Colder Than Normal Pattern May Take Up Home In The East For Quite Some Time…

Found the latest CFS (Climate Forecast System) Forecast VERY interesting and think that you may, as well!  Hmmmmmmmmm…………

 

Sprint Set For Hurricane Season

Florida Residents and First Responders Count on Sprint as State Prepares for 2009 Hurricane Season Sprint Invests Approximately $50 Million in Florida Network Enhancements; Uses Clean Energy Efficient Hydrogen Fuel Cells to Provide Critical Backup Power MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–May. 13, 2009– As Florida residents gear up for the 2009 hurricane season, Sprint (NYSE:S) continues to work closely with local public safety agencies and to harden its networks so that critical communications are available to its customers before, during and after a storm. In 2008, Sprint invested approximately $50 million in network expansion and enhancements in Florida, including: Network investments of approximately $27 million in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, $11 million in Tampa Bay, $9 million in Jacksonville, and more than $2 million in the Florida Panhandle; and Adding more than 20 new cell sites and installing permanent generators at approximately 90 cell sites throughout the state of Florida to its Nationwide Sprint Network and Nextel National Network. These investments are in addition to the more the than 450 cell sites Sprint added in 2007 to its networks in Florida, along with installing permanent generators at more than 1,000 additional sites in the state’s hurricane-prone communities. Sprint also has a long history of providing critical wireless communications support and personnel to assist first responders and various public agencies with relief efforts, most notably: Serving the last seven years as the primary wireless provider for the Florida Division of Emergency Management; and During the severe weather events of April 2009 in the Florida Panhandle, Sprint network engineers installed in-building wireless coverage at local emergency operations centers to support members of the Florida State Emergency Response Team. In addition to strategic partnerships with public safety officials, Sprint has also made clean energy efficiency a priority in its network management and resiliency during hurricane season. Between 2005 and 2007, Sprint installed numerous hydrogen fuel cell generators at more than 30 cell site locations throughout the state of Florida, including Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. These fuel cells provide a much cleaner alternative to diesel-powered backup generators and are activated when service from the local electric utility is disrupted during severe weather or other natural disasters. “Ensuring backup power to sites with high call volumes and ones that provide coverage to hurricane evacuation routes, public safety agencies, hospitals, major airports and government facilities has and will always be a top priority in Sprint’s customer support during hurricane season,” said Richard Blanc, vice president for Sprint field services and operations. “Hurricane-prone communities along the Gulf Coast need our commitment to network redundancy and reliability, and we’re proud to continue excelling in this area.” In preparation for the upcoming hurricane season, the Sprint Emergency Response Team (ERT), trains for the worst-case scenario and provides businesses and first responders with immediate access to mobile communications for emergencies and field training exercises, and maintains a 24-hour hotline, 365 days a year, to rapidly address client needs. Sprint’s network and business continuity teams will also be pre-staged in hurricane-prone states with portable generators, Satellite Cell on Light Trucks (SatCOLTS) and Cell Sites on Wheels (COWs) to restore wireless service quickly for customers and disaster response efforts. In addition to hurricane preparations in the Southeast and Gulf Coast, Sprint invested approximately $1.8 billion in capital in 2008, largely to enhance its networks nationwide. Its Nextel Direct Connect® services continue to make it the undisputed leader in push-to-talk services, used by first responders across the country for its consistent ability to remain fully operational even during crisis events. For more information about Sprint Nextel hurricane preparation efforts, or to learn what you can do to prepare for a major storm, visit: www.sprint.com/hurricaneinformation. ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 49 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com. Source: Sprint Sprint Crystal N. Davis, 571-288-6806 crystal.davis@sprint.com

NWS Releases Storm Reports From Friday, May 8th.

It sure was a stormy time of thing last Friday evening across the Mountain Empire.  Thanks to our friends at the National Weather Service out of Morristown, TN for releasing their storm reports.

BTW, a confirmed FO tornado touched down in the Gray community.

Click here for the complete story.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mrx/svrevnts/may09tornadoes/may09tornado.php

20090508’s Storm Report (1200 UTC – 1159 UTC)

< 090507 Reports          090509 Reports >
Note: All data are considered preliminary
Tornado Reports (in CSV format)
Time		Location	County	State	Lat	Lon	Comments
1303		REPUBLIC	GREENE	MO	3712	9348	(SGF)
1306		4 SE WILLARD	GREENE	MO	3726	9338	A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY REVEALED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF FARM ROAD 115 AND WILLARD ROAD. A HOUSE SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMA (SGF)
1315		EBENEZER	GREENE	MO	3733	9331	NWS SURVEY HAS DETERMINED AN EF 0 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF 100 YARDS OCCURRED BETWEEN THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 13 AND WW AND THE INTERSECTION OF H HIGHWAY AND 56. THE (SGF)
1327		3 SW CHARITY	WEBSTER	MO	3748	9305	*** 1 FATAL, 1 INJ *** NWS SURVEY HAS DETERMINED AN EF 2 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF 400 YARDS AND AN ESTIMATED WIND SPEED OF 130 MPH OCCURRED ALONG A 4 MILE INTERMITTENT P (SGF)
1330		1 E FORDLAND	WEBSTER	MO	3716	9292	1 E FORDLAND MO WEBSTER…NWS SURVEY HAS DETERMINED AN EF 1 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF 400 YARDS AND ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF 110 MPH OCCURRED ALONG A FOUR MILE PATH FROM (SGF)
1330		STRAFFORD	GREENE	MO	3727	9312	I-44 AT THE 83 MILE MARKER POSSIBLE TORNADO OR STRONG WINDS OVERTURNED A SEMI. TORNADO WAS RAIN WRAPPED (SGF)
1330		2 W CHARITY	DALLAS	MO	3751	9305	*** 1 FATAL, 1 INJ *** NWS SURVEY HAS DETERMINED AN EF 2 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF 400 YARDS AND AN ESTIMATED WIND SPEED OF 130 MPH OCCURRED ALONG A 4 MILE INTERMITTENT P (SGF)
1335		3 ESE GARRISON	CHRISTIAN	MO	3682	9297	NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF1 TORNADO DOWNED TREES AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO TWO HOMES…OUTBUILDINGS…AND DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES. THE DAMAGE PATH WAS ONE HAL (SGF)
1345		1 E FORDLAND	WEBSTER	MO	3716	9292	1 E FORDLAND MO WEBSTER…NWS SURVEY HAS DETERMINED AN EF 1 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF 400 YARDS AND ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF 110 MPH OCCURRED ALONG A FOUR MILE PATH FROM (SGF)
1355		3 W GOODHOPE	DOUGLAS	MO	3692	9287	NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF2 TORNADO WITH WINDS TO 130 MPH TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES WEST OF GOODHOPE. THE THREE QUARTER MILE WIDE TORNADO TRAV (SGF)
1400		4 N AVA	DOUGLAS	MO	3700	9267	NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THERE WAS AN EF0 TORNADO WITH 85 MPH WINDS. THE TORNADO WAS 200 YARDS WIDE WITH A PATH LENGTH OF ONE MILE. THE TORNADO CAUSED MINOR HOM (SGF)
1422		4 ESE MOUNTAIN GROVE	TEXAS	MO	3712	9219	NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT AN EF0 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF 200 YARDS AND A PATH LENGTH OF 3.5 MILES TOUCHED DOWN 4 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF MOUNTAIN GROVE AND (SGF)
1435		4 WNW PEACE VALLEY	HOWELL	MO	3689	9179	NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THERE WAS AN EF1 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH UP TO THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE AND AN INTERMITTENT PATH LENGTH OF 9 MILES. THE TORNADO TRACKED FR (SGF)
1440		6 SE LEBANON	LACLEDE	MO	3762	9259	A NWS STORM SURVEY REVEALED THAT AN EF-2 TORNADO IMPACTED RURAL SECTIONS OF CENTRAL LACLEDE COUNTY. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 115 MPH. THE PATH LENGTH WAS 2.2 MIL (SGF)
1444		8 E LEBANON	LACLEDE	MO	3768	9252	TORNADO REPORTED ON THE GROUND NEAR FALCON RD (SGF)
1500		1 NW POMONA	HOWELL	MO	3688	9193	1 NW POMONA HOWELL…A NWS SURVEY HAS DETERMINED THAT AN EF 3 TORNADO WITH A WIDTH OF 400 TO 800 YARDS AND ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS UP TO 165 MPH OCCURRED ALONG A 1.8 MILE (SGF)
1629		4 SE CALEDONIA	IRON	MO	3772	9072	TORNADO ON THE GROUND IN THE VICINITY OF THE INTERSECTION OF MISSOURI HIGHWAYS 32 AND 21 SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY LINE (LSX)
1630		10 WSW DU QUOIN	JACKSON	IL	3795	8940	DOZENS OF LARGE TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO 2 BARNS WITH METAL ROOF PANELS AND METAL DOORS BLOWN OFF. SHINGLES BLOWN OFF SEVERAL HOMES. SEVERAL POW (PAH)
1637		7 S PINCKNEYVILLE	PERRY	IL	3798	8938	TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY AND WENT RIGHT BACK UP (PAH)
1651		1 S RADDLE	JACKSON	IL	3776	8959	TORNADO ON THE GROUND IN A FIELD ON INDIAN RIDGE ROAD (PAH)
1657		3 W FARMINGTON	ST. FRANCOIS	MO	3778	9048	TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON THE HILLSIDE TO THE WEST OF FARMINGTON … DISTANCE ESTIMATED. (LSX)
1812		ELKVILLE	JACKSON	IL	3791	8924	TORNADO REPORTED ON GROUND BY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT DEPUTIES. (PAH)
1840		4 NE GILLETT GROVE	CLAY	IA	4306	9498	IOWA DNR OFFICIAL SAW SMALL TORNADO GOING OVER PLOWED FIELDS. (FSD)
2104		3 ENE KIRKSVILLE	MADISON	KY	3768	8437	*** 2 FATAL, 5 INJ *** TWO ADULTS WERE KILLED WHEN THE TORNADO PICKED UP AND THREW THEIR MOBILE HOME. THE BODIES OF A 35 YEAR OLD MALE AND AN ADULT FEMALE WERE RECOVERE (LMK)
2110		3 ENE JAMESTOWN	FENTRESS	TN	3645	8489	POSSILE TORNADO OCCCURRED RESULTING IN ONE MOBILE HOME BEING DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS HOUSES. A COUPLE OF BUIDINGS HAD THEIR ROOFS BLOWN OFF JUST NORTH (OHX)
2116		WACO	MADISON	KY	3773	8415	*** 4 INJ *** SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES WERE DAMAGED. (LMK)
2122		2 SE JAMESTOWN	FENTRESS	TN	3641	8491	TORNADO ON THE GROUND REPORTED BY FIRE DEPT. (OHX)
2158		5 SE HUNTSVILLE	SCOTT	TN	3636	8442	SEVERAL HOMES DESTROYED IN THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY. ZERO INJURIES. REPORTED BY DISPATCH. (MRX)
2315		TAZEWELL	CLAIBORNE	TN	3646	8358	TORNADO TOUCH DOWN SOUTHERN CLAIBORNE COUNTY JUST SOUTHWEST OF NEW TAZEWELL ALONG COLE RD. (MRX)
2324		10 WSW TAZEWELL	CLAIBORNE	TN	3640	8374	COLD RD NEAR CHUMLEY RD A HOUSE IMPLODED, 2 TWO STORY BARNS DEMOLISHED, AND SEVERAL TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY EMA. (MRX)
2334		THORN HILL	GRAINGER	TN	3636	8342	TORNADO ON THE GROUND MOVING EAST NEAR THORN HILL. REPORTED BY SPOTTER. (MRX)
0045		1 S GRAY	WASHINGTON	TN	3640	8248	LAW ENFORCEMENT CONFIRMED 2 TORNADO TOUCH DOWN SIGHTINGS.EF0. (MRX)
0057		EARLY	BROWN	TX	3174	9895	TORNADO REPORTED IN EARLY (SJT)
0100		2 N CLINTWOOD	DICKENSON	VA	3718	8246	EF0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN INTERMITTENTLY JUST NORTH OF CLINTWOOD. PATH LENGTH WAS 0.75 MILES…WIDTH 100 YARDS. SOME TREES WERE UPROOTED AND FELL ON A MOBILE HOME…MINO (RLX)
0115		3 N LITTLE YORK	WARREN	IL	4105	9075	SPOTTER REPORTED A TORANADO ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUIT ONE MINUTE AND HAS JUST LIFTED.

Heavy Rain For TN Valley; Severe Threat Further South

The next week to two weeks promises to deliver rain, and lots of it to the TN Valley and southern Appalachian region.  We’re going to be going through a rather significant battle between the unseasonably strong southeast ridge (that was responsible for all of our August-like heat in April last week) and a trough that’s trying to re-establish itself across the eastern third of the country.  The result will be a fight that will produce a “goodly” amount of rain across our neck of the woods during the course of the next couple of weeks.  While it won’t rain every day, more days during the next 10-14 will feature weather conditions than those that do not.

Below are a couple of graphics for your viewing pleasure concerning the stormy weather here in the short term.

http://www.abc3340.comhas a LIVE feed up of what’s turning out to be a very stormy day for the Gulf states.  Widespread wind damage associated with a derecheo is to blame for most of the damage, though a few individual cells are popping this afternoon.

Look at all of the variety of colors all over the southeast.  The darker greens indicate flood watches which are in effect and the reds and yellows are indicative of severe t-storm or tornado watches.

GFS valid for tonight around the midnight hour…yep, expect a good deal of rain, some on the heavy side.