Bad Air and Bad Heat

Today's air quality index is expected to reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups criteria. Tomorrow's index is also forecast to be in the same category.

Meanwhile, for today, I counted at least 12 states whose NWS offices have issued some type of heat-related product, whether excessive heat or heat advisories.

Also, fire danger is increasing across the west mainly due to dry thunderstorms. Numerous lightning strikes are expected, which should help rapidly spread any field/woodland fires.



MS

Possible Heat Burst Cause of High Winds

According to the NWS office here in Louisville, a heat burst has been ruled the most likely culprit of some high winds at or just below 60 mph in several counties to our west and southwest. Here's what they said:

IT IS LIKELY A HEAT BURST OCCURRED IN THE
DAVIESS/SPENCER COUNTY AREA BORDERING OUR NWRN CWA AROUND 3 PM EDT.
A STORM REPORT FROM THERE INDICATED EXTREME HEAT-LIKE A BLOW TORCH-
ALONG WITH HIGH WINDS (50-60 MPH WINDS). THESE WINDS DROPPED ESE
INTO PARTS OF HANCOCK...BRECKINRIDGE...HARDIN...OHIO AND GRAYSON
COUNTIES WHERE THE ELIZABETHTOWN MESONET RECORDED A WIND GUST NEAR
60 MPH AND A COINCIDING RISE IN TEMP/DROP IN DEWPOINT. THIS WAS ALL
BEHIND DECAYING TSTMS.
From what I've read in historical accounts about heat bursts, most of the well-documented ones occurred at night or very early morning. I've read of temperatures rising from near 80 to well over 100 in a span of a few minutes during the middle of the night. Although these are rare, they are even more uncommon during the daylight hours (at least the heat aspect of it).

The most recent heat burst of note was in Wichita KS a few weeks ago when the temperature spiked 17 degrees in 20 minutes (85 at 12:22am to 102 at 12:42am) accompanied by 50-60 mph winds.

Just goes to show we have seen it all this year when it comes to the weather.

MS

Strong Storms For This Morning...

5:00am FINAL UPDATE in Knox county Vincennes IN
More in a moment...Right now, no severe weather at my location, not hearing of too many problems in our Metro area.
Vincennes has many roads washed out/buckled or closed due to high water. Water rescues due to washed out roadways.
-------------------
4:40am UPDATE
Gusty winds here in Valley Station; 30-35mph with lots of lightning to my northwest.
Over 3,000 in Orange county without power; no reports of power outages from LG&E yet locally.
-------------------
After following the serious flooding in Knox county Indiana, possibly severe storms approaching Louisville early this morning. Again, following police scanners just to my west; so far, no severe weather reports but heavy rain is indeed the problem.

Radar returns showing heavy rain and lots of lightning with these storms. Power outages due to lightning and wind may occur. Will stay at my location and report anything if or when it happens.

Tree across road SR1050 to my west. Is on transformer. High winds or lightning, don't know yet..

Starting to rain at my location.

Serious Flooding in Knox county Indiana (Vincennes)

3:35am UPDATE in Knox county
There are reports of trees down and power lines down in some areas, causing additional obstacles for emergency response vehicles.

3:20am UPDATE in Knox county
6th and  St Clair requests for barricades; street dept busy with trees down at another location
Several roads are becoming impassable due to 2-3ft of water covering the roadways
--------------------------------
3:05am UPDATE in Knox county. Serious problems continue to mount.
US 41south MM50 road washed out, taking car with it; 80year old injured
Emergency reponse vehicles, police and fire and ambulance, having a difficult time reaching certain locations because of high water.
-------------------------------------------

Police scanners are lit up early this morning across Knox county Indiana. A very serious flash flooding issue has arisen. Flood waters are causing multiple problems for residents there. Roads are flooded, cars are stalling, some power outages, even police dispatch internet is down.

I just heard a report called in to the fire department where waters were rising rapidly inside a home, approaching the height of the electric box. Heard another report of a basement collapse due to flooding. Sounds like nobody injured there. Getting reports of some streets with over 3 feet of water.



MS

NWS Storm Survey Assessments 06222011

Check back for updates on completed storm surveys being conducted by the NWS...

Tornado at Churchill Downs EF-1; Floyd and Central EF-2

NARRATIVE: THE TORNADO WAS RATED AS AN EF-1 AT CHURCHILL DOWNS WITH
ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF 100-105 MPH. FIVE BARNS AT THE RACE TRACK
HAD LARGE SECTIONS OF THEIR ROOFS BLOWN OFF AND CINDER BLOCK WALLS
BUCKLED OR COLLAPSED. CHRIST CHURCH ON CHURCHILL DOWNS HAD SOME ROOF
AND SIDING DAMAGE. AS THE TORNADO MOVED EAST...IT STRENGTHENED TO
EF-2 INTENSITY WITH ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF 120 MPH NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF FLOYD STREET AND CENTRAL AVE. AT THIS LOCATION...A
LARGE INDUSTRIAL BUILDING WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. NUMEROUS TREES WERE
UPROOTED AND SNAPPED ALONG THE PATH OF THE STORM. THE TORNADO LIFTED
NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF CRITTENDEN DRIVE AND CENTRAL AVE WHERE A
SUPER 8 HOTEL HAD MINOR ROOF DAMAGE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OBSERVED AT
PAPA JOHNS CARDINAL STADIUM.

Tornado near downtown J'town EF-1

NARRATIVE: AT THE START OF THE PATH THE TORNADO WAS EF0 STRENGTH AS
IT DAMAGED SHINGLES AND SIDING AND SNAPPED MAPLE TREES. AT ORCHARD
LAKE BOULEVARD AND FALLEN APPLE LANE TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND LAID
OUT IN NORTH...NORTHEAST...AND SOUTH DIRECTIONS. THE TORNADO MOVED
INTO THE HURSTBOURNE WOODS SUBDIVISION AND RIPPED A LOCKED POOL GATE
FREE AND THREW IT OVER A BUILDING AND 35 YARDS DOWNWIND. THIS
LOCATION SUFFERED THE WORST DAMAGE WITH GUTTERS...SIDING...AND
SOFFITS RIPPED FROM BUILDINGS AND DEPOSITED 30 YARDS AWAY IN TREES.
NEXT A LARGE OAK TREE WAS UPROOTED AT 3705 MODESTO ROAD AND A
TRAMPOLINE WAS THROWN INTO A VOLKSWAGEN AND THEN OVER A HOUSE. AT
9407 WILLOW WOOD WAY THERE WAS ROOF DAMAGE AND MANY TREES...BOTH
HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD...WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. THE TORNADO
BRIEFLY MADE ABOUT A 25 DEGREE TURN TO THE NORTHEAST JUST BEFORE
DISSIPATING AND CAUSING SOME ROOF AND TREE DAMAGE AT ITS END POINT.

Tornado 2 J'town - EF-2 (mostly EF-1)

NARRATIVE:   THE TORNADO MOVED ALONG ST EDWARDS DRIVE WHERE THERE
WAS ROOF DAMAGE TO ABOUT A DOZEN HOUSES ALONG WITH NUMEROUS TREES
UPROOTED AND SNAPPED. DAMAGE WAS ALSO OBSERVED ON CHARLENE WAY AND
DELL ROAD. AT THE CORNER OF MAPLE AND GALENE ROAD...A LARGE SECTION
OF A LARGE OAK TREE SPLIT OFF AND WAS THRUSTED INTO A WALL OF THE
TULLY SCHOOL. THERE WAS ALSO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND ROOF DAMAGE AT
THE GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY NURSING HOME AT 3500 GOOD SAMARITAN WAY.
AT THIS LOCATION...TWO VEHICLES IN THE PARKING LOT WERE THROWN ABOUT
20 YARDS AND FLIPPED OVER...LOW-END EF-2 DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED HERE.
THE STORM CONTINUED TO THE EAST AND APPARENTLY LIFTED OFF THE GROUND
AS THE GROUND DESCENDED INTO A SMALL VALLEY INCLUDING RUCKRIEGAL
PARKWAY. THE TORNADO AGAIN CAUSED DAMAGE ON ELECTRON DRIVE AT THE
DILLIARDS WAREHOUSE AND MACHINERY SPECIALTIES WAREHOUSE. AT THESE
LOCATIONS...THE BRICK FRONT FACE OF EACH BUILDING WAS PUSHED OUT. A
LARGE FENCE AROUND THE DILLIARDS WAREHOUSE WAS DAMAGED AND A
SECURITY SHACK WAS THROWN AROUND 30 YARDS. THE TORNADO LIFTED ON THE
SOUTH SIDE OF ELECTRON DRIVE.

Wasn't That A Strange Setup?

QUICK UPDATE:
NWS is conducting their survey at this moment. Their assessment will be completed some time today.
Interestingly and I forgot to mention this, did anyone notice the weather observation from the NWS Louisville Int'l or Standiford Field at 8:00pm? I have never seen a weather observation like that.
Funnel Cloud and Breezy, SE winds at 21mph gusting to 26.

After a strange weather situation yesterday that apparently produced tornadoes in Louisville, the damage assessment from survey crews will commence today.

In my opinion, there were funnel clouds, especially with the first cell to affect the region. Around 7:20pm, I left for a prior non-weather engagement and noticed what I thought was just a simple and small rain cloud to my west across the river in Harrison county Indiana.

On the Gene Snyder between Stonestreet and Dixie Hwy, I was at an elevated position looking across the river and noticed a cloud shaped like a small wedge from the base of this rain cloud. It was far away and the hills obscured my view; therefore, could not be sure if it was rotating or even very close to the ground. I wasn't expecting any severe weather but turned on the radio just in case. No warnings, no apparent sightings of any funnels.

So, I just dismissed it as a low hanging scud but was not very convinced of that reasoning (since scud tend to hang well below the base of the cloud. However, I believe that it was this cell that would track across portions of Shively, and eventually toward Papa John's Stadium and Churchill Downs near UofL that produced multiple tornado touchdowns, some of those with strong EF-1 damage.

Of course, we'll see what the NWS says about that, but I've never seen a tornadic cell embedded within a simple rain cloud. Obviously, the cell was rapidly developing into a cumulonimbus (thunderstorm), but at the time of my sighting, the storm top on this thing could not have been more than 20,000 feet high. Many tornadic cells have cloud tops well above 35,000 feet and much higher.

More info later as the NWS crews complete their survey.
MS

Sunday Severe Storm Valley Station KY 06192011

Partial movie clip of Sunday's severe thunderstorm at my storm spotting location in Valley Station KY. Awesome storm clouds along with scenes of power outages and high winds and heavy duty rains...

You can also access this video from YouTube. Just click on the movie while in play mode and it should take you to the YouTube page.

MS

.