Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    17,586
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    23Yankee
    Newest Member
    23Yankee
    Joined

Devastating tornado strikes Joplin, Missouri


Recommended Posts

Yes, KML (Keyhole Markup Language for those not familiar with the term) has really enabled the geographically enthused population to map features in software such as Google Earth. In term of meteorology and the Joplin, MO tornado a person could take a picture of damage, reference it with standard lat/lon coordinates and then upload the file in KML format for anyone to view on the web. This really emphasizes the connection between geography and the earth sciences.

That is exactly what I was thinking! My husband, who also works in the GIS field, as done simliar KML maps for his company (a transportation engineering firm) and he has taught me a few things about KML as he learned it too. I keep hoping for some free time at work so I can mess around with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Based on what all of you have said, wouldn't this map put JoMo right in the damage zone? I don't know much about this stuff, but that's how the map looks to me. Still keeping JoMo and everyone else affected by this in my thoughts and prayers.

Well the tornado did not follow the nice perfect contours of that map(not knocking the map) and the windspeeds/damage rating at different points is going to vary, given whether or not it is on the periphery, etc.etc.

Given what was said to be JoMo's street-it looks to be in the minor damage area. The school about 1/4 mile directly east was listed as damaged, not one of the four schools destroyed-just damaged to some extent. Also looking at different pictures, aerials, video, etc., it looks like he just escaped the worst of it-very bad streak of damage just to the south of where he is thought to have lived. It did not look like major damage(roofs off, etc.) from what I could tell where he is supposed to be.

From the aerial video, there are areas in the path of that map that are shown to have little damage(like the blue storage shed area directly north of where JoMo is thought to live).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the tornado did not follow the nice perfect contours of that map(not knocking the map) and the windspeeds/damage rating at different points is going to vary, given whether or not it is on the periphery, etc.etc.

Given what was said to be JoMo's street-it looks to be in the minor damage area. The school about 1/4 mile directly east was listed as damaged, not one of the four schools destroyed-just damaged to some extent. Also looking at different pictures, aerials, video, etc., it looks like he just escaped the worst of it-very bad streak of damage just to the south of where he is thought to have lived. It did not look like major damage(roofs off, etc.) from what I could tell where he is supposed to be.

From the aerial video, there are areas in the path of that map that are shown to have little damage(like the blue storage shed area directly north of where JoMo is thought to live).

Thank you for your insight! It is greatly appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's the "sequel" to that incredible video from inside the convenience store-- the one where you can't see anything.

The guy returns to show what's left of the building. The area was flattened-- it looks like they took a direct hit from what was surely at least an EF4 at that time (notice the trees). They're all very fortunate to be alive:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow I wonder what the wind speeds were in that!

Probably 80-90 mph, maybe 100 mph-- no higher, or the surrounding structures, trees, and even the camera wouldn't have stayed intact. That's not to take away from the video, which is extremely cool.

P.S. It's weird for me to talk in mph. In the tropics we use knots, but I know that the severe crowd uses mph. "When in Rome...". :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Probably 80-90 mph, maybe 100 mph-- no higher, or the surrounding structures, trees, and even the camera wouldn't have stayed intact. That's not to take away form the video, which is extremely cool.

P.S. It's weird for me to talk in mph. In the tropics we use knots, but I know that the severe crowd uses mph. "When in Rome...". :D

Yep, that was my estimate also...close to 80-85 kts. 150+mph and visibility would be close to zero, extremely difficult to film anything like that when rain is present

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Probably 80-90 mph, maybe 100 mph-- no higher, or the surrounding structures, trees, and even the camera wouldn't have stayed intact. That's not to take away form the video, which is extremely cool.

P.S. It's weird for me to talk in mph. In the tropics we use knots, but I know that the severe crowd uses mph. "When in Rome...". :D

The duration is quite impressive IMO for what appears to be a glancing blow. It was a big mamma jamma.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, that was my estimate also...close to 80-85 kts. 150+mph and visibility would be close to zero, extremely difficult to film anything like that when rain is present

Yeah. If winds got up to 150 mph, there would be no video. :D

The duration is quite impressive IMO for what appears to be a glancing blow. It was a big mamma jamma.

Oh, totally agreed. It looks absolutely ferocious. It's a fantastic video and another great "microdocument" of this very interesting event.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah. If winds got up to 150 mph, there would be no video. :D

Oh, totally agreed. It looks absolutely ferocious. It's a fantastic video and another great "microdocument" of this very interesting event.

At around 2:20, an animal walks across the yard. The comments on the video say it's a cat but it's way too big to be a cat. I think it's a calf.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah the trees were not defoliated and that is true about the camera. Looks like it was right on the edge of it or in a spot where the tor was not at full strength yet.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the "first person" video, why is there a distinct break in the wind? You hear a roar, you hear screaming and then there is silence which clearly makes the people in the video think that the tornado has passed prior to the real damage starting at 3:10s. Just curious if that was just a downdraft or perhaps a sat tornado.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the "first person" video, why is there a distinct break in the wind? You hear a roar, you hear screaming and then there is silence which clearly makes the people in the video think that the tornado has passed prior to the real damage starting at 3:10s. Just curious if that was just a downdraft or perhaps a sat tornado.

Yeah, I saw it discussed earlier-- it was probably a microburst or some localized disturbance preceding the arrival of the main core circulation. (And, in itself, that "appetizer" wind was quite destructive-- it was strong enough to smash all the store windows and pelt the building with debris.) It seems that this system was complex, and that the actual primary vortex was perhaps embedded in an envelope of damaging winds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the "first person" video, why is there a distinct break in the wind? You hear a roar, you hear screaming and then there is silence which clearly makes the people in the video think that the tornado has passed prior to the real damage starting at 3:10s. Just curious if that was just a downdraft or perhaps a sat tornado.

Yeah, I saw it discussed earlier-- it was probably a microburst or some localized disturbance preceding the arrival of the main core circulation. (And, in itself, that "appetizer" wind was quite destructive-- it was strong enough to smash all the store windows and pelt the building with debris.) It seems that this system was complex, and that the actual primary vortex was perhaps embedded in an envelope of damaging winds.

Could just be multiple vortices revolving around each other a la planets in a solar system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could just be multiple vortices revolving around each other a la planets in a solar system.

Except that there is a real and distinct lull between that first "incident" and the primary impact-- more so than I would expect once you're within range of subvortices that are embedded in the main one. My impression is that embedded subvortices will cause substantial, localized increases in wind speed, but once you're in that main circulation, it's going to be crazy, even if you're not being directly impacted by one of the subvortices. I dunno.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some amazing and sobering aerial images of Joplin from the Daily Mail

Give a good idea of the scope of the destruction and the path of the storm. The pictures of the Home Depot are rather sobering. That building took the full force of the tornado. People who tried to take shelter next to a wall would have been crushed most likely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Except that there is a real and distinct lull between that first "incident" and the primary impact-- more so than I would expect once you're within range of subvortices that are embedded in the main one. My impression is that embedded subvortices will cause substantial, localized increases in wind speed, but once you're in that main circulation, it's going to be crazy, even if you're not being directly impacted by one of the subvortices. I dunno.

I think one of the Mets said in the other thread that the building wasn't hit directly by the tornado. He estimated the tornado was about a block away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think one of the Mets said in the other thread that the building wasn't hit directly by the tornado. He estimated the tornado was about a block away.

Really? He might want to look at the video I posted above. That building and everything around it is flattened, and all of the trees are stripped. It looks to me like the store was directly impacted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Except that there is a real and distinct lull between that first "incident" and the primary impact-- more so than I would expect once you're within range of subvortices that are embedded in the main one. My impression is that embedded subvortices will cause substantial, localized increases in wind speed, but once you're in that main circulation, it's going to be crazy, even if you're not being directly impacted by one of the subvortices. I dunno.

The video I posted also appears to show that "lull" in the action. At 3:45 you can see the winds are not as intense as earlier in the video but by 4:00 the winds have shown a significant increase from a different direction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's the "sequel" to that incredible video from inside the convenience store-- the one where you can't see anything.

The guy returns to show what's left of the building. The area was flattened-- it looks like they took a direct hit from what was surely at least an EF4 at that time (notice the trees). They're all very fortunate to be alive:

For those wanting to see 'before' pictures, that's the Fastrip at 3950 E 20th St, Joplin, MO 64801-5851 (SW corner of 20th and Duquesne). Google Streetview and Bing Bird's Eye View both cover that area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those wanting to see 'before' pictures, that's the Fastrip at 3950 E 20th St, Joplin, MO 64801-5851 (SW corner of 20th and Duquesne). Google Streetview and Bing Bird's Eye View both cover that area.

You can believe I would be chugging some of those beers during that if I were there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...