Sunday, May 22, 2011

No Tornado Watch When Killer Tornado Struck Reading Kansas


So far this Sunday morning- the local news media are reporting about the tornado that struck Reading KS just after 9 p.m. Saturday night.


As first reported here at CSW- one man died and at least 5 others were injured in the twister that damaged more than 200 structures- destroying 20- in the east-central Kansas town of about 250 people.


What the news media is NOT reporting thus far is that Reading- as well as Jefferson county almost 40 miles to the north- the 2 locations where damaging tornadoes were reported Saturday- were not under any tornado watch.



In fact- Jefferson (and Douglas) county was only later added to a severe thunderstorm watch that was issued for most of eastern Kansas when severe thunderstorms began pummeling Topeka shortly after the watch (No. 318) was issued.



I don't know if the Storm Prediction Center used up all of it's tornado watch budget in April during the Super-Duper Tornado Outbreak or the SPC forecasters simply didn't see tornadoes coming for eastern Kansas.


No need to explain any of that to me- but I'm sure the injured and survivors of the man who was killed might like to know the reasoning why a tornado watch wasn't in effect when Reading was heavily-damaged by a tornado Saturday night.
________

6 comments:

Paul said...

Last night during the storms I was watching WIBW and listening to a weather radio and I can tell you that there were numerous warnings for Reading and Eastern Kansas. I don't know where you got your information or if you are just trying to start unsubstantiated rumors, but if you can't do even minimal facts checking before you report something maybe you shouldn't be reporting anything. So instead of trying to start some kind of B.S. maybe you should try seeing if there is some way you can help the people who have lost everything due to the storm.

Anonymous said...

Paul please reread what was written.

CSW states they were not under any TORNADO WATCHES!

NOAA never issued any tornado watches just warnings as events turned ugly.

Anonymous said...

While we are on the subject of warnings and so forth it appears many people located in the KC Metro area were very upset that local coverage of the storm last night kept them from viewing Saturday Night Live on KSHB the local NBC station.

In fact one other KC media person posted on Facebook that Gary Lezak sucks due to his coverage of the storm. I wrote this in reply to that persons posting before I found out that one death and injuries had been reported with this storm

I want to go on record here that for one I love Saturday Night Live and have been a fan of the show way before most if not all of you making comments in here last night may have even been born. So 36 years later I still watch and enjoy the show

As well I have lived in the KC Metro area all my life and have followed, studied and observered weather events in the KC Metro for app 40 years of that time.

Last night’s weather coverage events on TV while making it hard to see favorite shows as well was very needed. The town I live in for one was under a TORNADO WARNING till midnight at one point. Oh by the way I live in Johnson County Kansas and last I knew was a very major part of the KC Metro area.

I had been tracking this storm from home here and was also join by another person in a different location in KC who as well was watching and tracking this storm. This was a very dangerous storm that had the potential to be a very damaging storm and in fact was proving to be so. So to say live up to date coverage was unwarranted as the system approached the KC area is being very naive and selfish with personal desires instead of those desires of the ones trying to keep people safe and out of harm’s way.

In this day and time it is so easy to see a missed broadcast show. I remember the good ole days of power outages and storms and what not where if you missed the show you flat missed it but life went on and we made it without any ill effects. In fact when WDAF use to broadcast the Royals games back in the 80’s, lots of network shows were not seen due to the ball games being aired. I missed several Miami Vice episodes due to ball games. Gee wonder how you all would like to deal with things like that all the time in today’s world? It’s a show and you will at some time get to see it again. It isn’t the end of the world but last night for many it could have been the end of the world. So far it appears no deaths from the storms and that is good and the important part.

Maybe live coverage on TV played a role in that.

Groucho K. Marx said...

Boy- the NWS will sure be happy to read that here in 2011- people STILL don't know the difference between a tornado WATCH and a tornado WARNING.

Again Paul- backed by fact- proof- and with absolutely no disrespect for the victims of Saturday's tornadoes:

There was NO tornado WATCH ever issued within 100 miles of Kansas City- Reading or Lakeside Village on Saturday and SOME of us would like the government forecasters to explain why there wasn't a WATCH issued.

Groucho K. Marx said...

Superdave:

I couldn't have said it better in regard to those ppl who missed SNL last night.

My reply would have been: It's Spring- It's Tornado Season- and SNL will be in reruns ALL summer and to GET OVER IT.

But I liked your explanation better SD...
;)

Stephanie said...

As a resident of Reading, still staying at a motel as we are homeless, I can contribute that the current warning systems are not sufficient. That night, the officials were so focused on Emporia that we were forgotten until the last minute. My family of three rode the storm out inside our home because by the time we realized the severity of the situation it was too late. I do empathize with those who were in the news coverage area. The warning systems so often in Kansas go off for storms that are 40 miles away. We become desensitized. One never realizes the severity of the situation until it is too late. My advice to anyone is to over insure and to pay attention to severe weather. On another rant...My heartfelt sympathies to those in Joplin. We can empathize. However, and please know I do not mean to down play their crisis, but I can speak from ours. We are not receiving any assistance. The government says that our tiny town is insignificant. We are having to fight the big fight on our own. The things you read on the news about the Red Cross and the United Way are untrue. The only entity that I can speak highly for is the Salvation Army. They have done amazing things for the citizens. I digress. My emotional upset comes from the fact that since the Joplin tornado hit the next day, we were forgotten. Do the math though; our per capita death ration was the same. And how do you put a value on who is more important. The government should help all or none, not the ones they deem worthy.Apparently I am not worthy. My family, friends, neighbors are not "valuable enough" to deserve help. Well you can take any government entity and....Ok I am better. I do thank you for allowing me to post this. We are a strong, proud community and we will overcome our adversity, without any "help". They do not post on the news how we are feeling, how we are struggling, what we really have gone through. Surviving the tornado was sadly the easy part. It's getting through the after math that is the real challenge...

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