8/10 weather

[jsb]

My big question is why isn't this getting national coverage? This is likely a billion+ dollar catastrophe.

because it’s in the middle of another natural disaster?!?

seriously it’s probably because there wasn’t advance notice like a hurricane. And because it’s taken days to realize how bad it is.

it should be a bigger story. I don’t think those of us that aren’t in Cedar Rapids can understand how bad it is there. Hell, it’s bad here in Des Moines and it’s nothing like there.

 

[clone4life82]

My big question is why isn't this getting national coverage? This is likely a billion+ dollar catastrophe.

if I had power and tv (and time where I’m not either cleaning up at work or cleaning up at home) then maybe id be able to see some of the damage

 

[ArgentCy]

It's not like the Des Moines news has even mentioned Cedar Rapids. Yeah they've done a few stories and they have plenty of their own but still.

 

[SDClone]

I hear it could be at least next week for you guys. I live on nw side of ANKENY and we have mid am and feel your pain. We don’t have it either and looking across the field we back up to I see lights on in peoples houses and it’s frustrating.

I hope it’s not out that long. Nothing a guy can really do though.

 

[SDClone]

I really don't understand how I have power and dsl right now. I'm on consumer electric service as well in-between Cambridge and Huxley. They're telling people Tuesday they will have a better idea of when power will be restored in Huxley, likely Monday for a friend in Ames.

I do know there were power poles snapped off that run north and south. between Alleman and Huxley. Right after the storm I was heading home in 69 south of Huxley and I had to detour around the downed poles and lines. I drove up that way tonight and the highway is still blocked at Alleman. At least the nights have been cool.

 

[awd4cy]

It's not like the Des Moines news has even mentioned Cedar Rapids. Yeah they've done a few stories and they have plenty of their own but still.

There’s plenty of damage to cover in central Iowa as is.

 

[clone4life82]

I hope it’s not out that long. Nothing a guy can really do though.

our neighbors and us are splitting use on a generator to at least power our deep freeze and fridge (side note to anyone the throws out food due to no power- check with your insurance to see if they cover the cost of replacement for you and if they do, track the food you throw out).

 

[discydisc]

They're estimating 10 million acres of corn damaged in the storm, the average acre yields 198 bushels, so at 3.10 a bushel if the crops average a 50% loss that's over 3 billion dollars in corn alone.

 

[StClone]

I got a text noting Huxley Fire Dept. anemometer recorded wind gusts of 132 mph and sustained winds of over 90 mph for over ten minutes. Are these official readings?

If so that is the highest (non-tornadic) wind speed ever recorded in Iowa. I think the old record is under 125 mph.

 

[BCClone]

They're estimating Iowa had 10 million acres of corn damaged in the storm, the average acre yields 198 bushels, so at 3.10 a bushel if the crops average a 50% loss that's over 3 billion dollars in corn alone.

Maybe 10 million acres total. Iowa only plants 14 million acres of corn and there is no damage in the top three tiers of NC Iowa.

 

[discydisc]

Maybe 10 million acres total. Iowa only plants 14 million acres of corn and there is no damage in the top three tiers of NC Iowa.

Well that's good.

 

[FDWxMan]

Just read through the thread some quick hits from the Qs.

Models have sucked lately. Not surprising since the overall patterns have been more subtle, and not major synoptic scale systems involved.

That said, some did have storms coming through. Yes, there was a forecasted risk of severe storms and SPC Severe Outlook Risk areas covering Iowa that morning/day. A complex of storms with damaging winds as the main threat was certainly a possibility. The forecast struggled on the evolution of overnight storms to afternoon. Leading to...

No, we don't/can't really forecast, Hey! There's going to be a derecho tomorrow. We can forecast the risk of storms with damaging winds. We can make a forecast on how favorable conditions are for damaging winds, if the risk is higher than normal, etc.

What makes a line of severe storms go completely beserk and do this? Shrug emoji. It's like trying to figure out which tornado is going to go from funnel to EF-5 and which one is only going to be EF-0. There's still some special sauce in there that's just not going to be able to be handled with accuracy in advance or near-real time.

There are days where it looks like if there are any storms, it's going to be horrific on the tornado front, but for some reason they just can't sustain, even though it looks text book.

 

[FDWxMan]

Warnings
Why was there so much lead time. Well, they'd been barreling along for quite a while. We could see it coming, we had reports, easy to issue warnings way out ahead.
Why sometimes does the warning not happen till it's right in my yard? Can take 20 minutes to go from blue sky to tornado on the ground in some cases. Other times, you get a slower development, and you can get 42 minutes of warning to Parkersburg.

Sirens

They've never meant, "Hey go out in the yard and look." They mean take cover. Incoming. Originally bombs. Now weather. But maybe bombs too.

Tornado vs. straightline winds for sirens. Lotta cooks in the kitchen on issues here. Ultimately municipalities decide. NWS does not have jurisdiction over them. Neither does your local tv meteorologist.

Love to see everyone get on the same page on this. Different policies from fifedom to fifedom breed confusion and complacency. I'm not a fan of sirens for 70 mph wind, but not 60 mph wind.

If you look at that purely from the "they're to warn people outside" why are we issuing warnings for 60 mph wind only to people inside. It's okay to be outside in 60 mph wind but not inside? Outdoor folk don't need warned till it hits 70? Would it be better to raise the threshold for a SVR Tstorm to 70 mph? Sirens for all SVR and TOR then?

I do think we have too many SVR warnings, but that's a seat of the pants opinion and probably should be studied more.

 

[FDWxMan]

One more on the sirens...

I also sort of think we should have a more liberal policy for sirens at night.

If you go again from the "for people outdoors" policy, then we should absolutely be using them for every warning, particularly in areas where people are camping and literally sleeping next to/under trees.

I know they aren't supposed to wake you up inside, but they will wake some, especially in a straightline wind situation where there is greater lead time and even the muffled sound in what it otherwise a quiet night will raise at least some people. They've woken me up at least twice in the last year.

I just think there's too much left uncovered right now in the transition from the traditional "Use For Tornadoes Only" to the "Outdoor Warning System" phase we have entered. Sorta half dipping our toes in the water here.

 

[CysRage]

My big question is why isn't this getting national coverage? This is likely a billion+ dollar catastrophe.

This is the lead anchor for KCRG in Cedar Rapids who was also an anchor during the Floods of 2008. She says the devastation is worse and not even getting a sliver of coverage the floods got.

 

[CysRage]

 

[discydisc]

 

[SDClone]

As I have been sitting out in my patio tonight, I have seen two electric company trucks drive down the road with their spotlight scanning the power lines and also stopping to a guy get out with a spotlight to shine up on the poles where the wires are connected to it. I am hoping this is a sign that my power will be back on here in the near future.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Wow.

 

[cycloner29]

Day 4 starts in North Ames with no power. 8000 watt generator is powering our house and neighbors house. Total of 4 fridges and two deep freezers along with phones and fans. Just fired it back up after a 3 hour break. Tree companies are making bank on this! $3000 for a neighbor to get the rest of their ash tree removed and $8500 for across the street to remove a huge ash tree off their crushed car and house. This included a huge crane. Someone told me two block over someone was quoted $20,000 to get a huge tree off their house. We have a couple “widow makers” that are going to cost me around $700 to get removed.