[janetjanet998]

spin off from severe weather superthread...



ARDMORE — With at least 15 confirmed dead after a massive tornado Tuesday evening, Carter County emergency officials were forced to suspend the search for survivors shortly after 1 a.m. until daylight Wednesday.



"It's just too dangerous," Sheriff Ken Grace said, referring to jagged metal and livewires hidden in rubble and debris. "We don't need to be adding any more injuries to what we already have."

Sheriff's officials said this town of about 5,000 people was devastated when a tornado estimated to have been about a half-mile wide tore through the middle of Lone Grove, ripping buildings from their slabs, demolishing dozens of mobile homes and snapping any trees and power lines in its path.




bout an hour before rescue workers suspended their search, the distraught sheriff said his men were doing all they could to clear areas and look for dozens of missing people — freeing people from debris and wrecked cars and marking bright orange "X"s on areas that had been searched. But Grace said he just didn't have enough light or man power.

"We've had reports of people calling for help in abandoned fields," the sheriff said. "We're doing all we can."

At least two trailer parks, and dozens of homes and businesses were completely destroyed. One deputy sheriff said whole families were lost in one of the trailer parks, and he said he expected more fatalities to be discovered at first light.

"I'm scared to death to see what daylight brings," the deputy said.




http://newsok.com/15...ead_story_title

[janetjanet998]

east side of town got hit..

live audio from chaser/witness on KXII TV as the tornado moves into Lone groove(they also got in a wreck) then also police scanner chatter

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=AGtvHrg5-Jg

[janetjanet998]

MSNBC/AP still have the death toll only at 8 in updates the past hour

i have only seen the 15 dead in the Newsok report(then others referred to that)

so hopefully the 15 number is incorrect?

edit:
he deaths occurred as the twister struck the town of Lone Grove in Carter County late yesterday, said Ed Reed, director of the county’s emergency management department. “That figure could increase,” Reed said early today in a telephone interview from Ardmore, Oklahoma. A search team will continue to look for survivors and assess the damage at daybreak, Reed said. He dismissed media reports that 15 deaths were confirmed.


http://www.bloomberg...6...d8&refer=us

[janetjanet998]

rated EF4

[brettjrob]

I didn't have class this afternoon so I took a brief look at the damage in the vicinity of Lone Grove. A lot of backroads in the most severely-affected areas were blocked off, and I didn't want to be too intrusive anyway, so I likely missed some of the worst damage (save for the area around where the final shot was taken - clearly some fatalities there). However, here are a few pictures..

SW of town:
 2009_02_11_6117_as_Smart_Object_1.jpg (190.21K)
Number of downloads: 5

 2009_02_11_6119_as_Smart_Object_1.jpg (218.23K)
Number of downloads: 4

 2009_02_11_6125_as_Smart_Object_1.jpg (292.24K)
Number of downloads: 4

North side of town:
 2009_02_11_6132_as_Smart_Object_1.jpg (152.49K)
Number of downloads: 7

 2009_02_11_6137_as_Smart_Object_1.jpg (179.69K)
Number of downloads: 5

The damage path was certainly easy to follow once you intercepted it. Nasty stuff.

[Fred Gossage]

KOCO.com reporting that a ninth tornado victim has died, due to injuries associated with the Lone Grove, OK EF4 tornado. :(

[HurricaneJosh]

Interesting to see such a strong tornado in this area this time of year. I'd usually expect the big wintertime tornadoes to be in the SE States.

Is there any NWS report on this event yet-- with estimated wind speeds, etc.?

[Fred Gossage]

Quote

411
NOUS44 KOUN 112241
PNSOUN

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
435 PM CST WED FEB 11 2009

...PRELIMINARY SURVEY INFORMATION CONCERNING THE TORNADOES IN
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA TUESDAY FEBRUARY 10...

AT LEAST THREE TORNADOES OCCURRED IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

..TORNADO ONE

THE FIRST TORNADO OF THE DAY TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 233 PM IN
FAR EASTERN CANADIAN COUNTY ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF BETHANY. THE
TORNADO TRACKED NORTHEAST ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA CITY
AND NORTHWEST EDMOND CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE TORNADO
DISSIPATED APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF SEWARD IN
SOUTHERN LOGAN COUNTY AT ABOUT 307 PM. THE INTENSITY OF THIS TORNADO
VARIED FROM EF0 TO EF2...WITH THE MOST INTENSE DAMAGE OCCURRING IN
NORTHWEST EDMOND.

..TORNADO TWO

THE SECOND TORNADO WAS SPAWNED BY THE SAME SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM
THAT PRODUCED TORNADO NUMBER ONE. THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT
ABOUT 330 PM APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SOUTH OF LANGSTON. THE TORNADO
TRACKED NORTHEAST ACROSS RURAL AREAS AND DISSIPATED APPROXIMATELY 3
MILES SOUTHWEST OF STILLWATER AT ABOUT 355 PM. THE INTENSITY OF
THIS TORNADO REMAINS UNKNOWN.

..TORNADO THREE

THE THIRD TORNADO LIKELY APPROACHED THE RED RIVER NEAR PETERSBURG IN
EXTREME SOUTHEAST JEFFERSON COUNTY AT ABOUT 650 PM. THIS TORNADO WAS
UP TO ONE-HALF MILE WIDE AS IT TRACKED NORTHEAST CROSSING NORTHWEST
LOVE COUNTY AND SOUTHERN CARTER COUNTY WHERE IT STRUCK THE TOWN OF
LONE GROVE BETWEEN 725 AND 730 PM CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE
TORNADO PRODUCED 8 FATALITIES AND NUMEROUS INJURIES IN THE LONE
GROVE AREA. THIS TORNADO REACHED EF4 INTENSITY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF
LONE GROVE IMPLYING WINDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 170 MPH. THE
TORNADO THEN CONTINUED NORTHEAST CROSSING INTERSTATE 35 NORTH OF
ARDMORE BEFORE DISSIPATING IN FAR SOUTHEAST MURRAY COUNTY
APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DOUGHERTY AT AROUND 800 PM.

THIS INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY AND DETAILS MAY CHANGE SLIGHTLY AS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. SOME AREAS REMAINED
INACCESSIBLE TO SURVEY TEAMS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE FINAL EF
RATINGS MAY VARY SLIGHTLY OR THAT ADDITIONAL SURVEYS REVEAL BREAKS
IN SOME OF THE TORNADO TRACKS SUGGESTING SEPARATE SHORTER TRACK
TORNADOES OCCURRED.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MAY ALSO BE FOUND ON THE NORMAN NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/NORMAN

[janetjanet998]

Deadly tornado illuminated by lightning

also you can here the LIVE Noaa broadcast

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=BkHC83SAMPA

[HurricaneJosh]

Thanks, Fred, for posting that report.

[SnowGoose69]

170 mph would make it a weak F-3 on the old scale...amazing that it killed this many people...I still believe the initial report that the sirens didnt sound may have some merit. I'll be headed to Dallas this evening and would like to make a stop in the area but I think given I won't be in the vicinity til 645 when it'll already be dark and the fact the town is probably still closed off won't make it easy.

[Justin]

SnowGoose69, on Feb 12 2009, 12:54 PM, said:

170 mph would make it a weak F-3 on the old scale...amazing that it killed this many people...I still believe the initial report that the sirens didnt sound may have some merit. I'll be headed to Dallas this evening and would like to make a stop in the area but I think given I won't be in the vicinity til 645 when it'll already be dark and the fact the town is probably still closed off won't make it easy.

Plus they probably have a curfew in place in that area after dark as well. I dont think I would go myself. Maybe if you have a shot during the day you will have a better chance.

[HurricaneJosh]

SnowGoose69, on Feb 12 2009, 08:54 AM, said:

170 mph would make it a weak F-3 on the old scale...amazing that it killed this many people...I still believe the initial report that the sirens didnt sound may have some merit. I'll be headed to Dallas this evening and would like to make a stop in the area but I think given I won't be in the vicinity til 645 when it'll already be dark and the fact the town is probably still closed off won't make it easy.

The old Fujita scale's wind values were totally inflated, weren't they? My understanding is that the EF scale's wind ranges are closer to reality, and what was previously called an F4 would have had winds equivalent to the current EF4 range-- correct?

[wxsmwhrms]

HurricaneJosh, on Feb 12 2009, 11:15 AM, said:

The old Fujita scale's wind values were totally inflated, weren't they? My understanding is that the EF scale's wind ranges are closer to reality, and what was previously called an F4 would have had winds equivalent to the current EF4 range-- correct?

Josh -

You are absolutely correct. You can only compare the ratings between old and new scales - not the wind speeds.

[brettjrob]

SnowGoose69, on Feb 12 2009, 10:54 AM, said:

170 mph would make it a weak F-3 on the old scale...amazing that it killed this many people...I still believe the initial report that the sirens didnt sound may have some merit. I'll be headed to Dallas this evening and would like to make a stop in the area but I think given I won't be in the vicinity til 645 when it'll already be dark and the fact the town is probably still closed off won't make it easy.

If you do get a chance to stop by before sunset, you should at least be able to see some significant damage along US-70 in the center of town. Lots of insulation and other debris hanging from the powerlines over the road. For the most impressive damage a short drive from the highway, go about a half mile north on Brock Rd. from US-70 on the east side of town (that's where the last two pictures I posted are from).