If you watch this very short video, you will see one of the main sources of dangerous car-train accidents . What happens is a car will go around the gates, even if they are still down, thinking the danger has passed. Then, the second train will come roaring into the intersection.  Never go around lowered gates or flashing lights!

Earlier this week, I was sent an image via LinkedIn from a pilot who took this photo while in flight.  I wanted to point out aspects of the extreme hazard of a downburst. In the foreground is a downburst in progress on the ground. There are also two downbursts descending from the cloud base.  You can see a downburst curl in this excerpt from a PBS documentary.  This photo shows descending downbursts. For flight safety, it is important for pilots to be able to visually identify these signs of extreme danger. 

I hope you will take a few minutes to browse my galley at Adobe Stock Photography .  There are about 250 curated images I believe you will enjoy. I also want to thank all of the people and/or enterprises who have licensed by stock photography the past few weeks. 

4pm Update Red tint = tornado watch.  -- 2:30pm Update -- The NWS's Storm Prediction Center has now extended the tornado threat into far north central Oklahoma. A tornado watch will likely be issued.  -- original post, still valid --  The area in brown has a significant  risk of tornadoes this afternoon and tonight. Immediately below is a reminder about the difference between tornado warnings and watches. Please keep up on the weather into tonight. Below is the updated flash flood forecast from now until 7am Thursday. 

 

The dark blue area is where extensive, perhaps life-threatening, flooding is forecast to occur during the next three days. The pale blue area is where flooding will occur on a more scattered basis but still may be significant.  Note: I would extend the pale blue area from Wichita to Columbia (MO) to Quincy (IL).  A few days ago we talked about the flooding being so serious it could take out interstate highways. Below is I-25 in New Mexico. More to come, unfortunately.

Yesterday, we talked about a cable cut that brought down NWS radars.  From a Reader in Upstate New York: For months now, WX:L32, the NWS radio station that covers the Capital district of New York State has been off the air (or operating at such reduced strength that it can be heard by very few). I reached out to NWS Albany. They acknowledge that it is down, even posted a notice on their Weather Story page. That was months ago and the station is still off the air. I reached out again to NWS Albany regarding WXL34; they referred me to the Public Affairs office. No response . . . whatsoever. So I emailed the White House. Amazon and others sell a number of "emergency" radios that have NWS radio reception capabilities. My conjecture is that the purchasers expect that when their I-phone weather apps don't work (I refer you to Helene and western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee) that NWS weather will be there to help them gather information and decide what to do. It is tragi...