Weather systems

[Fox Mike]

When people hear 'tornado' they normally think mid US like Oklahoma but I found that my home state, Maryland, has a few. Records kept since 1950 suggest that Maryland averages 4 tornadoes per year. Yet since 1991, the record for total tornadoes in a year in the State has been broken three times with the latest record set in 1995 with 24 tornadoes

 

[jimbo1096]

We get a few around here too, and I think they are decreasing in numbers but increasing in violence.
I wouldn't have thought the New England area would have many tornados at all.

 

[Fox Mike]

Had two here yesterday. No lives lost but lots of damage

 

[mrmag00]

I went thru one in Vancouver Washington in the 70’s that killed 3 people hope I never experience that again.

 

[Fox Mike]

I went thru one in Vancouver Washington in the 70’s that killed 3 people hope I never experience that again.

I too have been an unwilling participant in one. 1972 outside Fort Rucker Alabama. Struck about 01:30. One loss of life in the area we were in. Destroyed immense amounts of homes and property. Truly frightening experience. While we were searching, in the dark with flashlights for anyone that might have needed help, another one touched down just up the highway from us. One of them is two too many.

 

[RoninPA]

Here in central PA we have had out share of tornadoes but they are normally very short lived because of al the mountains breaking up the wind currents. However, because of this we get a lot of microbursts which can and do a lot of damage. The widow I am helping sell her late husbands firearms and such had a microburst that brought down a tree not 50 ft from her house. This tree, 4 foot diameter at the base, (no lie, I measured it) was completely up rooted. 30 feet from the tree, no damage at all to anything else in the yard. Oh, she got $2500 for the tree and the company who bought it will fill in the hole it left and landscape it and replant grass. The tree will ultimely be used to make furniture.

 

[Mobuck]

Tornados are scary in terms of variability of track and the amount of damage done in a very short time. I've been 'danger close' to a few in my life time. The closest was 30 years back and I got caught by one of the funnel's 'wiggles' as it spun across the area. I was on the phone(one of the first bag phones) trying to reach the Sheriff's dept to alert the residents of a village directly in the path when the funnel cut across the highway less than 200 yards away. Slid my JEEP pickup 3' sidewise but didn't flip it. By the time I was able to make contact, the tornado had reached the village, hopped neatly over it, and continued on it's way. Since 1973, we've had two tornados pass within 1 mile of our homestead on literally the same path(less than 1/4 mile apart). The first in 1973 knocked down a couple of outbuildings while the second much stronger tornado in 2017 blew the house just west of the previous track to toothpicks. I was out in the field and saw both as they went past.

 

[noahmercy]

We get 'em here in Wyoming, which surprises some people. A big one buzz-sawed across Powder River Pass a couple years ago, and the pass is at almost 10,000 feet. When I lived in Florida, we had quite a few, and of course water spouts galore. A little weird when it rains small fish and seaweed on you when you're half a mile inland...

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

We get a few around here too, and I think they are decreasing in numbers but increasing in violence.
I wouldn't have thought the New England area would have many tornados at all.

Thought the same about here in the mid-atlantic states. Times they are a' changin'.

 

[Colonialgirl]

I remember when I was attending my first year of college in Oklahoma City hearing about a guy on the other side of town that had a BRAND NEW Auto (1960) ; A storm came up and fearing it might contain Hail moved his NEW car into the garage;
CARE to GUESS what the tornado hit ??

 

[turd]

Lived most of my life (70 YO) in the upper midwest. Seen quite a few tornadoes, mostly in central Nebraska and in South Dakota. Never been closer than a mile or so, but could watch them zipping along. It seems more are going through populated areas than in the past. This year we have gone through two derechos in the last two months. One with a 400 mile plus front and winds of 107 mph, the most recent was a 250 mile front with winds up to 99 mph. This is a fast moving front with rain and hail being pushed by straight line winds. Not fun at all.

 

[WAYNO]

I went thru one in Vancouver Washington in the 70’s that killed 3 people hope I never experience that again.

I remember this oh so well. I was going to A&P school on the Portland Air Force Base when this tornado hit. We were summoned from class, as the tower called our office to report a really powerful freak weather cell was approaching. We were told to go to the flight line and hold airplanes down. While we were doing so, airplanes were still landing. I remember seeing a 707-720 attempting to land, and his groundspeed was nearly zero as he was bucking an extreme headwind. It was as if he was hovering over our heads. He landed without further incident. During the same period, a Beech 18 was landing. He missed, did a go around, and landed on the 2nd try.

It was not til later we learned that this turned out to be a full blown tornado.