Latest news with #DavidHagan
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How does southeast Kentucky's fatal ‘mile-wide' tornado compare to 1974 Super Outbreak?
KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — Southeast Kentucky experienced one of the strongest and deadliest tornadoes in over 50 years on Friday, May 16. Friday's storms took the lives of 19 across Pulaski, Laurel, and Russell Counties. The last time Pulaski County suffered a tornado fatality was on April 3, 1974. This storm was part of what would become known as the 1974 Super Outbreak. Who are the 19 southeastern Kentucky tornado victims? The 'Super Outbreak' targeted a 13-state stretch of the U.S., reaching from Alabama to Michigan. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the storm holds numerous tornado-related records to date, including the most EF5 tornadoes in a single outbreak and the second most tornadoes produced in a single day. It's remembered as one of the worst tornado outbreaks in U.S. history. The NWS reported that 335 were killed across the nation and over 6,000 were injured. The storm reportedly produced 148 tornadoes, 30 of which were EF4 and EF5. CEOs, community join in act of generosity for Laurel, Pulaski County tornado victims Justice Department moves to cancel Louisville police reform settlement How does southeast Kentucky's fatal 'mile-wide' tornado compare to 1974 Super Outbreak? 'I remember this day well. The worst tornado in Madison County went through the area of Cottonburg and headed on towards Richmond. Near Cottonburg, we heard reports of people hurt and help was needed to open the roads, so we headed there from our home near Kirksville,' David Hagan wrote. 'When we finally got there, one family had spotted the tornado and left their house to get in their car to escape the storm. They never made it. They had managed to reach the car and get the doors open, but the tornado got them before they could get inside. The dome light was still on. That memory has stuck with me all these years.' The most destructive was an EF5 that hit Brandenburg, killing 31 and injuring 257. 'The racket was terrifying, and everything in the house, as well as the house itself, was shaking violently. At one point, I swear, the roof lifted up, and you could see outside between the top of the wall and the ceiling,' Juia Ross, who was a young girl at the time in Brandenburg, recalled. 'I turned around, sat down, and put Fifi [the family dog] on my lap. I rocked her back and forth and said, 'We're gonna die, Fifi, we're gonna die.' I wonder sometimes if I missed my moment. In that moment, I was ready to go wherever we go from here. I'm not sure I'll ever be that ready again. The house settled back down, the noise left, and it began to rain. I remember looking up at the ceiling and wondering how what I saw could be true, and if it was true, how it could have gone back together the way it had.' The fatal Pulaski County tornado was determined to be an EF3, according to the NWS. 'Neighbors and family members came to our basement to seek shelter, and we lay on a mattress most of the night listening to the radio and wondering what would be next. The rain and hail pelted our house, and thunder and lightning so intense it sounded as if it was right on top of us,' Daniel Wilson, who reportedly lived near the Pulaski County line, said. What hit Pulaski County in 2025 is comparable to the 1974 Super Outbreak, peaking at EF3 with wind speeds of 140 miles per hour near Eli. But this was just the beginning of what would become an over 55-mile track as the storm grew stronger. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Once the tornado reached Laurel County, it had grown to an EF4 with maximum wind speeds of 170 miles per hour. According to the NWS, it's also believed the tornado was nearly a mile wide at its widest. Laurel County experienced the most fatalities from Friday's storms, taking the lives of 17. For the southeastern Kentucky area, the 2025 tornado is now considered the strongest and deadliest storm in the area's history, surpassing what the region experienced in 1974. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
QuantAQ Launches MODULAIR-UFP: Ultrafine Particle Monitoring for Outdoor Applications
The outdoor-ready ultrafine particle monitor offers real-time data, meteorological insights, and long-term deployment capability CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QuantAQ, a leader in air quality sensing, today announced the launch of the MODULAIR-UFP, a new sensor built to measure ultrafine particles (UFPs) in outdoor environments, enabling researchers, regulators, and communities to access new data for air quality monitoring. Designed to operate outside the lab and in long-term installations, the MODULAIR-UFP measures total particle number concentrations from 0 to 100,000 particles per cubic centimeter (p/cm³) with little to no maintenance for extended periods of time. 'Until now, ultrafine particle monitoring has been highly constrained and difficult for long-term outdoor uses,' said David Hagan, CEO and Co-founder of QuantAQ. 'The MODULAIR-UFP brings these critical measurements into the field with precision, reliability, and ease.' Each MODULAIR-UFP is equipped with a Gill® Weather Station, adding detailed meteorological measurements—including wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and humidity—to help contextualize pollution sources. This pairing provides a new level of resolution for understanding local air quality dynamics, particularly in complex urban and industrial environments. 'With its compactness and portability, the MODULAIR-UFP opens up exciting new research possibilities,' said Dr. Dan Westervelt, Associate Research Professor at Columbia Climate School's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and QuantAQ customer. 'We are particularly looking forward to understanding emissions of ultrafine particles near a major New York City highway as a function of vehicle type, fuel quality, driving conditions, and vehicle age.' Unlike other UFP solutions on the market, the MODULAIR-UFP uses a water-based, pulsed condensation particle counter (CPC). The sensor is compact, easy to install, and designed for low power consumption. To minimize downtime, the device proactively alerts users when the internal water reservoir is low, allowing maintenance teams to refill while minimizing interruptions to data collection. The MODULAIR-UFP also connects to the QuantAQ Cloud™ platform, enabling remote, real-time access to high-resolution data across single or multiple sites. Whether for researchers studying near-roadway exposure, city agencies tracking pollution hotspots, or community groups advocating for cleaner air, the MODULAIR-UFP empowers users to monitor UFP levels with flexibility and control. To learn more, visit About QuantAQSpun out of MIT in 2019, QuantAQ fuses data science, machine learning, atmospheric chemistry, physics, and IoT technology using a multi-disciplinary approach into a single platform to deliver accurate and reliable air quality measurements. The company has launched two market-leading air quality monitors, now used in more than thirty countries across all seven continents. QuantAQ continues to innovate by developing new products to make it easier than ever for customers to measure pollutants when and where they need to. Learn more at Media Contact:pr@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
