5/4/07 DISC: KS

[Alex Lamers]

Decided to start a discussion thread to make a couple observations since I was not out in the field. And obviously we'll probably be talking about the damage once things have settled down.

First observation is, wow! Those are some incredible pictures people are posting. From all accounts this thing was just huge. Watched some local TV video from the area and it brings back memories of the Moore damage, just panning over rubble with a few shaved trees poking out of it. Unbelievable. I really feel awful for the people of Greensburg. One lady said it a little bit of the east and west were still there but through the middle nothing. They lost pretty much their entire town.

Second observation is, while everyone is focusing on Greensburg, DDC just put out this LSR:

1033 PM TORNADO HOPEWELL 37.80N 98.98W
05/04/2007 PRATT KS EMERGENCY MNGR

*** 1 FATAL, 1 INJ *** HUSBAND KILLED AND WIFE INJURED
WHEN HOUSE WAS DESTROYED. 2 HOUSES COMPLETELY DESTROYED,
ONE GONE FROM ITS FOUNDATION AND NO REMAINS FROM THE
HOUSE VISIBLE. ANOTHER HOUSE WITH ROOF RIPPED OFF, 1 MORE
HOUSE PARTIALLY DESTROYED. NUMEROUS CENTER PIVOT
IRRIGATION SYSTEMS MANGLED UP IN BALLS. TIME ESTIMATED.

Final observation is to give major props to the Dodge City office who gave a ton of lead time for this entire supercell as it moved to the northeast. The warning for Kiowa County came out at 919 pm and an LSR put the tornado 5 SSW Greensburg at 938 pm. So for the greater Greensburg area there was ~20 minutes of warning. Not to mention that SW Kiowa County was under a tornado warning as early as 855 pm. If people heard this they had about 45 minutes of warning! That's excellent work by the DDC office.

AJL

 

[Danny Neal]

6 confirmed deaths in Greensburg, not good. I am seriously debating whether riding out there not to chase but to help. I have been through Greensburg numerous times.

 

[Tony Lyza]

A city administrator for Greensburg reporting that there are likely additional fatalities, but there is no new official number yet.

Also, to add to what Alex said, tremendous job by DDC. I was especially impressed by the move to issue a tornado emergency for Greensburg.

 

[Mike Parker]

It is very sad to see such devastation. I would like to thank those who stopped and helped out the people who needed it. I think those stories should be told when the time is right. To stop and risk your own life among the broken gas lines and live power lines to help people is a heroic deed.

Stormtrack member Darin Brunin was interviewed by CNN earlier today. The link is HERE.

 

[Mike Smith]

KWCH TV, ICT, is reporting that a "storm chaser" was hit by the tornado and was flown to Wichita for treatment...currently in "critical" condition. They did not give a name.

 

[beaudodson]

Officials are saying that 90-95% of the town has been destroyed or badly damaged. Reports that the death toll will likely go higher and that the tornado could have been 1 1/2 to 2 miles wide. Damage on copter view reminds me of Murphysboro, IL.

Grab here
http://www.usawx.com/tornadotowngonemay4thgreensburg.jpg

 

[Danny Neal]

Was on the storm tracking through Stafford County, my county. Sadly one of our police officer/firefighters was struck by the tornado while in his patrol car and he is in extremely critical condition. Got a few glimpses of an approx mile wide wedge and get pummeled by baseball sized hail. We have damage along a 26 mile track. Praying for no repeat tonight. Thanks to whoever that was west of Macksville that let me use there radar.

Could that be what you are talking about Mike??? Or maybe it is something different.

 

[Kevin Bowman]

Officials are saying that 90-95% of the town has been destroyed or badly damaged. Reports that the death toll will likely go higher and that the tornado could have been 1 1/2 to 2 miles wide. Damage on copter view reminds me of Murphysboro, IL.

Grab here
http://www.usawx.com/tornadotowngonemay4thgreensburg.jpg

yeah i was watching the news this morning and it reminded me a lot of the aftermath of the Moore F5

 

[Robbie Cox]

Great lead time from DDC just to bad for the deaths and injuries. Good job Mike U and the rest of the gang at DDC.

Live streaming of Greenburg,Ks
http://www.kbsd6.com/

 

[Terry Tyler]

any word on what this tornado was on the EF scale?

 

[Mark Farnik]

Call it a sneaking suspicion, but I think the Greensburg tornado may wind up being our first EF-5. The damage I've seen sure matches up to the parameters required for an EF-5 rating. At the very least this should be a high end EF-4, but with reports of well built frame houses being scraped off their foundations and completely blown away, the complete debarking of trees and the total destruction of the high school, the city hall and the entire central buisness district, this just screams EF-5 to me.

 

[mike scantlin]

any word on what this tornado was on the EF scale?

seeing as how they're still searching for people, and theres a high risk today, i doubt a survey will be done until sunday.

 

[Erik Perozo]

Being that money was an issue for me on this trip and that I live in Columbia, SC I weren't able to go on this event but I did manage to get some radar images saved from the storm for those who would like to see its deady velocity schemes. I have to say this is indeed the most impressive storm I have seen on radar in quite some time, probably the best. Sorry I didn't have the smothing on my comp. bc of the Intel accelerator..... God bless those families

 

[Dan Cook]

Looks like Mark might be right:

National Weather Service meteorologist Larry Ruthi said the path of damage was 1.4 miles wide, estimating it would be classified a "upper F-4 or an F-5" tornado, the strongest possible.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070505/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather

 

[Alexandre Aguiar]

Our prayers go to the people in Greensburg and other communities affected by this outbreak. The aerial pictures from Greensburg are unbelieavable. The level of destruction resembles a nuclear atack. Just compare Greensburg and Hiroshima.