Here's A Tornado Picture For Ya...

[WillyT]

A huge tornado funnel cloud touches down in Orchard, Iowa Photo: AP

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8530657/US-storms-deadliest-tornadoes.html

:scared:

[Countdown_3_2_1]

1. I've never seen a tornado in person, but I understand

that people who DO see one have nightmares for the rest of their lives.

[liberal N proud]

7. Not true

Maybe if you were in one, but I have seen dozens and they are awesome to watch. It is the deadly destructive nature that makes you respect them.

I grew up in Iowa and we learned how to read them and get clear of them if necessary. I don't know how to express the awe at them with out sounding cold because I truly have every bit of compassion for those who suffer the wrath. Many people close to me have been touched personally by tornado's yet I am still in awe.

I wish nothing but peace and comfort to those who were hit.

[MuseRider]

21. I feel the same way you do.

What has happened the last few days has been very close to me and we are expecting a very bad day tomorrow but still, the sheer force of one is something to behold. They inspire awe, fear and excitement but they cause so much tragedy it is hard to say all of that. There is little worse than to see your city mowed down like that. Been there. I saw and heard a raw video from Joplin of a group of people as they went through the tornado in a place that was not a good shelter, there were windows and you could see it coming. It was terrifying and makes you cry. Still, for those of us who are used to them being a part of your life they are still something to behold. Yes, it does feel creepy saying that.

[rsdsharp]

38. I've lived in Iowa for 57 years.

You don't just "get clear of" an F5 as it bears down on your town. It's like the finger of God reaching toward Earth.

The link below shows a picture of the F5 which nearly destroyed my hometown of Charles City on May 15, 1968, together with the aftermath. The tornado was already 1/2 mile wide in that picture, and would get even bigger when it merged with another one, and roared north up Main Street bringing havoc, and killing 13.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=may151968photos

The other photos show, among other things:

Row 2. Gibson's Department Store. I had planed to go there that afternoon. Luckily for me, it started raining hard, and I changed my mind.

Row 4. The First Baptist Church. It was three blocks from my house and directly across the street from my friend Pat Barrett's home. It wasn't there anymore. Fortunately PAt and his family still were.

Row 5. The Manual Arts Building. This was on the grounds of my elementary school. I attended Kindergarten in that building, and our junior high gym classes were held there. The rest of Central School, the small tan building at the left of the picture wasn't badly damaged, but they closed the school anyway.

Row 7. McKinley School and Salsbury Labs. My dad worked for Salsbury for 30 years and rode out the tornado in that building. Little around it was left standing. Brantingham bridge, from which this picture was taken, was one block from my house.

You might want to click the link above the second round of photos and read the personal accounts of that day. They will leave no doubt why someone who has actually been in one fears them.

[liberal N proud]

39. I remember Charles City tornado

I grew up in NW Iowa and remember the day Charles City was hit and remember touring the aftermath, the visions of the destruction still stick.

I am just saying they are awesome to watch and would be fascinating minus the destruction.

[RebelOne]

8. I know I would. I live in North Georgia and there are lots

of tornadoes here like the one just up the road from me in Cartersville last month. I have nightmares of one hitting my area. There have been a few close calls here like one hitting just a few blocks from me.

[Shagbark Hickory]

35. The worst thing about the storms that come through here is that they do so at 3-4 in the am

Those storms are brewed up in the unstable atmospheres far to the west of here and by the time they make it to N.GA, it's usually 3 or 4 in the morning and you don't know whats coming of it that wind noise that wakes you up by shaking your house is just wind or something worse.
You turn on the TV to try to get some info and its nothing but infomercials.

I used to live in alpharetta and there were tornado sirens there. I loved those. But I guess someone still has to be paying attention to sound them.

[Drale]

11. I've been through 2 tornado's and seen many many more and

I don't have nightmares. They are a force of nature that you can not play with or change, there is no reason to to linger on the experience with a tornado.

[uppityperson]

15. Having been in 1 as a toddler, I have recently figured out why high winds freak me out

You don't need to "linger on the experience" but yes, it can be traumatic, can produce nightmares being in one. It doesn't need to but for many, yes it does.

[kestrel91316]

22. I have never been IN one per se, but I think having my town half destroyed by

one when I was in HS has left me quite skittish about high winds myself.

[Zoeisright]

16. I have nightmares about them pretty much constantly.

And I've never seen one in person.

[uppityperson]

17. No nightmares from simply seeing one. Being in one perhaps but I doubt few have nightmares

from simply seeing one. Being impacted, yes, that could produce nightmares and ptsd, but not simply seeing one.

[InvisibleTouch]

28. I was almost run down by one as a young child.

I don't consciously remember it, but I've had the story told to me by my mother. I do have nightmares about them, but at the same time I have a fascination for them as well.

[reggie the dog]

30. I saw on once

but was far enough away to not see any damage 1st hand, plus it was a tiny F1. i have had no nightmares

[xmas74]

34. I've had more nightmares about flood waters

then tornadoes and I've witnessed both.

Tornadoes are scarily impressive while flood waters felt as if they were a sign of failure. Tornadoes hit fast and hard; flood waters are fought with sandbagging until your back aches, your nails are torn past the quick, you have nasty welts from all the bugs biting, and you feel almost delirious from dehydration. (You don't dare stop for drinks-it could mean the difference between a drink or a couple of sandbags.)

I chased tornadoes when I was younger. I'm still impressed. I also sandbagged in 1993 and 1995. I still have dreams about that.

[geardaddy]

2. That's an incredible photo.

[liberal N proud]

3. Incredible yet very frightening

Tornado's would be fascinating if they were not so deadly. If they cut through country side and never destroyed any property or killed people, they would be truly awesome to watch.

[Atman]

20. Actually, they kinda used to...then we built cities there.

Just sayin.

[Snoutport]

4. so beautiful!

[RebelOne]

9. Yes, nature can be beautiful and terrifying at the same time. n/t

[snagglepuss]

5. Wow. That is one incredible photo. Thanks for posting nt

[uppityperson]

6. Wrong info from me, sorry. It's a mesocyclone, not a tornado. Here is snopes link

http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/iowatornado.asp
Still beautiful

[WillyT]

10. So Did The Telegraph Pick This Out From A File ???

Not doubting Snopes here, just wondering how a news source uses a 3 year old photo to represent what happened today?

:shrug:

BTW - Thanks for the heads-up!

:hi:

[uppityperson]

12. It's been around for a bit. I bet they just used it since it is striking. I edited above,

want to make sure you saw it as I was wrong at first.

[RebelOne]

14. Whatever it was, it was still terrible and did a lot of damage. n/t

[uppityperson]

19. "besides extensive tree and crop damage, no human injuries were reported"

http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/iowatornado.asp

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. amazing pic

[Brigid]

18. This photo is so awesome . . .

And I don't mean that in a flippant sort of way. I mean, I would think that sight would just freeze me up. I would just stand there awestruck, and not get the hell into shelter like I should. I wonder if that same effect has caused some of the tornado deaths over the years.

[Zorra]

23. Is the photo enhanced, or is that completely natural? If

it's natural, that is some of the strangest natural light I have ever seen.

[WillyT]

24. Long Exposure... Check Out The Flag...

Like this:



:hi:

[postatomic]

40. Yes

I'm guessing 8-10 seconds based on the distance covered by the vehicle moving down the street. Purely a guess. It makes the "funnel" appear larger than it actually is.

[arcane1]

25. Their awesomeness and indifference can only be called "Lovecraftian"

I've never seen one in person, though I'd like to. I think. As long as it's not too close!!!

[obxhead]

26. I just don't know about this picture.

The trees are throwing it off for me. :shrug:

Not saying with certainty that it is shopped, it just looks too surreal to me.

[laundry_queen]

29. A nicely structured supercell

can often look surreal. I have taken some pictures of some that have that 'UFO' look. It is a sight that still leaves me awestruck whenever I see one.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[divvy]

31. Thats the tornado that killed the boy scouts.

or so the report was. I think it has been used as a stock photo more than once.

[leveymg]

32. Nice shot, but THAT is too close.

[Luciferous]

33. That is an incredible picture.

[HappyMe]

36. Beautiful & horrible.

:scared:

[MuseRider]

37. I posted these the other day

right after it happened but the photos are so cool that I want to share them again. These were taken by my neighbor from my South pasture looking North. Just over the line of trees is my house. We were on the direct opposite side of town that evening and I took my own pictures as they passed but none were very good. This funnel became 2 and sometimes 3 and went from Southwest of town all the way through the Northeast and beyond.

We were so lucky. Later that evening Reading was destroyed by a tornado. If anyone is interested in some very cool photos go to http://www.wibw.com/weather, there are hundreds of them.

EDIT to add link