WeatherBrains 174: May 27 Tornadoes

WeatherBrains Episode 174 is now online (May 27, 2009). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

May 27th is a big day in tornadoes and many of the Weather Brains crew have had experience with a couple of big ones.

Weather Brains gang member Brian Peters talks about his experiences as part of the survey team looking at the after effects of the Jarrell, TX, tornado. Brian was asked to handle the aerial survey of the Jarrell Tornado which destroyed the western portion of Jarrell killing 27 people. A couple of interesting facts about the tornado was it’s slow movement – about 7 miles an hour – and it moved from northeast to southwest.

JB Elliott talks about another May 27, 1973, tornado in Brent, AL, that wiped out the NWS radar, a WSR-57, that served as the main warning radar for Central Alabama. Five people were killed in Brent, AL. James Spann was also involved with this one as a ham radio communicator coming to help with getting word in and out of the disaster area. John Brasher, a photographer with the Centreville Times at that time, also gives his personal account of riding out the tornado in the NWS WSMO where the radar was located.

Our mail bag continues to get notes from all over, so Kevin digs into the bag.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Hurricanes have eyes. So our meteorological optician takes a look at this phenomena that gets a lot of attention including something called eye wall replacement cycle.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of May 26th which includes one of the biggest natural disasters in the history of this country.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 174:

Brent Tornado Information

Picks of the Week:

Brian Peters – Jarrell, Texas, Tornado Images from SPC with additional links

James Spann – he stole the link from Mr. Peters

JB Elliott – JB likes the John Brasher site above

Dr. Tim Coleman – no pick – gets the horn

Kevin Selle – All Things Digital

Bill Murray – Jack Williams AMS Weather Book

Join James Spann, JB Elliott, Kevin Selle, Dr. Tim Coleman, and Brian Peters as they come together for another fascinating netcast about the weather.

We love to hear from you! To leave a recorded message, call 1-888-247-8627. Some calls may be used in future episodes. Also, feel free to post comments to the site and drop us an email at email at (at symbol) weatherbrains dot com.

Category: Pre-November 2010 Posts