Dangerous Tornadoes Are Also Beautiful, In A Way

A supercell thunderstorm appears ready to drop a tornado on Kansas
last night. Photo via Twitter @mwxhitaker -- McKinsey Whitaker

As expected, dangerous severe storms and tornadoes blossomed across mostly Kansas and Nebraska yesterday and last night.

The good news is that although some of the tornadoes appeared to be quite strong, they moved over open, rural land and did not enter any towns or cities.

That meant damage was relatively light, and we have no reports of serious injuries or deaths to talk about today.

That's pretty damn good, since there were at least 21 reports of tornadoes yesterday.

By the way, Oklahoma broke its tornado drought. Until Tuesday, there had been no tornadoes in Oklahoma this year. That's the longest period on record that Oklahoma has gone without a tornado. But on Tuesday, a tornado formed just south of the border with Kansas. The twister quickly moved into Kansas, but this still counts as Oklahoma's first tornado of 2018.

Close-range view of a dangerous tornado near Teacott, Kansas Tuesday.
Photo via twitter @BraydonMoreSo - Braydon Morisseau. 

As usual, hordes of storm chasers clustered around the storms to record their power and beauty.

Although I give you the caveat that I'm always nervous about so many chasers getting in the way of each other, local residents and first responders. It could cause traffic jams, which would mean getting out of the way of an approaching tornado would be difficult.

Tornadoes out in the Plains, in places like Kansas, tend to be more photogenic than in other places.

Unlike in the South or further east in the Midwest, there are no trees or hills to obscure views of the twisters.

Further east and south of places like Kansas, tornadoes can be particularly dangerous. You get a tornado warning, and human nature being what it is, people actually go looking for confirmation that there actually is a tornado. Instead of immediately seeking shelter, as they should do.

By the time they spot the tornado, it's marauding through the forest right behind their house, and it's too late to take cover. Death and injuries result.

Gorgeous supercell forming over Kansas Tuesday
Photo via Twitter, @TRAVELSnCHASES

That said, it can be very dangerous out in the Plains, too, if you get a tornado warning and go looking for it first. The tornado can be obscured by heavy rain and hail, and again, in that case, you wouldn't know it's there until it's right on top of you.

Even so, there were some spectacular images of the storms from yesterday. Judging from the photos and videos I saw today, this is one instance where the still photographs are almost better than the videos.

Now, danger lurks in the Plains again today. It's actually more dangerous than yesterday, because the area most under threat for severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes is somewhat more populated than the areas that were hit Tuesday.

A moderate risk zone today encompasses an area that includes Manhattan, Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas and St. Jospeh Missouri.

There is a slightly lesser but still real risk of severe weather and possible tornadoes today in bigger metropolitan areas like Kansas City, Missouri and Wichita, Kansas.

Still, there are open areas between all those cities, so here's hoping that if any tornadoes form today, they thread the needle and miss subdivisions and instead dance across farm fields, scrubland and prairie.