NWS Going Viral

[Charles L.]

AT 436 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CHAMBERLAIN...MOVING EAST AT
15 MPH.

THIS TORNADO WILL AFFECT MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN BRULE COUNTY.

AT 421 PM...IT APPEARED FROM STREAMING VIDEO THAT A TORNADO BRIEFLY
TOUCHED DOWN IN SOUTH CENTRAL BRULE COUNTY.

I had no idea that the meteorologist at the NWS actually watch the streaming videos too. Hmmm...

[Kevin]

I had no idea that the meteorologist at the NWS actually watch the streaming videos too. Hmmm...

Oh yeah...they are probably the biggest viewers. Most offices are very aware of all the sites out there where chasers are streaming coverage.

Personally (I'm going to be telling a story now!)...the team at MEG witnessed the incredible streaming video from Brett Adair on May 2, 2008 as a tornado rapidly developed and became 1/2 mile wide within minutes just before hitting the town of Earle, AR. It was rated a strong EF-3 with winds 160 mph after the fact. Because of the access to that live stream, we were able to update the ongoing warning from radar indicated to (at first) including a confirmed touchdown...but before that was even ready to go out on the wire...it had already become that 1/2 mile monster...so it was quickly changed to even more enhanced wording (as seen below...tweaked from the "large and extremely dangerous" base wording) and then officially sent out. An LSR (which I issued) was put out moments later. Without those streams...yes we would have heard about it and reacted appropriately...but I don't think it would have happened so instantaneously...it wouldn't have been until after Earle had been hit. There were NO fatalities from that tornado...which is still amazing to me given the damage. I can't say whether the enhanced and quick warning facilitated that...but I wouldn't have wanted to chance not having that live video available to us that led to those actions.

Archived products of Note:

Original Tornado Warning:

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
256 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN CRITTENDEN COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  SOUTHEASTERN CROSS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  NORTHEASTERN ST. FRANCIS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...

* UNTIL 345 PM CDT

* AT 256 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR COLT...OR 7 MILES
  NORTH OF FORREST CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  WYNNE...PARKIN...JENNETTE...EARLE AND CRAWFORDSVILLE.

Severe Weather Statement at 3:16 PM...Just minutes before the tornado developed:

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN CRITTENDEN...NORTHEASTERN ST. FRANCIS AND SOUTHEASTERN
CROSS COUNTIES...

AT 316 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
PARKIN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 37 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
JENNETTE...EARLE AND CRAWFORDSVILLE.

.IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS IN EXCESS OF
70 MPH.

Next SVS at 3:21 PM...Tornado had touched down and was already 1/2 mile wide:

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN CRITTENDEN...NORTHEASTERN ST. FRANCIS AND SOUTHEASTERN
CROSS COUNTIES...

AT 320 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND STORM
SPOTTERS WERE TRACKING AN EXTREMELY LARGE AND DANGEROUS TORNADO
TRACKING ACROSS EASTERN CROSS MOVING QUIKLY INTO CRITTENDEN COUNTY.
THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR PARKIN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
JENNETTE...EARLE AND CRAWFORDSVILLE.

.IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

My LSR at 3:21 PM:

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
321 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0320 PM     TORNADO          2 S PARKIN              35.24N 90.55W
05/02/2008                   CROSS              AR   STORM CHASER    

            LARGE TORNADO ON THE GROUND JUST SOUTH OF PARKIN.

New TOR issued at 3:24 PM:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN CRITTENDEN COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  SOUTHEASTERN CROSS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...

* UNTIL 415 PM CDT

* AT 323 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
  A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO NEAR EARLE...MOVING        
  NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  CRAWFORDSVILLE...MARION...SUNSET...JERICHO...TURRELL...GILMORE...
  JOINER AND BASSETT.

SVS at 3:29 PM...we actually lost the live feed at about this time for the remainder of this tornado's duration (which would be many more miles) but enough had been seen by that point...

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN
CRITTENDEN...SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHEASTERN CROSS
COUNTIES...

AT 328 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS HAVE CONFIRMED AND ARE CONTINUING TO
TRACK A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO NEAR EARLE...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
CRAWFORDSVILLE...MARION...SUNSET...JERICHO...TURRELL...GILMORE...
BIRDSONG...JOINER AND BASSETT.

Finally...if you're still reading by this point! Video of the tornado's development as caputred by TornadoVideos.Net. This was NOT Brett Adair's Team...but this is still the Earle tornado's development just seen from a different chase team and a different angle...but the tornado's evolution itself is just as I remember it that Friday Afternoon as it was streaming into us live in the office from Brett. Incredible!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrgJv30QtoA

[toastido]

Oh yeah...they are probably the biggest viewers. Most offices are very aware of all the sites out there where chasers are streaming coverage.

I can attest to this as well...albeit on a different note..  During the winter months, one of the nights we were supposed to get a nice snowfall, I was at the NWS HUN office helping out with the Spotter Appreciation Day by talking to stations on the WX4HUN amateur radio station.  During this time, there were also sporadic reports of snowfall coming in, that I was relaying back to the MIC at the time, who was scanning around on GRLevel2 at the spotters in the area, and looking for live streams.  They were able to use some of the streaming data, along with radio reports, to accurately issue the SPS and NOW products.. based on visual conditions, MANY miles away from the office.  I neglected to inquire if they used that stuff for severe wx, but seeing as they were readily using it for winter wx, it'd be a safe bet they absolutely do.

[Charles L.]

That is awesome, I love hearing your NWS stories Kevin. lol That is cool and gives great testament as to why streaming video during a storm chase is vital and not "over the top".

[Eric]

Oh yeah...they are probably the biggest viewers. Most offices are very aware of all the sites out there where chasers are streaming coverage.

Personally (I'm going to be telling a story now!)...the team at MEG witnessed the incredible streaming video from Brett Adair on May 2, 2008 as a tornado rapidly developed and became 1/2 mile wide within minutes just before hitting the town of Earle, AR. It was rated a strong EF-3 with winds 160 mph after the fact. Because of the access to that live stream, we were able to update the ongoing warning from radar indicated to (at first) including a confirmed touchdown...but before that was even ready to go out on the wire...it had already become that 1/2 mile monster...so it was quickly changed to even more enhanced wording (as seen below...tweaked from the "large and extremely dangerous" base wording) and then officially sent out. An LSR (which I issued) was put out moments later. Without those streams...yes we would have heard about it and reacted appropriately...but I don't think it would have happened so instantaneously...it wouldn't have been until after Earle had been hit. There were NO fatalities from that tornado...which is still amazing to me given the damage. I can't say whether the enhanced and quick warning facilitated that...but I wouldn't have wanted to chance not having that live video available to us that led to those actions.

Archived products of Note:

Original Tornado Warning:
Severe Weather Statement at 3:16 PM...Just minutes before the tornado developed:
Next SVS at 3:21 PM...Tornado had touched down and was already 1/2 mile wide:
My LSR at 3:21 PM:
New TOR issued at 3:24 PM:
SVS at 3:29 PM...we actually lost the live feed at about this time for the remainder of this tornado's duration (which would be many more miles) but enough had been seen by that point...
Finally...if you're still reading by this point! Video of the tornado's development as caputred by TornadoVideos.Net. This was NOT Brett Adair's Team...but this is still the Earle tornado's development just seen from a different chase team and a different angle...but the tornado's evolution itself is just as I remember it that Friday Afternoon as it was streaming into us live in the office from Brett. Incredible!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrgJv30QtoA

Earle, AR....an absolute monster...and my first tornado.  Ron and myself were coming into town as it had already gone through town.  Here's the link to the vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zflqvIqZ0mI

The quality is a little suspect due to numerous factors, none of which I'll go into here, but in the background of the vid you can actually here Adair and his crew on the HAM.  Lucky for them, they were in a fortunate enough position to be able to see it form.  IIRC, those supercells were SCREAMING along in excess of 45mph.  Just wanted to share a little insight and personal experience about this particular chase.