Carolina Storms

[Gob]

Do we have any friends in the affected areas?

Rescue efforts continue after lethal US storms

Search and rescue efforts are continuing in the US state of North Carolina after three days of storms and tornadoes killed at least 45 people across half a dozen states.

More than 60 tornadoes ripped through North Carolina, killing 21, the highest toll for any of the states affected.

Governor Beverly Perdue said on the NBC network's Today show that she had never seen anything like the devastation.

She said homes in the state had been handled like paper dolls' houses.

"The good news is that the tornadoes have left and things are brighter today in North Carolina," Ms Perdue said, adding that federal officials were beginning their damage assessments.

Deaths from the tornadoes were also reported in the states of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Virginia.

The tornadoes first struck Oklahoma on Thursday before sweeping eastward, and some parts saw their worst tornadoes in decades.

The storms moved out over the Atlantic on Sunday.

More than 240 tornadoes were reported over the three days, including 62 in North Carolina, but the US National Weather Service's final numbers could be lower because some tornadoes may have been reported more than once.

The North Carolina state emergency management agency said it had reports of 23 deaths from Saturday's storms, but local officials have only confirmed 21.

Authorities in the city of Raleigh early on Monday were blocking access to a mobile home park of roughly 200 homes, where three children had been killed during the storms.

Ms Perdue said she planned to tour hard-hit areas in three counties in the state on Monday.

She added that the devastation she had seen on Sunday had left her in tears.

The governor said she had contacted President Barack Obama, who pledged his support, and that federal emergency workers had already been deployed to the state.

"We have in North Carolina a tremendous relationship with our federal partners, and have been through this so many times," she said.

"That's not a good thing. That's a bad thing," she added.

Ms Perdue said on Sunday the number of tornadoes had been the highest since 1984, when tornadoes killed 42 people.

Hailstones the size of grapefruit were reported as the storms swept through the region, causing flash floods as well as tornadoes.

Trees and downed power lines still covered nearby roads on Monday.

Most of North Carolina's 21 confirmed deaths occurred in two rural counties - 11 in Bertie and four in Bladen, about 70 miles (112 km) south of Raleigh.

In the Bladen County community of Ammon, Audrey McKoy and her husband, Milton, witnessed a tornado lifting pigs and other animals into the sky, as the storm struck their mobile home community.

"It looked just like The Wizard of Oz," Mrs McKoy said.

Mr McKoy found three bodies in their neighbourhood after the storm, which spun their mobile home, had passed.

[The Hen]

The images coming out are astounding.

I was wondering what disaster April was going to bring.

[Crackpot]

I believe Blueyes is in SC Don't remember where tho. My BIL lives just a few miles south in NC but he's fine.

That's all I can think of off hand

[No Greater Fool]

I'm in Raleigh and was fortunate to have been missed by the tornadoes.

[oldr_n_wsr]

No tornados here but had some serious rain. Found out the rubber seals on the plumbing vent pipe flashing on the roof disintegrated some time this winter. Iwas up in the attic with buckets and towels til 1am saturday night/sunday morning.
Then I went to buy the new flashing with the seals and neither Home Depot nor Lowes had them so I ended up doing an "oldr_n_wsr" fix. It will probably last longer than the ones that were up there which were only about 8 years old. I put them in new when I redid my roof (of course they were made in China).

[@meric@nwom@n]

We are supposed to get popped hard tonight. I may be posting on the fly-literally .

[The Hen]

Good God!

I don't like the sound of that!

[Rick]

Supposed to get another round this evening...

[@meric@nwom@n]

Looky

I am near the middle where it says Ind, the red stuff popping up on the left will be here between 9p and 2 a. I will get no sleep because the dog will be a complete panting basket case.

[Gob]

Best of luck!

[Sean]

Take care @W...

[loCAtek]

A Seabee friend o mine's family is out there...

A few years ago, I was at Camp Lejume, NC for a few weeks. Just the average thunder storm is quite an experience. One blew in overnight, that was not possible to sleep through; if it wasn't the awesome thunder; it was the car alarms being set off by the concussive force of the sound alone.

You just watched out the window and wondered if the cinderblock building would withstand it, or was going to blast apart?

[@meric@nwom@n]

I slept through most of it so it could not have been that bad. Stupid over-used tornado sirens woke me up once and thunder woke me up once. The dog stayed in the main bathroom and did not emerge to wake us up. Highly over hyped by the news media.

[Gob]

It certainly is a year for natural disasters!

Firefighters in the US state of Texas are battling to contain wildfires which have burned more than one million acres in the past fortnight.

One official told CNN fires were burning "from border to border", with some covering more than 100,000 acres.

Long-term drought, high temperatures and gusting winds have created ideal conditions for the fires to spread.

Several towns have been evacuated and flames are now close to Fort Worth, one of the state's largest cities.

The Texas Forest Service said it had responded to 11 new fires on Tuesday, in addition to the scores already burning across the state. Nearly 200 homes were reported to have been destroyed.

Planes have been dropping water and fire retardant on the burning areas while firefighters have been dousing threatened homes.

The Texas Forest Service is now fighting more than 20 active fires across Texas, according to the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.

Forest Service spokeswoman Holly Huffman told the newspaper that a harsh winter and the driest March on record had "combined for an overabundance of tall, dead grass and shrubs that serve as kindling" for the wildfires.

Firefighters from more than 34 states are reportedly involved in the operation to combat the wildfires.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13141268

[The Hen]

Holy Christ!

The images of the recent storms were frightening.

I am SO FUCKING GLAD the storms do not occur here expect under the most obtuse circumstances.

*phew*k

[Crackpot]

THat's because everything else in your country is already trying to kill you. Adding Tornados to the mix would just be cruel.

[Sue U]

At least we don't have volcanos -- well, not very often, anyway.

[Rick]

Here in Arkansas (besides the storms) we have been having rather frequent tremors.

Nothing much over 4 yet, but alot of um...

[@meric@nwom@n]

You get rather used to the weather. I remember night before last a storm woke me up and I recall thinking that I hoped the roof was not coming off before I went back to sleep.

[Sue U]

Here in Arkansas (besides the storms) we have been having rather frequent tremors.

Nothing much over 4 yet, but alot of um...

Are you near the New Madrid Seismic Zone?