Midwest Storm Spotters League

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI

922 PM CDT THU OCT 23 2014

...AREAS OF DENSE FOG EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT...

.A MOIST AIRMASS WITH LIGHT WINDS WILL RESULT IN FOG DEVELOPING

OVERNIGHT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THE FOG WILL BE DENSE IN

AREAS...RESULTING IN VISIBILITIES OF ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS.

AREAS OF DENSE FOG ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP AROUND MINERAL

POINT...EXTENDING NORTHWARD TO REEDSBURG AND THE WISCONSIN DELLS.

HENCE THE START TIME OF THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY HAS BEEN PUSHED UP

TO THE CURRENT TIME.

THE MADISON AND MONROE AREAS HAVE ALSO BEEN ADDED TO THE DENSE

FOG ADVISORY.

WIZ046-047-056-057-062-067-241030-

/O.EXT.KMKX.FG.Y.0014.141024T0222Z-141024T1500Z/

MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-SAUK-COLUMBIA-IOWA-LAFAYETTE-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MONTELLO...BERLIN...BARABOO...PORTAGE...

WISCONSIN DELLS...DODGEVILLE...DARLINGTON

922 PM CDT THU OCT 23 2014

...DENSE FOG ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT FRIDAY...

THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT FRIDAY.

* TIMING...AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND LINGER UNTIL

10 AM FRIDAY MORNING.

* VISIBILITY...AREAS OF 1/4 MILE OR LESS ACROSS THE ADVISORY

AREA.

* IMPACTS...DENSE FOG WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES AND MAKE FOR

DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS LATER TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY

MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MEANS VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE

REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. IF DRIVING...SLOW DOWN...

USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS...AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.

Alright, so I had a few people asking me to post an update vid of my truck since the last time I did a vid. So I finally did the other day so enjoy! And as always, you're free to leave comments/questions/suggestions on our vids:

http://youtu.be/L16jhSVXMbw?list=UU_cdvTxreK3gXE2Xg7qTfxQ

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
348 PM CDT MON JUN 24 2013

MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT THIS EVENING FOR
THE SOUTHERN-MOST TIER OF COUNTIES IN WISCONSIN AS WELL AS
MILWAUKEE AND WAUKESHA COUNTIES. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING
WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT ALONG AND WEST OF
A JANESVILLE...MADISON...PORTAGE...TO BERLIN LINE. THUNDERSTORMS WITH
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT.

MANY RIVERS IN FAR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN ARE AT...OR FORECAST TO BE
AT BANKFULL OR FLOOD LEVELS. KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM TIME TO TIME DURING THIS PERIOD...
ESPECIALLY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM TUESDAY FROM
JANESVILLE...MADISON... PORTAGE...AND BERLIN ON WEST.
HOWEVER...THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN WILL
CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY.

ON TUESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THROUGHOUT ALL BUT FAR NORTHEAST AND NORTHERN WISCONSIN. THE
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER IS HIGHEST OVER SOUTHERN WISCONSIN
ON TUESDAY.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY EAST
OF A LINE FROM RIPON TO POYNETTE...MOUNT HOREB AND DARLINGTON.

HEAVY RAINFALL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND HAIL ARE ALL POSSIBLE FROM
THE THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS EVENING...AND MAY BE NEEDED
AGAIN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. REPORTS OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND
FLOODING ARE ALSO APPRECIATED.

Overview – County and local government agencies continue to assess the damage and aid residents in cleaning up damage following a series of storms which tracked across southern Wisconsin over the weekend. The National Weather Service says additional thunderstorms will move through Wisconsin Monday afternoon into Tuesday night which could result in 1 to 3 inches of rain with higher amounts possible along with damaging winds and hail.

Flood Warnings continue for Crawford, Grant, Kenosha, Lafayette, Richland and Vernon Counties including:

River Name       Location           Flood Stage (feet)         Current Height      Current Flood Status

Kickapoo          Steuben                        12                     13.9                    Moderate

Kickapoo          Gays Mills                     13                     14.9                    Minor

Kickapoo          Soldiers Grove               13                     13.5                    Minor

Kickapoo          Readstown                    11                     11.5                    Minor

Pecatonica        Blanchardville                11                     13.5                    Minor

Crawford County – A new landslide on WIS Highway 61 closed the road in both directions between WIS Highway 60 and the bridge to Boscobel. Fortunately no one was injured. The mudslide is approximately 25 feet high and 200 yards long. That road will likely be closed for several days for crews to clear the debris (see picture attached). Here are the other current road closures:

WIS Highway 35 is closed in both directions from Lynxville to Prairie du Chien due to mud slides and debris.

WIS Highway 171 is closed in both directions from Highway 27 to 131 due to water on the roadway.

Grant County – Grant County officials estimate damage to public infrastructure at more than $2.3 million. The State of Emergency continues for Boscobel and Grant County.

Grant County is working with the American Red Cross and Salvation Army to provide additional cleanup kits to affected residents. Cleanup kits can be obtained for free at Boscobel City Hall, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the week. Kits include mops, bleach, and cleaning tools to sterilize basements and clean up flood damaged homes.

The City of Boscobel is providing 1,500 sand bags to residents. The fire department is pumping water out of a remaining handful of homes with water from this weekend.

Grant County asked again Monday for volunteers to assist area residents with cleanup. Volunteers were asked to bring gloves and boots and report to the Boscobel City Hall for assignments.

Residents are encouraged to document all damage with photos and save all receipts and report damage to homes. Boscobel residents are encouraged to contact city hall at 608-375-5001 to report damages and request volunteer help. Grant County residents outside of Boscobel should contact Grant County Emergency Management.

A joint City-County Resident Assistance Center opened Monday at the Boscobel City Hall. Local and county agencies provided assistance to residents in need. The City of Boscobel has made dumpsters available for the disposal of flood-damaged carpeting and belongings for use by city residents.

Richland County – WIS Highway 60 is closed in both directions between Muscoda and Gotham because of flooding. The detour for eastbound traffic is: north on WIS 80 to US 14, south on US 14 back to WIS 60. Reverse those directions for westbound traffic.

The State Emergency Operations Center remains at level 4. The Senior Duty Officer and Duty Officer will continue to monitor the situation.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SULLIVAN HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... NORTHEASTERN LAFAYETTE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN... NORTHERN GREEN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN... SOUTHERN IOWA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN... SOUTHWESTERN DANE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN... * UNTIL 800 AM CDT * AT 147 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. RADAR IS ESTIMATING THAT 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN...WITH ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE. * RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO OCCUR. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... DODGEVILLE...MINERAL POINT...MOUNT HOREB...BELLEVILLE... BLANCHARDVILLE...GOVERNOR DODGE STATE PARK...MINERAL POINT AIRPORT...MONTICELLO...NEW GLARUS AND YELLOWSTONE LAKE STATE PARK. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY AUTOMOBILE.

Lightning Safety Awareness Week - June 23-29, 2013

“When Thunder Roars…Go Indoors!”

(MADISON) – Every year, lightning kills more than 50 Americans and injures hundreds of others leaving them with lifelong pain and in some cases permanent neurological disabilities. Here in Wisconsin, 25 people have been killed and 208 injured as a result of lightning since 1982. You can protect yourself and your family by knowing these simple lightning safety facts and tips:

• If you hear thunder, you are in danger. Don’t be fooled by blue skies. If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to pose an immediate threat. Don’t wait, seek shelter immediately. Remember: When Thunder Roars…Go Indoors!
• A fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing offers the best protection. Sheds, picnic shelters and covered porches DO NOT protect you from lightning.
• If a building is not available get into a hard-topped metal vehicle and close all the windows.
• Stay inside a safe building or vehicle for at least 30 minutes after you hear the last clap of thunder.
• Don’t use a corded phone except in an emergency. Cordless and cell phones are safe to use.
• Keep away from electrical equipment and wiring.
• Because water pipes conduct electricity, don’t take a bath or shower or use other plumbing during a storm.
• Stay away from isolated tall trees, towers or utility poles. Lightning tends to strike taller object in an area.
• Get an Emergency Weather Radio. It will broadcast the latest forecast for thunderstorms. Remember, any thunderstorm, whether it is severe or not, can produce deadly lightning.

 Act fast if someone is struck by lightning:

•  Lightning victims don’t carry an electric charge and are safe to touch and need urgent medical attention. Cardiac arrest is the immediate cause of death. Call 911 immediately.
• Give CPR if the person is unresponsive or not breathing. Use an Automatic External Defibrillator if one is available.
• If possible, move the victim to a safer place. Lightning can strike twice. Don’t be a victim.

 Lightning Facts:

•  Lightning occurs in all thunderstorms; each year lightning strikes the United States 25 million times.
• Lightning often strikes the same place repeatedly, especially tall isolated objects.
• Most lightning victims are in open areas or near a tree.
• The energy from one lightning flash could light a 100-watt light bulb for more than 3 months.
• The air near a lightning strike is heated to 50,000°F—five times hotter than the surface of the sun!
• The rapid heating and cooling of the air near the lightning channel causes a shock wave which results in thunder.  

Lightning Myths and Facts

Myth: Rubber tires on a car protect you from lightning by insulating you from the ground.

Fact: The metal roof and sides protect you, NOT the rubber tires. When lightning strikes a vehicle it goes through the metal frame into the ground. Don’t lean on the vehicle doors during a thunderstorm.

Myth: If trapped outside and lightning is about to strike you should lie flat on the ground.

Fact: Lying flat increases your chance of being hit by a ground current. If you are caught outside in a thunderstorm keep moving toward a safe shelter.

Myth: If thunderstorms threaten while you are outside playing a game it is OK to finish before seeking shelter.

Fact: Many lighting casualties occur because people do not seek shelter soon enough. No game is worth death or lifelong injuries. Seek shelter immediately if you hear thunder. Adults are responsible for the safety of children.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1054 AM CDT WED MAY 29 2013

MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT AS
A WARM FRONT LIFTS THROUGH THE REGION. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE
STRONG TO SEVERE...ESPECIALLY WEST OF A BERLIN...WATERTOWN TO
JANESVILLE LINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

SOUTHERN WISCONSIN WILL BE IN THE WARM SECTOR AHEAD OF A LOW OVER
THE PLAINS THROUGH FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN CONTINUED CHANCES
FOR THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO
SEVERE...ESPECIALLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FROM LATE TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY
NIGHT.


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Everyone talks about the weather, but storm spotters do something about it. Fear is not an option.
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Our best spotters always practice safety first.

I posted this status after the Moore,Oklahoma tornado. Got a lot of responses on it so I thought I would share it here as well:

The events of what happened in Oklahoma make me more determined to stay my current path in life as a training storm spotter. I've gotten comments like "Are you nuts?", "You're going to get yourself killed" (Yes, I have had someone say this to me!), and of course the usual looks like I'm some kind of kook for wanting to do this. But I'm not doing this because I want to chase storms. I am on this current path because I want to be able to make a difference in the event that if anything does happen, I can be ready to respond at a moments notice. So to those who think I'm nuts or am trying to get myself killed, step into my world and take the training I am currently on. I can guarantee it'll change your tune.