In case you missed it: 3 twisters strike Sioux Falls in one night, eastern Spain overrun by severe flooding
By
Staff, AccuWeather
Published Sep 13, 2019 2:23 PM EDT
AccuWeather's Reed Timmer captured this time-lapse of a tornado tearing through a field in Fort Laramie, Wyoming, on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Severe weather unleashed flooding, tornadoes and strong winds in parts of the northeastern United States, while late summer looked more like wintertime in high elevations across the West. And while they're used to high summer temperatures down in the South, this week's sizzling heat was one for the record books. Let's take a look back on the big weather stories of the week.
Sioux Falls hit with 3 short-lived twisters in a night
A pleasant night’s sleep under the covers was replaced by having to take cover late Tuesday night for residents across Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as three confirmed EF2 tornadoes wreaked havoc upon the city. Though their time on the ground was brief, that didn’t prevent the twisters and their 125-mph winds from slicing the roof off a local hospital and severely damaging an Advanced Auto Parts store.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that tornadoes were imminent for a one-hour period in Sioux Falls and nearby areas, just after 11 p.m. CDT Tuesday. After the tornadoes touched down, photos and reports emerged of extensive damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and trees.
Drone footage released by the City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on September 11, 2019, shows damage after an EF2 tornado hit the city during the overnight hours. (City of Sioux Falls)
(City of Sioux Falls)
Mayor Paul TenHaken said there were no reports of deaths, but the area’s 911 system was clogged following numerous calls after the tornadoes. More than 15,000 people lost power. The storms left behind such a scattered mess that Sioux Falls Police issued a No Travel Advisory to keep residents safe from downed trees and power lines covering roads in the southeastern portion of town.
Possible tornadoes, powerful winds lash Michigan
Severe weather conditions didn’t stop in Sioux Falls. Parts of Michigan were lashed with strong winds, heavy downpours and possible tornadoes on Wednesday.
These storms also left tens of thousands without electricity. No one was hurt. However, Grand Rapids firefighters had to evacuate an apartment building after winds peeled off the roof and damaged nearby buildings, according to The Associated Press.
The NWS reported a possible tornado in the western part of the city, while emergency management officials for Kent County said several possible brief tornadoes were observed on radar, the AP reported.
Meanwhile, people living in portions of northeastern Wisconsin had to deal with road closures triggered by drenching downpours on Wednesday. Those downpours also forced evacuations in Green Bay and caused the East River to swell and overflow its banks, according to Fox 11 News.
Brown County emergency managers urged some residents to leave their homes to avoid being trapped there. On Thursday, the NWS issued a flood warning for Grant County and a flood watch for south-central and southeastern parts of Wisconsin.
Typhoon Faxai pounds Tokyo with direct hit
Faxai slammed Japan’s capital city Sunday night into early Monday morning, local time, as one of the strongest typhoons in recent years to strike Tokyo. The typhoon made landfall as the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane less than 25 miles east of Tokyo in Chiba City around 5 a.m. Monday, according to NHK.
The deadly storm killed at least three people and left more than 40 others hurt, The Japan Times reported. There were close to 1 million power outages reported as Tokyo got slammed with over 100-mph winds Sunday night. Faxai forced thousands to evacuate to safety.
Dorian makes final landfall in Nova Scotia
Dorian made landfall yet again near Sambro Creek in Canada on Saturday, Sept. 7, with sustained winds of 100 mph — the same strength as a Category 2 hurricane, although it was technically no longer a hurricane at that time and instead was a post-tropical cyclone. It came ashore 15 miles south of Nova Scotia’s capital city of Halifax.
The storm continued its destructive streak even 100 miles offshore from Halifax, causing significant structural damage. The winds tore off roofs and left hundreds of thousands of people without power.
One of the more glaring signs of Dorian’s continued strength, even at post-tropical-cyclone status, came in the form of a toppled construction crane in Halifax, whipped over by the storm’s powerful winds. Images and videos of the shocking sight circulated on social media.
North Carolina continues post-Dorian recovery
Some areas of North Carolina were trying to get back to normal following Dorian’s landfall in the state. Ocracoke Island was one of the locations left battered by the storm, and many areas in the region are still dealing with flooding and the need for assistance and supplies.
Though some residents remained without power this week, Ocracoke’s county commissioner, Tom Pahl, has said restoring electricity to residents was a top priority. However, doing so is dangerous in some cases. "If the water rose high enough into your house to cause a short circuit, we can’t turn on the electric, because that would cause a fire," he said.
Severe flooding ravages Spanish towns
As a slow-moving storm system crept into Spain, severe flooding overwhelmed rivers in the eastern part of the country this week, causing schools to close for hundreds of thousands of students and forcing travel shutdowns. In some locations, cars were swept away into the raging waters.
A car lies in the mud after a flood in San Jose, Almeria, in southeastern Spain, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. Spanish authorities say that heavy storms in the southeast have claimed another victim, bringing the death toll from the extremely bad weather to three. (AP Photo/Serge Carthwright)
On Wednesday, the city of Ontinyent recorded its wettest day since 1917 according to AEMET, the Spanish weather service. Ontinyent, located in the province of Valencia, recorded a whopping 277.6 mm (10.93 inches) through Thursday morning.
Man makes incredible discovery watching AccuWeather’s Dorian coverage
“I cried. I was just like, ‘thank God.’”
This was Florida resident Roman Sawyer’s reaction while viewing a video on the AccuWeather TV Network in the days following Dorian. Sawyer, who lives in West Palm Beach, had been worried sick about his mother, who still lived on the Abaco Islands, where the family is from.
He told AccuWeather’s Jonathan Petramala that the last he’d heard from his mother was via Facebook, where she pleaded for help as Dorian bore down. Sawyer feared the worst — until he saw his mom, Beverly Bethel, speaking about her destroyed home on the video.
Bethel and her relatives were evacuated the hurricane-stricken island, and she and Sawyer have been able to talk to each other since. As for whether she'll return to Abaco, Bethel has other plans.
Sweltering heat bakes the South
Hot, hot, hot.
That just about sums up the record-challenging conditions baking much of the southern U.S. this past week, despite approaching the first days of fall in just over a week’s time.
Scorching heat made it feel more like the height of summer for people in states across the South including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina last weekend when daily record temperatures were set in Jacksonville and Charleston.
Normal high temperatures for the second week of September across the South range from the middle 80s to lower 90s degrees Fahrenheit, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.
Summer snow falls in parts of the West
It was a different story in the western U.S. earlier this week. With still more than a week to go before summer officially ends, snow fell in some places, like the high country of the Tetons in northwestern Wyoming and at Bald Mountain Pass, Utah, and in Vail Pass Summit in Colorado.
Snow fell during the early hours of Sept. 10, 2019, in Utah along Bald Mountain Pass. (Utah Department of Transportation)
(Utah Department of Transportation)
Yet another push of cool air could plunge along the Pacific coast and Intermountain West next week, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. The cooler weather in the Northwest this week lowered temperatures by an average of 4-8 degrees.
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News / Weather News
In case you missed it: 3 twisters strike Sioux Falls in one night, eastern Spain overrun by severe flooding
By Staff, AccuWeather
Published Sep 13, 2019 2:23 PM EDT
AccuWeather's Reed Timmer captured this time-lapse of a tornado tearing through a field in Fort Laramie, Wyoming, on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Severe weather unleashed flooding, tornadoes and strong winds in parts of the northeastern United States, while late summer looked more like wintertime in high elevations across the West. And while they're used to high summer temperatures down in the South, this week's sizzling heat was one for the record books. Let's take a look back on the big weather stories of the week.
Sioux Falls hit with 3 short-lived twisters in a night
A pleasant night’s sleep under the covers was replaced by having to take cover late Tuesday night for residents across Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as three confirmed EF2 tornadoes wreaked havoc upon the city. Though their time on the ground was brief, that didn’t prevent the twisters and their 125-mph winds from slicing the roof off a local hospital and severely damaging an Advanced Auto Parts store.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that tornadoes were imminent for a one-hour period in Sioux Falls and nearby areas, just after 11 p.m. CDT Tuesday. After the tornadoes touched down, photos and reports emerged of extensive damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and trees.
Drone footage released by the City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on September 11, 2019, shows damage after an EF2 tornado hit the city during the overnight hours. (City of Sioux Falls)
Mayor Paul TenHaken said there were no reports of deaths, but the area’s 911 system was clogged following numerous calls after the tornadoes. More than 15,000 people lost power. The storms left behind such a scattered mess that Sioux Falls Police issued a No Travel Advisory to keep residents safe from downed trees and power lines covering roads in the southeastern portion of town.
Possible tornadoes, powerful winds lash Michigan
Severe weather conditions didn’t stop in Sioux Falls. Parts of Michigan were lashed with strong winds, heavy downpours and possible tornadoes on Wednesday.
These storms also left tens of thousands without electricity. No one was hurt. However, Grand Rapids firefighters had to evacuate an apartment building after winds peeled off the roof and damaged nearby buildings, according to The Associated Press.
The NWS reported a possible tornado in the western part of the city, while emergency management officials for Kent County said several possible brief tornadoes were observed on radar, the AP reported.
Meanwhile, people living in portions of northeastern Wisconsin had to deal with road closures triggered by drenching downpours on Wednesday. Those downpours also forced evacuations in Green Bay and caused the East River to swell and overflow its banks, according to Fox 11 News.
Brown County emergency managers urged some residents to leave their homes to avoid being trapped there. On Thursday, the NWS issued a flood warning for Grant County and a flood watch for south-central and southeastern parts of Wisconsin.
Typhoon Faxai pounds Tokyo with direct hit
Faxai slammed Japan’s capital city Sunday night into early Monday morning, local time, as one of the strongest typhoons in recent years to strike Tokyo. The typhoon made landfall as the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane less than 25 miles east of Tokyo in Chiba City around 5 a.m. Monday, according to NHK.
The deadly storm killed at least three people and left more than 40 others hurt, The Japan Times reported. There were close to 1 million power outages reported as Tokyo got slammed with over 100-mph winds Sunday night. Faxai forced thousands to evacuate to safety.
Dorian makes final landfall in Nova Scotia
Dorian made landfall yet again near Sambro Creek in Canada on Saturday, Sept. 7, with sustained winds of 100 mph — the same strength as a Category 2 hurricane, although it was technically no longer a hurricane at that time and instead was a post-tropical cyclone. It came ashore 15 miles south of Nova Scotia’s capital city of Halifax.
The storm continued its destructive streak even 100 miles offshore from Halifax, causing significant structural damage. The winds tore off roofs and left hundreds of thousands of people without power.
One of the more glaring signs of Dorian’s continued strength, even at post-tropical-cyclone status, came in the form of a toppled construction crane in Halifax, whipped over by the storm’s powerful winds. Images and videos of the shocking sight circulated on social media.
North Carolina continues post-Dorian recovery
Some areas of North Carolina were trying to get back to normal following Dorian’s landfall in the state. Ocracoke Island was one of the locations left battered by the storm, and many areas in the region are still dealing with flooding and the need for assistance and supplies.
Though some residents remained without power this week, Ocracoke’s county commissioner, Tom Pahl, has said restoring electricity to residents was a top priority. However, doing so is dangerous in some cases. "If the water rose high enough into your house to cause a short circuit, we can’t turn on the electric, because that would cause a fire," he said.
Severe flooding ravages Spanish towns
As a slow-moving storm system crept into Spain, severe flooding overwhelmed rivers in the eastern part of the country this week, causing schools to close for hundreds of thousands of students and forcing travel shutdowns. In some locations, cars were swept away into the raging waters.
A car lies in the mud after a flood in San Jose, Almeria, in southeastern Spain, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. Spanish authorities say that heavy storms in the southeast have claimed another victim, bringing the death toll from the extremely bad weather to three. (AP Photo/Serge Carthwright)
On Wednesday, the city of Ontinyent recorded its wettest day since 1917 according to AEMET, the Spanish weather service. Ontinyent, located in the province of Valencia, recorded a whopping 277.6 mm (10.93 inches) through Thursday morning.
Man makes incredible discovery watching AccuWeather’s Dorian coverage
“I cried. I was just like, ‘thank God.’”
This was Florida resident Roman Sawyer’s reaction while viewing a video on the AccuWeather TV Network in the days following Dorian. Sawyer, who lives in West Palm Beach, had been worried sick about his mother, who still lived on the Abaco Islands, where the family is from.
He told AccuWeather’s Jonathan Petramala that the last he’d heard from his mother was via Facebook, where she pleaded for help as Dorian bore down. Sawyer feared the worst — until he saw his mom, Beverly Bethel, speaking about her destroyed home on the video.
Bethel and her relatives were evacuated the hurricane-stricken island, and she and Sawyer have been able to talk to each other since. As for whether she'll return to Abaco, Bethel has other plans.
Sweltering heat bakes the South
Hot, hot, hot.
That just about sums up the record-challenging conditions baking much of the southern U.S. this past week, despite approaching the first days of fall in just over a week’s time.
Scorching heat made it feel more like the height of summer for people in states across the South including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina last weekend when daily record temperatures were set in Jacksonville and Charleston.
Normal high temperatures for the second week of September across the South range from the middle 80s to lower 90s degrees Fahrenheit, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.
Related:
Summer snow falls in parts of the West
It was a different story in the western U.S. earlier this week. With still more than a week to go before summer officially ends, snow fell in some places, like the high country of the Tetons in northwestern Wyoming and at Bald Mountain Pass, Utah, and in Vail Pass Summit in Colorado.
Snow fell during the early hours of Sept. 10, 2019, in Utah along Bald Mountain Pass. (Utah Department of Transportation)
Yet another push of cool air could plunge along the Pacific coast and Intermountain West next week, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. The cooler weather in the Northwest this week lowered temperatures by an average of 4-8 degrees.
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