Tornado Rips through Jackson Mississippi [April 15, 2011]

Another terrifying video of a strong tornado that ripped through the city of Jackson, Mississippi.  This tornado damaged several homes in the area when it quickly passed through last Friday.  Destruction was reported in 12 different counties in Mississippi in this horrible tornado outbreak

Several Tornadoes Rip Through Iowa [April 9th, 2011]

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Lightning Hits the Tallest Building in Atlanta

Storm Reports for April 4th, 2011 [Tons of severe weather]

Severe weather broke out in many places in the southeast and Tennessee River Valley.  Tornados were the biggest issue with many of these supercell storms that caused the most damage.  As seen in the picture above, the Severe Prediction Center confirmed 11 twisters, 188 high wind reports, and 35 reports of hail.  Total severe weather reports maxed out for a grand total of 235 reports today!

Possible Nor'easter to affect the Northeast Thursday Night into Friday

     Just when you think spring is in the air, and the snow has finally melted, old man winter may strike again towards the end of this week.  Think this is only an April Fool's Joke?  Think again!  This storm has the potential of affecting several major cities located in the Northeast.  While many of the major metropolitan  cities will see mainly all rain along the I-95 corridor, areas further inland will endure heavy snow.  The low pressure system located in the pictures (depicted by the red L) will strengthen rapidly Friday morning as it makes its way on a path across the Cape Cod bend.   Heavy moisture will be pulled in off the Gulf of Maine and with cold enough temperatures here in the northern New England states, ample amounts of snow may be produced.  Expect anywhere from 6-12 inches with this next incoming storm for places in northern NY, VT, NH, MA and ME.  At this point, most people are just about sick of the winter, and are ready for the return of spring! I know I certainly am.

Large Hail Falls From the Sky on March 26th, 2011 in the Deep South

Could you even imagine a piece of ice that large falling from the sky?  Very large hail fell in portions of Alabama and Georgia on Saturday, March 26, 2011.  This piece of hail was measured at 3 inches and fell Saturday evening.  Hail this size could easily injure people and damage rooftops and cars.  Although not all of the hail was measured at this size, these storms ripped across the deep south and affected many living there.  When hail is ever in your forecast, you know that severe weather is just around the corner, so always be prepared. And stay in doors!

Water Spout right off the bay of San Francisco at Ocean Beach

Second Reactor Explodes at the Nuclear Power Plant in Japan!!

Just when you think an earthquake and tsunami is more than enough, the nuclear power plant in Japan has exploded again due to failing cooling systems. There was supposedly a hydrogen build up that led to this second explosion that happened today, March 14th. Fear of a nuclear meltdown have scientists scrambling to get the situation under control.

I know this blog was meant for severe weather occuring in the world, but lately the devastating earthquake and following tsunami have to be put in the spotlight. I will continue monitoring the weather for you and update you on the newest severe weather occuring. Remember, spring is right around the corner and that means tornado alley will come back to life soon. Stay turned and please continue following my blog. Thanks!

Massive Tidal Wave Slams the Coast of Japan

This crazy video looks like something straight out of a movie.  The tsunami that was generated by a powerful 8.9 magnitude earthquake located right off the coast of Japan.  Just when the shaking came to an end, waves inundated the coast quickly after.  Residents only had 10-15 minutes warning time before the first wave came in due to the epicenter of the earthquake being located so close to Japan.  It is hard to say what the death toll will be but many believe it will top in the tens of thousands.  It's scary to think what happened to those who were driving down the street in this video.  Not only did these waves carry away homes and cars, fires broke out due to gas line eruptions.  And to make things even worse, the nuclear power plant in Japan has had tremendous amounts of problems with radiation being released into the atmosphere.  Fears of explosions of the center are very high, and they are working around the clock to get things taken care of.  180,000 residents living around the area were forced to evacuate due to this crazy emergency.  Everyday more and more videos continue to pour into the media, so I am working to find the best ones out there.  Continue to visit my blog and I will surely be posting more as the days go on.  My thoughts and prayers go out to those who were affected by this devastating event in Japan and the others in the Pacific basin that had to go through something so horrible.

TSUNAMI HITS JAPAN FOLLOWING 8.9 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE

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Another View of a Tornado Striking while People were Inside

Tornado Rips Through a Hardware Store in Theodore, AL

     The las two video blogs I posted are the best severe weather videos I have found in a while!!  These were captured by surveillance cameras located in a hardware store in Theodore, Alabama.  This tornado was rated an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.  Winds ranged anywhere from 110-137 mph!!  As you can see in this video, the lights began to flicker once power lines began to fall in the surrounding towns.  Within seconds, the screen goes black and the building begins to crumble.  Winds swirled inside the store and tossed objects all over the place until the ceiling began to collapse.  Four injuries were reported from civilians that were unfortunately in the building at the time.  It was confirmed that everyone was luckily ok!
     This was just one of the many tornadoes that ripped across the deep south beginning March 8th and continuing through March 10th.

How Hurricanes Form

Interested in knowing how hurricanes form? Or perhaps what environment is critical for these monsters to evolve? Take a look at this short clip I found from the Discovery Channel.

Severe Weather Watches and Warnings for March 5th, 2011 [NWS]

A low pressure system associated with a cold front in the southeast part of the country is wreaking havoc in many states.  Severe weather broke out late last night (March 4th) into today and brought about very strong storms.  Gusty winds and isolated tornadoes were the main threat with this and a tornado watch continues for eastern Alabama and for the panhandle of Florida  until 10 p.m. central time (depicted by the red box on the map).  A tornado was reported in Louisiana earlier today in the town of Rayne.   Crowley, LA also has a confirmed EF0 tornado.  Many homes and business have received tremendous amounts of damage, and many are without power.  Flooding is also an issue with these storms producing rainfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour!  As of early his afternoon, 12 people have been confirmed injured with at least 1 fatality by the NWS.  If you happen to live in these areas, please take action: keep an eye out and prepare for severe weather.    

Earthquake in New Zealand: Pictures From a "War Zone"

Earthquake in New Zealand: Pictures From a "War Zone"

This is a great site I found online showing the massive amounts of destruction after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the island of New Zealand in the city of Christchurch. Many have been declared dead with many more still out there missing in the wreckage. Prayers go out to all those who have been affected by this natural disaster, as well to the families who are having to deal with this very upsetting tragedy. Earthquakes have been known to affect these parts of the country so this was by no means a complete shock.
Although this story isn't technically a weather phenomena, it seemed to be an interesting article having to do with natural disasters.  No matter what the event is, whether a storm system or an natural disaster by means of the planet, it is still important to keep people aware of the power of nature and how precious life really is.

AccuWeather.com - Weather News | First Snow in 35 Years for San Francisco this Week!?

AccuWeather.com - Weather News | First Snow in 35 Years for San Francisco this Week!?

House Fiscal 11 Budget Proposal Could Devastate the National Weather Service’s Life-Saving Warnings and Forecasts

House Fiscal 11 Budget Proposal Could Devastate the National Weather Service’s Life-Saving Warnings and Forecasts

This is a link I was sent pertaining to a possible budget cut on the National Weather Service and the many services they provide.  Coming from a meteorology degree, this was very upsetting news to receive.  The cuts they are proposing would hurt our field tremendously and could have devastating impacts on the country.  Since this is my last year at college, I am particularly nervous to enter a job field that could possibly take a such a hard blow.  When the time comes to vote on passing this bill or not, I highly suggest going against it, and saving the meteorology program in this country!

Snow blows off the back of a semi truck

The perfect reason why you should always brush the snow off the top of your car.  As you can see, the person behind this massive truck almost lost all sight when the blowing snow hit the windsheild of their car! Many believe that it should become a new law that you must take care of the snow on the top of your car as well as the roof in order to prevent future accidents on the highway.

I decided this was a great choice of video to blog about with it being such a severe weather phenomena, of which is still not 100% completely understood.  This video was from a few years back, and shows many great views of a tornados life cycle.  Although many scientists and meteorologists devote their whole lives to fully understand a tornado, there are many other variables that still boggle their minds.  This video shows what the twister looked like at the start of its life, and finishes with the tornado roping out and eventually dissipating.

Snow Squall

I took this video in January of 2011 on the roof top of the Boyd Science building at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire.  The day started out with partly cloudy skies and seemed to be just another typical frigid winter day.  Within minutes, a snow squall made its way through the granite state and dumped almost two inches in a mere 15 minutes!  Winds began to blow and caused the snow to  fall horizontally. Visibility also quickly fell to less than a 1/4".  

Rainbow