Too Close for Comfort: Tornado Video from Milan, Italy Yesterday

From the "Don't Try This At Home" Department, incredible video of a tornado passing overhead or very nearby the videographer in the Trezzo region of Milan, Italy yesterday.Due to the relative rarity of such an event in this region, it is quite possible that the videographer didn't realize the danger involved in what he was doing.  All disclaimers aside, the video is very impressive and an excellent educational tool.The whistling sound that you...

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Heavy Rain Tonight & Friday to Delay Storm Recovery in the Tulsa Area...

As mentioned at the time on facebook and twitter, severe thunderstorms produced widespread wind damage across the Tulsa area on Tuesday Night / early Wednesday morning.  At one point early yesterday nearly 100,000 customers were without power in the Tulsa metro area.  That number has been shaved back to about 45,000 as of this morning, according to AEP/PSO:The company is currently projecting that 95% of customers will have power back by...

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"Catastrophic" Hail Damage in Burgundy Region of France

One or more rounds of severe thunderstorms with heavy rain and large hail pounded the Burgundy region of France on Tuesday afternoon (local time).  Several vineyards are calling the damage "catastrophic", with some areas reporting 90% or more of their crops destroyed.  The photo above shows extensive damage (right half of the picture) to a vineyard in Beaune (photo courtesy Iain Doire).Thunderstorms with hail of ping pong ball size or larger...

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Iowa: Ground Zero for Mammatus Yesterday Evening...

A round of severe thunderstorms produced widespread hail across a large chunk of central and northern Iowa yesterday afternoon and evening.While some of the hail was destructive, the thunderstorm activity also produced beautiful mammatus clouds across the region, as shared by KWWL Chief Meteorologist Mark Schnackenberg (viewer photos):Mammatus clouds are often associated with severe thunderstorms, particularly those which are prolific hail producers....

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Recent Study Suggests Storm Chasers Positively Contribute to Tornado Awareness...

Following the deadly events in Moore and El Reno, OK in May, there was much discussion of "banning" or otherwise placing significant restrictions on storm chasers. It's easy to jump to conclusions and make hasty declarations following such a devastating and traumatic event.  I think in the ensuing days, calmer heads have prevailed, and there is even some recent statistical evidence that suggests storm chasers have positively contributed to tornado...

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Happy 4th of July!

Have fun and stay safe!Overall, there are no major severe weather threats across the nation today, but a few storms may produce gusty winds and small hail in a belt from the central Gulf Coast through New England this afternoon and evening, as well as over New Mexico and Montana.The primary concern today will be that of locally heavy rainfall in the Deep South, Southeast and Tennessee valley region, some of which could produce flash flooding, especially...

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Tornado Safety: Why It's Unwise to Wait Before Seeking Shelter...

A tornado struck the Myrtle Beach, SC area during the late afternoon hours of Saturday, June 29, 2013.  The above video was taken by resident Melissa Porshia and posted to You Tube.If you look closely (and she points it out), you can see debris in the air around the circulation, but there is no visible funnel cloud present during this particular video segment.A photo taken by Kathleen Winans shows the tornado from another vantage point, likely...

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The Weather's Role in the Tragedy at the Yarnell Hill Fire...

As I'm sure you know by now, all but 1 of the 20 member team known as the "Granite Mountain Hotshots" was killed in the line of duty yesterday.  They were fighting the out of control wildfire known as the "Yarnell Hill" blaze in Arizona.The small town of Yarnell is located about 60 miles to the Northwest of Phoenix and about 25 miles to the Southwest of Prescott, Arizona:It is currently estimated that over 250 homes (approximately 65% of the...

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Interview with Reputation.com...

I was recently asked to do an interview with Reputation.com.  They were interested in hearing from someone who has to report on "bad news" a lot, and how such a person is able to maintain a "good" reputation.I was glad to do the interview, but I must admit that I was taken aback just a bit when they approached me.  Until they pointed it out, I guess I never considered myself a deliverer of primarily "bad news".  Sure, I cover a lot...

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Thanks for Your Patience - Please Stand By...

Due to circumstances beyond our control...the blog has been "offline" for a couple of weeks.  Thanks for your patience...and let the blogging begin again!For more information from 'The Original Weather Blog', including shorter, more frequent posts during rapidly changing weather events, please be sure to follow me on facebook and twitter:&nb...

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