A tornado near Pocatello? Using radar, Idaho weather experts issued warning
The tornado warning was in effect from 3:12 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. for Idaho towns south of Pocatello, including Downey, Swanlake and Virginia, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Jack Messick.
Messick said the warning was issued after experts noticed patterns on their radar that indicated a tornado.
Tornadoes are an unusual event in Idaho, with an average of not even one confirmed tornado touching down in the Gem State each year, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.
National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Valle said that as of 5 p.m., officials had not received a confirmed sighting of a tornado touching down Wednesday. There were reports of winds exceeding 60 mph and up to half an inch of rain falling in the tornado warning zone, according to Valle.
The area near Pocatello was hit by the weather conditions that created the perfect storm for a possible tornado, Messick said.
'We have a cold front pushing through, and a cold front can trigger thunderstorms,' Messick told the Statesman by phone. 'The instability in the air was caused by the really hot weather we've been having, and then this cold air coming in behind it. The stronger the temperature difference across that boundary, the stronger the thunderstorms can be.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
29 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Unbearable prolonged heat, how to stay cool during SoCal's heat wave
The biggest heat wave of the year has arrived in Southern California and is expected to roast the region with triple-digit temperatures in some areas, prompting heat advisories and health concerns for vulnerable populations. Red flag warnings issued Wednesday are in effect through the weekend for Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo countys' mountain and foothills, and much of the region is under an extreme heat warning starting Thursday into the weekend as forecasters project temperatures to steadily climb, possibly reaching up to 110 degrees far inland. Extreme heat can result in heat-related illnesses and, if left untreated, can lead to death. A 2021 investigation into heat-related deaths by The Times found that between 2010 and 2019 California's official data from death certificates attributed 599 deaths to heat exposure. However, an analysis found that the true toll was six times higher than previously estimated. Here's how you can stay cool and avoid heat-related illnesses through the summer. Hot weather can be uncomfortable for everyone but a mixture of high temperatures with sun exposure, stagnant air and high humidity can cause health concerns for some groups of people, according to the National Integrated Heat Health Information System. It's widely known that children, adults 65 and older, pregnant people and those with chronic health conditions are at most risk of heat-related illness during heat waves. Other groups of people who are at risk are those who work outdoors, athletes and emergency responders. To understand how the heat in your area can affect your health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Weather Service have collaborated to create HeatRisk, an online dashboard. Instead of temperature degrees, the forecast uses a five-level color scale to indicate the health risk imposed by the heat, taking into consideration heat exposure and the role of humidity in the air. The tool will help you answer questions such as: Public health official advise the best way to beat the heat is to stay indoors but not everyone has an air conditioner to keep their space cool. You can lower the temperature inside by: As a reprieve from steaming temperatures, Los Angeles city and county have opened their cooling centers across the region. A cooling center is considered a library, community center pools and splash pads. Where you can find your nearest cooling center: Public health officials say heat-related illnesses, such as exhaustion and heatstroke, increase significantly during extreme heat. General symptoms of heat-related illness include vomiting, dizziness, confusion, and hot, red, dry or damp skin. The first sign of heat-related illness that may lead to heat exhaustion or stroke is heat cramps, according to the National Weather Service. Heat cramps are painful muscle cramps and spasms that usually occur in the legs and abdomen followed by heavy sweating. If you or someone else is experiencing heat cramps, apply firm pressure on cramping muscles or gently massage to relieve spasm. Take sips of water unless you feel nausea, then stop. If the cramps last longer than one hour seek immediate medical attention. If you see or experience any heat-related illness symptoms, move to a cool place and call 911. Check in on people who are vulnerable to heat-related illness by looking for: If you see they're exhibiting any of these symptoms get them some water and help move then to a cooler place.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Virginia braces for Hurricane Erin's offshore punch
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin provides a weather update ahead of Hurricane Erin impacts on the commonwealth. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury) Hurricane Erin continues to churn up the East Coast, whipping up dangerous waves and winds even as it stays offshore. The storm is not expected to make landfall, but Virginia is preparing for rough waters, tropical-storm-force gusts, and bands of heavy rain as warnings go into effect. Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday updated the public on the storm's potential impact expected for Thursday morning. Hurricane Erin is a massive storm, already being felt along South Carolina's Outer Banks Wednesday evening, capable of throwing tropical weather across several states. 'We also are seeing coastal floods watches announced across the whole region as we see the tidal flooding risk really enhanced,' Youngkin said. 'This is a dangerous storm, and because of the size of this storm, even though it is offshore, we will see rain bands that will bring heavy rain.' The governor said first responder resources are staged in Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore in case swift water rescues are needed. Utilities and the Virginia Department of Transportation are also prepared to clear fallen trees and restore services as tropical-storm-force winds arrive. 'We also have asked state police to preposition resources, and that includes boats and crews on the Eastern Shore into Hampton Roads, particularly and on this side of the tunnel to make sure that we have adequate resources who can move quickly should they be needed, and we also have our aerial support through helicopters and our fixed-wing capabilities,' Youngkin said. As of Wednesday evening, bridges and tunnels as well as the Jamestown ferry were expected to remain open, though conditions could force changes if the storm worsens. Virginia Department of Emergency Management Director John Scrivani urged the public to steer clear of beaches and keep boats off the water until Erin passes. 'There is going to be dangerous marine conditions, rip currents, tidal flooding, beach and dune erosion, as well as those hazardous seas,' Scrivani said. 'That's why you see those warnings over water, not just over land. Outer rain bands can impact the coastal areas. We do not anticipate much impact as we get further inland.' Flood-prone coastal communities are being told to stay alert. So far, there have been no evacuation orders, voluntary or mandatory, and no emergency declaration. The governor said his team continues to monitor the storm's track and is ready to adjust if needed. 'I believe what we have staged is sufficient for what we are currently expecting. If circumstances change then we will react very quickly,' Youngkin said. 'Often an emergency declaration is paired with utilization of the Virginia National Guard, and moving even more resources, and at this point, we see such extensive resource capability in the Hampton Roads region. And with the state assets we've already moved, we do believe we're reacting appropriately.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
2 hours ago
Parents of kids swept away in Texas floods beg lawmakers to protect future campers
When floodwaters rushed through a girl's summer camp nestled in the Texas Hill Country, Michael McCown's 8-year-old daughter was among 27 campers and counselors swept to their deaths. On Wednesday, McCown joined other Camp Mystic parents, some wearing buttons memorializing 'Heaven's 27,' in demanding that Texas lawmakers pass a bill that would boost camp safety, including generally keeping cabins out of flood plains, instituting new requirements for emergency plans and mandating weather radios. 'It will hurt my family forever that, for reasons I still do not know, these protections were not in place nor thought out thoroughly for my daughter and the rest of the girls here,' he said. "Please pass this bill, protect our kids and do not let their deaths be in vain.' McCown's middle child, Linnie, was sandwiched between two brothers. She was sometimes a pest to her 11-year-old brother. But to the youngest, just 3, she was mother figure, making him cereal on weekends so her parents could catch a few minutes of sleep. 'To everyone else she was a joy," her father told lawmakers. "She hugged her teachers, was a friend to everybody and spread an infectious giggle everywhere she went.' Then came the floods. Just before daybreak on the Fourth of July, destructive, fast-moving waters rose 26 feet (8 meters) on the Guadalupe River, washing away homes and vehicles. All told, at least 136 people died, raising questions about how things went so terribly wrong. County leaders were asleep or out of town. The head of Camp Mystic had been tracking the weather beforehand, but it's now unclear whether he saw an urgent warning from the National Weather Service that had triggered an emergency alert to phones in the area, a spokesperson for camp's operators said in the immediate aftermath. Some of the camp's buildings — which flooded — were in what the Federal Emergency Management Agency considered a 100-year flood plain. But in response to an appeal, FEMA in 2013 amended the county's flood map to remove 15 of the camp's buildings from the hazard area. Upon learning of the flooding, McCown rushed to the town of Kerrville to pick up Linnie, receiving an email en route that if parents hadn't been personally contacted, then their daughters are accounted for. 'I felt a wave of relief, which was quickly shattered about 30 minutes later when my wife called incredibly distraught to say that Linnie is missing,' he recalled. He joined the search downstream from the camp and found the body of a deceased girl. He also made two trips to a funeral home to identify bodies. One was not Linnie; the other, he believed, was. He later provided authorities with a DNA swab. He's haunted by questions. 'How," he asked, "could these girls vanish into the night without anyone having eyes on them while cabins literally just 20 yards away had no casualties? So what went wrong?' Cici Williams Steward said assurances that her daughter, Cile Steward, would be safe were betrayed and protocols that should have been in place were ignored. Today, the body of the 8-year-old 'remains somewhere in the devastation of the Guadalupe River,' the only Camp Mystic camper still missing. 'We are suspended in endless anguish, unable to move forward, unable to find peace," a tearful Steward said. "We ask you, please pass SB1 so no parent sends their child to camp believing they are safe only to face this nightmare. And just as urgently, please do not stop the search for Cile Steward. Please do not give up on our girl.' Texas State Sen. Charles Perry described the proposed legislation as a 'legacy to the loss' and an answer to what has been learned during hours of public testimony. He said it's dubbed the 'Heaven's 27 Camp Safety Act.' 'It's only appropriate," Perry said, "to memorialize the 27 little girls that lost their lives at Camp Mystic in this way.'
