Dan's Wild Wild Science Journal

NASA’s AQUA satellite made a pass over Nashville and the Gulf at 1850GMT today. (1:50pm Central U.S. summer time).

The flooded rivers around Nashville are clearly evident in the image (see below). Nashville is at the center of the image. Accurate rain gauges from Central Tennessee show a rain event of incredible proportions. Areas around Nashville had over 17 inches of rain in 24 hours. This is more than one third the annual rain for Nashville in one day!

Image of flooded rivers around Nashville (dead center of image). The Grand Ole Opry has water up to the stage. NASA AQUA MODIS image.

A few minutes later the satellite passed over the Gulf and spotted the thickest part of the oil slick. The slick is much bigger than it looks in this image. You are seeing only the thickest part.

Oil slick is visible just SE of the mouth of the Miss. River. (Bottom left of image) From NASA AQUA Satellite at 1850 GMT. Click image for full size.

Ocean currents are driven in a large part by winds and the winds will be picking back up again in 48 hours.

Oil slick forecast from NOAA for 23GMT Wednesday 5 May. (6 pm US Central Summer Time)

Some oil is now likely to be pushed to the WEST of the Mississippi Delta. The forecast of the oil slick for tomorrow at 6 pm CDT shows the oil may very well have arrived at shore along the Delta in Louisiana.

This data is based on ocean models being run by NOAA. These models also take into account the wind.

If the oil continues to leak into the Gulf over a long period, the currents will spread it eastward toward Florida. The gulf loop current will eventually pick it up and take it around Florida and out into the Gulf Stream.

How far it goes depends on how much is leaking and how long it leaks…

Both of those estimates remain very fuzzy.

Dan

PS More info coming soon on the ash from Iceland’s volcano…

Dan's photo.

The EF 3 tornado that hit Albertville developed very rapidly. It first touched down just west of the city. It was on the ground for about 30 minutes and lifted near Geraldine in Dekalb County. We were able to give nearly 30 minutes warning for the folks in Geraldine. Albertville had 7 to 8 minutes.

That may not sound like much, but for a town at the beginning of the track, that is actually very good. Especially in this case.

Look at the radar images.

Velocity data shows a weak and ragged circulation, at 10:07 PM, as the storm enters Marshall County.

At 10:07 PM the velocity data showed a ragged circulation in the storm as it entered Marshall County Alabama. It takes the radar about 6 minutes to do a complete scan at several elevations. This is called a volume scan.

One volume scan later at 10:14 PM a strong circulation has developed. The NWS office in Huntsville issues a Tornado Warning. We had been keeping a weary eye on this cell.  I was doing the 10 PM  weather and we immediately urged the folks in Albertville to “take cover right now!”.

One volume scan of the radar later- a strong circulation is present. Tornado Warning being issued.

At 10:22 pm the radar data shows a very intense circulation with winds over 100 knots. The circulation is very near Albertville.

10:21 PM: An intense rotation is near Albertville. The tornado struck at 10:22 PM. (Pink is high winds away from the radar, and cyan is strong wind toward the radar. Radar located at top of image.

I talked with an Albertville city councilman who is also a state trooper.  He was off duty, but looked at his watch as he saw the tornado lift a giant tree out of the ground.

It was 10:22pm.

Albertville had around 7-8 minutes of warning.

Much more than most cities right at the beginning of a track will usually get.

This is why you should have a NOAA weather radio. Even if you have the TV on, you may be in another room or preoccupied. That warning siren might give you enough time to get to shelter. If you are very close to where the tornado is developing, you may only have seconds.

When it comes to tornado warnings, 7 minutes is a lifetime to a severe weather nowcaster.

Number 1:

Number 2.

Number 3.

Number 4.

Number 5.

Number 6

If you live in one, have a NOAA radio that is programmed properly, and a place to go to during a tornado watch.

Never, ever, stay in one during a tornado warning.

Any questions?

Thanks to the unnamed gentleman who gave me these pictures of the damage from the Albertville, AL tornado Saturday night.

Church in Dekalb County Alabama after the EF3 tornado Saturday. Pic taken by Katie Johnson.

The last several posts have been about the high risk of tornadoes over the Southeastern United States on Saturday.

Library in Albertville, AL. Image from Teresa Reno.

You probably have already heard of the tornado that hit Yazoo City in Mississippi . It left 10 dead and horrible damage.

Later Saturday night, the tornadoes dropped again from new thunderstorms. These were much closer to home. We were on the air many hours as the storms moved across North Alabama into NW Georgia.

There were three EF 3 tornadoes across North Alabama. Storm survey teams from the national Weather Service in Huntsville estimated the winds were at around 140 mph.

The twister that hit Albertville was at one point over  1 km wide!

Image courtesy Teresa Reno in Albertville.

The Albertville Tornado was on the ground for nearly 30 km. It caused major damage in Albertville, and in the Dekalb County town of Geraldine.

I know a lot of people have had their lives turned upside down by these storms. There were 30+ injuries, but thankfully no deaths!

I cannot begin to tell you how happy that makes those of us who forecast them. I include those of us on TV and the meteorologists who work for NOAA.

What a tornado looks like on radar. Radar image showing strong rotation as a tornado hits Albertville Alabama. Courtesy Plymouth College NEXRAD Archive data.

Major damage and some injuries are being reported in Albertville, Alabama and in Geraldine Alabama from a tornado Saturday night. These tornadoes follow the twister that hit Yazoo City in Mississippi on Saturday afternoon. That storm left 10 dead.

First guess tornado track across NE Alabama Saturday night. Google maps.

The image above is showing winds toward and away from the radar. I circled the velocity couplet showing very strong winds toward the radar next to winds in the opposite direction. Early indications are that the tornado was on the ground for many miles. This would be the second long track tornado of the day with Yazoo City being the first.

The severe weather threat is finally beginning to lessen but more tornadoes are still possible in Georgia and South Alabama overnight…

After 13 hours in front of a radar screen, it is time to get some sleep….The rescue squads are just getting started. Let’s hope there were no deaths…