Category 4 Funso kills 12 in Mozambique; deadly Alabama tornado rated an EF-3
Earth's first major tropical cyclone of 2012 is Tropical Cyclone Funso, a Category 4 storm with 135 mph winds located in the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and Mozambique. Conditions for intensification have been favorable over the past few days, with light wind shear of 5 - 10 knots, water temperatures of 29°C, and a pocket of high oceanic heat content with warm waters extending to great depth located under the center of the storm. Funso is expected to intensify further and have sustained winds of 145 mph by Wednesday. Fortunately, the center of the storm is expected to remain offshore as the storm moves slowly southwards. The outer spiral bands of Funso have dumped torrential rains on Mozambique the past several days, triggering floods that have killed at least twelve people. The floods have swept across the main north-south highway in the country, cutting off the capital of Maputo from the north and center of the country. Flooding from Funso was made worse by the saturated soils left by Tropical Depression Dando, whose rains caused flooding that killed ten people in the country last week.
Figure 1. Image of Tropical Cyclone Funso taken by the MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite on January 23, 2012. At the time, Funso was a Category 3 storm with 115 mph winds. Image credit: NASA/GSFC.
Yesterday's deadly Clay, Alabama tornado rated an EF-3
A damage survey by the NWS confirmed that the tornado that hit Clay, Alabama yesterday, killing two and injuring over 100, was a strong EF-3 tornado with 150 mph winds. A second EF-3 tornado with 140 mph winds touched down yesterday near Koffman, Alabama, and tore off the roof of a house and a barn. These are the only two EF-3 tornadoes of the year so far. There have been no EF-4 or EF-5 tornadoes yet. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has placed portions of Southern Texas in their "Slight Risk" region for severe weather today, and portions of East Texas and Western Louisiana in the "Slight RIsk" region for Wednesday, and a few isolated tornadoes are possible in Texas and Louisiana over the next two days.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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Radar continues to show frequent tornado signatures spinning up very quickly along the leading edge of the squall line over Montgomery and Walker counties. Watching growing cells closely over Colorado and southern Austin/Waller counties as these may go tornadic shortly. Cell motions of 35-50mph and leading to very short lead times. Additionally very low cloud bases and rain wrap nature of the event is making seeing any kind of funnel cloud or tornado almost impossible.
Threat will be shifting to the US 59 corridor over the next 1-3 hours.
Rainfall:
Cells over Colorado, Austin, and Waller counties have been showing decent cell merging and training over the past few hours, but it is clear that the entire line is slowing. Given tremendous Gulf moisture advection in progress with moisture levels near historical maximum for this time of year it will not take long to get into problems with hourly rainfall rates approaching 2.5-3 inches under the stronger cells. Urban flooding of street and low lying areas appears likely as this line sags into the more populated US 59 corridor.
FXUS64 KHGX 251601
AFDHGX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1001 AM CST WED JAN 25 2012
.DISCUSSION...
LINE OF STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAKING PROGRESS MOVING EASTWARD
ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS MORNING WITH A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT
UNTIL 11 AM. NORTHERN HALF OF THE LINE (ROUGHLY NORTH OF I-10) IS
MOVING FASTER THAN THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE LINE. WE WILL PROBABLY
BE ISSUING ADDITIONAL FLOOD ADVISORIES TO COVER THE POTENTIAL FOR
WIDESPREAD 1 TO 3 INCH RAINFALL TOTALS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF
THIS STORM COMPLEX...AND THIS AREA WILL ALSO BE CLOSELY MONITORED FOR
THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORM DEVELOPMENT. HIGHER RAINFALL TOTALS
CANNOT BE RULED OUT.
UPDATED THE MORNING FORECAST WITH HIGHER RAIN CHANCES EAST AND COOLER
TEMPERATURES WEST. 42
The southern line of this system is definitely slowing down and pulling in mass amounts of moisture from the Gulf. We may have a pretty significant flooding situation south of the city throughout this afternoon.
TURN AROUND - DON'T DROWN
Activity over the gulf is merging with main line, could see repeat of Jan 9th event
01/25/2012 TARRANT TX BROADCAST MEDIA
HIGH WATER RESCUES AT 121 AND HANDLEY EDERVILLE ROAD IN
HALTOM CITY
0903 AM FLASH FLOOD HALTOM CITY 32.80N 97.27W
01/25/2012 TARRANT TX BROADCAST MEDIA
HIGH WATER RESCUES IN HALTOM CITY. AIRPORT FREEWAY AND
MIDWAY ROAD.
0833 AM FLASH FLOOD IRVING 32.82N 96.92W
01/25/2012 DALLAS TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
WATER RESCUE OF 1 PERSON ON TOP OF A CAR IN A CREEK NEAR
S. STORY RD AND RUBY ST. RESCUE BOAT ENROUTE.
0800 AM FLOOD JEWETT 31.37N 96.15W
01/25/2012 LEON TX TRAINED SPOTTER
CITY STREETS UNDER WATER.
$$
That is my thinking as well. We may be in for a wash out. At least we are starting this year off well in regards to the rain category. Winter has sure skipped us so far this year.
Hell with winter, bring the rain
Here is the web site for the conference.
0700 AM TSTM WND DMG 6 N SOMERVILLE 30.43N 96.53W
01/25/2012 BURLESON TX PUBLIC
TIN CONSTUCTED TIRE SHOP ON HWY 36 DESTROYED.
..
Link
Rain and weather event for TX may be about done.
The State Department says there has been significant improvement in the 1 1/2-year-long emergency, still one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.
David Robinson, acting assistant secretary for population, refugees and migration, told reporters on Tuesday the flow of refugees out of Somalia into neighbouring countries has diminished, but thousands continue to try to get out and new camps are opening in Ethiopia and Kenya.
The crisis was triggered by crop failures tied to a regional drought, but officials said it has been aggravated by the fighting between Somalia's U.N.-backed government and al-Qaeda linked insurgents. - Sapa-AP
Got to DMV at 8am Sharp, was 3rd in, and was out with renewed License in 7 minutes.
I hope the Pulitzer folks are made aware. I could use da cheque. : )
Work is underway at the Tolbert House in Harrisburg Illinois.
The house donated by the community.
www.portlight.org
The Tolbert Family
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