Normally I am the world's biggest "news junkie"...but lately do not seem to care much about trackin it...today, however, was a strange day...for wildfires! The sky at sunset was a strange orangish brown color from both fires and dust that blew thru...
EXTREME WILDFIRE CONDITIONS HIT TEXAS
April 9, 2009--COLLEGE STATION, Texas--Multiple homes and hundreds of acres have been lost to wildfires across the state today as extreme weather conditions that were forecast for Thursday, April 9, 2009, materialized.
Reports of wildfires, evacuations and requests for assistance have been coming in to Texas Forest Service all day.
Due to the massive number of requests for assistance and wildfire reports, a clear number of acres burned or homes lost in today’s wildfire events is not yet available. Weather conditions at many of the wildfires have made fighting these blazes exceptionally dangerous. Attack on the fires with planes and helicopters was impossible for most of the day due to the high winds.
Texas Forest Service has received multiple reports of evacuations, structures lost, acreage burned and additional wildfire starts.
Weather conditions are predicted to moderate throughout the night. The Texas Forest Service web site will be updated as information is confirmed.
http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/main/popup.aspx?id=7228
Also this:
WARNING Tornado(s) - Mena Arkansas
http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0409/611995.html
Mena Hit By Tornado
A spokeswoman for the state Emergency Management Department says a tornado has touched down in downtown Mena. Renee Preslar says the Polk County Courthouse took "a direct hit" from the storm that struck just after 8 p.m. Thursday night. Say It On 7:
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Preslar says the county requested National Guard troops to secure downtown Mena. Officials also have asked utility companies to shut off all gas lines to Mena and surrounding areas. Preslar says emergency management officials have heard of no injuries from the storm, but they were still gathering information about what happened.
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NWS SKYWARN chase teams reporting large tornado on the ground in Shreveport LA doing heavy damage at this time.
One fire station "obliterated" - nothing left. In the city limits now doing catastrophic damage.
