4/4/11 DISC: TX, AR, LA, MS, AL, MO, TN, KY, IL, IN, OH

[N Parker]

Just wanted to share some images I snagged while at work of a wall cloud that went right behind the shop around 10:35 this morning. Very nice couplet on GR3 around 10 minutes before it got here. Went right over Paducah NWS as well. (61mph gust at the airport, which is right beside the NWS)...

Was nice to have it come to me for once. And getting paid to snap pics too..

 

[Dan Robinson]

My house in Charleston, WV was just damaged by this event. According to my friend who occupies the house, a large tree limb took down gutters, shingles and power lines, and a leak is present in the roof. Winds of at least 60mph recorded in Charleston and an 82mph report to the north. Cannot get through to power company yet due to widespread lines down.

 

[jshields]

i've been following the event today off and on and just checked the noaa website to see the current list of warnings with the impressive line still going on. i hopped over to the spc storm reports and noticed 648 reports from today!! anyone know off hand what the record is for one day? as of midnight (0500Z) it's up to 560 wind reports, 69 hail reports, and 19 tornado reports. only 3 of those wind reports were greater than 65 kts though. still a very impressive day of severe weather

 

[Jeff Snyder]

anyone know off hand what the record is for one day? as of midnight (0500Z) it's up to 560 wind reports, 69 hail reports, and 19 tornado reports. only 3 of those wind reports were greater than 65 kts though. still a very impressive day of severe weather

There have been days with similar or greater numbers of reports (e.g. 873 reports on 5/30/04, ~550 reports from 10/24/01), though remember we there'll be some bias of increasing reports with each passing year as more folks use cell phone cameras and social media to document events and make reports. In addition, I think I remember reading that the SPC weakened the filtering for the "SPC Storm Reports" this year by reducing or removing some temporal and spatial criteria (e.g. LSRs of qualifying events for nearly the same time and same place will now be included, although such similar LSRs would have been reduced to only 1 report in previous years). I'm not familiar with the specifics of this change for this year, however, so perhaps someone more familiar can chime in.

 

[Drew.Gardonia]

i've been following the event today off and on and just checked the noaa website to see the current list of warnings with the impressive line still going on. i hopped over to the spc storm reports and noticed 648 reports from today!! anyone know off hand what the record is for one day? as of midnight (0500Z) it's up to 560 wind reports, 69 hail reports, and 19 tornado reports. only 3 of those wind reports were greater than 65 kts though. still a very impressive day of severe weather

i dont think you waited long enough, because there were over 1032 reports.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/110404_rpts.html

 

[Joe Pudlik]

4/4/11 is now the most active report day in at least the past 10 years, passing 4/2/06 (1012 reports).

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/monthly/2006_annual_summary.html

 

[Scott Weberpal]

In addition, I think I remember reading that the SPC weakened the filtering for the "SPC Storm Reports" this year by reducing or removing some temporal and spatial criteria (e.g. LSRs of qualifying events for nearly the same time and same place will now be included, although such similar LSRs would have been reduced to only 1 report in previous years). I'm not familiar with the specifics of this change for this year, however, so perhaps someone more familiar can chime in.

Previously they filtered reports within 10 miles or 15 minutes of another report, so many in close time or space were removed - this is no longer the case. Thanks to Barb Mayes Boustead for the info.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Interesting - that will introduce some high variability in data, particularly in urban VS rural areas. There are currently only 6 reports within the Charleston, WV metro area, however the damage is widespread there. Another 50 incidents could easily be added to this just from that city alone. Things like roofs removed and large commercial signs and billboards blown out that arean't currently listed. Wondering if I should bother submitting a report for my own house, which could have significant internal structural damage according to my friend who is renting it (several cracks in the interior walls and water leaking in). Will be making a trip there in a few days to assess things.

 

[Dan Robinson]

My friends and neighbors sent photos of my house today:

http://stormhighway.com/blog2011/april711a.shtml

My Grandmother's house 8 miles away in Dunbar also had a tree snapped off several feet up. So, this event hits home twice.