Tornado Hits Streator Illinois

Around 9 p.m.- a tornado struck the south side of  Streator IL- a city of about 14000 residents located about 100 miles southwest of Chicago.

Mike Boik, Author.   CSW VidCap & Marker

First reports were of homes demolished with people trapped and of course trees and power lines down- particularily "in the 600 block of Powell and...South Illnois-" according to first news media reports from The OTTAWA (IL) TIMES who has a bureau office in Streator.

Tornado warnings were in effect at the time the twister struck- at 9:11 p.m said NWS reports but "before 9 p.m." said The OTTAWA TIMES.

Although dozens of homes were damaged and/or destroyed- there were no fatalities- not even any life-threatening injuries said amazed emergency workers.

Since the tornado struck at dusk Saturday night- there are only a few  good photos or videos (the latter nothing but tornado siren vid with bland clouds from nearby Peru IL) of the tornado as displayed here.

Tornado warnings in the dark remained for large areas of the Great Lakes into the night and early Sunday morning.


Tornadoes also brought destruction in other areas around Illinois- Indiana- Michigan- and especially in Ohio- where fatalities were mounting southeast of Toledo.

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CSW Weather: Severe T-storm Watch No. 256 Valid Until 11 P.M.- KS-MO-NE-IA-IL

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman OK has issued Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 256 for the entire Kansas City MetroRegion NORTH of Metro Kansas City.

The watch is in effect until 11 P.M. this Friday night and includes the following Kansas cities of Atchison- Valley Falls- Hiawatha- Seneca- Holton- Manhattan and Marysville.

In Missouri- ST Watch 256 includes St. Joseph- Plattsburg- Cameron- Chillicothe- Bethany- Trenton- Carrollton- Maryville- tarkio- Brookfield and Kirskville.


Current weather radar as shown here from NWS-Topeka KS shows no precipitation echoes whatsoever yet.

CSW will be on-duty overnight until after dawn Saturday watching.

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BP's Ecological Disaster Continues- Now Oil Washing Up On Florida Beaches

America and British Petroleum's (BP) zeal for more oil continues to wreak environmental death to the Gulf of Mexico.


The latest develoment is that globs of oil from the spewing broken oil well that's TOO DAMN DEEP UNDERSEA has begun washing up on the shores of the Florida Panhandle- Pensacola Beach to be exact.

News reports say swimmers came rushing out of the water at Pensacola when they discovered themselves being covered in oil.

At least the swimmers can wash the oil off- not so for the thousands of wildlife now covered in oil and fighting for their very survival along the Alabama- Mississippi and Louisiana coastlines.


Any and ALL deep-sea wells within the coastal waters of America should be shut down NOW until oil companies develop solid plans for well blowouts like what is ruining the Gulf of Mexico.

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CSW Commentary: KU's Lew Perkins HAS To Go

That's in "has to go" as in resign/quit/leave/get-fired-from the University of Kansas.


1) There's the ticket scandal that- as HEAD of the KU athletic department- claims he didn't know of.

2) Then there's this REALLY bogus-sounding "blackmail attempt" which appears to be some sort of diversion from (1) the ticket scandal.


This guy HAS to go- he makes KU look feeble- incompetent and possibly even criminal.

This 'born Jayhawker' says it's time (yesterday) for Lew Perkins to resign or be fired so KU can 'try' to get back a LITTLE public respect for their athletic program.

I have NO respect for either Perkins or the program right now.

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CSW Weather: Severe Storm Chances in Metro Kansas City Through Early Sunday

The weekend is coming- so naturally there's an increased chance for thunderboomers.


The NWS's Storm Prediction Center has much of the Kansas City MetroRegion- including the Metro- in a forecast area of possible severe thunderstorms today and tomorrow- the latter's forecast period ending 7 a.m. Sunday.

The primary threat will be for large hail- 1-inch diameter or greater- with a lesser chance of severe winds- 58 m.p.h. or greater- and only slight chances for tornado formation.

WIth those strong to severe storms will also be a possibility of torrential rainfalls and flash flooding.

Today's severe weather forecast covers about the northern half of the K.C. MetroRegion- and Saturdays forecast shifts south to include southern areas- including the Missouri 'Quad Lakes'-  as well.

Most storms will strike from late afternoon through overnight into early morning hours.


CSW will be on-duty overnight this weekend to watch and post any severe weather information.

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CSW BREAKING: Serious-Injury Crash with Extrication On West I-70 East of Blue Springs MO

This crash is reported at "the 23.6-mile mark on westbound I-70" which is east of Adams Dairy Parkway.


There's reportedly "an extrication of a 6-year-old" occupant of a vehicle- and a medical helicopter has just landed.

No reports on any other injuries yet.

Westbound I-70 is closed right now west of BB Highway in Grain Valley.


A "36-year-old female driver" who was not seatbelted was taken by Central Jackson County (CJC) Fire Protection District EMS to aa area hospital in non life-threatening condition.

The child was flown by a Lifeflight-Eagle med copter to Children's Mercy hospital in serious to critical condition.

Traffic on westbound I-70 west of Grain Valley remains at a standstill- as shown by the latest  image from KC Scout..

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CSW BREAKING: Fire in KC-MO High-Rise Residential Tower in Crown Center

At 12:18 p.m.- a 3rd- alarm of 3 more fire companies join the nearly 15 companies already on-scene at a confirmed fire at 2510 Grand at San Francisco Towers in Crown Center.


The fire's reportedly in an upper-floor apartment of the about 28-story residential tower there.

There have yet been no reports of injuries as of this post.

At 12:26 p.m.- mutual-aid assistance from the KC-KS Fire dept. was sent as 2 more ladder trucks were odered to the scene.

At 12:27 p.m.- the fire in the affected apartment was reported under control- with crews checking to see if the fire had spread beyond.


More here as received....

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CSW WEATHER: Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 242 Valid Until 2 A.M. Wednesday- KS-MO-IA

Severe storm Watch #242 will be in effect until 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Kansas City MetroRegion cities included are Atchison- Hiawatha and Seneca in Kansas- in  Missouri- St. Joseph- Maryville- Tarkio- Chillicothe- Bethany and Kirksville.

Severe storms brought tornado warnings to the Omaha metro during the 5 o'clock hour.

There have been at least 3 tornado reports- but as of yet no damage or injuries.

The storms were also producing large hail and torrential- flash-flooding rains.


At the present rate and direction of movement of the storms in Iowa and Nebraska- storms would enter northern Metro areas by 11 p.m. and be in downtown KC-MO around midnight.

Metro Kansas City is NOT included in the severe thunderstorm watch No. 242.

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CSW BREAKING: House Fire in Lenexa KS

Imagine coming home- opening the front door- and being met by smoke pouring from inside the house.


That's reportedly what happened to the occupants of a home in the 15100 block of West 82nd Terrace around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Firefighters arrived at 3:49 p.m. and went to work on the fire inside the residence.


So far- no reports of any injuries and no report of the fire being under control yet.

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Some Metro Kansas City Rainfall Totals for May 2010

These reports are courtesy of the Overland Park 'Stormwatch' site- click on the image for full size.

I think you can disregard the first reading- "Route (or M-) 45 at (Northwest) Prairie View Rain" at "47.40 inches."

It rained heavy at times up there last month (flash flooding on Rush Creek-see CSW)- but surely no 47-inches.


Also note that a number of rain gage locations have been added to the site- mainly in the Kansas City Northland.

Most of the rainfall locations are self-explanatory- such as "Johnson Dr @ Turkey Creek Rain" is the rainfall measured at Johnson Drive at Turkey Creek- west of I-35- in the month of May.

If you are unsure of a gage's location- you can match it's left-side number at the OP Stormwatch site HERE.


Today's thunderstorm produced around 1/2-inch in west thru south Olathe- with more showers and storms off and on expected in Metro Kansas City over the next 36 hours or so.

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CSW BREAKING: Shooting Homicide in Kansas City MO

The latest killing took place in far old-northeastern KC-MO- in the 8600 block of Roberts.


Police and the other emergency services got the call of a male shot and unconscious at 1:09 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Officers arrived and found the victim being tended to by "a bystander" and ordered in Fire-EMS who declared the victim dead on the scene.

Police say the suspect was a bald black male- about 5-feet 11-inches tall- wearing a white shirt and black or dark blue shorts- possibly in the area of 8600 Thompson.

No word yet if police have located that suspect yet.

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CSW BREAKING: Severe Thunderstorm Warning For Douglas County KS Until 12:15 P.M.

The warning is actually for northeastern Douglas county- including Lawrence and Eudora- and the main threat is large ("quarter-sized") hail.

These storms are moving eastward toward De Soto and Edgerton in Johnson county KS..

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CSW BREAKING: No Injuries Reported in KC-MO House Fire

Fire broke out in a 2-1/2-story house in the 2600 block of Lexington Avenue around 9:15 a.m..

Five companies of the KC-MO Fire department responded on the initial alarm- and they found smoke showing from the 2nd-story when crews arrived at 9:18 a.m..

Two handlines were used on the flames- brought under control at 9:32 a.m..

No one was in the house and no reports of any firefighters being injured as of this post.

The cause is under investigation. 

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CSW Weather: Severe Storm Risk Today- Wednesday For Central States

Today's forecast for possible severe thunderstorms from the NWS' Storm Prediction Center (SPC) covers about the northern half of CSW's 'Central States-' including the northern half of the Kansas City Metro and MetroRegion.

A severe thunderstorm watch is already in effect this Tuesday morning for most of eastern and southeastern Nebraska and there are thunderstorms as close as western Douglas county KS..

In addition- Metro and MetroRegion Kansas City is also included in a forecast area for possible severe storms on Wednesday.

Of course- CSW will keep you informed on today's Metro weather developments as they occur.

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U.S. Congress Wants to Raise Driving Age To 18

The damn Feds just CAN'T leave well enough- the states OR The People- alone.

Never mind that reliable public transit is a private joke in metro areas like Kansas City or- because of the dead economy- more and more teenagers HAVE to hold down jobs- Congress wants to raise the national driving age to 18- according to the story in The Oklahoma City (OK) OKLAHOMAN.

This latest erosion of states rights is supported by Allstate Insurance Company among others- but WON'T be supported by yours truly UNLESS Congress lowers the legal drinking age to the SAME age Americans allow their youth to go to war.

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Memorial Day Military Demonstration FAIL

Apparently no one bothered to check out the effects of a US Marine Corps Osprey's propwash when they performed a Memorial Day demo at a park in Staten Island NY..


Seven people were injured by flying debris.

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Honoring The Protectors of Freedom

Thank You!

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CSW Weather: Severe Thunderstorm Watch No. 236 Valid Until 9 P.M.- KS

The NWS' Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman OK has issued Severe Thunderstom (T-storm) Watch Number 236 that will be valid until 9 p.m. this Sunday night for parts of the extreme western and southwestern Kansas City MetroRegion.

Some area towns and cities included in this watch are Topeka- Valley Falls- Osage City and Emporia.

MetroRegion recreational lakes included in this watch are Perry- Pomona- Melvern and Redmond.

Those at Clinton Lake near Lawrence should maintain a wary weather eye- although that lake is not in the watch- but very close.

Showers and storms have already developed from northeastern into south-central Kansas- and these storms- which should be less intense by then- should reach Metro Kansas City by midnight.

Please monitor the latest weather information as your Captain will be out enjoying a holiday outing this evening.

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