Recalling the 2010 Bridgeport Tornado

It was four years ago yesterday that a tornado tore through Bridgeport, forcing more than 50 residents out of their homes for weeks. Parts of the city are still recovering as people remembered the afternoon of the storm. City officials say the tornado caused more than $3.5 million in damage.

The National Weather Service says winds reached up to 100 mph. One of the areas hardest hit was near the corner of Nichols and East Main streets. The Barnum Museum was almost completely wiped out. Four years later, museum officials say it is almost back to its regular operating hours after cutting back for reconstruction.

Other businesses in the city have completely rebuilt. Even though many businesses and homes were lost, officials say the damage was not enough to qualify for federal aid from FEMA.

Bridgeport Tornado by PaulWXman

Paul

Tornado Ripped Through Bridgeport Four Years Ago Today

It only took a matter of minutes, but a violent thunderstorm spawned a tornado which ripped through the Greater Bridgeport area four years ago today, resulting in much damage, destruction, and a loss of electricity for thousands. A powerful cold front collided with a hot and humid air mass to set the stage for a Tornado Warning and a strong thunderstorm cell between 2 and 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon, June 24, 2010.
                    

The temperature soared to 90 degrees for the second day in a row at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford that day, but the dew point --- or moisture content in the atmosphere --- was extremely high. As the front approached, the sky darkened, the heavens opened up, and vivid lightning along with hurricane-force wind gusts ripped through the Park City. Here is a photo of Washington Park in Bridgeport taken by one of our viewers, Melissa, following the storm.

There was dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning and a wind gust of 78 miles-an-hour in Bridgeport. The average wind speed during the height of the storm was 43 miles-an-hour. Nearly a half-inch of rain fell in a short period of time, resulting in some minor flooding of low-lying areas. But, it was the wind damage which caused a state of emergency to be declared in Bridgeport. Take a look at this picture of a fallen tree in the Park City taken by Takina.

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and former Governor Jodi Rell arrived on the scene to survey the damage from the storm. "It looks like Godzilla went through and ripped roofs off and threw cars around and tore wires down," Finch said as he spoke with reporters and residents who had gathered in the streets. "I mean, it's really amazing," he added. Shelley sent two photos of the damage on East Main Street.

Bethany sent the following photo of downtown Bridgeport.

Personally, my family and I ran to the basement that afternoon once we heard a Tornado Warning was issued and the skies darkened. In a matter of minutes, the wind began to howl and heavy rain fell. My sons were worried that a tornado would rip apart our home. Not unexpectedly, the power went out, but the storm exited shortly thereafter. We didn't get our electricity back until just before midnight. Here's one more photo taken by Amanda of minor flooding on James Street in Bridgeport.

Paul

Lightning Safety Awareness Week

This is Lightning Safety Awareness Week. People are often surprised to hear that I'm afraid of lightning and thunderstorms. Whenever thunderstorms are in the forecast, I tell our viewers that I'll be hiding under the bed when they arrive. "You're a weatherman, so you should know all about lightning," is the refrain I frequently hear. That's exactly why I'm afraid of it. I know that lightning can kill. This photo of a lightning strike was taken at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk.

Lightning is one of nature's most awe inspiring and dangerous phenomenon. The average lightning flash could light a 100-watt light bulb for more than 3 months. The temperature of a lightning bolt may reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's even hotter than the surface of the Sun.

Lightning kills about 73 people nationwide each year. In fact, lightning remains one of the most deadly weather phenomena in the United States, and it can occur almost anywhere throughout the entire year. According to the National Weather Service Web site, lightning occurring during snowstorms has even killed people. However, a few simple precautions can reduce many of the dangers posed by lightning.

First, when you first hear thunder, it is time to act to prevent being struck by lightning. Generally speaking, when you can see lightning or hear thunder, you're already at risk for lightning injury or death. If the time delay between seeing the flash of lightning and hearing the bang of thunder is less than 30 seconds, immediately seek a safer location.

If you're outside, you should avoid high places and open fields, isolated trees, gazebos, open sided picnic shelters, baseball dugouts, communication towers, flagpoles, light poles, metal or wood bleachers, metal fences, convertibles, golf carts, and water, whether a lake, pool, or river.

Inside, stay away from the telephone or computer, taking a shower, washing your hands, doing dishes, or any contact with conductive surfaces with exposure to the outside. These include metal door or window frames, electrical wiring, telephone wiring, cable TV wiring, or plumbing. People should stay away from playing computer games, too.

Many years ago my aunt was nearly struck by lightning while walking in an upstairs hallway during a severe thunderstorm. The windows at each end of the hallway were open, and a vivid bolt of lightning traveled through the hallway just as she entered a side room. The experience was frightening, to say the least.

Paul

Weekend Winning Streak Continues

Today is the last full day of Spring. Summer officially arrives tomorrow at 6:51 a.m. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere. That's when the Sun's rays are directly over the Tropic of Cancer. The weather will cooperate, too. In fact, high pressure will deliver another dry weekend to southwestern Connecticut with afternoon high temperatures close to 80 degrees tomorrow and Sunday.

This will be the fifth straight weekend without measured precipitation across the region. The last weekend day which featured rain was Saturday, May 17. Since then, we've enjoyed 11 straight weekend days without measured rain. This follows a streak of four straight weekends with rain beginning in late April. In fact, the weekend of May 10 and 11 had rain each day.

How long will the current weekend winning streak last? Let's not worry about that right now. Instead, enjoy the nice weather the next two days. Here's my latest weather forecast. Happy Summer!
                    

Paul

International Space Station to Pass Overhead Tonight

By Joe Rao
News 12 Westchester Meteorologist

The International Space Station will pass directly overhead tonight. With the prospects of a generally clear sky continuing to improve this Thursday evening, we should have ringside seats to watch a spectacular pass of the International Space Station over the Tri-State NY Area.

The ISS will first appear above the northwest horizon at 9:45 p.m. The Space Station will appear to move almost straight up and ultimately will pass overhead at around 9:48 p.m. Then, the ISS will drop straight down toward the southeast horizon and just after 9:50 p.m. it will quickly pull a fade-out as it passes into the Earth's shadow.

The total time of visibility will be 5 minutes and 34 seconds. The ISS will resemble a bright, non-twinkling "moving star," shining with a yellowish-white hue. As the Space Station climbs higher, it will also brighten noticeably. As it passes overhead it might become as bright as the planet Venus, so it should easily be visible to the eye, even from brightly lit cities.

Spread the word! Take the kids out and show them the largest man-made object now in orbit, 240 miles above the Earth.

Full Strawberry or Honey Moon Happens Early Friday Morning

The Full Strawberry Moon happens just after midnight, Friday morning, June 13, at 12:11 a.m. The name was was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. The relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June, so the Full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!
                    

The June Full Moon is also called a Honey Moon in the Northern Hemisphere, possibly because it never gets very high in the sky. When we gaze toward the Full Moon tonight, we are seeing it through more of the Earth’s atmosphere than when the Moon is overhead. The atmosphere reddens its color.

The Full Moon is especially low in the Northern Hemisphere because it occurs just about a week before the Summer Solstice. The Full Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky. Therefore, when the Sun is higher in the Summer sky, the Full Moon is lower. Every Full Moon stands more or less opposite the Sun in our sky. That’s why the Moon looks full.

Around the world tonight, the Moon will rise around sunset, climb to its highest point around midnight, and set close to sunrise. As seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, the Moon – like the December Solstice Sun – will rise far South of due East and set far South of due West.

North of the Arctic Circle, tonight’s Moon – like the Winter Sun – will be too far South to climb above the horizon. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere – where it’s Winter now – tonight’s Moon will mimic the Summer Sun, arcing high in the heavens. South of the Antarctic Circle, the Moon will simulate the midnight Sun – up all hours around the clock.
Paul