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It’s not nice to mess with Mother Nature.
Every now and then, she likes to remind us of her power.
Residents of Wayne County and nearby Susquehanna and Pike counties found that out this past weekend when three tornadoes — confirmed by The National Weather Service — touched down to unleash a path of destruction that took down buildings and trees and struck fear in the hearts of people who think that tornadoes are something out of the Midwest or “The Wizard of Oz.”
For Wayne County, these tornadoes doubled the number that the weather service had on record dating back to 1950. The last three were recorded in 1991, 1998 and 2002.
Luckily, no one was injured. Thankfully, no one perished.
And hopefully, there won’t be any more tornadoes for another decade or so.
We all found out, though, Friday night just what weather can do. In the time it took for lightning to crackle, Honesdale and these parts were flooded by a drenching that temporarily turned parts of Main and 8th streets into an ocean.
Winds whipped through the area, tossing tents for the Sidewalk Sales event like they were mere toys.
Yes, we all can handle the occasional downpour, but what followed was something you see now and then for the ages, like lunar landings or Haley’s Comet.
You’ve heard about tornadoes terrorizing Oklahoma, Texas and other states in the Midwest. You don’t expect them in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Tornadoes maybe happen every decade. But we must be mindful that they can happen, and happen at any time.
Tornado season takes place in the spring when tornadoes are more prevalent from April through July, with May and June being the peak months. While that’s the season, tornadoes can form any time of the year, according to information from The Weather Channel.
The area in which tornadoes are most prevalent is known as “tornado alley,” typically defined the region from Texas north to Nebraska. But, of course, tornadoes can and do occur in every state in the country.
There are two key alerts relating to tornado conditions: Tornado watches and warnings.
A Tornado Watch is when conditions are conducive to the development of tornadoes in and close to the watch area.
A Tornado Warning is when a a tornado has actually been sighted by spotters or indicated on radar and is occurring or imminent in the warning area.
Whenever there are signs of extreme inclement weather, it’s best to turn on the television or radio. Usually, regular reports will air where forecasters will alert people if they are in the path of destruction.
It’s not nice to mess with Mother Nature.
Every now and then, she likes to remind us of her power.
Residents of Wayne County and nearby Susquehanna and Pike counties found that out this past weekend when three tornadoes — confirmed by The National Weather Service — touched down to unleash a path of destruction that took down buildings and trees and struck fear in the hearts of people who think that tornadoes are something out of the Midwest or “The Wizard of Oz.”
For Wayne County, these tornadoes doubled the number that the weather service had on record dating back to 1950. The last three were recorded in 1991, 1998 and 2002.
Luckily, no one was injured. Thankfully, no one perished.
And hopefully, there won’t be any more tornadoes for another decade or so.
We all found out, though, Friday night just what weather can do. In the time it took for lightning to crackle, Honesdale and these parts were flooded by a drenching that temporarily turned parts of Main and 8th streets into an ocean.
Winds whipped through the area, tossing tents for the Sidewalk Sales event like they were mere toys.
Yes, we all can handle the occasional downpour, but what followed was something you see now and then for the ages, like lunar landings or Haley’s Comet.
You’ve heard about tornadoes terrorizing Oklahoma, Texas and other states in the Midwest. You don’t expect them in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Tornadoes maybe happen every decade. But we must be mindful that they can happen, and happen at any time.
Tornado season takes place in the spring when tornadoes are more prevalent from April through July, with May and June being the peak months. While that’s the season, tornadoes can form any time of the year, according to information from The Weather Channel.
The area in which tornadoes are most prevalent is known as “tornado alley,” typically defined the region from Texas north to Nebraska. But, of course, tornadoes can and do occur in every state in the country.
There are two key alerts relating to tornado conditions: Tornado watches and warnings.
A Tornado Watch is when conditions are conducive to the development of tornadoes in and close to the watch area.
A Tornado Warning is when a a tornado has actually been sighted by spotters or indicated on radar and is occurring or imminent in the warning area.
Whenever there are signs of extreme inclement weather, it’s best to turn on the television or radio. Usually, regular reports will air where forecasters will alert people if they are in the path of destruction.
We also need to be mindful about some of the myths regarding tornadoes.
The Weather Channel states that it’s false that tornadoes are always visible from a great distance. Not true, they can be hidden in heavy rainfall, like the ones that hit Wayne County.
There also aren’t always funnel clouds: Especially in their early stages, a tornado can cause damage on the ground even though a visible funnel cloud is not present.
Likewise, if you see a funnel cloud but it does not appear to be “touching down,” a tornadic circulation could still be in contact with the ground.
Tornadoes can surprise us. But they can also amaze us.
What we witnessed here in Wayne County this weekend was something that many of us will remember for all the rest of our time.
Now we know that we are prone for the same kind of weather that everyone gets. Mother Nature hasn’t forgotten about us.
We should not forget about her.
