Tag Archives: Tornadoes

Almost 50 Million Americans Under Tornado Threat Monday

The National Weather Service says that Monday could bring afternoons and evenings of severe weather to almost 50 million Americans.

The predictions for heavy rain, damaging winds and lightning stretches from the deep south through Wisconsin.

The storms struck some parts of the Midwest early Monday as Chicago’s O’Hare airport had to close for a short period during the morning rush hour.  Additional storms are expected through the evening at O’Hare.

Weather Channel lead forecaster Kevin Roth said “quite a few states” will be affected and that while many will not see a tornado, severe thunderstorms with damaging winds could be a distinct possibility.

Straight-line wind damage was seen in Belleville, Wisconsin where a home weather station reported a 74 m.p.h. gust.  At least one roof was taken off a home in that town.  WE Energies reported 30,000 customers without power in the region.

All weather experts reviewed for this story urge anyone who receives a weather warning tonight or tomorrow to seek shelter immediately as the storms are very dangerous.

Colorado Tornadoes Destroy Homes

A series of tornadoes swept through Colorado Thursday night destroying three homes and damaging over two dozen others.

Officials say there were no injuries reported in the outbreak.

One of the storms brought so much rain that it caused a sinkhole 15 feet deep that swallowed a police cruiser.  The officer inside at the time was able to escape without serious injury.

The homes were destroyed in Berthoud, about 40 miles north of Denver.

“It was probably on the ground two minutes,” Scott Oliver, who lives in northern Boulder County, told The Daily Camera newspaper. “It was just kicking up everything. It was terrible.”

“You just wouldn’t believe how many hailstones we had,” resident Dan Grabosky told NBC. “And the continuous roar of the lightning and thunder. It was just awful.”

“It was just a whirling mass,” he said. “It was coming for my home, and God stopped it.”

One forecaster with the Weather Channel reported he had received reports of hail the size of grapefruit.

The rain continued through the midwest bringing flooding to Kansas City.