U.S. Cities  

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois

Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 400,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 13,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. Within the last few months our forum was cited in an article in 15 newspaper and in a story on AOL's homepage.

Get a detailed profile of any city, county, or zip code:
      Search our forums (advanced):

Reply
 
Old 04-18-2008, 10:44 AM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
1,068 posts, read 341,488 times
Reputation: 309
Chicago60614 is a jewel in the roughChicago60614 is a jewel in the roughChicago60614 is a jewel in the roughChicago60614 is a jewel in the roughChicago60614 is a jewel in the roughChicago60614 is a jewel in the roughChicago60614 is a jewel in the rough
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.

[+] Rate this post positively
Reply With Quote

 
Old 04-18-2008, 10:59 AM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
828 posts, read 360,703 times
Reputation: 97
NYrules will become famous soon enoughNYrules will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by CarolL View Post
"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.

[+] Rate this post positively
Reply With Quote
 
Old 04-18-2008, 11:42 AM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Idaho Falls, ID
364 posts, read 105,266 times
Reputation: 74
breer23 will become famous soon enoughbreer23 will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicago60614 View Post
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.

[+] Rate this post positively

Last edited by breer23; 04-18-2008 at 11:44 AM. Reason: couple of typos...
Reply With Quote
 
Old 04-18-2008, 01:20 PM
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
2 posts, read 714 times
Reputation: 10
SirPent is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by runninfiend View Post
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.

[+] Rate this post positively
Reply With Quote
 
Old 04-18-2008, 02:14 PM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
213 posts, read 72,764 times
Reputation: 66
runninfiend will become famous soon enoughrunninfiend will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by SirPent View Post
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.

[+] Rate this post positively
Reply With Quote
 
Old 04-19-2008, 08:17 AM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
347 posts, read 118,565 times
Reputation: 30
irish setter girl is on a distinguished road
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.

[+] Rate this post positively
Reply With Quote
 
Old 04-21-2008, 10:08 PM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
523 posts, read 264,694 times
Reputation: 112
prairiestate will become famous soon enoughprairiestate will become famous soon enoughprairiestate will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaosproperties View Post
...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.

[+] Rate this post positively
Reply With Quote
 
Old 04-27-2008, 05:42 PM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Central IL
119 posts, read 24,272 times
Reputation: 35
ILMomof4 is on a distinguished road
Default Not a bowl...

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

[+] Rate this post positively
Reply With Quote
 
Old 04-30-2008, 11:00 PM
Middle American
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Midwest
1,879 posts, read 917,113 times
Reputation: 232
M TYPE X has a spectacular aura aboutM TYPE X has a spectacular aura aboutM TYPE X has a spectacular aura aboutM TYPE X has a spectacular aura aboutM TYPE X has a spectacular aura about
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.

[+] Rate this post positively
Reply With Quote
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It's free and quick.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.



Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Similar Threads

Forum Jump

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:43 PM.

Copyright © 2005-2008, Advameg, Inc.