4/15/06 DISC: NE/KS/IA

[Tim Vasquez]

A chaser just reported that there is horrendous traffic on I-80 between about halfway between Lincoln/Omaha to Lincoln. Any chasers coming from north/east are advised to avoid the Interstate through there. It appears it may have something to do with a football game (which in itself sounds like trouble as Lincoln is under the gun).

Tim

[JHadorn]

I can't confirm, but my brother called and told me that US 136 east of Beatrice has been closed due to tornado damage in that area.


The Gage County Sheriff's Department reported at 6:00 p.m. Saturday that Highway 77 south of Beatrice was closed. People in the area told KOLN/KGIN that storm debris was blocking the road. They also reported two overturned semi rigs lying in fields next to the highway.
[/b]

Don't know how long that will take.

[Kurt Silvey]

Saw the Beatrice supercell from near Adams. It was quite the big round barrel of an updraft when viewed to the ne. I tried to go ne with it but the stupid road was not good. I turned around and had to drive right into the bear's cage. As rain screams east I get a call from another chaser reporting he'd just see the tornado in there and some damage from it and it was extreme rain-wrapped at the time he saw it. I get out of there and head to the storm that moved nw of St. Joe. The Beatrice storm was much more impressive structurewise. But anyway, on the way back and thought I'd "confirm" that tornado through another chaser and note the impressive structure of the storm at that time.

EDIT: Holy crap!!!! I just had the most fear all day. I sent this and looked up and this object is RIGHT at my windshield. It took me a second before I realized it was a cat looking right at me. lol
[/b]

You could be right. After the cone tornado se of Beatrice, I was heading ene one hwy 136 and thought I could see a rope tornado in my mirrors. I pulled over and tried to see, but the wrapping rain was too heavy. At the time I think I was just west of Filley, this would be about 12 miles southwest of Adams.

[Mike Hollingshead]

You could be right. After the cone tornado se of Beatrice, I was heading ene one hwy 136 and thought I could see a rope tornado in my mirrors. I pulled over and tried to see, but the wrapping rain was too heavy. At the time I think I was just west of Filley, this would be about 12 miles southwest of Adams.[/b]

Well I wasn't clear. What he saw was likely what others saw closer to Beatrice but when he saw it it was very rain wrapped. He called and told me about this as I was turning back into the storm at Sterling.

[Larry J. Kosch]

There was a Nebraska Spring Football game that was played in Lincoln at 1230 on that day. A lot of Husker fans came down from Omaha to see the Huskers finish their Spring practice in grand style. With 57,415 fans in attendance, the Red squad rambled to a 35-7 victory. The Huskers fans then moved to Haymarket Park where they took in an afternoon baseball game between Nebraska and Texas A&M. The Huskers were victorious with a 6-0 shutout of the Aggies. The post game traffic would account for most of the heavy traffic on the I-80 interstate, especially if you were heading up to Omaha in the late afternoon hours.

[Todd Sprinkmann]

About that traffic issue on I-80. I got lucky and came upon it (heading west or southwest) probably 5 minutes after a rollover accident. I'm guessing, but I'm confident the time was 5 minutes either side of 3:15. I didn't know about the Huskers football game, but that makes sense cuz the traffic was very busy on the other side, heading back to Omaha.

I hit a brief slowdown and witnessed multiple squads and fire trucks attending to what appeared to be a single vehicle rollover. It was off to my right as I headed SW on 80. I imagine if I had come across it 5-10 minutes later, the slowdown would have been much worse. The gapers block with the eastbound traffic was a lot more pronounced.

[Aaron Kennedy]

CNN has video by storm chaser "Randy Hicks" which he shot apprently inside a tornado. (I'll let you decide) The "action" packed video includes all sorts of audio editing. Great.....


Aaron

[Mike Peregrine]

CNN has video by storm chaser "Randy Hicks" which he shot apprently inside a tornado. (I'll let you decide) The "action" packed video includes all sorts of audio editing. Great.....
Aaron
[/b]


OMG ... if I'm not mistaken, I think Randy Hicks may be one of the 'outlaw chasers,' a/k/a 'ozark chasers' (pretty sure those two are the same, right?) ... the guys who developed their own video probe and were interviewed on one of the recent NGC specials. They're the fellas who successfully probed the tor a couple years back but unfortunately the cam was out of focus. I met them in '04.

[Scott Olson]

CNN has video by storm chaser "Randy Hicks" which he shot apprently inside a tornado. (I'll let you decide) The "action" packed video includes all sorts of audio editing. Great.....
Aaron
[/b]

"Yeehaw! Were in the tornado!" Well, I guess thats one way to look at it. Almost seem like thats what he is trying to accomplish, I wonder if he gave up on the probe quest. I did meet Randy (Outlaw Chasers of the Ozarks) near the June 7th Badlands Supercell last year and we had a nice conversation and he seemed like a pretty nice guy.

This was Randy's response to critcism on another message board:
So you dont like me think im crazy well gess what I am I dont claim to be somebody special but ive been this game 14 years I dont know much about seience charts and graphs I taught myself how to chase oh I tried to seek help from these so called professionals which I have a great deal of respect for most of them dont get me wrong but my personal experence was with one very famous from oklahoma because I respected how close he got and thought he might help me to learn how to safely approach tornados you know impart some wisdom but no instead all I got was his arragance acting like I was just some kind of uneducated hillbilly scum who was just wasting his " PROFESSIONAL" time. Well needless to say that upset me extremely but after a few days I came to this conclusion so they think im nobody well I'll show them who needs them and at that point I built my video probe not a pressure probe as you thought I could care less about seientific measurements I know their windy I just want to see the eye of the tornado and one doesent have to be a pro to get it done and I feel the public wants to see it to and I plan to bring it to them even if it kills me to do it I dont have alot to loose anyway. Its so easy for people like you to judge someone like me who you know nothing about I videoed 43 twisters in last 3 years and you cant find one in ten give me a break or call me and I will show you how to find them that is if your balls are big anough to stare down an f3 comeing straight at you looking to eat you up well mine are i've been their 4 times already and im going back tell I get the shot im after so come join me or shut up like I say show me the puddin and if you cant I dont have the time to waste on an armchair chaser OUTLAW CHASERS 06 [/b]

[Mike Peregrine]

how funny ... that post inspired me to forever alter my ST signature below ...

Back to last night - - - again I'm on my never ending search of radar captures. Ever since NIDS went offline it seems like I'm continually looking for radar after-the-fact. If anyone has any from 7:30-8:45 p.m. last night in NW Missouri, I'd enjoy seeing the cell east of STJ. And if you have a source for archived radar on the internet, please share how you're doing it these days. Thanks a bunch -

[rdale]

http://has.ncdc.noaa.gov has radar (Level II and Level III) and all NWS text products archived.

[Scott Olson]

TORNADO ASSESSMENT:

F2- GAGE AND JOHNSON COUNTIES 1/2 mile wide 34mile path length

[fplowman]

TORNADO ASSESSMENT:

F2- GAGE AND JOHNSON COUNTIES 1/2 mile wide 34mile path length
[/b]

I didnt see any damage on the footage and the tornado I was on that may have been over F0 - F1.. Heading east out of Beatrice I did see a roof damaged on a metal building.. that may have been possibly F1 damage.. Otherwise just some sheet metal and limbs is the most of what I seen.. All homes and outbuildings seemed "still standing" No serious damage I could see..

Now what was most interesting was the strong unmistakable smell of "fresh earth" in the air after it had passed

[Scott Olson]

I didnt see any damage on the footage and the tornado I was on that may have been over F0 - F1.. Heading east out of Beatrice I did see a roof damaged on a metal building.. that may have been possibly F1 damage.. Otherwise just some sheet metal and limbs is the most of what I seen.. All homes and outbuildings seemed "still standing" No serious damage I could see..

Now what was most interesting was the strong unmistakable smell of "fresh earth" in the air after it had passed
[/b]

Did you see the tornado dissipate? The damage survey shows only a single tornado (it only notes F2 damage E of the Beatrice area.)

[Mike Hollingshead]

TORNADO ASSESSMENT:

F2- GAGE AND JOHNSON COUNTIES 1/2 mile wide 34mile path length
[/b]

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_sto...d=2253&source=0 (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=oax&storyid=2253&source=0)

A STORM SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED TODAY IN GAGE AND JOHNSON COUNTIES FOR
A TORNADO THAT OCCURRED SATURDAY AFTERNOON. A TORNADO STARTED IN
GAGE COUNTY ABOUT 6 MILES WEST OF WYMORE. IT TRACKED NORTHEAST TO
ABOUT 4 MILES EAST OF DOWNTOWN BEATRICE...THEN CONTINUED NORTHEAST
INTO JOHNSON COUNTY. THE TORNADO LIFTED IN NORTHWEST JOHNSON COUNTY...3 MILES NORTH OF STERLING ...ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTH OF THE JOHNSON/OTOE COUNTY LINE.[/b]

Well that is interesting. I gave up on my north road about 5 north of Sterling and drove back south into the storm(the east gravel options on my gps were never there!...and the road was looking worse and worse...one should be very careful in that area of NE as they really do suck). Part of me has a hard time believing it was on the ground in there all the way to 3 north of Sterling.

[Mikey Gribble]

I have a real hard time believing the tornado was on the ground that long as well. I saw it rope out. Visibility wasn't good, so maybe I missed something, but I don't think I did.
Does anyone know the number for the NWS office in Omaha. I need to call in to report the other tornado I saw North of St. Mary and the number I got off the website doesn't work for some reason. Please PM me if you know the number.

[JHadorn]

I didnt see any damage on the footage and the tornado I was on that may have been over F0 - F1.. Heading east out of Beatrice I did see a roof damaged on a metal building.. that may have been possibly F1 damage.. Otherwise just some sheet metal and limbs is the most of what I seen.. All homes and outbuildings seemed "still standing" No serious damage I could see..

Now what was most interesting was the strong unmistakable smell of "fresh earth" in the air after it had passed
[/b]


A buddy of my brother's lives just a few miles east of town. His house had substantial damage to the roof, partly moved off the foundation, and it picked up a grain bin and threw it a good distance away. It also moved a truck about 40 feet and blew out most of the windows in it.

[fplowman]

A buddy of my brother's lives just a few miles east of town. His house had substantial damage to the roof, partly moved off the foundation, and it picked up a grain bin and threw it a good distance away. It also moved a truck about 40 feet and blew out most of the windows in it.
[/b]


Im not contesting it.. As I assume proffesional damage assesments were made. Im just confused as i didnt see any damage as being described F2 when driving behind the storm. Obviously there were some spots I didnt see.. lol

[CraigFisher]

Alot of the damage was about 2 miles east of town, in a sw to ne line

[Scott Olson]

Did anyone see a ground circulation approaching anywhere near 1/2 mile??
It only looked a couple hundred meters max when I saw it but there came quite a rain curtain around then as well. Michael, can you post the picture of the St. Marys tornado? I remember seeing a funnel on the back part as I was NW of St. Marys. Im suprised at the 34mi length and the fact the damage path was rated as a single tornado.

[fplowman]

Did anyone see a ground circulation approaching anywhere near 1/2 mile??
It only looked a couple hundred meters max when I saw it but there came quite a rain curtain around then as well.
[/b]


I know it is hard to see in the video but i would say that a half mile was pretty accurate for a width on that monster..

If you watch my video closely you will see debris being sucked into it far from the east and west of me as it went overhead and formed.. Its width was several hundred yards as it developed. It seemed to have crashed into like a berm about a mile out from me and thats when it like "exploded" and really grew from the debris it created. Thats from my best memory anyways.. It all seemed sureal and quick..

I remember after it was all done I was thinking 1/2 mile wide..

Fred

[CraigFisher]

Local news out of Lincoln said that officals gave a F2 to the Beatrice to Sterling tornado

[Dustin Wilcox]

I know it is hard to see in the video but i would say that a half mile was pretty accurate for a width on that monster..

If you watch my video closely you will see debris being sucked into it far from the east and west of me as it went overhead and formed.. Its width was several hundred yards as it developed. It seemed to have crashed into like a berm about a mile out from me and thats when it like "exploded" and really grew from the debris it created. Thats from my best memory anyways.. It all seemed sureal and quick..

I remember after it was all done I was thinking 1/2 mile wide..

Fred
[/b]


It was defently atleast 1/4 mile. We watched it form just S of Beatrice where part of Jeff's video seen on CNN was shot although that was prior to it crossing the road. Once it got too close we headed north and by the time it crossed hwy 77 it was very large at this point it was only about 300-400 yards away from Myself Sean and Katie to our S; and after looking over my film it appeared to be about 5 times the width of hwy 77 as it crossed (that's just the visible funnel) After it crossed 77 it appeared to loose its condensation funnel however debris was still being picked up and sent airborne and every once in a while a very quick and small condensation funnels would shoot down and dissapear just as quick. It almost was as though there was a very large but weak tornado and every so often a stronger more concentrated tornado would form within the larger area of circulation was any one else just S of Beatrice close enough to notice this?

[Kurt Silvey]

Did you see the tornado dissipate? The damage survey shows only a single tornado (it only notes F2 damage E of the Beatrice area.)
[/b]

I have video of the truncated cone dissipating south of 136, about 4 miles east of Beatrice. I can say for sure, that the cone was no where near ½ mile wide south of 136, the meso maybe, but not the cone. The meso continued to spin and move to the ne. If you read Valley’s report they say it was one tornado on the ground for 34 miles, I would have to disagree. They say the widest path was north of 136 to just west of Sterling, this was when it was heavily rain wrapped, and you could not see. I traveled north from 136 on Sterling road and had to bail east 2 miles north of Sterling as the storm was going to munch me, at this point I thought I could make out a circulation/funnel/tornado, but it was hard to tell, as it was in my mirrors. I would say a lot of damage was due to very strong RFD. About 4 mi east of Beatrice a large cotton wood tree split in half and fell to the north right next to me, this was from very strong winds coming from the south.

EDIT:I suppose it’s possible the meso was putting down a weak ground circulation for the entire path, but I wouldn’t call that a continuous tornado.

[Dustin Wilcox]

EDIT:I suppose it’s possible the meso was putting down a weak ground circulation for the entire path, but I wouldn’t call that a continuous tornado.
[/b]

I think that maybe exactly what was occurring from what I observered just about 4 miles E of Beatrice, and I think the video on CNN by Randy Hicks displays this occurring

[Mikey Gribble]

Yeah Scott. I am at work now, but when I get home tonight I will post some video grabs of the tornado North of St. Mary.
As far as the path length being 34 miles, I think the mesocyclone must have been producing a weak circulation at the surface because there certainly wasn't a condensation funnel that I could see up until the one North of St. Mary. I was right in front of the mesocylone, so I don't know how I could have missed it.
I think the same thing happened with the Hallam tornado. The survey team said it was one long track tornado, but I have video of one tornado roping out and a new touching down.

[Scott Olson]

Yeah Scott. I am at work now, but when I get home tonight I will post some video grabs of the tornado North of St. Mary.
As far as the path length being 34 miles, I think the mesocyclone must have been producing a weak circulation at the surface because there certainly wasn't a condensation funnel that I could see up until the one North of St. Mary. I was right in front of the mesocylone, so I don't know how I could have missed it.
I think the same thing happened with the Hallam tornado. The survey team said it was one long track tornado, but I have video of one tornado roping out and a new touching down.
[/b]

Thanks Michael, Im interested to see if this is the from the same funnel I saw near 1 mile west of St. Mary's as this would have been a two or three minutes prior to to your witness. From my own observations and that of others it does appear that there was a larger ground circulation and that the strength cycled through many stages. It does appear as if the tornado became rain-wrapped during it's strongest phase just as it passed the highway and moved NE of Beatrice. I followed parallel all the way to N of St. Mary's and believe I caught I couple glimpses of it as I moved with it.

[Mikey Gribble]

It is a pretty crappy video grab, but it is the best I can do. The tornado was roping out right as I saw it and I didn't get the camera on until right before it vanished. You can see the dust cloud near the ground and the little nub of a funnel that is still left (It is right in the middle of the screen).When I first saw it the funnel was probably a third to half way to the ground.

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9808/image252kk.th.jpg (http://img517.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image252kk.jpg)

[Mike Peregrine]

The DeKalb Co. tornado Saturday that I intercepted from a distance has been rated F2 and more information is found on the EAX page here (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/eax/?n=april15thseverestorms). It ended up having an amazing 14-15 mile track and a width ranging from 25-50 yards.

Another group of chasers caught the storm as it moved into Maysville, where it became multi-vortex (the image they have is VERY interesting ... three distinct vortices spinning around a common axis.) In my distance shot, you can actually make out what appear to be additional funnels extending down ahead of the tornado.

What I'm actually wondering is whether the tornado I caught was either a first touchdown, which then occluded (it really looks like the RFD is wrapping hard around the funnel if you look close at the image) ... or was taken at the end of the tornado's life span - just appearing to be a single vortex from my perspective. It's tough to tell ... I'd have to go back to my exact position and then move straight over the terrain to where the tornado was at the time to figure it out. May be a project for this weekend.

One other thing that is really intriguing me this year is the shear number of tornadic storms that appear to be producing tornadoes on either side of the KC metro area, but failing to produce as they move over the city itself. It happened in a storm on Saturday, with a touchdown just west of the metro, and then three additional touchdowns to the east. But none over the city itself. The same thing also occurred several times with the storms on 3/12. I'm wondering if the environments have been such so far that the heat island effect has managed to actually interfere with the storm-scale environment somehow. It seems reasonable that an extra degree or two of separation between temps and TDs could result in a serious alteration in storm behavior. Of course, with the right storm it makes little difference. But it could be in these early spring setups that Kansas City has been luckily spared due to its own sprawl and influence. It may not be so fortunate with the differing storm environments of May, however. (heck, may not even be so fortunate tomorrow for all we know ...)

[Mike Peregrine]

Decided to move my reply concerning the Andrew Co. storm to the DISC thread -

Concerning the report of a tornado in Andrew County mentioned by several in the report thread - - - I also saw this feature, from very close to the location of Dick, Darin and Garry. It ended up moving to the northwest of Savannah, near 71 highway (not that far from the Fillmore tor a couple weeks ago). From my viewpoint it appeared to be a well defined funnel. I couldn't confirm ground contact at the time (and the rain punching in from behind was ridiculous), but after seeing the confirmation from EAX I'll have to review my video as well ... I'm still a little hesitant to call it a tornado myself yet at this point. This is what my original report mentioned about it:

"I caught the remnants of the Brown Co. storm north of St. Joe, with a great horseshoe that was close to producing north of Fillmore (poor Fillmore) ... it didn't quite seem to make it, and then I got clobbered by rain as I decided to go ahead and try to keep chasing northeast of Savannah."[/b]

I can tell you this for sure ... at that point, the storm was perfectly well developed. The RFD was highly organized. But this storm was super HP ... like in a big way. As soon as the meso blew by me, I got drenched. The funnel was located on the north side of the horseshoe. I should have some pretty decent video of the entire structure that I'll post later.

By the way ... after this storm passed ... I believe the precip that hammered me was actually a new core on another cell that had evidently formed, possibly from the southwest flank of the parent storm. I actually sat out the rain and suddenly it cleared to reveal an entirely new mesocyclone on a new storm about 15 minutes later. I called Mike J., who verified that the second cell was indicating rotation as well. Actually, this storm also became very well structured. And it's what provoked me to continue following northeast of Savannah, eventually ending up on 169. It appeared that this second storm was also very close to organizing itself into becoming tornadic as it moved just north of Savannah. From the looks of it, I wouldn't be surprised a bit if the second storm had a spinup somewhere along the way out in the rurals of Andrew Co.