Tornado in Tulsa. Torcon High Today Thru Good Part of the South. Flooding in Arkansas.

Kind of easy to let the pictures tell the story today.

This is a picture of yesterday's Tulsa tornado.

Going to post various visuals from different angles.

Curving, moving with the fast flow.

A bit of Twister Art below. 

Artsy shot. Starkness is compelling.

Add in some color.

And of course we have video.

Puts it in motion...

A bit about storm chasers... they all have their favorite type of Twister.

They also have to learn to post as they are taking the pics.

Saw a newbie storm chaser complaining he forgot to send the pics...

Reason is your adrenaline is pumping and you almost forget to take the picture.

While taking the picture you forget to send the picture in real time.

It's fast, furious and way more adrenaline pumping than a movie.

Yesterday's tornado was expected. 

Where is the bigger questions.

We have gotten good at knowing when.

Tulsa was right in the middle of yesterday's high Torcon of 6.

The days are getting longer, sun heats things up fast.

Today's severe weather and possible tornadoes may come at rush hour.

Arkansas and Alabama are in it today.

As well as a good part of the Deep South.

Note how the air is diving down across Florida into Bahamas.

Remember that for later.

Today is about tornadoes. 

Today's "Torcon" stretches thru the South.

Current Radar this afternoon shows the storms popping.

Remember the numbers above when looking at this radar image.

There are two different areas there to watch.

If you aren't friends with Greg on Facebook you might want to friend him.

He's awesome. Awesome meteorologist. 

Worth saying awesome three times... 

https://www.facebook.com/twcdrforbes/

Torcon is basically a way of giving percentages to a high risk area.

Within 50 miles I believe.

Sort of a real time cone for tornado possibilities.

And.. of course .. severe weather.

NWS shows this on their current map.

Deep South a mess.

This changes in real time so always check www.weather.gov

Not to be confused with TWC. 

Chicago is having strong weather this afternoon.

Some flights are delayed. Check if you need to...

There's flooding in the South ....

...areas flooded are watching the sky for Twisters as well today.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/heavy-storms-lash-south-midwest

-injuring-nine-people-n548301

So as always stay on top of your weather.

They do a nice job covering the weather fast without chit chat or commercials.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/us

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/news/articles/us-weather/multi-day-

severe-storm-risk-for-parts-of-the-south-midwest/65692/

As for the big picture... 

That's a wild water vapor. 

A lot of twisting, diving, turning going on there..

And as always the hardcore tropical weather people...

...are always watching even 62 days away.

And something to remember parts of Tennessee and Carolinas ..

...are prone to nighttime tornado formation. 

Stay tuned.

Sweet Tropical Dreams... BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter

Ps...

A special request.

Please do what you can to help these people.

Pass the link on to someone who you know can or would do so.

My son studies architecture at FIU in Miami.

He and his classmates all buy art supplies from their business.

The link explains the story but they are a home based business.

So... double loss for this family.

My son says every time he goes he stays, talks to them.. great people.

Good thing about Internet is it's so easy to do a good deed fast.

https://www.gofundme.com/radillofund

Time to Start Watching the Tropics... But Models Are Doing a Two Step While Dreaming Tropical. That time of year... Hurricane Season 63 Days Away... Could Have Early Development. Possible... Next Storm B Name. Hmnn

Earlier in the week Rob from www.crownweather.com put out discussion.

Model discussion and some thought on tropical systems possibilities.

Yes I did say that as models are definitely in dreaming on tropics mode.

Seems the models are flip flopping.

Lots of various stylish solutions this time of year.

Again GFS changed it's mind.

Euro chimed it with it's own stylish solution.

Ensemble models....

The system moved faster than expected.

It landed in the Atlantic.

Atlanta didn't get rain but the Atlantic did.

Check the water vapor loops below:

System 1 moved through. System 2?

Let's look at the bigger picture....

What's going on in Bahamas and down to the SW and into Atlantic?

Another view...

Hmmmn. 

Let's look at our tropical orange juice loop (my not official name)

It has a more complicated name but shows us what might be developing.

The above two loops and many others at www.spaghettimodels.com

Why is this tropically topical?

There has been discussion of early quasi tropical development soon.

 "GFS model guidance continues to be quite consistent in the forecast development of some type of sub-tropical system somewhere between Puerto Rico and Bermuda late next week into next weekend. "

Hmnnn.
Above is from www.crownweather.com

Welcome to that time of year that no one can figure out what the models are implying and they don't agree and spit out random options. It's a messy brain exercise like the one below. Makes your head hurt unless you are a great mathematician...which by the way meteorologists have to be to get a degree from a great program at a big University.

Did you understand that?

Bet not... 

Neither can most figure out the models this time of year.

You may as well flip a coin.

I can't really tell you because the pattern is not set in stone yet.

It's winter, it's spring, it feels like summer.

Boots, Sketchers or Sandals?

Stay tuned for what happens in the real world next.

My advice... pay close attention to your phone weather app.

Make sure it's set for breaking news and warnings.

Local TV stations are best as location is everything.

Watch TWC.. The Weather Channel or ANY good Weather Channel.
http://weathernationtv.com/

Twitter ..fine your favorites for fast breaking updates.

@bobbistorm

https://twitter.com/tropicalupdate aka @tropicalupdate

Surf reports or beach reports: @dadabuh

@crownweather his site has a subscription his thoughts are on Twitter

Hurricane Season Duh... @hurricanecity says it all

@nws has it all.. find your local NWS on Twitter and get real time updates

@jimcantore ...he is Mr. Weather if somethings happening big . . . 

In Miami and South Florida my weather drug of choice @philferro7

Find your own for your area. 

Again make sure your alerts are on for your phone app.

When and if something "tropical" forms I'll be all over it trust me.

Keep watching.

 Know that for now it's worth note the models are dreaming tropical.

That's a sign of the times changing even if nothing develops.

Besos BobbiStorm

Sweet Tropical Dreams

@bobbistorm on Twitter.

Planes, Pollen and System in the GOM

Let's start with the tropics.

I said a system not a tropical system.

Yet if this pattern persists.....

... we could have early GOM systems in the Hurricane Season.

A lot of moisture there moving towards Florida.

You have to look at the BIG PICTURE

Note that top left picture is as good as it gets.

Almost looks like Africa.

Graphics get better and better.

This is as close as soft core porn in the weather world.

Can't wait til the Hurricane Season..

Alas we are in pollen season still in the South.

Atlanta will be happy if they see some of that rain..

Covered in a yellow cloud of pollen Atlanta is praying for rain.

Rain washes away the pollen...for a day or two.

Seasonal smog of sorts from Mother Nature.

Focus on the azaleas and it will be gone soon.

Then Magnolias will begin to bloom....

Yesterday when I said the petals falling looked like snow.

Here's a picture from DC that shows the fallen petals in the pond.

It's been a funny day in aviation.

Woke up at 6 AM to the story of the Egyptian Air being hijacked.

They said it wasn't terrorism ... just personal!

An official was quoted as saying:

Can't make this stuff up.

They were released without anyone being harmed.

Seems he just wanted to his estranged partner.

Sigh.....

Some people just never can say goodbye....

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ibrahim-samaha-hijacker-

egyptair-what-we-know-about-man-named-as-hijacker-claiming-to-

have-suicide-a6957486.html

It does look bad for Egyptian Air as they lost an airplane to ISIS recently.

2 security problems in a row may make some in the airline industry worry.

In Raleigh a small plane landed on a major highway during rush hour.

No not terrorism. Oil leak... plane needed to land FAST.

It's beginning to feel like Florida here lately.

Maybe because of all the Floridians living here.

I see more GATOR license plates here than in Miami.

A while back we had a gold heist on the highway.

To be fair the robbers were connected to Miami....

http://abc11.com/news/fbi-reveals-details-of-$48m-nc-gold-truck-robbery/1231101/

So that's my world of the weird thought of the day.

As for a beautiful picture... nothing beats the Northern Lights.

And there are storm chasers thinking on chasing storms soon.

Some rough severe weather going to be happening.

www.spaghettimodels.com

Check out Spaghetti Models to see where the storm chasers will be chasing.

And yes Mike is right the Gulf of Mexico is bubbling.

Wondering if there will be a 3rd weird plane story today.

Also wondering on that system in the GOM.

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter

Ps. Yeah I'm back.

Windy NYC Cranes Locked Down. Pollen Blowing in the Wind in the South. Is Mar-A-Lago Really Hurricane Proof?

That's steady wind at 30 MPH.

Peak Gust 51 MPH. 

Down in Brooklyn....

Upstate New York... Crazy Wind on the Lakes

It's that time of year when it's neither here nor there... not winter, not really Spring even though we have sprung forward officially. It was 85 in Raleigh then it dipped back down to cold and damp. I wore leggings again on Saturday. I wore a yellow fluffy skirt so that the pollen wouldn't show too much. In Brooklyn my daughter's street has been evacuated as the high winds are taking down power lines and big trees. Cranes are locked down through the NYC.

When the wind blows these days NYC takes it really seriously.

Remember that wind art program I love so much?

Look how tight those lines are....

http://hint.fm/wind/

The system is blowing through....

A tree is going down near my daughters house.

They evacuated everyone on the block.

Imagine having the fire department come, knock on your door.

Inform you to get out NOW.

Not like a hurricane you plan for or even a Twister.

Seriously not the same damage.

But still weather brings trouble this time of year.

There are rumors that winter will have one more bang shortly.

Another cold system as winter hangs on into April.

Well to be fair winter did come late this year.

Stayed late as well. 

The season that came for dinner and stayed... 

In Raleigh the wind is making the white pear blossoms fall like snow.

White petals falling down, floating to earth.

Pollen Art abounds.

Pollen puddles after the rain.

Pollen surge drying in the sunshine.

We all have our problems. 

Soon we will be thinking on the Hurricane Season.

Rumor has it the GFS keeps spitting out an early season storm.

Do we really believe the GFS?

Long shot but worth watching.

Crown Weather does a great job staying on top of things...

...while most of us sleep or dream.

And if you think long shots don't happen....

In 1947 a Hurricane hit Palm Beach.

That picture made me wonder on Mar-A- Lago.

My mind works like that.

All those great pics of Mar-A-Lago with reporters posed by the water.

They really built beautiful mansions in the Roaring 20s in Florida :)

Mar-A-Largo was built from 1924 to 1927. 

Takes a while to build a place like that.

Built by Marjorie Merriweather Post.

Got to love a name with "weather" in it ;)

He says it's hurricane proof.

Nothing is hurricane proof.

The mangroves took a hit by Wilma.

http://stopwarsaveearth.blogspot.com/2005_11_10_archive.html

He got lucky with Wilma. 

Wilma was not the 1947 Hurricane.

A category 4 hurricane. 

1949 brought a category 4 hurricane.

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/palm-beach-

has-long-history-of-weathering-hurrican/nMDQ4/

The street that had a lake in front of it after a hurricane.

Story in the link to the article above.

Lots of luck with that hurricane proof story.

The house may hold but it will be a mess.

Hurricanes happen.

Wind storms happen.

Pollen happens....

Hate to see that flag go flying in the wind.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2006-12-28/news/0612280047_1_

mar-a-lago-american-flag-donald-trump

Oddly a guy down the block has a bigger flag on a hurricane proof pole.

He plans on keeping it waving.

I can hear the sounds of the Star Spangled Banner playing in the wind.

Hurricane season is coming gang.

Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or Libertarian.

I'd say put the election on hold and look thru your hurricane supplies.

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter.

Storms like this are what songs are made of...

My daughter was told to evacuate her basement in Brooklyn.

A big tree is coming down and taking the power lines with it.

Fire truck arrived.

Hard to see there but the truck is going to cut power.

Deal with the tree.... the power...the wind.

New York these days is being very careful with high wind warnings.

Difficulties of Turkey Point & Keeping Biscayne Bay Safe. Miami, Florida Keys. Hurricane Season or In Any Season. Progress Needs to Progress

To be fair this is a pic of people protesting FPL rate increases ...

...and nuclear energy.

But people in Miami are wondering these days.

How safe is Turkey Point?

From a pure, greedy money point of view...

This is not good for tourism South Florida...

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article67095367.html

A good quick primer on Turkey Point and it's possible problems.

Well they could be OUR possible problems.

Time will tell.

Remember please point #1 was "Do NOT Panic!"

Feel free to give the author your thoughts.

https://twitter.com/jenstaletovich

My direct concerns of course are hurricanes.

Granted it did okay-ish in 1992 when Andrew did a fly over.

There was some damage that was repaired and upgrades to the manuals. Not sure if most people are aware they were Turkey Point Nuclear Plant was without phone service, as was the FIRE PROTECTION service was out. Luckily there was one hand held radio device to communicate with the outside world and luckily they didn't need the fire protection service as the Category 5 Hurricane's winds knocked a high tower tank into the water tank holding the half a million gallon water tank to fight a fire out.

http://allthingsnuclear.org/dlochbaum/fission-stories-48-hurricane-andrew-vs-turkey-point

Well read the article. Here's the cliff notes.

Oh the pretty red and white lighthouse like towers were repaired.

While dealing with no electric, phone or water after Andrew...

You may not have realized how much damage there was down there.

Yeah.... basically we got lucky.

Who knew in the aftermath of Andrew how lucky we were.

I've never been a big fan of nuclear power plants.

I mean accidents do happen.

Luckily when the truck drove off of I-95 

And fell into Jose Marti Park.

The 100 plus school kids who are usually there weren't.

We got lucky.

See accidents happen.

I understand the value of cheap electricity. Really.

But a falling City of Miami Garbage Truck could kill a few people.

Or more... but they got lucky. 

The driver somehow survived but was charged..

If the ecosystem of the gin clear waters of Biscayne Bay are lost.

If the pools of water make their way into the Keys...

Fishing Industry.

Tourism.

Healthy water... 

Will cost a lot of money to .....

......truck in Fiji Water to all the of the Keys ya know..

The problem with progress is...........

..it's  a step in an ongoing process.

For some reason we progress and then get stuck there.

Back in the 1960s it sounded like a good idea.

In some places it is though everywhere is somewhere.

But putting it in Earthquake country or Hurricane Country..

Needs more precautions and you would think almost 60 years later..

We'd progress to something better.

Safer. Cheaper.

Once upon the time Sesame Street was a good idea.

Hey Fraggle Rock was a good idea once upon a time.

Kids today want their app.

My grandson watches Youtube at age 5.

He gets really annoyed when he can't find one he likes.

Barbie Dolls are for collectors and Grandmas who haven't got the memo.

Somewhere out there is another hurricane.

One that will slide in between El Ninos.

Everything that is great about Miami is Biscayne Bay.

And much of that area is a National Park. 

Seems its more than just a Miami problem.

https://gokayakflorida.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/day-3-2015-mile-1090-

inside-route-via-biscayne-bay-near-black-point-marina-march-18th/

Let's keep it safe.

In Flint they denied there was a problem.

They told people not to panic.

It's not the same but it might be a problem.

Let's hope for now we stay lucky.

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter.

Some great pictures.

http://powerpixes.photoshelter.com/gallery/G0000Uvm3bCmCztY/2

Some great links with more information.

FPL: https://www.fpl.com/clean-energy/nuclear/turkey-point-plant.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_Point_Nuclear_Generating_Station

Key Largo History: http://www.keyshistory.org/nokeylargopage2.html

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/gen-comm/info-notices/1993/in93053s1.html

My column on March 8th concerning this problem.

http://hurricaneharbor.blogspot.com/2016/03/hurricane-season-turkey-point-accidents.html