Tag Archives: Tornado

Savage storm pummels eastern China, killing 98

Collapsed kindergarten school after tornado

FUNING, China (Reuters) – A violent storm in eastern China that packed gale-force winds and hail killed 98 people and injured hundreds as it flattened power lines, overturned cars and ripped roofs off houses in Jiangsu province.

The storm, which included a tornado, struck mid-afternoon on Thursday near Yancheng city, a few hours’ drive north of China’s commercial capital Shanghai, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.

Winds reached 125 kph (78 mph) and battered several townships in Funing county, the official Xinhua news agency said.

“I heard the gales and ran upstairs to shut the windows,” Funing resident Xie Litian, 62, told Xinhua.

“I had hardly reached the top of the stairs when I heard a boom and saw the entire wall with the windows on it torn away.”

When the storm subsided and Xie escaped, all the neighboring houses were gone. “It was like the end of the world,” Xie said.

The death toll stood at 98, with 800 people injured, state-run China National Radio said on its website on Friday.

Pictures online showed injured people lying amid destroyed houses, overturned cars and split tree trunks. One showed a man who had apparently tried to shield a woman from falling debris; both were dead in a pile of rubble.

The worst of the storm seemed to have hit only a limited area, however.

“It looks like the tornado only hit very specific places,” said a Reuters reporter at the site. “Even nearby villages were fine.”

A man broke down in sobs as his 35-year-old son was pulled dead from a pond in Shizhuang town on Friday.

In the nearby village of Dalou, tree trunks were snapped, with plates and household items scattered amid rubble, as survivors picked through the debris.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, visiting Uzbekistan, ordered China’s cabinet to send a team to oversee relief efforts, Xinhua reported. Premier Li Keqiang urged authorities to speed search and rescue work.

GCL System Integration Technology Co Ltd <002506.SZ>, a $5-billion solar cell module maker, said a 40,000-sq-m. (430,000-sq-foot) factory it part-owned had collapsed, and it was assessing the damage.

Environmental campaign group Greenpeace said the storm caused the collapse of a GCL facility used to store hazardous chemicals, located near a drinking water plant and a river.

“The release of these chemicals could pose significant risk to public health and the local ecosystem,” Greenpeace said in a statement.

China’s summer often brings severe weather. Floods in the south this week killed at least 22 people and left 20 missing.

Last June, a storm caused a Yangtze River cruise ship to capsize, killing 442 people and leaving just 12 survivors, in one of China’s worst such disasters in seven decades.

(Reporting by Reuters television in YANCHENG and John Ruwitch and Adam Jourdan in SHANGHAI; Editing by Michael Perry and Clarence Fernandez)

Tornado, hail storms kill at least 51 in east China: Xinhua

Tornado and hail storm hits China

BEIJING (Reuters) – A tornado and hail storms killed at least 51 people on Thursday in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, state media said.

The storms brought down power lines and houses, Xinhua news agency said.

“Downpours, hail storms and a tornado battered parts of Yancheng city … causing many houses to topple,” it said.

Pictures posted by media online showed injured people lying amid overturned houses and cars, split tree trunks and broken power lines.

Severe floods in southern China killed at least 22 people and left 20 missing earlier this week.

(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Tornados, storms hit U.S. Great Plains, injure two in Kansas

A man fights the wind and rain during the morning commute in New York

By Suzannah Gonzales

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Two people were critically injured and buildings were damaged on Tuesday in southwest Kansas as several tornados and storms hit the U.S. Great Plains, a local official and a meteorologist said on Wednesday.

The two injured people in Ford County, Kansas were brought to a local hospital for treatment and had been released as of Wednesday morning, according to J.D. Gilbert, interim county administrator and spokesman for the county.

As many as six unconfirmed tornados hit an area west of Dodge City, Gilbert said, destroying some homes and a county building with offices and landfill equipment. Farms and ranches were also damaged, he said.

A tornado was also reported in Oklahoma, just west of Tulsa, along with severe storms in the area on Tuesday evening, said Ariel Cohen, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

There were also preliminary reports of tornados across northeast Colorado associated with storms late on Tuesday afternoon and early evening, Cohen said.

In addition, severe storms with large hail and damaging winds hit central and eastern Wyoming and as far north as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Cohen said.

There is risk of intense storms across the Great Plains on Wednesday and increased potential for severe weather heading into Thursday, Cohen said. Isolated storms, large hail and damaging winds are possible primary hazards, he said.

(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales; Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Meredith Mazzilli)

Large Tornado hits south of Oklahoma City, two dead

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – A large and violent tornado hit an area south of Oklahoma City on Monday, causing at least two deaths and reducing at least three homes to splinters, authorities said.

The hardest-hit areas were about 70 to 80 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, where a tornado reported to be more than a mile wide ripped through the area.

One person was killed in Garvin County, about 60 miles south of Oklahoma City, when a home was destroyed by a twister, an emergency official said. Another person was killed near the town of Connerville, about 110 miles south of Oklahoma City, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said.

The National Weather Service described that twister as large and destructive, warning people: “You are in a life-threatening situation.”

At least one other tornado was reported to have hit Oklahoma, the service said. Local news showed photographs of two of the destroyed homes by the twisters.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for large parts of southern Oklahoma into western Arkansas. It also said two tornados have been reported in Nebraska.

(Reporting by Heide Brandes in Oklahoma City, Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas, and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Severe Weather in the Central United States Through Monday Night

By Kami Klein

Severe storms are expected throughout the afternoon and night, Monday into Tuesday, heading through the central states and eastward.  This same storm system produced severe thunderstorms with tornadoes and large hail in Colorado on Saturday and has been steadily advancing eastward according to the National Weather Service.

Accuweather.com and the National Weather Service are both reporting that the storms are expected to begin in the early afternoon along a dryline from eastern Kansas into Oklahoma.  The severe weather will journey eastward into Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and eastern Texas Monday afternoon. The National Weather Service warns that the main tornado risk appears to rise considerably once the system tracks into eastern Oklahoma in the late afternoon and into Arkansas during the evening.

Because of the substantial low level vertical shear over this area there is a good potential for strong tornadoes to develop.  Intense supercells will most likely be possible as well.

Accuweather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski advises, “The storms will bring the potential for frequent lightning strikes, flash flooding and a few isolated tornadoes, along with the ongoing risks of large hail and damaging wind gusts.”

Thunderstorms will continue to push eastward late Monday night into Tuesday morning.  Although there still will be capabilities of gusty winds and flooding downpours, the severe weather systems are expected to lower in intensity.

A few strong storms could redevelop during the day on Tuesday across part of the Ohio Valley as this system slowly drifts eastward.

Please stay tuned to local forecasts and take all precautions for your safety.  Motorists should plan on checking frequently on weather reports to stay clear of active and dangerous weather.  

 

Storms Shut Down Most of Houston

The city of Houston, Texas was largely shut down on Monday after a stalled storm system caused severe flash flooding that has schools closed, bus and rail services suspended, and government officials warning residents to stay home.

According to The Weather Channel, rainfall totals were 10-20 inches from southeast Texas to the northwest of Houston. Some places saw 3 to 4 inches of rain per hour. Authorities reported that there were at least 650 residential calls for help on Monday morning.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett told CNN that there were at least 150 water rescues in Harris County alone, and he suspects there will be more rescues as the flooding gets worse.

CNN also reported as of mid-morning that at least 100,000 homes and businesses were without power in the Houston area, and over 1,000 homes in Harris County were flooded.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters that the Houston area schools were closed along with nine regional hospitals that were closed to additional patients. He added that three apartment buildings had been evacuated, and the residents were taking shelter in a mall. At this time, multiple news outlets have stated that there are no reports of injuries or deaths.

The storm system causing the severe flooding will continue pelting the south through Tuesday before the system moves northwest and weakens. The storm could still produce severe thunderstorms capable of producing hail, strong winds, and even isolated tornadoes, according to CBS News.

Other residents in Mississippi and Louisiana also saw flash flooding according to WISHTV. The Salvation Army, the United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Convoy of Hope, Mercy Chefs, and the Second Harvest Food Bank are all taking donations for the victims of the flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Oklahoma has also seen flooding according Oklahoma City station, KOCO. Approximately 7,000 acres of farmland is under water, and the Washita River is expected to crest Monday evening, bringing even more flooding.

Two killed as tornadoes sweep through Florida

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) – Two grandparents were killed and four children injured in Florida early on Sunday when severe storms gusted in from the Gulf of Mexico, spinning off at least two tornadoes, local officials and the National Weather Service said.

Steven Wilson, 58, died when a twister destroyed a mobile home with seven people inside in Duette, Florida, about an hour south of Tampa, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said.

Kelli Wilson, 51, escaped with their son and grandchildren. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital, said Dave Bristow, a spokesman for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

She suffered a heart attack, the Bradenton Herald reported.

The four grandchildren – two boys and two girls between the ages of six and 10 – were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, according to the sheriff’s office.

One of the children was severely injured, the National Weather Service’s Tampa office reported, confirming that a strong tornado blasting winds up to 127 miles per hour had touched down in the area around 3:30 a.m. ET.

Another tornado was reported further south on Florida’s west coast in Siesta Key, according to the weather service.

The storms dumped heavy rains and blasted strong winds across the state’s central Gulf Coast, but conditions were improving during the day on Sunday.

(Reporting by Letitia Stein; Editing by Ros Russell and Alan Crosby)

More Flooding, Tornadoes, Snow Expected to Impact United States

More extreme weather was threatening the United States on Monday morning, as the remnants of the devastating and deadly Winter Storm Goliath continued to move eastward.

The storm system produced the floods and tornadoes that caused at least 43 deaths in recent days, according to Reuters. On Monday, thunderstorms, flooding and winter precipitation was affecting a widespread stretch of the nation, and there were even additional tornado warnings.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter storm warnings in parts of eight states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri and Kansas. Flood warnings or flash flood watches were in effect in parts of 15 states, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported 378 river gauges were in flood stage nationwide.

There were also active tornado watches in central Alabama and the Florida panhandle as heavy rain and storms continued their push through the area. The more serious tornado warnings had been issued in parts of those states, as well as portions of Mississippi, earlier in the morning.

Most of the 34 gauges with “major flooding” indicated were in the Great Plains, where rainfall was particularly heavy. The NWS reported that certain parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri received more than 10 inches of rain between noon Saturday and 8 a.m. Monday.

That’s led to record flooding in some locations.

The NOAA reported the Illinois River near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was at 29.92 feet, already two feet above its previous record that was set back in 1950. The river was expected to rise to 31 feet.

More rain was expected to fall later in the day, which could spur additional flooding.

The Mississippi River in Chester, Illinois, is expected to see a record crest of 49.9 feet on New Year’s Day. Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is also forecast to hit a record crest of 45.5 feet that day.

In areas with colder temperatures, that precipitation was falling as snow or freezing rain.

The NWS reported that 18 different locations in New Mexico received more than a foot of snow, including a whopping 41 inches near Bonito Lake in the Sierra Blanca mountains. Many roads in the state remained closed Monday and there were “numerous” people still stranded in vehicles.

Governors in Missouri and New Mexico have declared states of emergency.

On Monday, the snow was expected to fall in the northern United States. Some regions of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan could see 10 inches of snow, the NWS said.

Parts of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New England were under winter weather advisories as the storm was expected to travel there later Monday and into Tuesday.

Christmas time storms, tornadoes kill at least 43 in U.S.

By Lisa Maria Garza

DALLAS (Reuters) – Storms hit the U.S. South, Southwest and Midwest over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at least 43 people, flattened buildings and snarled transportation for millions during a busy travel time.

The bad weather, or the threat of it, prompted the governors of Missouri and New Mexico to declare a state of emergency for their states.

Flash floods killed at least 13 people in Missouri and Illinois.

In Missouri, emergency workers have evacuated residents from their homes and conducted dozens of water rescues, Governor Jay Nixon said on Sunday. He said at least eight people had been killed and numerous roadways had been closed.

Nixon declared a state of emergency, saying continued rains would make already widespread flooding conditions worse.

Three adults and two children were near the village of Patoka, Illinois, 85 miles (137 km) east of St. Louis, Missouri, when their car was washed away by floodwaters on Saturday night, according to Marion County Coroner Troy Cannon.

In Texas, at least 11 people were killed in the Dallas area over the weekend by tornadoes, including one packing winds of up to 200 miles per hour (322 km per hour). The twister hit the city of Garland, killing eight people and blowing vehicles off highways.

“It is total devastation,” Garland Police spokesman Lieutenant Pedro Barineau said. “It is a very difficult time to be struck by such a horrible storm the day after Christmas.”

Three other deaths were reported in the Dallas metropolitan area, the United States’ fourth most populous with about 7 million residents. Scores of people were injured in the region and officials estimated some 800 homes may have been damaged.

Powerful tornadoes are a staple of spring and summer in central states but occur less frequently in winter, according to U.S. weather data.

Three tornadoes were reported in Arkansas on Sunday, the weather service said, but there were no initial reports of significant injuries or damage.

The service has issued tornado watches and warnings for areas in that state, as well as in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Mississippi.

A tornado watch means a storm is likely, while a warning means a storm or storms have been sighted.

The storms came on the heels of tornadoes that hit two days before Christmas, killing at least 18 people, including 10 in Mississippi.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said his office had declared Dallas County and three nearby counties disaster areas. He also warned people to be wary of snow in western parts of the state and rivers spilling their banks in other places.

The National Weather Service issued severe weather advisories for large parts of the central United States, including a blizzard warning for parts of New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and a flash flood watch stretching from Texas to Indiana.

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez declared a state of emergency for the entire state due to a winter storm that had dumped up to two feet of snow by Sunday night.

The New Mexico city of Roswell bested its one-day snowfall record, receiving 12.3 inches by Sunday evening, the Weather Service said.

The bad weather forced the cancellation of nearly 1,500 flights in the nation on Sunday, according to tracking service FlightAware.com. About half of the canceled flights were in Dallas, a major U.S. flight hub.

(Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza and Jon Herskovitz; Additonal reporting by Marice Richter in Dallas and Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Paul Tait)

Tornado Outbreak Causes 9 Deaths, Widespread Damage

At least nine people were killed when severe storms led to a tornado outbreak across the United States on Wednesday, reports indicate.

According to The Weather Channel, preliminary estimates indicate that roughly 15 tornadoes swept through the nation on Wednesday.

All of the reported deaths occurred in the southeastern United States, where the damage from the storms was said to be the greatest.

Mississippi television station WREG reported that at least six people were killed in the state, including a 7-year-old boy in the town of Holly Springs. The National Weather Service said one tornado touched down south of Clarksdale and left a trail of damage that stretched some 150 miles northeast to Hardeman County, Tennessee. If the storm was continuous, the National Weather Service said it would be the longest December tornado on record in the mid-South.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said tornado damage was reported in seven counties. The powerful storms injured more than 40 people statewide as they knocked down power lines, shut down multiple highways and damaged homes. The agency said there were also reports of some search-and-rescue operations.

On Thursday morning, the Mississippi governor declared a state of emergency in the affected areas.

WREG reported storms demolished an entire Clarksdale subdivision.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency declared a Level III State of Emergency after storms led to “isolated damage” in 11 counties. The agency said a man and a woman were killed in Perry County, one of the harder-hit areas, but had no further information. Another person died in Rhea County.

An 18-year-old woman was killed earlier Wednesday when heavy winds sent a tree crashing through a home near Atkins, Arkansas, according to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office. The death occurred in the morning, well before the tornado outbreak was at its height.

While the tornadoes and storms were most destructive in the south, there were reports of tornado damage as far north as central Indiana.

Local television station WTHR reported storms blew the roof off an animal hospital in Greenwood. No person or animal was injured.

The outbreak occurred on a day when many Americans were beginning to travel for the holidays. AAA projected a record 100.5 million Americans are expected to travel in the 12-day period that began Wednesday morning, more than 90 percent of them driving.