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Tag: tornado

  • Tornado In Worcester Massachusetts Reached Winds Of 85 MPH And Lasted Four Minutes

    Sunday night, around 10 P.M., a tornado struck the Grafton Hill and Vernon Hill neighborhoods of Worcester, Massachusetts. It reached winds of 85 miles per hour, which made it an EF0, the weakest of tornadoes. According to NBC 10 News, it was still able to uproot and snap in half several trees during its four minute, 1.7 mile path of destruction. Trees landed on cars and house windows. The Worcester Academy soccer field was decimated. Astroturf was ripped up, and a soccer goal was found in a tree.

    “Some of (the trees) snapped at 40-to-50 feet above the ground, so that probably caused some of the larger branches to fly through the air,” Eleanor Talbot of the National Weather Service said according to CBS. Some residents were unable to leave at first because trees blocked their doors and windows.

    No injuries were reported, and the city government was thankful the damage wasn’t worse. The cleanup effort will be tricky since residents may only use city approved contractors. The city also has many environmental concerns since the damage to trees risks the spread of the Asian long-horned beetle.

    News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England

    WCVB reported that for this tornado, and a previous one near Revere, MA back in July, the tornado warnings came after the tornadoes had come and gone. This has left residents like Michael Roescher wishing the system could be improved. He managed to shoot a video of the tornado with his home-mounted weather camera. “My hopes are that with watching these things, sometime down the road we can improve notification locally. Not giving the warning four minutes past,” he said according to CBS.

    According to Boston.com, the local weather should be much improved. There will be high temperatures and high humidity, but hopefully, no tornadoes.

  • Bret Michaels Headlines Benefit Concert For Tornado Victims In Pilger, Nebraska

    Many believe that music has healing powers, and this is what rockstar Bret Michaels wanted to prove. On Sunday he headlined a benefit concert for those affected by the twin tornadoes that hit the town of Pilger in Nebraska in June. The town has been struggling to rebuild itself for two months, and many considered Michaels’ concert a welcome respite as well as a way to have fun while contributing to relief efforts.

    “It’s great that he is doing that for us, I mean I am grateful for it. I mean I wasn’t going to miss it, I knew that,” said Billy Mitchell, a long-time resident of Pilger, to WOWT 6 News.

    People reportedly lined up outside the DeVent Center in Norfolk, Nebraska hours before the show, which was sold out by the end of the night. Donations were coursed through Michaels’ foundation, Life Rocks, with $45,000 raised just by the concert.

    “We want people to feel great.  I want to make this a celebration of the spirit of really what Nebraska is,” said Michaels. He sang hits such as “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and “Something To Believe In” to a crowd that rallied in support of the town of Pilger.

    “If I could play the music and live out my dream, I feel blessed, I feel thankful and to be able to give back a little or a lot, whatever we could give back into that community that is a great day,” Michaels said to WOWT 6 News.

    The story of Pilger resident Kandi Murphree was one that made the rounds in the media. Her story illustrates the extent of the damage that the tornadoes made on Pilger and the people who lived there. The tornadoes claimed the life of her five-year-old daughter, Calista Dixon, and left Murphree in a coma for two months. She recently awoke to find that she had lost Calista and no longer had a home. However, efforts like Michaels’ to help Pilger are giving her the strength to move on with her son and daughter.

    “I’m dealing with it now, and we’re going to be 100 percent,” said Murphree.

  • Bret Michaels Helps Out in Tornado-Ravaged Town

    Bret Michaels and his band pitched in to help clean up efforts in a tornado-ravaged town in Nebraska. It was just over a week ago that Pilger, Nebraska sustained considerable damage and destruction following an EF4 tornado that touched down there. More than half of the town of 350 was impacted by the storm. Two of the town’s residents–one of them a little girl–were killed.

    Michaels and his band were taken inside the Pilger Middle School to see the damage that took place there.

    “I just got that lump,” he said as he observed the rubble. “Thinking about the children in this town, it takes your breath away.”

    He added that he had no clue exactly what such devastation would look like up close.

    “It’s one thing to see it on TV. But when you actually get out here, it’s completely different. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Michaels said.

    Bret Michaels and his band members and crew worked cleaning up rubble at the home of Tim and Betty Maly, who had nothing left on their property besides their basement.

    “It’s wonderful. You can’t thank them enough. People take time out of their days off or use their spare time to come here. It’s just unreal,” Betty Maly said of the former Poison front man and his fellow musicians.

    Bret Michaels knows all about people helping other people. When he suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2010 he was surrounded by many who supported him in his time of need. Perhaps this is his way of giving back.

    Regardless of the reason behind his volunteer actions, Bret Michaels is certainly setting a wonderful example for other celebrities–showing that not only is it important to give of one’s wealth, but that rolling up one’s sleeves and pitching in for the dirty work is often important, too.

    In addition to working their clean-up details, the former Celebrity Apprentice winner and his band signed autographs for the people of Pilger, as well as for other volunteers.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Denver Tornadoes Cause Hail Storm And Disrupts Airport

    On Wednesday, a total of eight tornadoes touched down in the Denver metro area. In addition, Colorado was also facing a fierce thunderstorm that produced piles of hail, which caused residents to take shelter.

    Three tornadoes touched down in Araphoe County, one in Denver County, and four in Adams County. The first tornado was reported at 2:05 p.m. in Aurora, and the last was at 5:06 p.m. in Adams.

    The Weather Service issued a tornado watch, which will be in effect until 8 p.m. local time. Jim Kalina, a meteorologist, said, “Denver’s kind of in the clear right now unless something else develops.”

    With the threat of the tornadoes, authorities at the Denver International Airport were forced to suspend flights. Passengers were asked to seek shelter and remain outside the facility. Airport officials said that the terminal building sustained some water damage.

    The scene at Denver Airport

    Although the airport was not directly hit by the tornado, it was still affected. Frontier Airlines reported that six of their planes had to be removed from service because of hail damage.

    Kalina also said that this is the peak time for tornadoes to hit the Denver area. According to Frank Cooper, a meteorologist with the NWS in Boulder, the stormy weather was triggered by the southeastern winds, which resulted in a pattern he called the “Denver cyclone.”

    Denver’s geography also played a part in the development of the storm. Denver is surrounded by high terrains and mountains. As the winds picked up speed, Denver’s terrain set up a “swirl,” and the Denver cyclone took effect.

    According to reports, the affected cities and neighboring areas escaped the violent tornadoes without getting significant damages.

    The Colorado Department of Transportation sent out crews to clear roadways after large hailstones rained down. According to the Denver police, up to 5 inches of hail built up on 67th Avenue.

    Watch supercell tornado develop over Denver

    Image via YouTube

  • Mississippi Tornado Weather Possible Early Next Week

    This year’s long, long winter is finally over and warmer weather is bringing people out of their houses in the Midwest and Eastern U.S. The coming of spring, however, doesn’t mean the nation’s weather troubles are quite over yet.

    After winter weather pushed back this year’s tornado season, it appears that some severe weather may make up for it this weekend and early next week. The National Weather Service is predicting a strong storm to cover much of the South and Midwest starting on Sunday. The large storm should begin forming over Texas and Oklahoma on Saturday night and begin pushing East.

    From there the storm is predicted to strengthen on Sunday, bringing high winds and thunderstorms to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. By Monday the storm is expected to move over parts of Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky.

    During this period the storm could become very severe, bringing intense rain and high winds. The National Weather Service states that the “potential exists for a severe weather outbreak including strong tornadoes.”

    By Tuesday the storm could cover much of the eastern U.S., from Southern Michigan all the way down to Florida.

    As this prediction is days in advance, there is still much uncertainty about the specifics of the storm. Though hail and tornadoes are possible, the area affected by such strong weather is likely to be smaller than the area currently threatened by the storm.

    Image via the National Weather Service

  • Moore, Oklahoma Passes New Tornado-Resistant Building Codes

    Some residents of Moore, Oklahoma are still in the process of rebuilding their homes from damages that were left by last year’s tornado. Buildings were reduced to rubble, cars were left crushed, and walls were what remained of the structures.

    The tornado injured 400 citizens and killed 24 people. It was not the first time the city has experienced that big a catastrophe. Serious tornadoes also ravaged the city in 1999 and 2003.

    On Thursday, the city has approved new residential building codes. It made Moore, Oklahoma the first municipality in the United States to create building rules that state that new homes must be able to endure strong winds that are up to 135 mph instead of the previous 90 mph. The new code is a preventative measure for extensive damages when another tornado strikes.

    Moore’s City Council approved 11 building codes after structural engineers examined the damages that were left by the 2013 tornado.

    The last tornado that hit Moore left damages that took $2 billion to rebuild. According to Oklahoma University civil engineering professor Dr. Chris Ramseyer, building stronger structures and homes will result in minimized destruction and minimized cost of rebuilding.

    Part of the new code also says that hurricane clips, wind-resistant garage doors, and roof sheathing are required. Ramseyer also mentioned the added building requirements will not be a large expense for homeowners. “We’re talking one or two cents per dollar on a home,” he said. This is a small price to pay for the safety of the citizens.

    Residents of Moore are excited about the new code, especially since they have already had a hard time trying to rebuild their homes from the previous tornado.

    With these new building codes already in place, Moore, Oklahoma will hopefully be prepared for the next tornado that may come their way.

    Aftermath from the Tornado that hit Moore last year

    Image via YouTube

  • Moore, Oklahoma Toughens Building Codes for Future Tornado Incursions

    New residential building codes went into effect Thursday for one tornado-prone town.

    The city of Moore, Oklahoma is taking preventive measures to protect the area from any further destructive damages incurred from tornadoes.

    The city recently set in stone tough construction codes that will ensure every future home is built firmly to withstand winds up to 135 mph. This includes sturdy roof shields and wind-resistant garage doors.

    The previous standard for the building code was 90 mph, which is mainly the same for all states nationwide.

    But, as the first city in the country to ever take such action, residents have expressed how excited they are about the new code-especially following the tornado in May 2013 that still has families rebuilding their homes.

    Last spring’s tornado-an EF-5 level-injured nearly 400 people and took the lives of 24 Moore residents.

    One tornado victim told KFOR-TV how the storm has been very difficult to recover from the last 11 months.

    “It was pretty tedious and I definitely don’t want to do it again,” Sarah Patteson said.

    The University of Oklahoma is one of five universities in the National Science Foundation that helped develop 11 new building codes for the city. After extensive assessment of the ruined homes, researchers used engineering technology to come up with the best possible solution.

    “This last tornado is over $2 billion in costs,” said Dr. Chris Ramseyer, associate professor of civil engineering at OU.  “And with better homes, stronger buildings, that destructive force will be minimized and the cost will be minimized.”

    Ramseyer says the costs are a “small expense for the homeowner…one or two cents per dollar on a home.” However, this new code will only apply to those that have yet to start building a new home.

    Moore, which has experienced similar, damaging twisters in 1999 and 2003, tends to be a center point where most catastrophic tornadoes occur in Oklahoma.

    City officials hope that this new adoption will at least be the answer to “homes [being] safer and more durable for smaller, more frequent storms.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Westboro Baptist Church Protesters Run Out of Town

    Less than three weeks after Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps died, his former congregation is at it again. This time, the Westboro Baptist Church members decided to picket a school in Moore, Oklahoma, a town that was devastated by a tornado last year. While the “God Hates Fags” signs were out again, the protesters were reportedly run out of town less than ten minutes into the protest.

    Two dozen lives were claimed last May when an EF5 tornado struck the town of Moore, Oklahoma. Since then, the residents have been hard at work trying to put their lives and their town back together. While most people would feel compassion for people who have been through such a tragedy, this isn’t true for the members of Westboro Baptist Church. This comes as no surprise, of course, since members of the church are notorious for pickets at funerals and other sites, but some people thought (or hoped) that the church would lay off for a while after their founder died.

    Nope. Members of the church set up across from Central Junior High on Sunday. As you can see from the following video that was posted to Westboro Baptist Church’s Vine page, the protesters had out all of their usual signs and did a little flag stomping.

    While the image pieced together in the Vine video may depict a successful protest (successful if you’re a WBC supporter), a video taken by a Moore resident across the street paints a completely different picture of the event and shows the protesters being run out by the townspeople:

    According to KOCO, only ten WBC members showed up for the picket and they left less than ten minutes into their protest after a few of the 2,000 Moore residents present crossed the picket line and confronted them.

    “I was afraid of a riot really. I didn’t know how long Westboro would stay, which they were smart to leave,” said Dan Eccles, a resident who attended the protest. “They shagged tail, got in them cars and was leaving in a hurry. Oh yeah, they was gone!”

    “If you come out here you’re going to get all of us telling you to go home,” said Moore resident Brenda Fox. Go home the WBC members did–it doesn’t look like any of the Moore residents that crossed the picket line got physical, but the protesters certainly didn’t stick around long after the residents began closing in.

    Judging from some posts on WBC’s Twitter page, these folks are a little unhappy that the world is finding out how unsuccessful their latest protest went. For example, this gem was posted to show how peaceful people promoting hate are:

    Even though Westboro Baptist Church’s protest in Moore, Oklahoma wasn’t exactly successful, the church has a few other protests planned for April. This includes picketing Kansas University and a Bill Maher comedy act.

    Image via Twitter

  • Several Tornadoes Hit Northern California [Video]

    The National Weather Service announced the touchdown of several tornadoes in California on Wednesday.

    Jeff Ranieri, chief meteorologist of the NBC Bay Area, said that there were reports of six funnel clouds and four tornadoes in the region. The National Weather Service confirmed two of the tornadoes, which is a rare occurrence in California.

    The tornadoes touched down in Northern California during a storm. There was also a report of a twister that was spotted near Sacramento. There were about a dozen homes that were damaged, and the twister left a 300 yard-long path scattered with debris.

    Another tornado reportedly hit near Placer County at about 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday. It damaged fences and roofs of about 12 to 20 houses in the area. Fortunately, none of the residents were harmed in the process. According to Rob Baquera, the spokesperson for the fire department, the debris brought about by the tornado stretched to a hundred yards in length.

    A tornado was also spotted and recorded in Glenn County by YouTuber Coti Benitez.

    Video of tornado forming

    Baquera said that everyone in the affected areas did the right thing by seeking shelter when the tornado landed. He also said that they are in recovery mode as, “there were a few people a bit shaken up as they saw the cloud roll over them.”

    Central and Northern California have been experiencing rains and heavy winds. San Francisco also experienced heavy rain in the morning, but the water level is still low, as the state is experiencing drought. Sources say that San Francisco has received less than half of the rainfall it experienced last summer.

    Reports indicate that the rains could last through the weekend and even through early next week. Sacramento meteorologist Holly Osborne warned local residents to wear their rain boots and bring their umbrellas, due to the expected unsettling weather.

    Image via YouTube

  • Tornadoes in California Cause Limited Damage

    Since last summer, San Francisco, California has received less than half the average amount of rainfall it usually sees over the course of one year. A supercell, which hit the mainland from the Pacific on Wednesday, however, has brought much needed rain, and more, to the Bay Area.

    At 6:15 pm Wednesday afternoon, the city of Roseville, Ca experienced an EF-0 tornado, the lowest possible rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale.

    Despite the weak strength of the tornado, a strip approximately 100 yards long and 10 to 20 yards wide suffered heavy damage from the strong winds. In total, 12 houses reported structural damage, and as many as six fences were destroyed by the tornado. One home, which had smashed windows and a large hole torn in a bedroom wall, suffered anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000 in damages, according to Roseville Fire Department spokesman Rob Baquera: “It kind of touched down pretty quickly and went back up. Roof tiles went flying off, solar panels … and a boat was lifted up and moved about six feet from where it was.”

    While the damage caused by the tornado will take some time to recover from, California residents are happy to see the presence of much-needed precipitation.

    Forecasters are predicting that the next week will be the wettest week for California to date this year. Wednesday saw areas receiving as much as three-quarters of an inch of rain, and more is yet to come.

    Holly Osborne, a meteorologist with the weather service in Sacramento, believes that the Sacramento Valley could see one-half to more than one inch of rain before Sunday, with the Northern Bay Area experiencing as much as two inches of precipitation total: “We’re expecting unsettled weather even into early next week, so be prepared to bring your umbrella and rain boots,” predicted Osborne.

    While many people see rain as an inconvenience, many Californians welcome the days to come:”So, I know people hate the rain here and I’m very not used to it. But at the same time, I’ve seen how low the water levels are. So hopefully this is getting over the mountains and into the reservoirs,” stated San Francisco resident Mike Vladimer.

    While tornadoes are a rare occurrence in California, from 1950-2004 more than 303 tornadoes were recorded in “The Golden State”, with more and more tornadoes being recorded in recent years.

    Image via Twitter

  • Indiana Recovering from Tornado Damage

    Indiana Recovering from Tornado Damage

    Indiana was one of several midwestern states hit by tornadoes Sunday, and Governor Mike Pence has taken a helicopter tour of Hoosier communities that were hardest hit by the severe weather. Wide swaths of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin saw scores of tornadoes touch down, leaving at least 6 dead.

    Pence is scheduled to survey Kokomo, Lafayette and Washington, while the National Weather Services dispatched three teams to assess storm destruction. Homeowners and businesses across the state are likewise gauging the damages and are planning their next steps. Senator Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., will join Pence for the Kokomo tour.

    Below is footage captured of a tornado near Decker, Indiana, roughly 45 miles north of Evansville:

    The hardest-hit area appeared to be Kokomo, 60 miles north of Indianapolis. Kokomo and Howard County lifted their states of emergency at 6 a.m., though traffic is still banned from storm-damaged areas.

    Sunday’s tornadoes injured at least three people and cut power to thousands in the region. According to Duke Energy, 25,668 customers without power across the state, as of 9:15 a.m. Monday, with the highest concentration in Tippecanoe County (Lafayette), with 12,605. Howard County (Kokomo) recorded 6,996 customers without power, with another 4,883 customers across Marion County. Indiana Michigan Power reported another 26,000 customers without power across the state, including 12,000 in South Bend and another 5,900 in Fort Wayne. Crews are still working to restore power.

    Elsewhere in the midwest region of the US, damage was more severe. Some residents of the affected areas said that their entire neighborhoods had been flattened. Washington, Illinois resident Tyler Gee said, “I went over there immediately after the tornado, walking through the neighborhoods, and I couldn’t even tell what street I was on. Just completely flattened–some of the neighborhoods here in town, hundreds of homes.”

    Image via YouTube.

  • 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

  • Rare Tornado Strikes Hard in Western Washington

    After extensive review, the National Weather Service has confirmed that the wind damage imposed on Western Washington was the work of a vicious, rare tornado. Several industrial buildings and commercial structures south of Seattle were damaged.

    The ‘early winter storm’ produced a record amount of rainfall, leaving thousands without power in the Pacific Northwest. According to the Washington Post, a vast number of power outages were reported, as early as Sunday evening, due to high winds. Portland General Electric reported an estimated 90,000 outages, Puget Sound Energy reported another 12,000, and Seattle City Light calculated only 3,000 outages late Sunday evening.

    The tornado made landfall in the Frederickson industrial area of Seattle around 7:20am Monday morning. The area suffered high winds’ damage, causing minor structural damage to the notable Boeing Factory, and a Northwest Door Factory where as the roof was completely detached from the building. Another building located in proximity of the Seattle tunnel project was also damaged.

    According to Seattle meteorologist Johnny Burg, a street team had been assembled to assess the damage, all while recording eyewitness accounts. Burg also confirmed that no one was injured.

    Seattle’s Central Pierce Fire and Rescue Department took to Facebook in an effort to provide visual coverage of the tornado damage.

     

    Image(s) via Facebook | Central Pierce Fire & Rescue

  • Tornado Hits Ursuline College Early Saturday Morning

    Early Saturday morning, a tornado touched down in northeast Ohio hitting Ursuline College.

    The tornado, which has been classified as an EF1, hit just northwest of the college at around 3:35 a.m. Saturday morning. It made it’s way across the campus, measuring 100 to 200 yards wide, and traveling 1.3 miles.

    The 110 mile per hour winds caused damage to several of the buildings located on campus. The external wall of the schools O’brien Athletic Center collapsed and the center also suffered damage to the roof. Other buildings that were damaged include the Dauby Science Center and the Ralph M. Besse Library. Trees surrounding the campus were uprooted and debris was scattered.

    The spokeswoman for the college, Angela DelPrete said that there were only about five students on campus at the time the tornado hit. They were about 1,000 feet from the gymnasium, which was the building that withstood the most damage. Luckily, there were very few students on campus, due to Summer break, and none of the students present were injured.

    The blessing is that there was no loss of life or injury
    -Sister Diana Stano, president of Ursuline College

    Ursuline college is located approximately 13 miles east of Cleavland, in Pepper Pike, Ohio. It was founded by Roman Catholic nuns, the Ursuline sisters in 1871, and was the first women’s college located in Ohio. It was also one of the first women’s colleges located in the United States. There are currently over 1500 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the college. Although they now accept men, men only make up approximately 9 percent of the student body.

    A message recorded at the campus stated that the school would be closed Saturday and Sunday to asses the damage. The school website also said that there would be a disaster relief fund set up to help rebuild the buildings that were damaged.

  • Tara Reid: Sharknado Two? Reid says “Why not?”

    Tara Reid has played in over 41 different films since she started her career as a child actress, playing roles such as Sandy on Saved by the Bell: The New Class and Ashley on Days of our Lives. Her most recent role was playing character April in the new Syfy horror release, “Sharknado”. Reid plays her role alongside “Beverly Hills 90210” star Ian Ziering. The plot, which many have described as “cheesy”, involves vicious sharks being thrown onto land by tornadoes. Reid and Ziering play ex-spouses who team up to investigate why these sharks are suddenly being hurled around in the air by tornadoes instead of swimming around in sea.

    This movie was so ridiculous, you know? Like it’s almost so bad that it’s good.
    -Tara Reid

    “Sharknado” was released on July 11, 2013, and it was one of the most popular subjects popping up on social media sites, with over 387,000 mentions. However, the movie didn’t receive such good rating and only drew in approximately 1.4 million viewers. This may sound like a lot, but compared to Syfy’s release in 2011, “Swamp Shark” that brought in 2.2 million viewers, it is definitely below average. “I had no idea,” Reid told TMZ Live on Friday. “I just thought sharks flying in he sky is just the funniest movie ever. Because “Sharknado” made such a huge impact in the social media world, Syfy has planned to air the movie again on Thursday July 18th at 7pm EDT.

    (image)

    When asked if she would be willing to film a sequel to “Sharknado”, Reid said “Why not?” She has made it clear that she is definitely up for doing “Sharknado” round two.

  • McMinnville Tornado Confirmed As Residents Assess Damage

    A small tornado swept through McMinnville, Oregon on Thursday, doing considerable damage to property and businesses.

    While tornadoes occur mostly in the midwest and southern states, occasionally one will pop up on the West Coast. Strong storms have been moving through the country after a system with strong winds–called a derecho–passed through several states and caused widespread damage.

    “It’s a cluster of thunderstorms that congeal into a line, and that line will then start moving east or southeast, and as it progresses the winds increase and produce damage along that path,” said Jim Keeney, weather program manager at the National Weather Service’s office in Kansas City, Mo.”If they do form winds in excess of 75 miles an hour, we’re talking significant tree damage. Some derechos can be in excess of 90 miles an hour, this is getting into more structural damage, roof damage and things of that nature, so it’s something people have to be more watchful for.”

    Indeed, the tornado that hit McMinnville–though only registering as an F1 on the Fujita scale–did some damage; residents today are cleaning up the mess and trying to salvage what they can.

    “People heard it all over town,” businessman Dave Lewis said.

    Several commercial buildings and at least one home were damaged in the winds, and witnesses said they saw the funnel cloud on the ground for around five minutes. Debris from rooftops fell on power lines, knocking out the electricity for three hours.

  • Tornado Survivor Killed: 5-Year Old Boy Mauled By Dog

    A 5-year old boy was killed on Sunday when the pet of a family friend attacked him, severely wounding his head and neck.

    The boy–whose name hasn’t been released yet–was staying with friends of his parents in Jessieville, Arkansas, while the parents worked to salvage and rebuild their home in Moore, Oklahoma. The family’s Bullmastiff reportedly became aggressive when the boy got upset and started to cry and attacked him; the owner says she tried to pull the dog off but was too late. The animal ran away after the attack but was later shot dead by a friend of the owners.

    The heartbreaking story comes as a shock to the community of Moore, where everyone is working to rebuild their lives after the deadly tornado system that rocked the town last month.

    “To me, it’s heartbreaking,” Garland County sheriff’s Deputy Scott Hinojosa said. “I’ve got a 5-year-old daughter. You can’t imagine what this family and friends are going through right now.”

    Authorities are considering pressing charges on the family, but no decision has been made yet.

    Image: DogBreedInfo.com

  • Oklahoma Tornado Officially the Widest Ever Recorded in the U.S.

    Oklahoma Tornado Officially the Widest Ever Recorded in the U.S.

    The tornado that hit just outside of El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31 is officially the widest tornado ever recorded in U.S. history.

    The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) today declared that the tornado was 2.6 miles wide at its widest point. It has been upgraded to an EF-5 rating, and reportedly had wind speeds “well over” 200 miles per hour. The tornado began just after 6 pm and ended 40 minutes later, having traveled 16.2 miles.

    Hundreds of Oklahomans were injured due to the tornado, and at least nine people died. The size of the tornado, coupled with its erratic movement, caused many people to be caught in the path of the storm.

    Among the dead were storm chaser Tim Samaras, his 24-year-old son Paul Samaras, and their colleague Carl Young. The men were once part of the Discovery Channel reality TV show Storm Chasers. Another amateur storm chaser was also killed during the storm, and a Weather Channel meteorologist was injured when his truck was thrown 200 yards by the tornado.

  • Google Maps Shows Before/After Moore, Oklahoma Tornado Imagery

    Google has a crisis response map for those affected by the giant tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma. Included in that is imagery of the area from Google Maps.

    Google posted a before/after look at the area to its Google Maps Google+ account today:

    Google Maps

    We've published post-tornado imagery of Moore, OK on our Google Crisis Response Map ( http://google.org/crisismap/2013-oklahoma-tornado ). Here's a before (collected on 29th April by CNES 2013, Distribution Astrium Services/Spot Image) and after (collected on 22nd May by Digitalglobe) view showing Briarwood elementary school and the surrounding area – http://goo.gl/9pazZ. You can check/uncheck the boxes on the right of the map link to explore more information.

    In other Google Maps news, the company also revealed that it has been using its Trekker camera device to capture new imager from the Galapagos Islands. This imagery will be making its way to Google Maps later this year. You can see a preview here.

  • Dog Guards Owner’s Body After Tornado

    Dog Guards Owner’s Body After Tornado

    In a heart-wrenching story out of Oklahoma, a tiny black dog which was discovered alive among the wreckage was actually guarding the body of its owner, who had died in the F-5 stage tornado that leveled a good part of Moore.

    The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Department posted a photo of the dog before they realized what was going on; now, the photo has gone viral and the pup will be adopted by the deputy.

    “May 20, 2013 we posted this picture of a dog on our Twitter account “scared, but this little pup survived”,” the department posted on their Facebook account. “Today we found out the story behind the picture. The dog was standing guard over a deceased individual, possibly it’s owner, in Moore following the tornado there. The dog was taken to a shelter and the deputy who found the pup, if possible, plans on adopting the dog. Man’s best friend to the end.”

    The stories coming out of Moore, Oklahoma are tragic and heartbreaking as we hear tales of children losing their lives and parents awaiting word on whether their kids made it out of the storm alive. Some bright spots can be found, however, such as the woman who was reunited with her dog as she gave an interview on camera.

  • Oklahoma Tornado Captured By Guy Sticking His Hand Out of His Shelter

    There have been a lot of incredible videos to come out of Monday’s massive tornado that hit the Moore, Oklahoma area. This fits the bill, but it comes with a twist.

    This guy filmed the tornado as it passed above his shelter. Crazy, right? I can’t even fault him for his vertical video – I mean, he’s filming a massive tornado. Only in the YouTube age, folks.

    [Charles Gafford via reddit]