Category: Posts EN

Deadly Tornadoes & Flooding Pummel the Midwest and Mid-South U.S.

Written by Team Morecast

 

Multiple upper level disturbances have been moving along a stationary front from the Mid-South into the Midwest in the past several days. The strongest trough brought destructive storms from Texas to Ohio on Wednesday with over 800 reports of high winds, giant hail, and tornadoes. Subsequent waves have been somewhat less intense in terms of severe storms. However, days of torrential rainfall are starting to push streams and rivers into major if not historic flood levels.

 

 

 

More than 60 tornado reports were reported to National Weather Service offices on Wednesday from southwest Arkansas all the way up to southern Michigan. The strongest twister may have hit Lake City, Arkansas (see video and damage pictures above). An EF-3 rated monster packing winds up to 150 mph (240 kph), the tornado leveled numerous homes and businesses. Massive hail up to 2.75 inches (7 cm) and non-tornadic wind gusts to 100 mph (160 kph) also caused severe damage.

 

 

Fewer reports of severe storms have been received in the ensuing days. However, slow-moving, training storms have been dumping tremendous rainfall across the region. Amounts of 6-10 inches (150-250 mm) have been recorded over a very large area with localized totals over a foot (see rainfall map above). This overwhelming surplus of water has already pushed streams and smaller rivers to major flood levels with some threatening all-time records. Larger rivers like the Mississippi will likewise exceed major flood stages in the coming days as the water moves downstream (see forecast gauge map above with purple representing major flood status). Whole communities will be cut off if not entirely inundated. At least sixteen lives have been claimed so far by the severe storms and flooding of the past several days.

 

Tornadoes Roll Across the Midwest & Mid-South US, Killing Dozens

Written by Team Morecast

 

A powerful early spring storm system moved from the High Plains on Friday towards the Midwest and Ohio Valley on Saturday. Gulf moisture surged north ahead of the system, combining with swirling upper level winds to produce numerous severe storms. These storms spawned dozens of tornadoes, including several long-lived and powerful twisters that leveled whole towns and took many lives.

 

 

 

High southerly winds up to 100 mph (160 kph) swept across the Central Plains during the day on Friday. They whipped up a blinding dust storm in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas (see video above). The near-zero visibilities caused a 50+ vehicle accident on Interstate 70 in Kansas that left eight dead. These winds also brought plentiful Gulf moisture up into the Midwest, helping to spark severe storms later in the afternoon. Kansas City reported storm winds to 70 mph (110 kph), snapping trees and damaging roofs. Large hail up to two inches (5 cm) in diameter pelted the south side of St. Louis, while a tornado destroyed a house on the north side. Tornado development escalated after dark with major damage reported in places like Villa Ridge, Missouri and Cave City, Arkansas (see pictures of the aftermath above).

 

 

 

The severe weather continued into Saturday across the Mid-South. Not one but two massive tornadoes struck Tylertown, Mississippi, leaving catastrophic damage (see videos above). Tornado warnings are still being issued in portions of Alabama as of late Saturday evening. The death toll from severe weather in the last few days has reached 34 with the number likely to rise as clean-up efforts begin.

Weekend Deluge in Brisbane, Australia as Ex-Cyclone Alfred Crawls Nearby

Written by Team Morecast

 

Cyclone Alfred slowly approached southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales from mid- to late last week with increasing winds and rains. Alfred made landfall near Moreton Bay Friday night and has been moving slowly north and west the past few days. The slow forward movement and surge of tropical moisture on the south side of the circulation has led to severe flooding, including in the Brisbane metro.

 

 

Alfred was a borderline Category Two cyclone as it approached land. Days of storm surge and massive waves led to severe erosion of the coastline. Wind gusts of 90-115 kph (55-70 mph) were common from Brisbane down to the northeast NSW coast. These winds combined with the rain-weakened soils have brought many trees and powerlines down. At one point Friday night there were over 300,000 customers without power in southeast QLD alone.

 

 

 

However, as the cyclone has weakened and slowed to a crawl, the most significant hazard has increasingly been severe flooding. The heaviest rains fell first in the hills of northeast NSW and the QLD-NSW border from mid to late last week. As Alfred moved north, the focus shifted to the Brisbane region this weekend with rainfall rates peaking Sunday and Sunday night upwards of 80 mm (3 in) / 3 hr. A stationary band in the Hervey Bay area dropped 108 mm (4.3 in) in one hour! Overall totals of 300-600 mm (12-24 in) have been common from southeast QLD to northeast NSW. Isolated totals up to 800 mm (31.5 in) have been recorded in the favorable terrain. These tremendous falls have led to severe flash flooding in Brisbane and elsewhere with houses and roads inundated and cars stranded. Runoff will prolong the threat of creek and river flooding through the week. Lead photo courtesy flickr user David Jackmanson.

Record Snowfall Buries Parts of Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan

Written by Team Morecast

 

Twin low pressure systems rapidly intensifying near northern Japan have driven a surge of Arctic air down into the region. At the same time rich Pacific moisture is being funneled in from the east. The combination has brought tremendously heavy snow to the region with records being smashed across eastern Hokkaido Island.

 

 

 

Snowfall fell heaviest overnight on Monday. The city of Obihiro, population 163,000, reported 120 cm (47 inches) in just 12 hours, far exceeding the old national record. The nearby cities of Memuro, Urahoro, and Shiranuka also saw all-time records fall. Drifting snow has buried cars, closed many roads, and disrupted rail services. Airports across Hokkaido have been forced to cancel dozens of flights. Additional heavy snows will affect much of Japan away from the coastal areas with up to 200 cm (79 inches) expected to blitz the central Honshu ranges through the end of the week.

 

 

Snows of this magnitude aren’t unheard of in Japan. The record for deepest snow depth ever measured in the Northern Hemisphere was 11.8 m (38.8 feet) on Mt. Ibuki in February of 1927. However, the winter of 2024-25 so far had been unusually mild and lacking snow. In fact, the annual Sapporo Snow Festival scheduled to start on Tuesday had been facing cancellation until, ironically, the current snowstorm saved it.