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- Tornado Talk Weekly (August 28, 2023)
Tornado Talk Weekly (August 28, 2023)
Another Week....Another New Summary Release!
Company Updates!
From Owner, Jen Narramore
Coming this week! We have a new summary from main writer Zachary Reichle. On the evening of May 15, 2013, a regional outbreak of 20 tornadoes took place in Texas and Oklahoma. The southwestern fringes of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex saw two, rated EF3 and EF4, which accounted for most of the outbreak’s property losses and injuries. The latter, and the focus of this summary, only needed 2.5 miles to devastate the community of Granbury, TX, where six people lost their lives. Looking at a Wednesday, August 30th release for Patreon members. They receive early access before the public. Over Labor Day weekend, this summary will be out to the masses!
Radar imagery from NWS Dallas-Forth Worth.
Have you checked out our Patreon membership and the perks? We are SO grateful to all of our members who help support our work. We could not do this without you! If you are interested in supporting us on a monthly or yearly basis, check out our Patreon page!
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For all members, you are invited to join our Discord server and be a part of our Patreon only rooms and growing community there! This week we had our first tornado talk on Discord voice and discussed the Plainfield F5 from August 28, 1990! We are also starting a monthly poll, where members can vote on the twisters we write about for FREE summaries!
This Week In Tornado History!
August 28: It was the deadliest and most damaging tornado of 1990. It crossed just over 16 miles in less than 30 minutes across parts of Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois. There was an estimated $165 million in damages. A total of 470 homes were destroyed and another 1000 were damaged. 29 people were killed and 350 more were injured. Read the full summary!
Image via NWS Chicago.
August 29: In 1925, Thomas Grazulis documents a tornado in Wichita County, TX on this day. It moved south of Electra and hit several small homes. Two children were killed in one of those homes. Rating given: F2.
August 30: An EF2 tornado tracked along a 1.6 mile “U” shaped path, about 13 miles north of Miller, SD on this day in 2020. It struck an RV. The driver was killed, and the vehicle was rolled about 200 yards. Corn was flattened, as well.
Photo of the tornado, via NWS Aberdeen.
August 31: On this day in 1947: An estimated F3 tornado traveled 17 miles through Le Sueur County, MN. At least 7 farms lost barns and on three of them, the homes were destroyed. One killed, 8 injured.
September 1: In 2014, an EF1 tornado slashed across a four-mile path in northeastern Kalkaska County, MI. The 100 mph winds toppled many trees. Some of the fallen trees landed on homes.
September 2: Six tornadoes were confirmed on September 2, 2002, all in the state of Wisconsin. There were 2 F0s, 2 F1s, 1 F2 and 1 F3. We take a look at that F3 in this summary. The tornado struck around 420pm on Labor Day 2002 just to the west of downtown Ladysmith. Overall damage was estimated at $20 million. There were 27 injuries reported.
Image via Wisconsin Emergency Management.
September 3: In 1879, Thomas Grazulis documented a “copper and reddish-black” tornado that moved NNE at Sandy Springs, MD. “Large trees were snapped and whirled 600 feet into the air.”
Twister Tales!
Gore Springs, MS F2 Tornado – February 4, 1971: Only three weeks before a major outbreak would hit the Mississippi Delta, a small but devastating tornado event would occur. In the blink of an eye, a dedicated city of Grenada police officer lost his entire family.
We had the honor of interviewing that police officer, Christopher Columbus Hankins on January 22, 2023. He confirmed the details of what happened on this day and gave us insight into the outpouring of love shown after the event.
Toward the end of the interview, we asked this beloved man if he had anything else he would like to share. “One thing I would like to say is that I learned to be a firm believer, that you are not going until your time. Because I tried to come home and I just couldn’t come. I went by the doctor’s office. I went by my uncle’s and his son’s. I went by the store and bought all the children candy. I guess God said it wasn’t my time. I’m gonna delay him until I do what I gotta do.”
Read Officer Hankins’ story in this summary!
Video of the Week!
Large firenado forms during Canada wildfire
Instead of an article this week….we have a video courtesy of The Weather Channel. A giant firenado formed during a wildfire in British Columbia in mid-August.
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