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Strange Streaks Of Light Found Around Tornadoes
Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 4:50 am
by michaelwmoss
This is very odd. Gary England from OKC talked about this. Anyone see this happen before? This maybe an awesome topic to discuss on some upcoming shows:
http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/player?sk ... 2010pm3.rm
Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 7:08 pm
by Stormsfury
Very fascinating stuff here, and very interesting phenomena (or something else?) ... this MIGHT explain some of the reports of ball lightning? ...
SF
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 12:09 am
by michaelwmoss
INDEED!!!! That is what I thought it might be as well!! Maybe they can make a connection between tornadic storms and ball lightning. If they could and find a way to detect ball lightning, perhaps that could help in the Tornado Warning process and help to make people even better prepared!!
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 3:33 pm
by CaptinCrunch
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:57 pm
by Stormsfury
CaptinCrunch wrote::1:
As odd as it may seem, there COULD be some validity to this ... ASSUMING extreterristal craft is capable of withstanding the violent force of a strong tornado (through G-Force manipulation) ...
Strange streaks of light have shown up being able to manuever on several archived space videos as well ... in which, makes you wonder .... (but that's another story and another thread, and FWIW, I believe we are not alone in the universe) ...
INDEED!!!! That is what I thought it might be as well!! Maybe they can make a connection between tornadic storms and ball lightning. If they could and find a way to detect ball lightning, perhaps that could help in the Tornado Warning process and help to make people even better prepared!!
This is quite a distinct possibility of a correlation between tornadic storms and ball lightning ... possibly b/c of the ability to overcome what normally is not a staticly charged environment ... IOW, during wall clouds/tornadoes, incredible updrafts are ongoing during this events (and also with supercell thunderstorms), which are capable of producing massive build-ups of static electricity in just a very short time (and hence, bouts of frequent and continual lightning) ... during the 1998 tornado in Summerville, SC (and the wall cloud phase about 5 minutes before), CG strikes were occurring every 1-2 seconds originating from the wall cloud and above itself ... a very vicious charging of the atmosphere and sudden release ... hypothetically speaking ... what if a charge was able to sustain itself but only on a very small scale, just enough to hold its own (through some kind of fricitional forces)? Also, could it be that a low-level charge somehow is ejected outward from the tornado itself and results in a very rapid streak of light?
Don't know ...
I believe ball lightning exists, b/c I've actually witnessed this phenomena firsthand, during a supercell thunderstorm in 1991 ... hovering about 2-3 feet above the ground ... it moved rather slowly, and lasted on the order of 20-30 seconds ... it moved probably a total distance of 150 feet or so, before suddenly disappearing, but not without a very thunderous crack ... it was like a snapping of a bullwhip, although, a bit more on the quieter side. Several seconds later, a CG strike occurred within 200 yards of where the ball lightning was observed ... that thunderclap scared the crap out of everyone ...
SF
Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 6:07 pm
by verycoolnin
Wow, that's amazing. I don't think this has anything to do with aliens (mainly, because I don't believe in them) but it may have some connection with ball lightning.
Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 6:21 pm
by yoda
Most interesting. Good info SF.
Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 7:48 pm
by Aquawind
Wow..Thanks michaelmoss..I always wanted to see ball lightening and agree this is something similar..

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:46 am
by michaelwmoss
The more I think about it, the more I believe that is Ball Lightning. This could be a significant weather find folks. Storm2k Admins, can we get someone to listen to us and dig up some more scientific evidence on this?!?
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 4:53 am
by yoda
michaelwmoss wrote:The more I think about it, the more I believe that is Ball Lightning. This could be a significant weather find folks. Storm2k Admins, can we get someone to listen to us and dig up some more scientific evidence on this?!?
There is already much talk about ball lightning. In fact, there are a few papers on it.
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 5:53 am
by Stormsfury
yoda wrote:michaelwmoss wrote:The more I think about it, the more I believe that is Ball Lightning. This could be a significant weather find folks. Storm2k Admins, can we get someone to listen to us and dig up some more scientific evidence on this?!?
There is already much talk about ball lightning. In fact, there are a few papers on it.
Find 'em and post links if you have the time.
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 6:22 am
by yoda
Stormsfury wrote:yoda wrote:michaelwmoss wrote:The more I think about it, the more I believe that is Ball Lightning. This could be a significant weather find folks. Storm2k Admins, can we get someone to listen to us and dig up some more scientific evidence on this?!?
There is already much talk about ball lightning. In fact, there are a few papers on it.
Find 'em and post links if you have the time.
Sure. I'll go find them now, even though I have been up all night...
http://www.padrak.com/ine/ELEWIS3.html
There is one for starters... I will post more later.
Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 11:42 am
by michaelwmoss
That is a very good starter! This definately goes along with the reports from folks in the storm shelters who have seen lightning from the inside of the funnel. One account of the tornado "Vomiting Balls Of Fire" is interesting!!
Mike Wakins, Barometer Bob what do you think? Good topic for a future show(S) ?
Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2004 12:17 am
by michaelwmoss
This is definately something we should ask Sarah from the SPC on The Barometer Bob Show On Thursday. Be interesting to see if she has any insight on this.
Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2004 9:05 am
by isobar
Could it be possible that the flashes may in fact be sparks from debris colliding? ... Like the guy who witnessed sparks due to sand colliding at such high velocity during the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane.
Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 4:01 pm
by Stormsfury
isobar wrote:Could it be possible that the flashes may in fact be sparks from debris colliding? ... Like the guy who witnessed sparks due to sand colliding at such high velocity during the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane.
The sparks that were produced from the Labor Day Hurricane were sand particles being severely agitated due to high winds and produced from a very high frictional rate ...
Donna, it's quite possible that you MIGHT be onto something. But on the video that I watched from the link above, the lights were up along the base of the cloud, generally moving away from the tornado, and much faster than the surrounding wind field environment ...
Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 5:14 pm
by weathermom
I know this is going to sound stupid.....but I'll risk it.
What about aerosol cans (or similar debris)exploding due to pressure changes, or friction or something? Wouldn't they have the necessary force to expel themselves from the funnel?
Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 6:16 pm
by Stormsfury
weathermom wrote:I know this is going to sound stupid.....but I'll risk it.
What about aerosol cans (or similar debris)exploding due to pressure changes, or friction or something? Wouldn't they have the necessary force to expel themselves from the funnel?
Explosions of aerosol cans would only produce a brief flash and would not travel in such a perfectly straight line ...
Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:28 pm
by Aquawind
Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:12 am
by michaelwmoss
We need more and more pictures of this happening. I asked Gary England from OKC about their research and his response was very exact:
"It has gone nowhere"
If you have pictures/video of this or something simliar, please send it to Gary England in OKC. He would greatly appreciate it!!