Part 1: Tornados, Shelf Clouds/Wall Clouds and a look back at the Taopi Tornado
The Spring into Action special covers a wide variety of topics including a look back at the June 2010 tornadoes that touched down in Freeborn County, as well as the spring tornado that destroyed the small town of Taopi in Mower county in 2022. The ABC 6 Weather team also explains the difference between a wall cloud and a shelf cloud and how to tell the difference.
Part 2: Flooding and a look back at the historic floods of 2007
Spring into Action segment 2: Flooding
The day's local, regional and national news, detailed events and late-breaking stories are presented by the ABC 6 News Team, along with the latest sports, weather updates including the extended forecast.
When it comes to flash flooding, nothing compares to the SE Minnesota floods of 2007. On Saturday, August 18th, heavy rain began falling on already saturated ground from rain the week prior. Throughout the weekend, rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour were common.
Part 3: Extreme heat and lightning dangers
Spring into Action Segment 3: Extreme Heat
The day's local, regional and national news, detailed events and late-breaking stories are presented by the ABC 6 News Team, along with the latest sports, weather updates including the extended forecast.
Heat is the cause of the most weather-related deaths in the United States. Taking breaks from the heat and keeping yourself hydrated are important, so is keeping your body temperature below 101 degrees to prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Part 4: Behind-the-Scenes at the National Weather Service
The meteorologists at the National Weather Service are the people who issue weather alerts like Tornado and Thunderstorm Warnings. The number of people in the office varies based on the severity of the storms in the area. They also must go through a lot of training.
When it comes to being impacted by a tornado, there are two parts that are particularly traumatic 1) being impacted by the tornado itself, 2) the recovery process afterwards.
An EF2 tornado tore through Taopi in Mower County on April 12, 2022. For previous ABC 6 News coverage on the Taopi tornado, click HERE.
Thunderstorms have multiple threats especially when they become severe. While tornadoes and heavy rain can be both damaging and deadly, it's important not to overlook the other threats of severe weather.
Hail - hailstones of 1.00" in diameter, or quarter-size, is considered severe. According to the National Weather Service, our local area typically has 2-3 days a year with severe thunderstorms that produce large hail.
Lightning - is responsible for 100 fatalities a year on average. It can strike up to 10 miles away from the originating thunderstorm.
Strong winds - wind gusts in excess of 58 mph is enough to categorize a thunderstorm as severe. The National Weather Service says our local area typically has 4-5 days a year with severe thunderstorms that produce high winds.
When it comes to thunderstorm-related deaths, flooding is number one.
The National Weather Service says when it comes to flooding, more fatalities take place at night when it's difficult to see the water.
Driving or running into standing water in neighborhoods are extremely dangerous. The road or areas underneath the water could be washed away and the water could be filled with bacteria or other harmful chemicals.
It only takes 2 feet of rushing water to move most cars and about 6 inches of rushing water to move most humans.
The National Weather Service says heat causes more fatalities than any other weather-related phenomenon.
The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity can cause heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Heat stroke - occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature: the body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat exhaustion - is the body's response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through excessive sweating. Heat exhaustion is most likely to affect: The elderly. People with high blood pressure. Those working in a hot environment.
Severe weather can happen at any time, but across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, the severe weather season typically is March through October. Knowing the correct terminology the ABC 6 Weather First Meteorologists use during times of severe weather can help keep you and your family safe and it all starts with a safety plan. Click below for more.
Weather is an art and science surrounded by mathematical equations of the atmosphere. Like any other science, it is encompassed by hundreds, if not thousands of myths. There a few myths and facts below you may or may not have heard of.
Tornado
When a tornado approaches, opening the windows of a home will equalize the pressure – Myth
Tornadoes can happen any time of year, given the right conditions – Fact
Tornadoes don’t hit large cities, highly populated areas – Myth
Lightning
A lightning bolt is about 5x hotter than the surface of the sun – Fact
Lightning can travel 10 or more miles away from a storm – Fact
Lightning never strikes the same place twice – Myth
Flooding
It only takes about 1 foot of water to move a car, and 2 feet to wash away a full-size SUV – Fact
Floods only occur along a river or creek – Myth
You can drive through floodwater if it’s not too deep – Myth
