MEC&F Expert Engineers : 06/23/15

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Derecho, Tornadoes Leave Damage In Midwest; Tornado Destroys Homes In Coal City, Illinois











May through July is the peak for thunderstorm clusters with widespread damaging winds several hundreds of miles long, known as derechoes

By Sean Breslin
Published Jun 23 2015 02:41 PM EDT
weather.com

Severe Storm Threat Continues in Midwest; Pushing East

More severe thunderstorms could produce strong winds and isolated tornadoes for Midwest. As the track moves East, Northeast could aso see a threat on Tuesday.   


Severe weather marched into the High Plains and Midwest Monday with powerful straight-line winds and tornadoes, causing significant damage to a town in northeastern Illinois.

Tornado Reports

Tornado Reports

Confirmed and possible tornadoes from Monday night's severe weather outbreak. Confirmed tornadoes are labeled by their EF rating.

According to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, there were 12 reports of tornadoes in the High Plains and Midwest Monday. Storm survey teams from the National Weather Service will view the damage Tuesday and determine if those reported tornadoes were actually twisters, or if the damage was created by straight-line winds.


A long-lived squall line known as a derecho ripped across a swath from South Dakota to Wisconsin Monday morning, leaving widespread damage in a path that also included northern Iowa and parts of southern Minnesota. A second round of thunderstorms erupted in the afternoon and evening hours across parts of Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan, bringing several reports of tornadoes.

Coal City, Illinois, Suffers A Direct Hit

The destruction was evident in Coal City, Illinois, as the sun rose Tuesday morning. Pieces of homes were scattered all over, and trees were heavily damaged.
Emergency crews worked overnight to free residents trapped in their damaged homes after the storms passed, and urged outsiders to stay out of the town due to the dangers from downed power lines and other hazards. The twister ran right through the middle of the town, which is home to about 5,500 people.

"Houses that were there once are just not there anymore," Coal City Police Sgt. Tom Logan told ABC News. He also told The Weather Channel that five injuries have been reported, though none are considered life-threatening.

The National Weather Service surveyed damage and determined the tornado was at least an EF2 in strength.

Coal City was damaged by an EF2 tornado during the Nov. 17, 2013 tornado outbreak in the Midwest. That tornado was produced by the same supercell that spawned a high-end EF4 tornado that ravaged the town of Washington to the southwest.

Coal City is located about 60 miles southwest of Chicago.

Reported Tornadoes Strike Iowa, Illinois, Michigan

After a brief lull following the morning storms, new thunderstorms erupted in Iowa Monday afternoon, bringing a reported tornado to Monroe County. A Hy-Vee grocery store and several other buildings were damaged by a suspected tornado in Albia, the county seat, according to WHO-TV in Des Moines.

Aside from the Coal City twister, several other tornadoes were confirmed in northern Illinois during the evening hours. An EF2 tornado overturned trailers near Sublette in northwest Illinois. Five people who were trapped and suffered minor injuries. Another EF2 was confirmed in Edgington, where a tornado with maximum winds of 120 mph tracked for more than 4 miles. No state had more tornado reports on Monday than Illinois, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

In Michigan, an EF2 tornado injured two people and destroyed a home in Tuscola County near Millington Monday evening. Two tornadoes were reported in nearby Sanilac County around Deckerville.

Earlier in the afternoon, an EF1 tornado with estimated winds at 100 mph hit the town of Portland, Michigan, according to a survey crew from the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Grand Rapids. Five people were rescued from collapsed buildings; three of those rescued include a mother and two children who were trapped inside a Goodwill, WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids reports.
NWS did not issue a tornado warning on that particular storm. Weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen said the damage was from a separate cluster of storms and was not part of the derecho farther west.

"We’ve been blessed that no one was seriously injured or killed in this storm," Portland mayor Jim Barnes told The Weather Channel.

Barnes also said 70 homes and two city buildings were damaged by the twister, and three churches were severely damaged. The Portland tornado was Michigan's second confirmed tornado of the year, as an EF0 was confirmed on April 9, according to NOAA.

On average, Michigan sees nine tornadoes from January through June, with this month traditionally being the most active of the year.

Morning Derecho

Storm Reports from Monday's Derecho

Storm Reports from Monday's Derecho

Selected reports from the derecho that ripped across the Midwest early Monday.
"A cluster of severe thunderstorms, fueled by both low-level and upper-level jet energy, swept through the Siouxland early Monday," said weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman.

Wind gusts as high as 122 mph struck the High Plains early Monday morning, leaving one person injured near Hayes, South Dakota, according to an NWS storm report.

The storms left major damage at Sheldon Municipal Airport just north of Sheldon, Iowa, in the same area where a 95-mph wind gust was reported. In the images at the bottom of this page, you can see several examples of the damage these storms caused at the airport.

Other damage reports related to the derecho include:
  • Hollandale, Wisconsin: Town shut down due to numerous trees down; structural damage to homes also reported
  • U.S. 69 was closed in both directions near Galt, Iowa, because of downed cables. U.S. 65 was also closed near Hampton, Iowa, because of debris on the roadway.
  • Menominee, Illinois: Fire house blown over by strong winds
  • Holy Cross, Iowa: Roof blown off a school building
  • Guttenberg, Iowa: Amish grocery store destroyed
More than 17,000 Iowa customers lost power in the wake of the storms Monday morning. Before the storms reached Iowa, thousands of customers lost power in South Dakota due to damaging winds, the Associated Press reported. Via the Argus Leader, the AP also said there were several reports of trees and power lines brought down in Garretson, and four large tanks at a fertilizer plant were also knocked over. While no injuries were reported, a mobile home park was evacuated because of a gas leak, the report added.


Radar recap of the derecho on Monday. Plotted are some of the wind gusts along its path.  

In southern Minnesota, storm damage was reported in several towns along Interstate 90, according to the Star Tribune. Between Fairmont and Jackson, a car and house were damaged by a falling tree, the report added.

The complex of storms from South Dakota to Wisconsin qualified as a derecho Monday morning after damaging wind reports spanned more than 400 kilometers, or about 250 miles.

"May through July is the peak for thunderstorm clusters with widespread damaging winds several hundreds of miles long, known as derechoes," said Erdman.

FIRE OFFICIALS: 500-ACRE FIRE STARTED BY KIDS PLAYING WITH LUMINARY BAGS; NO HOMES THREATENED








JUNE 23, 2015

YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
Smoke blankets the Yakima Valley Saturday as fire crews still battle a 500-acre brush fire.
The fire is contained, however crews are trying to put out small spot fires in thick brush along the river. The Selah Fire Chief Jerry Davis told KIMA that they will be monitoring hot spots and hosing down the smoldering terrain for at least another 48 hours. This is to prevent high winds and heat from kicking up embers.

Fire crews tell KIMA the fire was started by 'juveniles' playing with a luminary bag. We're told Police have identified them.

No homes were threatened. However, fire fighters ordered the homeless camps near the river to be evacuated around 5:30 am, Saturday.

The flames of the fire were visible for miles on Friday. An eery sight as the trail of fire moved along the steep ridges, lighting up the night sky.

Over 75 fire fighters have battled the 3-alarm call. Flames were closest to Lookout Point Road in Selah. High winds fanned the fire, spreading it east toward Interstate 82 and 40th Avenue.

Fire crews say they had limited access to the fire because of the steep terrain.

This is a developing story. KIMA has a crew on the scene and will continue to update you throughout the day. Watch Action News at 6:30 for the very latest.
Source http://www.kimatv.com

Employees at Monson Fruit evacuate after suspected chemical spill in Selah, Washington



Employees at Monson Fruit evacuate after suspected chemical spill
SELAH, Wash. -- Employees at Monson Fruit in Selah have been evacuated due to a suspected chemical spill. 

According to an employee at Monson Fruit at least two people have been treated for illnesses related to the possible spill.

KIMA did witness several others board a Yakima Transit bus and were taken away from the scene. 

Yakima Regional Medical Center spokesperson confirmed that 32 people were on their way to the hospital from Selah.

We are working on getting more details in this developing story.

Monson Fruit is a growing, packing and shipping company. According to their website they employ over 200 people year round.

Wrong-way driver killed in massive fiery crash with salmon truck in Oregon


BIGGS JUNCTION, OREGON

A Hermiston man who was driving the wrong way on Interstate 84 Monday night died after his SUV crashed into a commercial truck full of freshly harvested salmon.

Tyler Brown, 25, was driving a Jeep Cherokee eastbound on westbound lanes of I-84 about 10 miles east of Biggs Junction. Oregon State Police said they received reports of the wrong-way driver around 11:15 p.m.

A short time later, Brown's SUV crashed into a commercial truck carrying salmon. Both the SUV and commercial truck ignited in flames but the truck's driver, 61-year-old Michael McCright of Redmond, escaped unharmed.


Brown died at the scene. Police said it was not clear why he was driving the wrong way.

The Oregon Department of Transportation and two local fire departments spent hours trying to extinguish the fire from the burning truck and its cargo of fish. The highway was closed for nearly four hours and cleanup continued into Tuesday, with one lane open in each direction.

Ultralight planes can be ultra-dangerous: CU-Boulder professor's homebuilt plane crashes on first flight in Longmont



By Mitchell Byars and John BearStaff Writers
Posted:   06/23/2015 08:13:03 AM MDT | Updated:   about 3 hours ago

A plane built and piloted by a University of Colorado professor crashed on its maiden flight this morning near Longmont's Vance Brand Municipal Airport after it experienced engine failure.

Longmont emergency crews responded to the scene of the plane crash at 8:03 a.m. today The plane had flipped onto its top in the 10700 block of 75th Street, which is just west of the airport.

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office identified the pilot as Kenneth Bickers, 55, of Longmont, a CU political science professor known for his forecasting of presidential races.

Bickers was not injured in the crash.

Aircraft continued to take off from the airport this morning.

Greg Fries lives nearby and said he had been driving southbound on 75th Street when he saw the plane lose power.

“It went right over my head,” he said.

Fries said the airplane hit the ground and rolled about 50 feet before it got caught in the corn furrows and flipped onto its roof.

“By the time I got here, I could see the pilot already wiggling out of the plane,” he said. “I knew he was fine at that point, which is great."

Longmont resident Larry Duane was a member of the ground crew for the flight and said the airplane climbed to about 400 or 500 feet, but leveled off and started to descend.

“I jumped in the Jeep,” he said. “You never know what you are going to find in this kind of situation, but (Bickers) radioed his son and told him he was OK.”

Duane said Bickers had built the airplane from scratch, beginning 25 years ago and worked on it heavily for the past six years. He added that they had thoroughly tested the airplane before taking it on its first flight today.

“You don't just go out and fly,” he said, adding that tests had gone well.

Duane said the airplane, which had a Corvair automobile engine inside, suffered a broken landing gear, but they don't yet know the extent of the damage.

He said the engine quit working for unknown reasons, and Bickers tried to restart it, but focused on getting the airplane down safely, which always takes priority.

Vance Brand Municipal Airport manager David Slayter declined to comment, saying the crash was under investigation.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified.

The plane remained in the field for about four-and-a-half hours on Monday until it was loaded onto a flatbed trailer and hauled away.


A man surveys the damage to a plane that crashed near 75th Street and Nelson Road west of Longmont on Tuesday morning.
A man surveys the damage to a plane that crashed near 75th Street and Nelson Road west of Longmont on Tuesday morning. (Matthew Jonas / Staff Photographer)

Ultralights can be Ultra-deadly: Pilot killed after ultralight plane crash at a Byron airfield in Australia







  • Ray Jackson is the male pilot who tragically lost his life in a Northern NSW plane crash.
    Ray Jackson is the male pilot who tragically lost his life in a Northern NSW plane crash.
     
    UPDATE: A WELL-KNOWN Gold Coast teacher has been confirmed by close friends to have died after crashing an ultralight aircraft near Byron Bay this morning. 

    Friends of Ray Jackson said he tragically crashed his plane 300m from the Pacific Motorway west of Byron Bay about 8am.

    The 59-year-old was transported by helicopter to Gold Coast University Hospital in a serious condition where he later died from his injuries.

    Friends and colleagues from the Coomera school say they are reeling from the news and that “he was a top bloke”.

    Cycling Olympic gold medallist Sara Carrigan offered her condolences to the family of the teacher she said introduced her to cycling.

    Ms Carrigan said Mr Jackson, who coached her for many years, “had a heart of gold”.

    Police from Tweed Byron Local Area Command will be working with investigators from Recreational Aviation Australia, and the NSW Police Force’s Aviation Support Branch to determine the cause of the crash.

    It is the second serious incident at the airport in three months after two skydivers died when they crashed to the ground after their parachutes became tangled midair. 


    The scene of an ultralight plane crash near Byron Bay. Photo: David Clark
    The scene of an ultralight plane crash near Byron Bay. Photo: David Clark
    EARLIER: THE Gold Coast pilot of a ultralight aircraft which crashed west of Byron Bay this morning has died.


    It was at first believed he had received relatively minor injuries.
    About 8am, witnesses say they saw an ultralight drop out of sight near Tyagarah airport, about 10km north of Byron Bay.


    The crash site was found about 300m west of the Pacific Highway.
    The male pilot, reportedly in his 50s, was treated for suspected fractures and flown to Gold Coast University Hospital where he later died. 


    The scene of the crash site. Photo: David Clarke
    The scene of the crash site. Photo: David Clarke
     
    While the man is yet to be formally identified, he’s believed to have been aged in his 50s from the Gold Coast.

    Police from Tweed Byron Local Area Command will be working with investigators from Recreational Aviation Australia, and the NSW Police Force’s Aviation Support Branch to determine the cause of the crash.

    It is the second serious incident at the airport in three months after two skydivers died when they crashed to the ground after their parachutes became tangled midair.


    Date:23-JUN-2015
    Time:08:00
    Type:Ultralight
    Owner/operator:
    Registration:
    C/n / msn:
    Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
    Other fatalities:0
    Airplane damage: Unknown
    Location:Near Tyagarah Airport (YTYH), Tyagarah, NSW -   Australia
    Phase: Take off
    Nature:Unknown
    Departure airport:Tyagarah (YTYH)
    Destination airport:
    Narrative:
    The aircraft impacted terrain near the Tyagarah Airport (YTYH), in Tyagarah, New South Wales. The ultralight sustained unreported damage and the sole pilot onboard received serious injuries, of which he later succumbed to.
    Sources
    http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=177208 http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/a-male-pilot-survives-plane-crash-at-a-byron-airfield/story-fnj94idh-1227410515451
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-23/ultralight-plane-crash-tyagarah-nsw-north-coast/6566590
    http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/light-aircraft-crash-tyagarah/2682723/

    http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5958685&nseq=4

    Small Planes are Deadly: James Horner, Oscar-winning composer, killed in catastrophic small plane crash in California




    Titanic James Horner plane crash_00000825



    Plane registered to 'Titanic' composer crashes 01:03

    Story highlights

    • A small plane belonging to Horner crashed Monday in California
    • Horner's assistant says he died in the crash; "We have not heard from him," his lawyer says
    • Horner scored several blockbuster movies, including "Titanic," "Braveheart" and "Avatar"
    Los Angeles (CNN)Academy Award-winning composer James Horner, known for his impressive body of work spanning multiple movie genres, is feared dead after a small plane belonging to him crashed in central California on Monday, killing the pilot. 

    It is not known whether the 61-year-old Horner, best known for scoring the movie "Titanic," was the person flying the plane. 

    But the Hollywood Reporter reported his death, attributing the confirmation to Sylvia Patrycja, his assistant. 

    "A great tragedy has struck my family today, and I will not be around for a while. I would like some privacy and time to heal," Patrycja posted on her Facebook page

    "We have lost an amazing person with a huge heart, and unbelievable talent. He died doing what he loved. Thank you for all your support and love and see you down the road. Love Sylvia."

    Horner's lawyer couldn't confirm his death, but said he hadn't heard from the composer since the crash. 

    "He is an experienced pilot. He owns several planes. We have not heard from him," Jay Cooper told CNN.

    Condolences pour in

    Horner won two Oscars for his work on the 1997 James Cameron-directed "Titanic" -- earning best original dramatic score and best original song for the Celine Dion classic, "My Heart Will Go On."
    He was nominated for Academy Awards 10 times and wrote the music for numerous blockbusters, including "Braveheart," "Apollo 13" and "The Amazing Spider-Man." He collaborated again with Cameron for 2009's "Avatar," the top-grossing film of all time.

    Reaction to his reported death was immediate, with celebrities who worked with him posting condolences. 

    "Brilliant Composer James Horner, friend & collaborator on 7 movies has tragically died in a plane crash. My heart aches for his loved ones," tweeted Ron Howard, who directed "Apollo 13."
    Leona Lewis, who worked with Horner on the theme for "Avatar," said working with the composer "was one of the biggest moments of my life."
    "He was such a kind soul, I'm so saddened," she tweeted.

    Crash circumstances

    The single-engine S312 Tucano crashed under unknown circumstances near Cuyama, about 60 miles north of Santa Barbara, on Monday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

    The debris field from the crash was scattered across a roughly 1-acre area in a dry riverbed, said Mike Eliason, a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

    The aircraft caught fire on impact, and the flames spread to the surrounding vegetation, he said.

    Firefighters who arrived on the scene were able to quickly put the fire out, but the occupant of the plane had died on impact, Eliason said. 

    The pilot was the only person on board, the FAA said. 

    The name of the victim will have to come from local authorities, the FAA said. CNN has reached out to Ventura and Santa Barbara counties for information, and left messages for Horner's agent. 

    A person answering the phone at Horner's house asked for privacy, the Los Angeles Times reported.

    More than 75 films

    Horner was born in 1953 in Los Angeles, but he grew up in England, studying piano at London's Royal College of Music. He moved back to the U.S. to attend college, earning a music degree from the University of Southern California, and then his master's and doctorate from UCLA.

    Horner composed music for more than 75 films, making his feature-film debut in 1982 in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." 

    In addition to the accolades he earned for "Titanic," Horner won Grammy Awards for "Somewhere Out There" from "An American Tail" in 1987 and "Glory" in 1990. He also composed the music for such 1980s classics as "Field of Dreams," "Cocoon" and James Cameron's "Aliens" in 1986. 

    Horner leaves behind a wife, Sarah, and two daughters. 


    /////////---------------///





    JUNE 22, 2015

    VENTUCOPA, CALIFORNIA

    The pilot of a two-seat training plane died in a crash near Ventucopa Monday morning, officials said.

    The incident was reported about 9:30 a.m. along Quatal Canyon Road, about two miles from Highway 33.

    Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the pilot was the only person in the plane, described as a single-engine S312 Tucano MK1.

    The crash sparked a brush fire in the area that burned about one acre and there was a large debris field, Ventura County Fire Capt. Mike Lindbery said.

    Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Los Padres National Forest officials also responded to the incident.

    The National Transportation Safety Board was notified of the crash.

    Lindbery said the area is near where Santa Barbara, Ventura and Kern counties meet. He described the area as being remote and surrounded by agriculture and grassland.

    “There’s a lot of fields and open highway,” Lindbery said.



    Date:
    22-JUN-2015
    Time:
    09:30
    Type:
    Owner/operator:

    Registration:

    C/n / msn:

    Fatalities:
    Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
    Other fatalities:
    0
    Airplane damage:
    Catastrophic
    Location:
    Santa Barbara County, SE of Ventucopa, CA - http://aviation-safety.net/database/country/flags_15/N.gif  United States of America
    Phase:
    Unknown
    Nature:
    Unknown
    Departure airport:

    Destination airport:


    Narrative:

    The aircraft impacted brush terrain in the upper Cuyama Valley southeast of Ventucopa, California. The airplane was partially consumed by the post-impact fire and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries.

    Sources: 


    JUNE 23, 2014
     
    A man was burned and in critical condition early Tuesday after a fire broke out in a garage in West Hills following an explosion the previous night, fire officials said.

    Authorities were trying to determine what sparked a fire that left a man critically injured on June 23, 2015. (Credit: Newsreel)
    Authorities were trying to determine what sparked a fire that left a man critically injured on June 23, 2015. (Credit: Newsreel)


    Firefighters responded to a report of a an explosion in the 22900 block of Arminta Street at around 10:10 p.m. on Monday and found the detached garage burning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

    It took 40 firefighters roughly 15 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which did not spread to the residence, a separate LAFD tweet stated.

    One male was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to fire officials.
    No firefighters were reported to have been injured.

    Neighbor Lloyd Allen reported hearing a “major” explosion before the flames erupted, and that the Fire Department told him a bomb squad was being called out.

    “We were told that there was the possibility of other explosions and that they were going to call the bomb squad out,” Allen said.

    The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

    An LAFD official at the scene said arson investigators and the Los Angeles Police Department were sifting through the debris to determine how it started.