 million people in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. Weather agencies placed a rigid watch on the storm as it continued to wreak havoc throughout the Midwest region until late Wednesday, according to a weather report on FOX19-WXIX.

    The National Weather Service Omaha put out a warning on Twitter, advising residents of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa not to walk or drive through the area due to rising floodwaters and “potentially life threatening flash flooding”.

    According to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, wind gusts measuring over 80 mph battered the Midwest region. The strong winds uprooted trees and utility poles and forced Eppley Airfield, three miles northeast of Omaha, to close. Joe Rotterdam,  assistant manager of airline affairs, said the closing caused the cancellation of 33 flights.

    Flash floods, hail measuring the size of baseballs, and strong winds were all part of the intense storm that hit the Midwest. In Omaha, Nebraska, more than 12,000 urban residents experienced power outages due to flooding and heavy rainfall from the possible derecho.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated that a derecho can occur when a storm spans a distance of more than 240 miles with gusts reaching more than 58 mph. This kind of storm brought massive destruction back in June 2012 when it ripped through the states of Illinois and Virginia, causing an estimated $1 billion in damages and 13 fatalities.

    Image via YouTube

  • Winter Storm Hercules Heads to the Northeast

    Before Winter Storm Hercules is finished with the US, roughly 1 in 3 Americans will have seen snow in the early days of 2014.

    The massive storm dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of the Midwest on New Years Day, and is now slamming the Northeast.

    According to meteorologist Chris Dolce, Hercules could reach blizzard proportions in some areas: “The Northeast I-95 corridor will feel the worst impacts from Hercules Thursday evening into Friday morning. Gusty winds will combine with the snow to produce poor visibility and dangerous travel conditions. Localized blizzard conditions are possible on Long Island and in coastal parts of southeast Massachusetts.”

    Illinois saw at least six inches of snow on Wednesday, with some areas reporting up to a foot. The storm caused delays into and out of Chicago airports.

    According to the Chicago Tribune, it’s the most snow the city has had since the blizzard of 2011 – and it’s still snowing. Thanks to lake-effect snow, totals could reach two feet before the snow stops overnight.

    The Indianapolis area has received more than five inches of snow since this morning, according to the Indianapolis Star. Weather conditions are responsible for multiple traffic accidents throughout the state.

    As Hercules moves out of the Midwest, the Northeast is buttoning down in preparation.

    “This will be a full-blown Nor’easter,” said winter weather expert Tom Niziol.

    Image via Twitter

  • Soldier Field Evacuated: Bears And Ravens Game Gets Delayed Due To Weather

    In an act of nature, another professional football game has been delayed due to the severe weather conditions, with Solider Field being evacuated during the game that was played on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Chicago.

    The weather has been having an effect on games more than in previous years, and this is the second time that it has happened to the Baltimore Ravens, who experienced a similar fate during their Super Bowl win in February. The Ravens led the Chicago Bears 10-0 in the first half, when the game was delayed for much of the afternoon, before finally coming back.

    The game was initially delayed because of a tornado warning, and the severe weather alerts have been alerting people all over the Midwest. The storm hit hardest in Illinois, and especially the community of Washington in central Illinois.

    Soldier Field was evacuated as the storm approached the game, and fans were advised to move to the nearest concourse, and stay there as a precaution. It was originally predicted that the storm would blow over, but the conditions on the field deteriorated fast, and after a few minutes, both teams left the field and headed to their respective locker rooms.

    (image)

    Michael Perdun, a citizen of the community was interviewed after the storm had hit and said, “I stepped outside and I heard it coming. My daughter was already in the basement, so I ran downstairs and grabbed her, crouched in the laundry room and all of a sudden I could see daylight up the stairway and my house was gone.”

    A severe storm is set to hit the Midwest throughout the day on Sunday, and anyone who lives in Illinois, Indiana, southern Michigan and western Ohio were at the greatest risk of seeing tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds, and while it began this morning, people living in those areas should still be taking precautions, and be safe tonight. There have been reports of heavy rain and wind during the day, throughout the Midwest.

    Ironically, once the game finally resumed after Soldier Field’s evacuation, it went on for much longer. The game did not end until after 6 p.m., and was finally decided when the Bears were able to defeat the Ravens in overtime with a final score of 23-20.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbYBL1_IF8A

    Images via SB Nation, Youtube