Putting it All Together

As this semester progressed, I had no idea what my Writing for Public Interest class would bring. I am glad to say that I learned a great deal by taking the course, and I also felt that I was able to have a chance to show my creativity with each and every one of my stories. I was never really good at writing news-type stories, but once I took this, I learned a general idea of the structure of how the stories should be done. I even had to sign up for a great deal of things such as Blogger, Flickr, Twitter (which I already had since the summer), and an online chat in which our entire class participated in.

For the most part, it took a great deal of ideas in order for me to keep the stories interesting and flowing together every time I wrote one. I also wanted to bring in the emotional appeal of the stories as well as educate my audience for a better understanding of our climate which varies every day. The wording also had to make a lot of sense because if I was to throw a term out there that no one knew, it would confuse several people.

In order to put these blogs together, I had to get used to the idea of even using one for the class. While sometimes technology was a pain and very strenuous to use, it was definitely worth learning it to educate students to expand their horizons and learn to use different ways of communication and showing off their finished products in terms of stories. I made several attempts to chat with professional meteorologists on the local and national level, but due to their busy work schedules, they were unable to get back with me on my stories. However, I was able to speak with real-life storm spotters and storm chasers who work alongside the National Weather Service for a great deal of information and their experiences with severe weather.

If I was to do the media package a different way, I probably would get a head start on most of my stories. I had a time trying to get a hold of reliable sources for each and every one. Also, I would've probably joined these blog websites a lot sooner than this semester so that I would have some exposure on how to use it. I would also have a larger variety of photos to use being that I am a photographer in my spare time. I could even try expanding my topic from more of an informative standpoint rather than just from aspects of experiences and then some.

Observing the Aftermath

By Jana Foggan

[HAMMOND]-As howling winds calm down and silence fills the moist,
southern air, adrenaline runs through peoples’ veins as their hearts nearly
beat out of their chests once the storm has passed. Slowly, they come out
of their safe places only to discover the damage that has been done around them 
which suddenly sends a feeling of shock and sadness through them. When
 something as tragic as a tornado takes place, these feelings and so much more
 can be described as being a part of one thing: the tornado aftermath.

Within the past year, tornadoes have
 been quite frequent not only in Tornado Alley but throughout the United
 States. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
a total of 2,192 tornadoes were reported which is almost double the ten-year
 average of storms. During the beginning of 2008, 87 tornadoes occurred
 within the Super Tuesday primary elections. During the Super Tuesday
 Outbreak, Louisiana had its fair share tornadoes, especially the one in the 
freshest memory in the minds of several people in Independence.

On February 13, 2008, strong
 thunderstorms moved through the Hammond area and a few miles down the road,
action was catching the attention of residents of Independence. Mike
Lane, an eyewitness who happened to be visiting family, had a gut feeling as
the skies grew darker and began changing colors. “All I could do was hope 
that nothing was going to drop out of the sky as I was on the highway because
it was like a scene from a movie,” Lane said. Lane was not too far away
from the Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center as the dark clouds began to swirl 
and extend downwards.

“The second the tornado touched the
 ground, it was heading straight towards the hospital, and I couldn’t help but
 think if everyone was alright. It didn’t look good at all,” Lane said. 
While the tornado was weak, the damage that it left behind was one for the 
record books. Lane said, “After it passed, I was a bit shaken up, but 
when I passed the hospital, it looked like a war zone. There were police 
sirens, medical teams and glass just about everywhere you looked.”

As a result of the storm, one person lost her life after being caught up into the funnel and then slammed into a 
vehicle nearby. The tornado also created minor structural damage and toppled
 a few trees. Even though it was a minor storm, the unfortunate loss of 
life was major enough to catch the attention of locals as well as the country.

The increase in tornadoes continued
 this year with violent storms breaking out sporadically in Dixie Alley and
 Tornado Alley. On June 21, Extreme Weather Storm Chasing storm chaser Forrest 
Lambert and his team were caught in a few minutes of fury 60 miles from Grand
 Rapids, Iowa. “My first thoughts were, ‘are we going to see 
strong tornadoes and damaging winds from the storm?’” Lambert said.

Although the tornado was on the ground
 a few minutes, Lambert reported a shed with damage done to a side wall and a few trees were down but there was no loss of life in the area. “Emotions
 run higher after the storm because you never know if anyone has died in the
 storm after it strikes, and storm chasers are normally first to arrive after a
 storm has hit a town,” Lambert stated.

Tornadoes are very frightening to
 experience but what people see after the storms strike is the scariest scene of
 all. Trees can be snapped in two, houses can be completely moved from 
their foundations and due to not taking safety measures, loss of life can
occur. “Before finding out about the woman at the hospital, I felt this
sense of worry because I had no idea what happened, but at the same time, I was
 glad I was in a safe enough distance to be alright,” Lane says of his
 experience.

Story on NOLA.com

Tell-Tale Signs

[HAMMOND]-As awkward silence occurs, people generally get a gut feeling in regard to the worst that could happen or take place. As severe weather creates this feeling, people cannot help but look at what is going on around them in the atmosphere. The minute the skies grow dark and nothing can be heard for miles, it is then time to watch for more signals in the sky and along the ground, especially when a tornado is in progress.

Incoming Spring Storm

Tornadoes are already viewed as one of nature’s most violent forms of weather, and aside from tornadoes themselves, the signs indicating they are about to touch down in a general area could be far worse than the second they touch the ground. During severe thunderstorms, tornadoes are generally accompanied by pouring rain, low, howling winds, violent lightning and hailstones.



While most signs are obvious, the main one that people should have their eye on is the one that happens in a clear line of view within a thunderstorm. Extreme Weather coordinator and storm chaser Forrest Lambert says, “The most prominent sign to look for is lots of rotation and a funnel cloud that comes down.” People tend to let the blinds be pulled over their eyes when rotation is in progress, but the minute a funnel gets started, they are quick to grab a camera and head outside rather than taking shelter.

As a tornado approaches, they can be hidden within rain and may blindside residents in an instant. Other times, a tornado can be standing alone when there is no rain at all. Skywarn storm spotter Autumn Hartman said, “The rotation is found usually by looking at the base of the storm where there is no rain. Most storms usually have low, hanging wall clouds in the precipitation-free area of the storm in which tornadoes usually develop.”

Rotation within a thunderstorm can be weak at times, generating smaller and less damaging tornadoes. At other times, rotation can be powerful, creating the most violent tornadoes on record. “Rotation develops from wind shear inside of the storm. You gotta have wind shear in order for tornadoes to form,” Lambert said. Hartman said, “Rotation happens throughout the storm. You have rotating updrafts, mesocyclones and in a whole, tornadoes are just a tiny part of rotation in thunderstorms.”

Hail, lightning and howling winds can be pretty fierce when it comes to tornado development, but in the end, the rotation wins the competition by a landslide. “Because most people don’t keep their eye out for it, when they see something that resembles a tornado, they get excited and put in a false report which can cause panic in the general public,” Hartman stated. Rotation can happen so fast that storm chasers, storm spotters and meteorologists have to be on guard at all times watching signs where a tornado is in progress or on the ground.

The general public can put themselves in danger attempting to get a closer look at an approaching severe storm, but when it is all said and done, those getting the information on the storms are at the highest risk. Lambert said, “Chasers and spotters are most likely to see the most damage because while everyone else is taking shelter, they’re out there to warn people and the National Weather Service about what they see in the field.” In this case, storm spotters and storm chasers are the informants of the field, and even in the worst of times, they still stand strong as a unit for the general public.

Location is also a factor in terms of who sees the most damage before a tornado touches down. “In the field, if it’s a highly populated area, vehicles and homes will see the most damage. However, if the storm is out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by chasers and spotters, they will see the most damage from hail and potentially be struck by lightning. It all depends on the location of the storm,” Hartman says.

Tornadoes can definitely bark a lot worse than they can bite, but evaluating the concept of severe storms in general, all of the signs that point to their arrival are just as dangerous. Anyone is open to be struck by lightning if they are in the wrong place or even pelted by hail hard enough to leave dents and small cuts and bruises behind. Once the calm before the storm arrives, people should keep open eyes and ears out for all tell-tale signs of tornadoes before it is too late to take necessary precautions.

Hail Damage

Tornado Signs Story on NOLA.com