…A TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR GREENSBURG….

OK, this isn't about Kokomo, Howard County or even Indiana. However I felt this was worth mentioning on my blog. Mike Umscheid is your everyday National Weather Service Forecaster. I say everyday as there are guys like him on every shift in every office.

However Mike did something a few days ago that reminds us how valuable guys like him our to the safety of the public at large. May 4, 2007 was a High Risk day for the breadbasket states and Mike was on the evening shift in the DDC office (Dodge City, KS). I won't detail Mike's story since it is his story. Instead you can read it here. (It is an excellent read.)

But to cut to the chase, Mike put out not a routine TOR (Tornado Warning) if there ever was such a thing but used the words "TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR GREENSBURG" in reference to a monster wedge tornado heading directly to Greensburg, KS. This was 20 minutes before the town of 1500 was struck.

That stern text plus ample time was enough to have the people of Greensburg take cover. A few short minutes after the tornado passed, reports came in that Greensburg took a direct hit. Everything was gone.

Mike deserve credit for issuing a warning that saved lives. The death toll is about 10 as of this writing. That is a small number when compared to the significant damage that resulted. You can see Mike's Interview on Good Morning America.

Below, I have saved the TOR Mike sent out and I will finish by saying thanks Mike.

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
941 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2007

KSC097-050300-
/O.CON.KDDC.TO.W.0025.000000T0000Z-070505T0300Z/
KIOWA KS-
941 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2007

…A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL KIOWA COUNTY…

…A TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR GREENSBURG….

AT 937 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS AND STORM SPOTTERS WERE TRACKING A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTH OF GREENSBURG…MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. A VIOLENT TORNADO WAS ON A DIRECT PATH FOR PORTIONS OF GREENSBURG…ESPECIALLY THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF TOWN. TAKE IMMEDIATE TORNADO PRECATIONS…THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION FOR GREENSBURG!!

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT SATURDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS.

LAT…LON 3749 9936 3745 9929 3760 9901 3764 9936

$$

UMSCHEID