Rita's Tornadoes (57 confirmed as of 03/1830z)

[Sam Sagnella]

Surveys are nearing completion across the mid- and deep-south.

As of 1830z Monday, a total of 57 tornadoes have been confirmed as a result of Hurricane Rita. This leaves Rita in fourth place on the list of the most tornado-producing US tropical cyclones of all time.

1- Frances, 2004: 123
2- Ivan, 2004: 117
3- Beulah, 1967: 113
4- Rita, 2005: 57 (so far)
5- Danny, 1985: 40
6- Beryl, 1994: 37
7- Katrina, 2005: 36
8- David, 1979: 34
9- Allen, 1980: 29
9- Gilbert, 1988: 29

If anyone can identify any specific changes needed to be made to the above list, please please bring it to my attention; thanks to Tony Cook and Howie Altschule for doing so already.

<a href='http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/significant_events/Rita_tornadoes/PNS.php' target='_blank'>Monroe County
1.) F0 tornado
2.) F0 tornado

 

[nickgrillo]

There was 44 reported tornadoes associated with Rita - It'll be very interesting to see how many get confirmed...

 

[Andrew Khan]

I doubt all 44 reports would be confirmed..but it's possible. I do however, remember seeing an LSR on the SPC, and what drawed my attention was that there was 1 fatality...not sure, if it was die to the tornado or the hurricane.

 

[Sam Sagnella]

Updated. Total count now up to 21.

 

[HAltschule]

While I'm not sure where the numbers at the begining came from, I would offer the following information from Roger Edwards (of SPC fame) research presentation. I also researched and wrote a paper that was credited by John Hope at a conference I presented at and we both found that some of the biggest tornado outbreaks don't have to come from hurricanes...they can come from weak tropical storms too. I checked into this tonight because Beryl (1994) produced a huge tornado outbreak that far exceeded the outbreaks on the list above. And I didn't see it listed. So, I assume you were only referring to Hurricanes themselves. But as an FYI...enjoy the following:

Several major tornado events have occurred in TCs, including an outbreak from Hurricane Carla (Sadowski 1962) with a violent F4 tornado (Grazulis 1993), 115 tornadoes from Hurricane Beulah in the second largest tornado outbreak by numbers in U.S. history (Grazulis 1993), a deadly regional outbreak of long-lived supercells and multiple-vortex tornadoes with the remains of Hurricane Danny (McCaul, 1987), and 37 tornadoes -- three with F3 damage -- from the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl (Vescio et al., 1995).

Also....this information should also quell the theories that some have written about that state these kinds of tornadoes are usually weak. Contrare Mofrare. They can be very damaging, intense and long lived. The shear and helicity is usually supportive of some potentially bad tornadoes. See ya,

 

[Sam Sagnella]

Updated. number of tornadoes confirmed is now 23.

ALSO--> I have been looking EVERYWHERE for a comprehensive list of the top ten tornado-producing tropical cyclones (not hurricanes) of all time. If someone could PM me that information, I would like to edit the original post above. Thanks.

 

[brody_clifton]

Just saw the Tuscaloosa tower cam video of the tornado...at points in the video it appears to be strong if not close to violent motion, definately an uncharacteristic tropical system supercell. From radar looks like it was a tail end charlie type storm with unabated inflow. No hail reports though, to me its really odd seeing the structure of this supercell, with striations and a well defined rotating wall clould comparable with spring time supercells, and having no hail reports. Very strong evidence that helicity and obstructed quality inflow > all other parameters when looking at tornado potential (probably excluding low level CAPE). Perhaps large hail is a byproduct of the middle latitude cyclone supercells that is rather unrelevant to tornadic potential in general? From radar it seems possible the area may have seen at least modest amounts of sunlight before the storm's arrival, anyone happen to know the amount of CAPE at BMX around the time this occurred?

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Originally posted by brody_clifton
Just saw the Tuscaloosa tower cam video of the tornado...at points in the video it appears to be strong if not close to violent motion, definately an uncharacteristic tropical system supercell. From radar looks like it was a tail end charlie type storm with unabated inflow. No hail reports though, to me its really odd seeing the structure of this supercell, with striations and a well defined rotating wall clould comparable with spring time supercells, and having no hail reports. Very strong evidence that helicity and obstructed quality inflow > all other parameters when looking at tornado potential (probably excluding low level CAPE). Perhaps large hail is a byproduct of the middle latitude cyclone supercells that is rather unrelevant to tornadic potential in general? From radar it seems possible the area may have seen at least modest amounts of sunlight before the storm's arrival, anyone happen to know the amount of CAPE at BMX around the time this occurred?

Brody,

Mid-level lapse rates in tropical environments (and associated with tropical systems) are usually nearly moist adiabatic. Indeed, nearby soundings showed these very weak lapse rates aloft. With weak lapse rates aloft in these cases, vertical velocities in the mid-levels are usually quite weak as well. In addition, freezing and wet-bulb heights tend to be very high in tropical environments. With very high freezing levels, and generally weak vertical motion, hail production in very difficult in tropical systems (including decaying tropical depressions). CAPE was generally in the 700-1200 j/kg area, which is indeed pretty weak. Mid-latitude supercells like we see in the plains can produce hail in the spring when CAPE values are this low, but, in such cases, the freezing and wet-bulb zero levels are usually quite low. In addition, the distribution of CAPE is different -- instead of a long, slender CAPE profile (such as in tropical environments; these profiles tend to enhance heavy rainfall potential) storms in these spring environments usually are characterized by a short, fat CAPE profile, which tends to promotes strong vertical motion (over a more shallow layer).

The strong shear, on the hand, supported updraft rotation, with strong low-level shear supporting low-level mesocyclones and tornadoes.

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Re: Rita's Confirmed Tornadoes

Originally posted by Sam Sagnella
Surveys are ongoing across the mid- and deep-south as a result of the numerous tornado reports from Hurricane Rita. Will post further results as they come in, but this list is accurate as of 0200UTC Tuesday.

As

nice thread Sam :wink:

Guys it could be interesting to see radar images of at least one of the tornadoes...

I can't believe that nobody did save'em...

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Originally posted by brody_clifton
Just saw the Tuscaloosa tower cam video of the tornado...at points in the video it appears to be strong if not close to violent motion, definately an uncharacteristic tropical system supercell. From radar looks like it was a tail end charlie type storm with unabated inflow. ?

Do you have the link, Brody?

 

[Andrew Khan]

Originally posted by Andrea Griffa


Do you have the link, Brody?

Here is a link to pictures of the Tornado: http://www.jamesspann.com/bmachine/post/wx...ornado-Pictures


Here is the link to the Video of the Tornado: http://media.chris-place.com/2005/tcl_tor_92505-1.wmv

 

[Andrea Griffa]

Originally posted by Andrew Khan+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Andrew Khan)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-Andrea Griffa

Do you have the link, Brody?

Here is a link to pictures of the Tornado: http://www.jamesspann.com/bmachine/post/wx...ornado-Pictures


Here is the link to the Video of the Tornado:http://media.chris-place.com/2005/tcl_tor_92505-1.wmv[/b]

Thanks Andrew, really nice monster!

 

[Sam Sagnella]

Updated to add Warren County, MS F0. Total confirmed now 24...BMX confirms that there were no touchdowns in Srn Greene or Nrn Fayette Co.'s, AL

 

[Sam Sagnella]

Total confirmed now 26...updated to include two additional confirmations in AR, and to update Tuscaloosa Co., AL information, and to update survey plans of LZK and BMX.

 

[Tony Cook]

Here's an addendum to the list above, taken from McCaul's 1991 paper entitled "Buoyancy and Shear Characteristics of Hurricane-Tornado Environments" (MWR, August 1991). I believe Dr. McCaul used Storm Data as the source for these numbers.

For the years 1948-1986:

1 - Beulah, 1967: 113
2 - Danny, 1985: 39
3 - David, 1979: 34
4- Allen, 1980: 29
5 - Alicia, 1983: 22
6 - Audrey, 1957: 21
7 - Carla, 1961: 20
8 - Agnes, 1972: 17
9 - Candy, 1968: 16
10 - Edith, 1971: 16

Actually, Danny's total could safely be raised to 40, as I witnessed an undocumented tornado during that outbreak.

TonyC