Midwest Chasing

Looks like Russia and Georgia are going to war over South Ossetia. How much do you want to bet oil’s going to skyrocket again in price?

Currently under a PDS Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

AT 742 PM…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL
SIZE HAIL…AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH. THESE STORMS
WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CRYSTAL LAKE TO LISLE TO
CRYSTAL LAWNS TO LISBON…MOVING EAST AT 62 MPH.

...DEPRESSION STRENGTHENS TO A TROPICAL STORM...THE FIFTH OF THE
SEASON...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOUISIANA COAST
FROM THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WESTWARD TO INTRACOASTAL
CITY. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT WEST OF INTRACOASTAL CITY
TO PORT OCONNOR TEXAS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL
STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY
WITHIN 36 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 500 PM CDT...2200Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM EDOUARD WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.0 WEST OR ABOUT 95
MILES...155 KM...SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND
ABOUT 420 MILES...675 KM...EAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS.

EDOUARD IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 6 MPH...9 KM/HR...AND
A GENERAL MOTION TOWARD THE WEST OR WEST-NORTHWEST IS FORECAST
DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER
OF THE CYCLONE WILL MOVE PARALLEL TO THE LOUISIANA COAST TONIGHT
AND MONDAY...AND APPROACH THE UPPER TEXAS COAST ON TUESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS...AND EDOUARD COULD BE NEARING HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE
LANDFALL.

Did he steal footage of the Rock, Kansas tornado from 2004, modify it, and sell it to the AP as his own?

Survey says: YES!

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED  
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 651  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
1010 AM CDT WED JUL 2 2008  
  
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A  
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF   
  
       PARTS OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS  
       SMALL PART OF NORTHERN INDIANA  
       MUCH OF WESTERN PORTION OF LOWER MICHIGAN  
       PARTS OF SOUTHERN AND EASTERN WISCONSIN  
       LAKE MICHIGAN  
  
EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 1010 AM UNTIL  
400 PM CDT.  
  
HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80  
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.  
  
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 95  
STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES SOUTHWEST  
OF MADISON WISCONSIN TO 45 MILES EAST OF GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN.   
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH  
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).  
  
REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE  
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH  
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR  
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS  
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY  
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.  
  
DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE INCREASING ACROSS SRN WI AHEAD OF  
COLD FRONT AND UPPER TROUGH. WITH A RAPIDLY INCREASE IN MOISTURE AND  
INSTABILITY EWD  ACROSS THE WATCH...STORMS ARE DEVELOPING A  
PRONOUNCED COLD POOL WITH ACCORDINGLY INCREASE IN WIND DAMAGE  
THREAT.  WITH HEATING STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTENSIFYING AS THEY  
MOVE/DEVELOP E AND SE THIS AFTERNOON. 

Below is a single radar image from around 633 pm showing the circulation that produced the tornado as it moved near and through the Little Sioux Boy Scout camp between Little Sioux and Blencoe Iowa.

Tim Russert, a political lifer who made a TV career of his passion with unrelenting questioning of the powerful and influential, died of a heart attack Friday in the midst of a presidential campaign he’d covered with trademark intensity. Praise poured in from the biggest names in politics, some recalling their own meltdown moments on his hot seat.

I’ve watched his show from time to time and he always seemed like a stand up guy.