Bloomington Illinois sitting in a bowl?

[Chicago60614]

I think it's interesting people still have these views that geography somehow affects tornadoes. I assume maybe it's just stories made up so people feel safer living in a particular city?

I've heard many people say Chicago is safe cause it's sitting on Lake Michigan. I even once heard downtown Chicago can't get hit by tornadoes cause of all the tall buildings affecting the tornado, haha. Cities with large hills around them, sitting in low areas (bowls), trees, steep inclines. It's strange to read about, but NO - A TORNADO COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF FEATURES ARE ON THE GROUND. IT'S FORMED IN THE CLOUDS AND WITH WIND PATTENRS OVER LARGE AREAS.

Lake Michigan, sitting in a low area, steep hills. These factors don't affect a tornado one bit, it could care less.

The only factor I could possibly see is if maybe Lake Michigan is very cold, and an approaching storm system might lose a little punch as it confronts the cooler waters of the lake, but again, this probably wouldn't happen. Once you hit late spring, the lake water is roughly the same temp as the surrounding air, and definitely not cold enough to affect the weather.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by CarolL

"Tornado alley" is a misnomer and practically a meaningless term scientifically.

Statistically, there have been more tornadoes in Florida than Illinois; they just aren't as strong. (Florida is rated 3rd or 4th for number of tornadoes, depending on the source, and IL is down at #8 or 9.)

I grew up in western IL and have been in a few tornadoes, and I've been thru three hurricanes, on the East Coast and the Gulf Coast. Yes, tornadoes are dangerous, but just respect Mother Nature: Pay attention, learn the signs, take cover, don't try to outrun them or do anything stupid, and you should be fine. I wouldn't stay away from IL because of the tornadoes.

Exactly! To avoid IL because of tornadoes is like saying, "well I'm just going to avoid ever getting in a car again" because after all your chances of being bumped off in a car accident are oohhhhhhhhhhhhhh about 1,000,000 x greater than being killed by a tornado. So, just be somewhat intelligent.

If the sky turns blackish green when it should still be light outside, and if the wind picks way up and then stops, you see hail (pee sized usually) along with torential rains, and typically a major temperature change will be occuring, then chances are something bad is about to happen.

Also don't let yourself fall victim to stupid old wives tales such as going to the SE corner of your basement, or opening all the windows and doors in your house to equalize the pressure (as that has been PROVEN to only weaken the structure and actually let the storm in and cause the roof to fly off), don't stop under overpasses in a car as (again it is proven the underpasses actually will cause the winds in a tornado to speed up... causing your car with you in it to go hasta la bye bye)... DO NOT think that a mobile home is going to protect you in any way... In that case you are better off to see the storm coming, jump in your car and drive somewhere CLOSE where you can take shelter in a sturdy building. For instance, I lived in Hilltop Mobile Homes on the south end of B/N and they had a tornado shelter that was always open on the west side of the park for us that we would have to drive to very quickly when bad weather would come in.

[breer23]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

The only factor I could possibly see is if maybe Lake Michigan is very cold, and an approaching storm system might lose a little punch as it confronts the cooler waters of the lake, but again, this probably wouldn't happen. Once you hit late spring, the lake water is roughly the same temp as the surrounding air, and definitely not cold enough to affect the weather.

Also, for a tornado heading towards an urban area, the extra heat given off by the compacted city-suburban area can create a disruption in the local weather pattern near the surface. The funnel clouds will still develop, and the cone will dip towards the surface, but the extra heat provides additional turbulence, which usually shifts the direction of the cone away from the heat source. This is (supposedly) why downtown Springfield was spared in March 2006, even though the storms were well-formed outside of the city.

Of course, if it's strong enough ( > F4), and already closer to the surface to begin with, it won't matter as much...it could still head towards the larger populated areas.

[SirPent]

Originally Posted by runninfiend

Storms do go through, in fact, there was a minor tornado just south of Bloomington a few years ago off of Market St.

Nope, that was actually straight line winds that hit those mobile homes. That was the 'official' NOAA report. The worst damage they had was a garage door that was pushed in. Maybe a fence or two that was knocked over.

Everyone always wants to believe that there has been a tornado near them. The other 2 times in recent memory that what was believed to be a tornado but in actuality was just straight line winds or a micro-burst was: one the West Side of Bloomington in the Mid-90's and close to the corner of Airport & Rte 9 around 2004.

Again, the closest 2 confirmed tornadoes that I know of was South of Lamplighter and another one West of Downs. I have spoke with many 'long term' residents of B/N and none of them recall a tornado in the cities. They all will say that they are always plenty North or South of town.

[runninfiend]

Originally Posted by SirPent

Nope, that was actually straight line winds that hit those mobile homes. That was the 'official' NOAA report. The worst damage they had was a garage door that was pushed in. Maybe a fence or two that was knocked over.

Everyone always wants to believe that there has been a tornado near them. The other 2 times in recent memory that what was believed to be a tornado but in actuality was just straight line winds or a micro-burst was: one the West Side of Bloomington in the Mid-90's and close to the corner of Airport & Rte 9 around 2004.

Again, the closest 2 confirmed tornadoes that I know of was South of Lamplighter and another one West of Downs. I have spoke with many 'long term' residents of B/N and none of them recall a tornado in the cities. They all will say that they are always plenty North or South of town.

Ah, you're right on that one.

I still the lack of tornadoes "in the cities" is just random chance.

I heard the same thing about Springfield when I lived there, that they broke up or went around the city. And then this happened:

National Weather Service, Lincoln IL -- Springfield Tornadoes of March 12, 2006

We had a run of sizable tornadoes in Woodford County from '02 to '04, culminating in the F4 that wiped out Parson's Manufacturing:

National Weather Service, Lincoln IL -- July 13, 2004 Roanoke Tornado

We also dodged a bullet from the South Pekin tornado of 2003; while it devastated that village, it skirted around my town, leaving only a swath of torn up huge oak trees and some minor house damage. Had it swerved to the right, things would have been different:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ilx/events/m...3/woodford.gif

But, even with that, we don't worry about it too much. Tornadoes are rare.

[irish setter girl]

I don't know about B-ton being tornado free. I went to college there and I specifcally remember a terrible storm that came into town and the sirens went off. We all spent about 2 hours in the basement and when we went outside it looked like a major wind storm (not sure if it was labeled a tornado) had passed through. I never heard of the "bowl" location of B-ton but I no longer live there and have not for a long long time.

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by kaosproperties

...There's far less warning of upcoming tornado. Uncertainty of what direction tornado is heading. Whereas, earthquakes has well-known faults and hurricanes do not "sneak up" on you.
...

Actually, you almost always get at least a brief warning with a tornado, starting with the weather, letting you know to be alert. Earthquakes, on the other hand, are truly no warning events. Yes, we know where the fault lines are, though that's not so true in the Midwest, but that means absolutely nothing in regards to WHEN it's going to strike. As for hurricanes, yes, you get plenty of warning. However, they can devastate an entire region, and can disrupt your life for quite a long period of time. If a tornado touches down in Chicagoland, even if it hits my home I can at least remain in the area. There'll be places relatively close by that will have been spared. That's not usually true with a hurricane.

[ILMomof4]

It's not a "bowl". We call it the "State Farm Bubble"

[M TYPE X]

lol @ "State Farm Bubble"

Michigan and Wisconsin statistically have the least weather disasters in terms of Federal payouts (source: NOAA). All the southern states are high. North Carolina is the highest. San Diego has generally placid weather, except for the risk of earthquakes and those nasty brush fires that burn everything in the canyons!

Tornados have hit upper Michigan and midstate Wisconsin. You're not safe from tornados or ice storms anywhere in the midwest. That said, I feel a lot safer in Michigan than in Ohio/Indiana/Illinois. My biggest complain about living on the eastern plains is wind ... not a lot of bad weather here since June 2006. A little here and there, but nothing atrocious. The tornados that hit Iowa City have been absent here.

[linicx]

I live in tornado alley for 25 years. These storms generate in the Gulf, move through Texas and Oklhaoma. When they reach the Missouri border they split and go south down US 60 or north on 71. They customarily follow the interstates because they are the path of least resistance. It is unlikely a category 4 will "jump" over Bloomington any more than a hurricane like Katrina would jump over New Orleans. It is more likely that by the time a tornado reaches Bloominton the power is gone - because it needs water to maintain its strength - and what is left is a thunderstorm with high winds, heavy rain,, lightening and a lot of noise. I've live through the straight line winds that follow the tornado. They are far more destructive. If you hear the "train" and you're not near tracks, immediately go to ground and take cover. But be aware pf the total silence that preeceeds it. You won't hear a bird or see an animal moving.