MI - Significant Weather Advisory - Tornados possible.

[longship]

Released by NWS at 2:10 PM EST.

Reads, in part:

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING ALONG AND SOUTH OF A WARM FRONT FROM NEAR PENTWATER TO HARRISON. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN A LINE FROM NEAR IONIA...SOUTHWEST TO PAW PAW. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT AROUND 25 MPH. IN ADDITION LOCALLY A HALF INCH OF RAIN COULD ACCOMPANY THE HEAVIER SHOWERS AND STORMS. THIS COULD LEAD TO URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. WHILE NO FUNNEL CLOUDS OR TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT THIS TIME...THE METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS TODAY SUPPORT THE RAPID AND SUDDEN DEVELOPMENT OF FUNNEL CLOUDS AND EVEN BRIEF WEAK TORNADOES... WHICH MAY APPEAR WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. THESE MAY EVEN OCCUR FROM JUST RAIN SHOWERS...WITHOUT A THUNDERSTORM AND LIGHTNING IN THE VICINITY.

(Like all these advisories, posted in all caps. Sorry, not my doing, nor would it be my choice.)

Radar shows very large storm cell crossing Lake Michigan, heading right for my location. I thought I'd post this for others in the path which will be a significant part of the lower peninsula.

Stay alert and safe, Michiganders.

[Horse with no Name]

1. Stay safe!

The winds in this storm system are fierce.

[Brickbat]

2. I'm wondering if a weather forum would be useful.

This kind of an alert is fairly routine, and happens daily somewhere in the U.S. People like to talk about the weather; maybe we need a forum.

[longship]

3. You have a point there.

But, I am not sure that would work. I considered posting in the MI forum, but decided that not every Michigander goes there. (I don't, for instance.)

Your point is very well taken, but I didn't know what else to do.

Please forgive me, but the weather here can get nasty at times, with the Great Lakes here and all.

I am open to alternatives. Or maybe just ignore the thread. I know that will be somehow unsatisfying to you. But at least I am trying.

[hedgehog]

4. I think it's a good idea - you headed your post with the location -

no one is forced to open any post if they don't want to.

[Brickbat]

5. Believe me, I know for crap weather.

I too live on a Great Lake (the greatest, if I may say so!), and grew up in the Great Plains, so I've had my share of watching the skies, buying food in advance, heading toward the basement and finding the flashlight. Living out in the woods, I keep a more careful eye on the weather, simply because we are isolated and need to rely on our own a little more than others might. Do people go to DU for weather alerts? Or do they identify the best and most up-to-date weather information providers in their own local areas? I guess I don't know. Maybe more people than I realize use this forum as a weather alert center.

[longship]

12. Well, I live in the midst of the Manistee Natl Forest.

So severe weather is damned important to me. If I lose power, I lose everything. A tornado here would be devastating to people who are hard pressed as it is. And then there's the problem that it's 15 miles by road to the nearest town, and that's only about 10,000 people.

This storm system looks big enough to cause trouble in a huge area, though. An hour south is Grand Rapids, with about a million in the area.

Thanks for the kind response.

[Brickbat]

13. I know how you feel about losing power.

There's no feeling like when you hear everything just stop -- you're without heat, water, and light, just like that.

And wifi! THE HUMANITY!

[longship]

14. WiFi in the Natl Forest?

Not in this one. No cable. No broadband.

I barely have 4G (currently 1 bar) and only since last October. All my Inet is via an iPhone 4s.

And here it comes now... The storm, that is.

[Brickbat]

15. Home wifi.

No cable, but we do have DSL. The county is running fiber optic, though, which will be a welcome change.

We can't use our cell phones here at home, though, no bars.

Stay safe!

[zappaman]

7. We have one

It rarely sees any action though...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1232

[Brickbat]

8. Oh wow, I had no idea. Maybe it should be the "weather alert" group.

[zappaman]

10. I think that may not be a bad idea.

Perhaps put it in the MAIN section instead of GROUPS?

Then again, I'm not sure how many people learn of severe weather alerts from DU....

[SheilaT]

9. We have a weather watchers forum. Not sure if it serves that exact purpose,

but you can check it out.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. On the bright side...it's not a warning

As to all caps, try reading them on your phone...they are an absolute pain

[HappyMe]

11. Stay safe.

There was a tornado warning again today here too, but not for my county. Whatever it was, it had to be nasty because I could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance. It's still pretty dark here.