METEO 3 Lesson 9 Images

[Intro music]

When it comes to weather related hazards, tornadoes and hurricanes get a lot of attention, and rightly so. And I think increasingly the same is true for lightning and heat. But one weather hazard still doesn't get nearly the respect it deserves, at least in my opinion, and it can make news just about any time of year.

Let's take a look at a breakdown of weather related fatalities by hazard. Five are shown here. The blue bar is the annual average over the last ten years. The maroon bar is just for one year, 2016. Lightning fatalities have come down in recent years. The average is about 30 per year. There have been very few landfalling tropical systems in the last decade, so hurricane fatalities are way down too. Now, the tornado and heat ten year averages are still around 100 per year. Take a look at the flooding, though. The ten year average is 91, which is actually slightly above the longer term 30 year average. And in 2016, there were 126 fatalities, suggesting this problem is not improving. And when you break down recent flood fatality numbers by situation, you find that, half, more than half occur in vehicles, usually people trying to cross flooded roads, a situation that's still way too common. And let's look at that situation a little closer.

Here's a simple but realistic way to think about a vehicle in water. Now, a car's weight creates friction with the ground at the tires, which basically holds the car in place. And when water enters the picture, the surface becomes slippery, which reduces the friction. And water, of course, also introduces buoyancy that acts upward on the vehicle. The Greek jack of all trades, Archimedes, first told us about that buoyancy force and that it equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. Water weighs about 62 pounds per cubic foot, and cars take up a lot of space. And once some of the vehicle is submerged, the weight of the car is essentially reduced by the weight of the water it displaces. And as an example, let's assume, say, a 3,000 pound car. That would be typical. And say water rises just 6 " up the body of the car. A typical car is maybe 5.5 feet wide and 14 feet long. We'll do the math for you. That's enough volume of car to displace 2,400 pounds of water. So the car's net weight essentially drops to 600 pounds. And that doesn't even take into account water displaced by the tires. Now, if the water is moving, there's a sideways force on the car that is proportional to the speed of the water squared. So if you double the speed, that force increases by a factor of four. And when that sideways force exceeds the net weight of the vehicle, the car floats away. And keep in mind, we didn't consider here the fact that water reduces friction, which makes the net weight even less.

No wonder the National Weather Service aggressively warns not to underestimate the power of moving water. 6 " can knock over an adult. 12 " of fast moving water can carry away a small car, while 18 to 24 " can carry away most SUVs and even vans. Indeed, in my opinion, the National Weather Service's slogan, turn around don't drown can't be repeated enough.

Stay tuned. The extended forecast is next.

The image showcases a winding road cutting through a narrow canyon with towering rock walls. The road has two lanes, marked by a yellow centerline, and is bordered by a wooden guardrail. Several vehicles, including a red car and a black SUV, are visible driving along the road. The canyon’s steep cliffs are composed of rugged, jagged rock formations with a grayish hue, interspersed with patches of greenery. The sky above is overcast, with a hint of clouds.

[intro music]

One dent can drive a car owner crazy. Eric Hansen found out when hail the size of baseballs start to fall, it'll attract attention from dealerships all across the Midwest. Eric is live... A hailstorm had Blare, Nebraska in its bullseye damaging about 4,300 vehicles. But that's having a ripple effect that's already impacting inventories here in Central Iowa.

[inaudible noise - hail falling]

They were all huddled undercover, watching through a window helpless. Inside sounded like we were almost getting hit by machine guns. Some thought they might as well have been bowling balls. They were actually the size of baseballs, shattering windshields and ripping apart roofs at one of the nation's biggest car dealers. The wind was almost driving them like, you know, railroad spikes right into everything.

By the time the storm passed, no one could believe the extent of the ice attack that crushed 4,400 cars. One would make an owner sick. Oh. Show this video at a car dealership.

Insane. And it'll turn stomachs. That's just sad. And make them cringe at the thought. That windshield is just destroyed. I mean, it looks like it got hit by a deer or something.

When you get to that severe damage, that's a difficult thing to deal with. Park 300 cars under Iowa's clouds long enough, and one of them will drop a little hail, which is why the owner of Ames Ford says insurance isn't optional. Yeah, you have to have the coverage. The amount of loss is too great to roll the dice.

Most are insured through their parent company like Ford or Chevy. That'll cover small dents. But here, bumper to bumper was bashed. When you start adding it up, you're replacing this piece and this piece and the fenders and the doors and then painting them and then putting it all back together, and then disclosing all that to the consumer. So some will just be used for parts, others will be fixed and branded as salvage, impacting the sale price. If I want a new car, I want a new car that's not touched. If I want a car that's been previously repaired and fixed, I want a great deal.

As one of the Midwest biggest, Woodhouse trades with dealers all over Iowa daily. So while this wickedness is making showrooms wince, Holy cow. 4,000 damaged cars will impact inventories as well for months to come. In some parts of the country, insurance companies have actually asked dealerships to build covered shelters over their vehicles to keep them out of the hail to kind of limit the damage. In this part of the country, however, it's just kind of part of the way... part of the reality of being outside, and the dealers, a lot of them around here really don't like the looks of it. As for in Nebraska, the hail sales have already begun. I'm sure they have.

Eric, thank you. 

[large hail hitting the ground]

Well, I figured it was.

I said, I'm not surprised there aren't more windows busters.

That was amazing.

[large hail hitting the ground]

The image shows the side of a house with white siding that has been heavily chipped, revealing a dark underlayer. The siding is lined horizontally across the wall. The roof is slanted and covered with brown shingles. In the foreground, partially visible, are several cars parked near the house. The yard is bordered by a wooden fence, and the ground appears to be covered with some leaves or debris. In the background, leafless trees are visible against a clear sky.

The image shows a rural road covered with a layer of hail, stretching diagonally from the bottom left to the top right. The road has distinct tire tracks, where the black asphalt is visible, flanked by thick layers of white hail on either side. The surrounding terrain is flat, with brown grassland extending across the background. The sky is overcast, with hints of blue and some white clouds, creating a dull atmosphere. A tall communication tower is visible in the distance on the right side of the image.

The image shows an open hand resting against a dark background. In the palm are two objects: a smooth, rounded piece of white hail on the left, and a U.S. quarter coin on the right. The hailstone appears to be approximately the same size as the coin, indicating a significant hail size. 

The image shows a close-up view of a ground surface covered with a mix of graupel and brown twigs and wood chips. The graupel is small, round, and uniformly scattered across the entire area. The brown twigs and wood chips are irregularly shaped and vary in size, creating a textured, natural background. The contrast between the bright white graupel and the darker, earthy tones of the wood is prominent, highlighting the graupel against the surface.

The image is a radar cross-section labeled "Composite Refl," showing a range of colored blocks representing different reflectivity levels in a weather radar scan. The x-axis represents the distance in nautical miles, ranging from 0 to 25, while the y-axis represents height in thousands of feet (kft), ranging from 0 to 42. The colors on the radar image range from blue through green, yellow, and red, with a small white area circled in pink, labeled "Hail Signature," indicating a significant weather event. The colors indicate different levels of precipitation, with red and white areas suggesting heavy precipitation and potential hail. Below the main section, a timeline is shown with a timestamp: "05/05/0 19:51:02 UTC Vol:236" and a legend explaining the distances in nautical miles.

The image is a weather radar map displaying storm intensity using a color-coded scale on the left ranging from dark blue to dark red. In the lower left, a large, intense supercell is marked with hues from bright red to green, indicating high severity. Another cluster of storm activity is seen towards the top, extending into the center-right. Areas of lighter blue and green surround these intense clusters, indicating lower intensity precipitation. The map has a brown background with faint grid lines and a circular label “KABR” at the upper right.

The aerial image shows a swath of forested land where numerous trees have been uprooted and lie on their sides. The trees are predominantly oriented in a uniform direction, suggesting they have been felled by a strong force, such as wind. Black arrows are superimposed onto the image, all pointing in the same direction as the fallen trees, indicating the path of the force. In the upper left, a contrasting patch of bright green grass can be seen, separated by a straight row of power lines. The surrounding area is densely forested, with fewer disturbances visible.

The loop is a graphical representation of a cross-section of composite reflectivity. The background is mostly black with horizontal and vertical grid lines forming a graph. The vertical axis is labeled in "kft" indicating thousands of feet, and the horizontal axis is marked with distance in nautical miles. The graph shows color-coded areas in shades of blue, green, and some gray, representing varying levels of reflectivity. These colors create few vertical bands mostly between 10 and 35 nautical miles, rising up to around 30 kft. The lower areas have designs with gradients starting from gray and transitioning to blue and green toward the top. Below the graph, there is a color legend indicating different intensity levels ranging from blue (low) to red (high). At the top, there is a toolbar with a bright red button labeled "CLOSE."

The image illustrates a diagram of a microburst overlaid on an aerial view of a landscape. The diagram uses arrows and shaded areas to depict the movement and impact of wind caused by a microburst. At the center is a labeled "Splash-down" point from which multiple white arrows radiate outward, indicating the direction of the wind flow. These arrows spread over an elongated, oval-shaped area labeled with "Ground-level Streamlines." The right section of the diagram is bordered with a dashed line marking the "Major Axis of Microburst." To the right of the streamlined area, there's a textured, dotted section labeled as the "Area of damaging ‘straight-line winds.’" The aerial background shows a patchwork of fields and roads.

The animation is a weather map of the contiguous United States. It shows various weather patterns across the country. Green areas indicate precipitation, mainly concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, Upper Midwest, and along the Eastern seaboard. The Central and Southeastern U.S. are marked with multiple-colored polygons, indicating severe weather warnings. Red polygons represent tornado watches, stretching from the Mississippi River valley into the Appalachian region. Blue polygons indicate severe thunderstorm watches in parts of the Midwest and Northeast. The map's background is white with state boundaries and major cities outlined in light gray. A blue NOAA logo appears in the bottom left corner.

The image displays a vast agricultural field in the foreground, covered in lush green crops. Above the field is a dramatic shelf cloud stretching across the sky, characterized by its smooth, elongated, horizontal shape. The cloud is predominantly gray, with varying shades that give it a layered appearance. To the right, in the background, there are patches of darker clouds, suggesting an impending storm. A few trees are visible towards the horizon, lining the edge of the field. To the left, there is a utility pole with wires extending across the scene, adding a sense of depth.

The image depicts a narrow funnel cloud extending from a dark, swirling storm cloud toward the horizon in a rural landscape. The sky is predominantly covered with thick, dark grey clouds, indicating severe weather. The funnel cloud is slender and reaches toward the ground but does not make contact. Below the stormy sky, a stretch of open field is visible, lush and green, with a row of trees in the distance. On the right side of the image, several wooden utility poles with overhead power lines are seen, stretching into the distance. The overall atmosphere is tense and dramatic, characteristic of an impending tornado.

The image is a front page of "The Tuscaloosa News," dated Friday, April 29, 2011. The main headline reads "'We Unburied Ourselves'." Below this is an aerial photograph showing a devastated landscape with debris and destroyed buildings, indicating widespread damage. The damage appears concentrated near an intersection, possibly the result of a tornado. To the left of the main image is a sidebar with two small profile photos of people and text detailing assistance information. Below the main image is another headline: "37 confirmed dead; 800 injured." A small inset map shows the path of the tornado on April 27, 2011, highlighting the affected areas. The bottom of the page includes a group photo of people including Gov. Robert Bentley, shown on a site visit.

The image is a world map using the Robinson Projection, depicting countries in light orange and white. Countries highlighted in light orange include Canada, the United States, various countries in Europe, Turkey, parts of the Middle East, Japan, South Korea, several countries in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Major oceans are labeled in blue, and the map includes geographic markers such as the equator and tropic lines. The countries are outlined clearly, and major cities are labeled within each.

The image is a map of the United States with a focus on the central region, highlighting an area labeled as "Tornado Alley." The map is colored in shades of green, with state borders marked but not labeled. A central brown area covers parts of several states, indicating the region known for frequent tornadoes. The highlighted area roughly encompasses parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The text “Tornado Alley” is prominently displayed in red at the lower left of the highlighted area.

The image displays a line graph titled "Tornado Average by Month in the Contiguous United States." The data covers the years from 1991 to 2015. The horizontal axis represents the months of the year from January to December, while the vertical axis shows the number of tornadoes ranging from 0 to 300. The line graph is plotted with blue lines connected by diamond-shaped points. The graph shows that tornado occurrences are lowest in January and February with 36 and 32 tornadoes respectively, increase steadily through March (75) and April (178), peaking sharply in May at 269 tornadoes. The numbers decrease through June (229), July (123), and continue to drop gradually through December with 27 tornadoes. Each peak and significant change in the data is labeled with corresponding numbers in brown.

Tornado Average by Month in the Contiguous United States 1991-2015.
Jan - 36, Feb - 32, Mar - 75, Apr - 178, May - 269, Jun - 229, Jul - 123, Aug - 75, Sep - 66, Oct - 58, Nov - 56, Dec - 27.

The image shows a 3D horizontal cylinder in the center placed against a light blue background. Surrounding the cylinder are several yellow curved arrows evenly spaced along its length. These arrows are evenly oriented, showing a downward spiral motion around the cylinder. At the bottom of the image, there is a horizontal strip that transitions from green to brown, resembling a ground or base.

The image illustrates a classic supercell with a hook echo, using color‑coded shading to show varying levels of rain intensity. The precipitation field is drawn with concentric shapes: the innermost region is shaded red and labeled “Heavy Rain (and Hail).” Surrounding this are broader areas shaded orange, yellow, green, and finally light blue, which represents “Light Rain.”

In the lower left corner, a label marked “Mesocyclone” appears next to a red dashed circle containing a capital letter “T.” Around this mesocyclone area, the green and blue precipitation bands curve and wrap around it, forming the hook‑shaped feature that characterizes a hook echo. In the upper right corner, a purple arrow labeled “Movement” points northeast (NE) to indicate the storm’s motion.

The image is a radar map showing precipitation patterns. The primary focus is a distinct weather formation known as a "hook echo," displayed in the upper right quadrant, highlighted by a white circle and arrow. This formation resembles a hook, indicating potential tornado activity. The radar imagery includes a color gradient scale from blue to red, representing increasing precipitation intensity. The lower left corner shows a radial pattern surrounding a central point, marked "KUEX," depicting radar station location. Other weather cells are present in the upper left with predominantly green, yellow, and blue colors.

[Videographer] I see it. I see it 

[wind] 

[Videographer] You are good. Keep going. There it is. [inaudible] They look okay. Okay. Right here.
[inaudible]
Straight up. we're right alongside it. 

[wind] 

What? [inaudible] Get a little closer what do you think? Get a little closer 

[wind]

[inaudible] 

[wind] 

we're out of gas must've run out of gas. 

[wind]

Look up! You see the debris, right? Get out of the cars, look at this. 

[wind] 

Oh, it's a satellite (tornado) [inaudible]

The image depicts the exterior of a single-story building constructed from red brick. The roof is dark brown and made of shingles, with a visible patch in the center that appears to be damaged. The building has small, rectangular windows partially visible along the side. In front of the building is a well-maintained lawn with a few small shrubs near the base of the wall. A sign in the foreground designates a "Reserved Parking" spot for individuals with disabilities. The sky is clear and blue, with part of a large tree visible in the distance on the right side.

The image shows a suburban brick house with a damaged roof. Large sections of the roof have collapsed, exposing wooden beams and debris. The house has two visible windows on the left side, both of which remain intact. In front of the house is a neatly maintained lawn with a brick mailbox near the street. A cracked driveway leads to the garage, whose door appears to be bent and partially detached. A dark-colored car is parked on the driveway to the right of the image. The sky above is partly cloudy with bright sunlight illuminating the scene.

The image depicts a single-story brick house with extensive roof damage, exposing the wooden framework. Several wooden beams protrude upwards from the roof, indicating recent destruction. Two large windows with shutters flank the entrance, which has steps leading to a door that is ajar, showing some debris at the entrance. A grey sedan is parked on the driveway in front of the house. To the right, two men stand near a large blue dumpster placed next to the garage. Above the garage, a decorative metal star is fixed on the wall. Lush green grass covers the foreground, while large trees with full foliage are visible on either side, framing the house. The sky is overcast with scattered clouds.

The image shows a scene of extensive destruction likely caused by a natural disaster. The foreground is dominated by debris, including broken bricks, wooden planks, household items, and trees. Large tree trunks lie on the ground, splintered and uprooted. In the middle ground, more debris is scattered, including household items such as furniture and clothing, amidst wrecked structural components. Towards the background, a few trees remain standing, albeit damaged, with their branches stripped and broken. An American flag is visible among the debris, adding a poignant element to the scene. The overall color palette is earthy with browns and greens, contrasting with white and red from the debris.

The image shows the aftermath of a destructive event, from a tornado, in an open area. A concrete foundation is visible in the foreground, where a structure once stood, now surrounded by scattered debris. Items such as a red gas cylinder, white tanks, wooden planks, and various building materials are strewn across the area. The background reveals a flat, grassy field with sparse trees and scattered debris extending into the distance. The sky above is overcast with a hint of blue, suggesting a recent storm.

The image is a bar chart illustrating tornado fatalities in the United States from 1950 to 2011. The horizontal axis represents the years, marked from 1950 to 2011, while the vertical axis shows the number of fatalities, ranging from 0 to 600. Each bar corresponds to a particular year and indicates the number of deaths caused by tornadoes in that year. Noticeable peaks appear in 1953, 1974, and 2011, with 2011 showing the highest number of fatalities, reaching close to 600. There are several smaller peaks throughout the chart, but most years have relatively low fatalities.

The image is an aerial view of a grassy field showcasing a faint cycloid pattern. The grass is predominantly green with various shades and patches scattered throughout. There are multiple circular arcs forming a repetitive, wavy line across the field, which denotes a cycloid pattern. Several brown and reddish streaks can be seen on the right, possibly indicating paths or disturbed soil. Two white lines intersect at the pattern, highlighting it, with text positioned below.

The image is a split-view map detailing the May 31, 1985, tornado outbreak. On the left, there is a map labeled with different colored lines indicating tornado paths across portions of Ohio and Pennsylvania. A color-coded legend shows tornado intensity (F-Rating), ranging from yellow (0) to dark red (5). The National Weather Service logo is in the top left corner. On the right, a topographic map of the same region shows variations in elevation with colors ranging from green to brown, accompanied by blue boundary lines and grid labels for latitude and longitude.

[video narrator] In the air. This is when it all happened in real time. And you see now, the official looking up in the air, listen to the
mad sound here. 

[Stadium announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, severe weather conditions. 

[video narrator] Try if you can, to focus as you look at this shot on the rippling effect at the top of the roof. 

Do you see it almost like the curtain, right? 

And you can see that clearly. Indeed. 

And that natural sound is exactly what a tornado sounds like. 

And you can see the rippling right in through the air, just kind of a rippling effect like that on the top of that. 

But I think as Dave Baker I think as he accurately
pointed out,

[end]

Yeah. Yeah, I saw. Mars in the Capitol heading towards the avenue. 
No, the tornado is.
I'm getting video. She went into the hospital. 
[inaudible] 
We just stopped at the hospital. 
[inaudible] 
[wind]

The image is a diagram illustrating air movement and the development of spin in a heated region. The background is black, featuring horizontal white arrows moving from left to right, representing airflow. In the center, an oval-shaped "Heated Region" is outlined in yellow with diagonal lines extending within it, indicating warmth. A dashed yellow line curves along the right side of the oval, illustrating the path where convergence and spin develop. The airflow diverges slightly upon entering and exiting the heated region. The diagram is captioned below.

The image depicts a waterspout over the ocean. A distinct vertical funnel extends from a dark cloud above to the surface of the water, creating a dramatic scene. The waterspout is centered in the frame, with the sea appearing turbulent where the funnel meets the water. The colors in the image are predominantly blue, with variations in intensity, displaying the contrast between the ocean surface and the surrounding sky. The cloud cover is dense, casting shadows over parts of the water, enhancing the contrast with the lighter areas of the sky.

The image is a map of the continental United States displaying tornado days per year based on reports from 2003 to 2012. The map is color-coded with areas shaded in various hues of yellow, orange, and red, indicating the frequency of tornado days, ranging from 1 to over 6 days per year. The Midwest and Southeast regions are predominantly highlighted, with darker shades indicating higher frequencies, particularly in parts of Alabama and Mississippi. States are outlined in black, and major geographic regions are discernible. The map includes a legend on the right with a gradient scale from yellow to red, labeled "Days per year." To the bottom left, there is a logo for the NOAA National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center.

The image shows a dark, stormy scene with prominent cloud cover occupying the upper portion of the frame, casting a gloomy atmosphere. Below, a dust cloud is rising above the horizon, suggesting strong winds. The landscape beneath the clouds is flat and appears rural, with some grass visible in the foreground. There are power lines running diagonally across the image, and a few dimly lit buildings can be seen near the horizon, adding to the desolate feel of the scene.