2nd billion-dollar weather disaster of 2012: April 3 severe weather in Texas
The U.S. suffered its second billion-dollar weather disaster of 2012 on April 3, when a massive hailstorm and 21 tornadoes hit the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas region, said insurance company Aon Benfield, in their latest monthly Global Catastrophe Recap Report. They put the damage at $1 billion. The tornado outbreak included one EF-3 twister, which hit Forney, Texas. A severe hailstorm during the outbreak hit the DFW airport, damaging over 100 airplanes, and forcing the temporary closure of the airport. The other billion-dollar weather disaster of 2012 was the March 2 - 3 tornado outbreak in the Midwest and Southeast. NOAA put the total cost of the tornadoes that killed 41 people in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Alabama during the outbreak at $1.5 billion. There were two EF-4 tornadoes, one which devastated Henryville, Indiana, and another that plowed through Crittenden, Kentucky. On average, the U.S. sees 3 - 4 billion-dollar weather disasters each year, with 1 - 2 of these being severe weather/tornado outbreaks. In 2011, we already had five billion-dollar weather-related disasters by the first week of May, so we are well behind last year's pace. NOAA's National Climatic Data Center logged a record fourteen billion-dollar weather disasters in 2011. There has been just one other billion-dollar disaster in the world this year, according to Aon Benfield--severe flooding in Australia's New South Wales and Victoria states in late February and early March that caused $1.58 billion in damage. A separate flooding episode in late January and early February came close, causing an additional $920 million in damage in Australia.
Figure 1. The EF-3 tornado that hit Forney, Texas, on April 3, 2012. Image credit: wunderphotographer ClockworkLemon
Video 1. Dramatic video of semi-trailers being tossed more than 100 feet in the air by the Lancaster, Texas tornado of April 3, 2012.
Canada and Midwest U.S. frost/freeze damage in the hundreds of millions of dollars
Damage to fruit trees in Ontario, Canada due to a series of frosts and freezes over the past six weeks will easily top $100 million dollars, said the Windsor Star this week. About 80% of the Ontario apple crop was wiped out. At the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market yesterday, I talked to a local apple grower who told me that her orchard in Southeast Lower Michigan had suffered at least a 90% loss of its apple crop. She said the story was similar for all the growers of apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, grapes, cherries, and plums in Michigan. "The only year that can compare was 1945," she told me, "and that year wasn't nearly as bad as 2012." Fruit crops in Pennsylvania and New York State have suffered heavy damage as well, and the total damage to agriculture from this year's freezes will likely be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. All of this damage occurred despite the fact that April temperatures across the region were above average. The culprit was the extraordinary "Summer in March" weather in mid-March 2012, which brought a week of 80°F-plus temperature to the region that triggered a record early bloom.
Figure 2. Morning satellite image of Eastern Pacific Invest 90E.
Hurricane season is coming
It's now mid-May, which means that hurricane season is about to start in the East Pacific. The official start of the East Pacific hurricane season is May 15, and the action is already starting to heat up. The first "Invest" of 2012 in the East Pacific, Invest 90E, is located about 700 miles south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and is moving westward out to sea, posing no threat to any land areas. The European Center model predicts the possibility of another system getting organized in the East Pacific, closer to the coast of Mexico, during the period Wednesday - Friday (May 16 - 18.)
In the Atlantic, where hurricane season officially starts on June 1, the action may also be about to heat up. For the past several days, the GFS model has been consistently predicting the development of a subtropical storm in the Western Caribbean, or waters near Florida, sometime May 19 - May 21. The European Center model has not been on board with this, but has been predicting a very moist flow of tropical air will develop, bringing heavy rains to Florida May 19 - 20. So, it is possible we will see the Atlantic's first named storm occur in May this year, but the models are very unreliable this far out.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Jeff Masters
Tornado that hit Royse City 4/3/12
Hail from tornados. April storms 2012
Reader Comments
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Nuttin, just calm as can be here
I am right under the "O" in Houston. I am skeptical if this will even make it here, but these storms look to be merging. Will be interesting the next hour or so..
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
902 AM CDT FRI MAY 11 2012
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A FLOOD
WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN TEXAS...
GUADALUPE RIVER NEAR BLOOMINGTON AFFECTING CALHOUN AND VICTORIA
COUNTIES
.RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE AFOREMENTIONED
RIVER BASIN WILL RESULT IN RIVER RISES ABOVE FLOOD STAGE
DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL PERSONS WITH INTERESTS ALONG THE RIVER SHOULD MONITOR
THE LATEST FORECASTS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE NECESSARY
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. RIVER STAGE FORECASTS
ARE BASED ON OBSERVED AND PREDICTED RAINFALL. IF ACTUAL
RAINFALL VARIES FROM FORECAST VALUES...FORECAST RIVER STAGES
WILL VARY ACCORDINGLY.
FOR THE LATEST RIVER STAGES AND FORECASTS VISIT OUR WEB PAGE AT
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/CRP. IN THE BLUE MENU SECTION ON THE LEFT OF
THE PAGE...UNDER THE "CURRENT WEATHER" SUBMENU...CLICK
ON "RIVERS/LAKES" WHICH TAKES YOU TO OUR AHPS WEB PAGE.
&&
TXC057-469-120802-
/O.NEW.KCRP.FL.W.0009.120514T0112Z-000000T0000Z/
/DUPT2.2.ER.120514T0112Z.120515T1200Z.000000T0000 Z.NO/
902 AM CDT FRI MAY 11 2012
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WARNING FOR
THE GUADALUPE RIVER NEAR BLOOMINGTON.
* FROM SUNDAY EVENING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS
CANCELLED.
* AT 8:00 AM FRIDAY THE STAGE WAS 12.6 FEET.
* MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 20.0 FEET.
* FORECAST...RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY SUNDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE TO
RISE TO NEAR 24.2 FEET BY TUESDAY MORNING.
* FLOOD HISTORY...THIS CREST COMPARES TO A PREVIOUS CREST OF 25.9 FEET
ON MAR 25 2012.
* AT 24.0 FEET MODERATE LOWLAND FLOODING OCCURS...WITH THE RIVER
REACHING WELL INTO THE FLOOD PLAIN. ANY OIL TANK BATTERIES...PUMP
JACKS...AND SECONDARY ROADS NEAR THE RIVER MAY BE FLOODED.
$$
&&
BELOW ARE THE LATEST RIVER STAGES AND STAGE FORECASTS:
FLD LATEST FORECAST 6 AM LST
LOCATION STG STG DAY TIME SAT SUN MON TUE WED
GUADALUPE RIVER
BLOOMINGTON 20 12.6 FRI 08 AM 14.0 17.9 22.2 24.2 22.7
$$
no
its what it is and meant to be
the first for you to see
Friggin River Oaks?!
well its not early at all I've done some research and from 2003 to 2011 the first tropical waves come out around 4-17 of may
In excess of 60 waves come off of Africa a year. I said "kind of early", because historically, few if any of these waves develop into anything before June. Climatologically (I've never used that word before) we don't normally look in that area for development this early. This time of year, development is normally in or near the Gulf, Caribbean or East of Florida.
Wow ..impressive! I've been outside watching the clouds ...quite a lot of movement. About ten minutes ago it started pouring! Hard!
Tons of thunder and lightening
Nice neighborhood. ;-)
I like my colors better.
I'm in that red/purple box
Will do and thanks ...happy that I got the dog walked before this started
It was really quick wasnt it?
lol no, not quite. I wish lol! I am right near the Memorial/Heights/Galleria area. Constant lightning here. I have been outside the past 10 minutes trying to get pictures but it is really hard using a phone haha.
I am getting nervous that this cell coming right towards us is starting to hook again. I don't think a tornado will come out of it but you cannot rule it out. This storm is just regenerating. A lot of flow coming in from the SE into the SW winds so it is developing slight rotation
I am about 60 miles east of you. A jump over the San Jac on I-10
Makes me wonder if the storms developing SW of Houston will end up here later given the tornado watch until 2 am. Ill be up all night lol!
It appears that I am about 10 miles or less from David. This storm is coming right down 10 so maybe you will get some of it soon
wait who said anything about development I just said about the formation of a tropical wave not a TS or hurricane off of africa
Do they still have that club at the top of the Galleria? ... Of course the last time I was up there, it was a Disco club. ;-)
You all are still north of me (and east). I'm 50 miles straight south of Houston, and it looks like we're in the clear here. It takes something coming up the Gulf to hit Lake Jackson. (Can we spell I K E ?)
lol you and I both. Just took my lab outside and ended up staying out there a while watching the lightning. It is literally constant lightning.
RitaEvac is down by League City. I work near Hobby. ... I think we have the Houston area covered!
I would not be surprised if this turns into a squall line. These cells are moving quite slow and look to be merging but all we can do is wait and see!!
its quite a show ...loved it. Dont know why but thunder and lightening make me happy? I must be wired wrong. It's just raining a bit here now and has quieted down a lot
We all need to catch a deep sea boat out of Freeport! .. Captain Elliot?
You know it! I was just about to say how nice it is to see all of us in this area on here at this moment. It is great how something like weather can bring together neighbors times like this
Sleeper cells? LOL
You are not wired wrong. It is people like us (and the other bloggers on here) that notify and help out neighbors and family during severe weather situations. I have been obsessed with this stuff since I can remember. Im only 28 years old but all I can say is, if I could make a living doing what I love, it would be in meteorology without even thinking twice. ;)
Weather Station
Fox Mill, Herndon
Elevation
383 ft
Now
Clear
Clear
Temperature
68.0 °F
Feels Like 68.0 °F
Wind(mph)
1.0
Sunrise / Set
6:00 AM
8:11 PM
That sounds like some nice weather ...wish we had more of it like that here
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