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Did you know that in the 1940s, it was forbidden to use the word “tornado” in a weather forecast? Since there was no way to accurately predict a tornado, there was no use in causing panic. Even after the Air Force found a method of predicting the storms, no one wanted to say it -until 1952.
Only a few weeks after signing on as WKY-TV’s weatherman, Harry Volkman made broadcast history. The Oklahoma City station was near enough to Tinker Field that they could pick up weather alerts issued to personnel at the Air Force Base. On the afternoon of March 21, 1952, station manager P.A. “Buddy” Sugg learned that a “tornado risk” for central Oklahoma had been announced by meteorologists at the Base and he instructed Volkman to relay the information on the air. Volkman hesitated, worried that he could very well be arrested (since the word “tornado” was still officially verboten by the FCC), but Sugg told him, “They’d arrest me, not you; you’re just following my orders.”
Harry Volkman informed viewers of the impending storm, using the word “tornado” during a weather broadcast for the first time and probably saving some lives in the process, as that particular storm system ended up being the ninth deadliest tornado outbreak in U.S. history.
Mental_floss has more tornado history: the first account of a tornado in America, the first accurate forecast, the first photographed tornado, and more. Link
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ER Stories has a first-hand account of the destruction in Joplin, Missouri, when a tornado ripped the town apart on May 22nd. Dr. Kevin Kikta was on duty at the emergency department of St. John’s Regional Medical Center at the time.
“Like a bomb went off. ” That’s the only way that I can describe what we saw next. Patients were coming into the ED in droves. It was absolute, utter chaos. They were limping, bleeding, crying, terrified, with debris and glass sticking out of them, just thankful to be alive. The floor was covered with about 3 inches of water, there was no power, not even backup generators, rendering it completely dark and eerie in the ED. The frightening aroma of methane gas leaking from the broken gas lines permeated the air; we knew, but did not dare mention aloud, what that meant. I redoubled my pace.
We had to use flashlights to direct ourselves to the crying and wounded. Where did all the flashlights come from? I’ll never know, but immediately, and thankfully, my years of training in emergency procedures kicked in. There was no power, but our mental generators were up and running, and on high test adrenaline. We had no cell phone service in the first hour, so we were not even able to call for help and backup in the ED.
Dr. Kitka goes on to describe individual patients and their injuries, as well as the response from medical and emergency workers and others who pitched in to help. Link -via Monkeyfilter
(Image credit: Flickr user Mercy Health)
A Picadilly Circus show was canceled in Joplin, MO following the tornado that recently ravaged the city. Rather than packing up and moving out of town, the circus enlisted the help of its largest performers to help with the clean-up. A volunteer captured this clip of an elephant dragging a car closer to the street so it could be hauled away.
Via reddit
NPR posted overhead views of Joplin, Missouri before the tornado hit Sunday, and two days after the devastation. You can move a slider over the pictures to compare the two. Be warned, it’s sad. Link -via Bits and Pieces
Hurricanes in the east, earthquakes in the west and tordanoes in the middle. Where should you live to avoid natural disasters?
Matthew Ericson, Joe Burgess and Bill Marsh of The New York Times created this infographic guide to find the safest and most dangerous places to live in America:
The analysis below, by Sperling’s Best Places, a publisher of city rankings, is an attempt to assess a combination of those risks in 379 American metro areas. Risks for twisters and hurricanes (including storms from hurricane remnants) are based on historical data showing where storms occurred. Earthquake risks are based on United States Geological Survey assessments and take into account the relative infrequency of quakes, compared with weather events and floods. Additional hazards included in this analysis: flooding, drought, hail and other extreme weather.
So, where should you live? The metro areas with lowest risk:
The highest risk:
Our hearts go out to the tornado victims in Joplin, Missouri, and in Oklahoma, which happened just weeks after the deadly twisters that struck six southern states. It makes one wonders, what's up with all these tornadoes?
Weather experts were at a loss to explain the deadly flurry of tornadoes, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it had found no link between the recent storms and climate change. Environmentalists disagree. Is global warming to blame?
Storm chaser Steven Green had this custom car built so that he could drive it directly into tornadoes — which he did so in 2004. The chassis was originally from a desert racing vehicle which was converted by Green into its current incarnation at the price of half a million dollars. The Tornado Attack Vehicle, as it’s called, is now covered with 16 gauge steel and the bulletproof windows can withstand a .38 bullet if necessary.
Link via DVICE | Green’s Website
It’s a rare weather event, but a fire tornado was recently caught on camera in a drought-stricken region of Brazil. The tornado started fires in nearby fields, which were contained overnight.
The vortex of fire resulted from months of drought in the region, combined with brush fires and strong, dry winds.
Though a rare phenomenon, the formation of a fire tornado, or fire whirl, is quite simple.
When there is a warm updraft of air and convergence of fire, say from a wildfire, a vortex of flame can occur. As the heated air from the fire rises, strong air currents cause flame to spin, shaping it into a tornado.
At the link, you can read about how to make your own fire tornado at home.
Link via Sci Fi Wire
Stormchasers Chad Cowan and Jenna Blum found this beautiful tempest in July. Perhaps you heard about the giant hail stones it produced- one measuring 8″ in diameter, and weighing almost two pounds!
via kottke
Most people run away from tornados, but not storm chasers: they run toward them! Here’s a video clip from TornadoVideos.net SRV Dominator, of a Goshen co., Wyoming tornado last week which actually passed over their car!
From the Upcoming 
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Another tornado caught on camera. These weather phenomena never cease to amaze me but I’m glad I don’t live in an area where tornado formations are frequent.
Link: LiveLeak
I often wonder when these so called storm chasers will meet mother nature’s fury face to face only to end up dead. This clip demonstrates the braveness or stupidity (you be the judge) of these guys. And to top it off, they’re chasing the tornado with the car in reverse.
Source: LiveLeak
The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany has been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records for creating the “strongest artificially generated tornado in the world”. The 34.4 meter high (37.2 yards) vortex has been designed to channel smoke out of the building in the event of a fire.
Head over to Autoblog for images and a video clip.
Link – via Gizmodo UK
