Tornado Emergency

[rdale]

At the NWS partners meeting last week, it was announced that there is potential for putting a TE into the NWS directives...

Proposed changes to 10-511:

In exceedingly rare situations, when a severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage from a tornado is imminent or ongoing, the forecaster may insert the headline "...TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR [GEOGRAPHIC AREA]...". Additionally, in such a situation, this headline should only be used when reliable sources confirm a tornado, or there is clear radar evidence of the existence of a damaging tornado such as the observation of debris.

 

[John Wetter]

Interesting........ Don't know how to react to that one. I suppose enough has been said already on this topic, I just hope the FAR is 0.0.

-John

 

[beaudodson]

Yes, agree. Not sure what else can be said. It is a bad idea - imo. I guess super tornado emergencies are next? Severe thunderstorm emergencies for winds over 80 mph? I know peopel can post examples from both sides of the fence. Greensburg worked out. Many others have not.

I can just see it now - an EF3 or EF4 hits a town/city without a tornado emergency. People will complain - "Why no tornado emergency?" Then in another town a tornado emergency will be issued and the tornado will fail to show up. Another town will have a "simple" tornado warning and people will say "oh it isn't going to be too bad because there isn't a tornado emergency".

Either you take shelter when a tornado warning is issued or you don't.

From Rdale's post...
reliable sources confirm a tornado, or there is clear radar evidence of the existence of a damaging tornado such as the observation of debris.



Reliable such as trained spotters and chasers who report wedges when there really isn't a "real" wedge?
Reliable such as sheriff departments? Police?

Damaging tornado? Compared with a non-damaging tornado?

From Rdale's post...
the forecaster may insert the headline "...TORNADO EMERGENCY

So, some forecasters may not choose to do this? Some may choose to do this? One forecaster may think radar shows a clear indication of a tornado - another forecater may not?

But we have been round and round on this subject. Guess we will soon have tornado emergencies - officially. This ranks right up there with PDS boxes.