Tornado slip thru the cracks?

[Hoss]

They admitted they dropped the ball on this one....

You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel OK.  I know the guys/gals at the NWS.  Do they hate that this happened?  Sure.  But it wasn't 'dropping the ball'.  FFS.   

[rebound]

The weather is literally a poster child for Chaos Theory and The Butterfly Effect.   Anyone who thinks that near-term, real-time, weather like Tornadoes can be predicted is a fool.  (Tracking, yes.  Predicting, no.)

 

[Conan71]

Love me some Whataburger!  I've gone of out of my way to make the pilgrimage to the original in Corpus Christi.   It is top of my list for "chain" hamburgers.  Breakfast is great, too.   It's not fair to compare them to any of the gourmet burger places, but for a good, quick, burger it's my go to.

But how does it compare to Big Kahuna Burger?

[patric]

I know the guys/gals at the NWS.  Do they hate that this happened?  Sure.  But it wasn't 'dropping the ball'.  FFS.   

I propose we figure out a way to move the ball faster.

As far as warnings go, the NWS website forecast thunderstorms (with the possibility of some becoming severe) at least a day and a half in advance.
While the out-of-season occurrence of an EF2 tornado dropping down almost literally in the middle of the city sort of "blew away" everyone, it wasnt totally without some expectation.  Even without the twister, that was a hell of a storm.

[Conan71]

I propose we figure out a way to move the ball faster.

As far as warnings go, the NWS website forecast thunderstorms (with the possibility of some becoming severe) at least a day and a half in advance.
While the out-of-season occurrence of an EF2 tornado dropping down almost literally in the middle of the city sort of "blew away" everyone, it wasnt totally without some expectation.  Even without the twister, that was a hell of a storm.

But if they would have suggested possible tornadic storms, the same people blowing up Facebook about how the NWS or TV stations blew it would have been blowing up FB if there had been no tornados calling meteorologists a bunch of over-reactors.  Some people will ignore all warnings because of the times meteorologists do miss it.  It's a no win with people who have no appreciation for how forecasting works nor a desire to learn how it does.

[Hoss]

But if they would have suggested possible tornadic storms, the same people blowing up Facebook about how the NWS or TV stations blew it would have been blowing up FB if there had been no tornados calling meteorologists a bunch of over-reactors.  Some people will ignore all warnings because of the times meteorologists do miss it.  It's a no win with people who have no appreciation for how forecasting works nor a desire to learn how it does.

And this is exactly what some of the NWS people say.  You can't have it both ways.  This was a simply an outlier of a storm that happens.  Warning of tornadoes is MUCH better than it was even 20 years ago.  Thanks in no small part to the technology that the NWS gets.  And the men and women that work for a pittance (remember, this IS after all a federal job) compared to what many of them could be getting at a TV station (although many of them will admit they have faces better suited for radio) or doing private meteo work.

Let's cut them a little slack.  How many of our jobs (aside from LEOs and first responders) do lives hang in the balance?   I know for a fact they take it seriously and are just as hurt when someone is injured or loses their lives.

[swake]

The Tulsa World is reporting that Remington Tower may have to come down. It at least will have to be stripped to the steel beams.

[guido911]

I heard Night Trips survived.

[Conan71]

I heard Night Trips survived.

Ahh, your table is still safe!

[Hoss]

Ahh, your table is still safe!

I drove the general area today at lunch (not what I wanted to do but in getting to my destination took the 41st St Exit on I-44).

What a mess.  The Regency building from reports I've heard may have to come down with some of the damage it has.  Whataburger was demolished; the complex with Aspen Dental didn't fare very well either.  I didn't get to see much of the TGIF as my travels took me from I-44 to Sheridan, so I didn't get to drive through that.

Looks like it will be a while before that is all back to normal.  There were still utility trucks out...and the damage to businesses and buildings along Sheridan between 42nd and 45th on the east side of Sheridan was pretty extensive also.  Lot of utility trucks in the area.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Regency or Remington? It really surprises me that the Remington suffered sufficient damage that it would have to be taken down. I saw were some of the facade had come off, but it damaged the core support structure of a 20 story building that much?

[Hoss]

Regency or Remington? It really surprises me that the Remington suffered sufficient damage that it would have to be taken down. I saw were some of the facade had come off, but it damaged the core support structure of a 20 story building that much?

Sorry...Remington.  The big tower on the east side of 44 just south of Academy.  Mind you, it's not official, but I have heard that.  I also heard for sure that the building owner told tenants above floor five to expect total losses.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Just read the article in the Tulsa Fish Wrapper. It will be interesting to see what the real engineers find when they inspect the building. I can see with the way that building was built (no real interior offices so to speak) that a lot of the businesses in the upper floors would be a total loss because of wind and rain from the shattered windows. I guess the thing that gets me is that I know building engineering has changed since this build was built in the late 70's especially with better understanding storm forces, and I know the building is designed to have some flex to it, but if it was only 130 MPH winds (tornadic or straight) it almost sounds like the building was designed just to meet code. Just my own thoughts, not a tin foil hat rant.

[Hoss]

Just read the article in the Tulsa Fish Wrapper. It will be interesting to see what the real engineers find when they inspect the building. I can see with the way that building was built (no real interior offices so to speak) that a lot of the businesses in the upper floors would be a total loss because of wind and rain from the shattered windows. I guess the thing that gets me is that I know building engineering has changed since this build was built in the late 70's especially with better understanding storm forces, and I know the building is designed to have some flex to it, but if it was only 130 MPH winds (tornadic or straight) it almost sounds like the building was designed just to meet code. Just my own thoughts, not a tin foil hat rant.

No tinfoil rant suspected; my brother who is an electrical engineer by trade, rants to this day about cost cutting measures construction companies use to just meet code.  Happens all the time.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Slightly off topic, the one building downtown that I used to hate delivering to, can't remember what it was but it's ONE Gas now, the upper floors have accordion like expansion panels in the hallways, and on windy days you could hear the panels creek as the building moved.