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Unfortunetly this will dampen the cleanup and recovery efforts temporarily.
Places that got hit with Tornado will see snow tomorrow. 1-3" for North Carolina, Kentucky, Virgina, W. Virgina, Tenessee, Indiana. 3-6" for higher elevations.
Seeing some of the damage on the news last night, makes me thankful that tornadoes aren't much of an issue here.
There were wind gusts of 170 kph/100 mph in parts of the country a couple of days ago. There was damage, but minor, and without any fatalities, in comparison to what those tornadoes in the US can do.
Tornado season isn't officially here and already so many storms! My husband when 16 was sleeping in his family home when an F2 in Largo Fla area took the roof off and a window flew across nearly hitting him. I assume lightning won't strike twice so I am standing next to him if we have a tornado warning here again!
Seeing some of the damage on the news last night, makes me thankful that tornadoes aren't much of an issue here.
There were wind gusts of 170 kph/100 mph in parts of the country a couple of days ago. There was damage, but minor in comparison to what those tornadoes in the US can do.
Yes I think I read the US is the most tornado prone area on earth. It is something that must be dealth with every year at this time. Actually the storms are a little early this year. Seems they have been getting more intense, and more deadly than ever the past few years.
Unfortunately we have the tornado's and New Zealand has had those terrible earthquakes recently. Always something no matter where one is, or so it seems.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1236 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2012
.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 1236 PM EST SUN MAR 4 2012
CONVECTIVE SNOW SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOEPED ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE INITIAL SHORTWAVE ENERGY DIVING SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA.
THE MAIN SHOW STILL LOOKS LIKE IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT THOUGH AS GROUND AND AIR TEMPERATURES ARE MUCH TOO WARM FOR ANY SNOW TO STICK TO THE GROUND. WILL PLAN TO MENTION SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH A BRIEF BREAK THIS EVENING BEFORE HEAVIER SNOW MOVES BACK OVER THE AREA.
IT LOOKS LIKE WITH THE OMEGA THROUGH THE COLUMN THAT THE SNOW COULD COME DOWN PRETTY HEAVY AT TIMES TONIGHT. HOWEVER...WITH WARM GROUND...WE WILL LIKELY SEE SOME PRETTY GOOD COMPACTION ON THE GROUND...SO LIGHT SNOWFALL TOTALS AROUND 1 TO 3 INCHES SEEM REASONABLE...ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE A HEAVY WET SNOW...WHICH MAY CAUSE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS.
ALSO LOWER TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON WITH CLOUD COVER KEEPING TEMPERATURES IN THE 30S.
I've been reading about a town in AL that was heavily damaged last year in a similar outbreak of deadly weather, so they get to rebuild. Again.
In those news reports, people commented about why do we build our homes with what seems flimsy materials and methods. I thought I'd comment here about that....so here goes a bit of a rant....
Truth is, our building codes are written by lobbyists for the building industry and allow for CHEAP construction. This means that most working class folks live in minimal-quality homes that are thrown up in a hurry, and is why the term "builder's grade" really means "cheapest possible everything." For example, those "flying saucer" ceiling lights (http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/0/5/2/2/0/9/webimg/530824102_tp.jpg - broken link) seen in millions of older kitchens and dining rooms can be had for as little as $8 at any big box store; the National Electric Code (NEC) only specifies ONE light fixture per room, i.e., that is "builder's grade" all the way. I once had a home with such fixtures. Our new home has over FIFTY recessed can lights, put in to OUR spec. We also have 50-year hail-resistant shingles, which only cost 10% more, can lower your insurance costs and usually prevent the damage that causes re-roofing. WE all get what we pay for, and demand from our leaders.
BTW, Union Pacific RR has a building in Omaha, NE that is the system control point for all their RR lines in the western 2/3 of the nation... and it's built to withstand winds of 200+ MPH, aka an EF5 tornado. We CAN build houses much stronger than we currently do, but not unless WE regain control of our governments at all levels.
Our governments are NOT forward looking when it comes to building codes and methods, they are usually in the bag for the development industry that wants the largest profits at the least expense, so our codes remain minimal and we go through repeated cycles of damage and rebuild.
We cannot wait for the "free market" to figure this out. There's nothing really to figure out, we know how to build stronger, safer homes. Builder's costs (and liability) end when you buy their home (other than a limited warranty period that covers very little). In today's environment of very limited competition, the term "free market" is mostly empty rhetoric, a bumper sticker slogan for people who won't think. The "free market" is a fallacy; big money stacks the deck in their favor - and WE lose. I grant you this, the free market is alive and well in the cell phone and PC market, but in most cities, the people who keep our zoning and building codes, and the developers, are a very small club of insiders who have the game rigged to their liking.
Our building codes and methods will stay in its current minimal state as long as it is the INSURANCE companies who have to carry the cost to repair the damage, which ALL of us pay for via our premiums. As long as WE pay our premiums, the insurance industry is also happy to keep the cycle going. WE the people must fix it.
We the people will have to do it ourselves by seeking out those builders who use materials and methods that protect dwellings from high wind damage. We have to do it ourselves; the free market won't do squat for us, they will only give us more lousy homes and high insurance premiums, over and over again.
A sad footnote here is that Global Warming and Climate Change are for real, but many people have been told that these topics are a conspiracy by big-government types, or socialists, etc. If the people in tornado alley don't wise up, they'll be rebuilding way too often....
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