Tornado
gregladen | December 7, 2010One day, about ten years ago, we were having a strong southerly fetch with small tornadoes popping out of the stormy front, so Julia and I were keeping an eye out the windows, watching wall clouds form and unform over our heads. Then, suddenly, there were these two ducks flying south, coming up over the houses across the street. They flew up into the air and beat their wings against the strong wind, not making any ground at all, and then finally, fell back out of our view. I'd seen these ducks before. By day they foraged to the north on the Metronics property, but roosted to the south,…
gregladen | November 9, 2010You may recall me mentioning a tornado last year in Wadena.
"The town's been flattened. I'm on my way there for a high school reunion. It looks more like it's going to be a high school clean-up."
If you are in the region, I just wanted you to know about a fund raiser to help get the people of Wadena back on their feet.
Months after a devastating tornado struck Wadena, a benefit will be held this weekend to help the still-recovering Minnesota town.
The Wadena Relief Benefit will be held Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina.
Details here.
gregladen | June 18, 2010This is as close as one can get:
BTW, I believe it is recommended to NOT hide from a tornado in your car.
Here's some context:
Please ignore the reporter's geographical references. They are quite muddled. The storm did not come from Iowa, and Wadena is not in what most people would call "Northwestern Minnesota."
awild | May 15, 2010Natural disasters are things we see in the news. A flood in Bangladesh, earthquakes in China, wildfires in California- all reported in somber tones before the commercial break, often presented with some generic disaster clip of people sorting through rubble. These events have a defining feature: they happen to other people. Not to us, or to anyone we know.
Debby and Mike Kaspari in the box where they weathered the storm
An exception to this principle of natural disasters touched down in Oklahoma last week. The tornados that killed several people nearly took two of our own: artist/blogger…
gregladen | August 20, 2009.. and another repost apropos our recent tornado activity:
Marilee Thomas of Beaver City, Nebraska. And a tornado. [source] Mid-Americans ... Minnesotans, Texans, Nebraskans and denizens of Arkansas, and everyone in between, understand tornadoes, but to varying degrees. There are differences by region in how we deal with them. In Arkansas, I've seen foolish bravado. The tornado shelter there is known as the "fraidy hole" and having one or not in your back yard may be linked to one's sense of machismo. People from Missouri that I have known have a deep respect for tornadoes. An…
gregladen | August 20, 2009Apropos the recent tornadic activity here, a repost:
This story:
10 tornadoes confirmed in Ga., including one with winds topping 160 mph
Ten tornadoes, one packing winds of more than 160 mph, touched down in parts of Georgia on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said Friday.
The storms caused an estimated $25 million in insured losses, said John W. Oxendine, the state's insurance commissioner.
"I spent some time surveying damage and talking to residents in Jasper, Putnam and Hancock Counties" on Friday, Oxendine said in statement. "I believe claims will easily reach $25 million. Actual…
gregladen | August 19, 2009UPDATE: Our sirens are back on, but I don't see anything. But, down in Minneapolis, I'm seeing the damage to the Electric Fetus. Bricks stripped off the outside wall, and broken windows in front, so they are shut down. The Mayor stopped by a minute ago, apparently. I wonder if they'll have a sale?????
(For those of you who do not know the Twin Cities ... The Fetus is a music store of some local fame)
OMG, I'm looking at footage not far from Stephanie and Ben's house, and there is quite a bit of street flooding. THIS COULD AFFECT BEN'S BEER!!!
EMERGENCY EMERGENCY!!!!
UPDATE:…
gregladen | May 2, 2009UPDATE: Confirming that four Cowboys staff members were injured, the extent of the injuries not established. No players or coaches injured. A quick flyby shot of the facility shows a big white and very flat building.
The Irving Texas Cowboys training facility was hit with a tornado and collapsed. There is one injury reported, no fatalities, but there were several athletes (mainly rookies) and staff in the facility at the time. This has not been reported on any news agencies yet, but it was mentioned by a person being interviewed at the Kentucky Derby.
gregladen | February 22, 2009This story:
10 tornadoes confirmed in Ga., including one with winds topping 160 mph
Ten tornadoes, one packing winds of more than 160 mph, touched down in parts of Georgia on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said Friday.
The storms caused an estimated $25 million in insured losses, said John W. Oxendine, the state's insurance commissioner.
"I spent some time surveying damage and talking to residents in Jasper, Putnam and Hancock Counties" on Friday, Oxendine said in statement. "I believe claims will easily reach $25 million. Actual losses are much higher when you consider things like…
grrlscientist | June 12, 2008tags: tornado, Manhattan Kansas, weather
"Hello? Dad? Can I borrow your car?"
Image: Dave Rintoul, 12 June 2008 [larger view].
[Includes slideshow]
After I returned from Manhattan, Kansas, I thought of it as a wonderful, magical place where I would always be able to return, to see birds and photograph lots of native wildlife, to find a warm and safe place with my good friends, Dave and Elizabeth. (I am sure all of you know Dave quite well, since his gorgeous photographs are often featured as the "Image of the Day" on this site.) But while I was preoccupied with my imaginings, I was…