NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

JANUARY 2007

1st-6th...Two people were dead after reports of tornadoes touching down
during a strong cluster of storms in southern Louisiana, authorities
said Thursday.
The twisters, which were reported in eastern Iberia Parish just before
4 p.m.,
tore off roofs and ripped seven mobile homes from their foundation,
Sheriff Sid
Hebert said. The victims' names were not immediately released. At
least 15 people were taken to area hospitals. Three children who had
been reported missing were accounted for by 7 p.m., Hebert said. The
tornado reports came in as a severe band of storms hit the parish. The
storms flooded roads and Gov. Kathleen Blanco declared a state of
emergency in the parishes of Acadia, Allen, Sabine and Vermillion. In
New Orleans, crews were dispatched to clean drains and prepare for
possible flooding ahead of a weather system that could drop several
inches of rain on an area that has been drenched in the past two
weeks.
A flash flood watch was in effect for portions of southeast Louisiana
and
southern Mississippi through Friday morning.

In the East on Friday, scattered showers and thunderstorms were
reported in the Southeast and the middle Atlantic region. Some of the
storms were severe producing frequent lightning, gusty winds up to 65
mph, brief heavy downpours, and a few isolated tornados. A tornado was
reported to have caused an eight car pile up with four injuries in
Liberty, South Carolina. Another tornado was reported to have damaged
a mobile home park and the back side of a barn in Moore, South
Carolina. In the West, snow showers reported in Colorado and Utah.
Some areas of snowfall were heavy with 4 to 8 inches of new snowfall
reported in many areas with locally higher amounts. Mesa, Colorado
reported 14 inches of new snow with this storm. Snow showers were also
reported in Desert Southwest in the high elevations with moderate
amounts being reported. Snow showers were reported across much of the
Great Basin and the northern and central Rocky mountains, with amounts
around 1 to 3 inches and locally higher amounts. In the Pacific
Northwest rain showers were reported along the coast with snow showers
inland and in the high elevations. Partly cloudy skies and dry
conditions were reported in California,

14th-20th...A crippling winter storm lashed the central part of the
nation with another blast of freezing rain, sleet and snow Saturday,
causing widespread power outages and tying up highways and airports.
The storm was expected to continue through the weekend, laying down a
coat of ice and snow from Texas to Illinois, where an ice storm
warning was in effect through Monday morning.
"We're in the middle of this storm," said Joe Pedigo, meteorologist
for the
National Weather Service in St. Louis. "Friday was the first of three
waves."
Farther west, frigid arctic air reached as far south as southern and
central
California, where plunging temperatures prompted worry about the
homeless and
crops. The storm in the Midwest had been blamed for at least seven
deaths, and brought Amtrak service in Missouri to a halt on Saturday.
Trees and other debris knocked down by the weight of ice blocked
tracks at several locations between St. Louis and Kansas City. About
90,000 homes and businesses had no electricity Saturday in Missouri,
mostly in the St. Louis area, while 6,000 customers were in the dark
in Illinois. "We have hundreds of crews. We kept them working all
night long," said Susan Gallagher, a spokeswoman for the utility
Ameren. "Like everyone, we don't know what the extent of damage will
be with the arrival of more ice." Between 60,000 and 70,000 customers
were without power in Springfield, MO, Saturday, plus an unknown
number of homes and businesses in surrounding towns, said Jenny
Fillmer Edwards, spokeswoman for the Springfield-Greene County Office
of Emergency Management. Roads in southwest Missouri began freezing
after sunset. Two shelters in Springfield filled Saturday and
emergency officials planned to open one more. There were also three
shelters for people with special needs and medical conditions.
Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and Texas Gov. Rick Perry activated their
National Guard members on Saturday. Blunt, who also declared a state
of emergency, said the worst wave may come Sunday.
In San Marcos, Texas, a tornado damaged at least 13 homes, several
businesses
and the police headquarters. Fallen power lines blocked a section of
Interstate
35 until crews could remove them, said Melissa Millecam,
communications manager
for the city, 30 miles south of Austin. "It's a good bit of damage,"
she said. "It's still stormy and we've got power outages in different
places." More than 6 inches of rain fell in places across central
Texas, causing local flooding. Water also blocked three highways in
southeastern Oklahoma, the Department of Transportation reported.
About 300 flights were canceled Saturday at Dallas-Fort Worth
International Airport, spokesman David Magana said. Cancellations also
were reported in St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. In
Oklahoma, about 92,450 customers were without power early Saturday,
the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said. More rain,
freezing rain and snow was expected from northwest Oklahoma all the
way to Wisconsin on Sunday, Pedigo said. In Nevada, temperatures
plunged as much as minus 28 in the northern part of the state, filling
homeless shelters to capacity and prompting ranchers to use axes to
break ice in troughs so cattle could drink, authorities said.
In California's San Joaquin Valley, where much of the state's nearly
$1 billion
citrus crop is grown, temperatures dropped into the teens overnight
Friday.
Growers burned fires, sprayed warm irrigation water and ran giant fans
to keep
cold air away from their oranges, lemons and tangerines. A.J. Yates,
California's agriculture undersecretary, said the citrus industry
could be substantially damaged if the temperature stays below 25
degrees for six
hours or longer. Citrus growers said it was too soon to evaluate the
damage.
"Overall I don't think it was a catastrophe last night," grower Ron
Turner, 52,
of Exeter, said Saturday. "But how this thing plays out in the next
few days is
going to be the key."
In the western two-thirds of the country on Wednesday, a powerful
storm system continued to create widespread winter weather across
Texas and eastern New Mexico. Northern Texas continued to experience
snow and ice showers, with accumulations of around .10 of an inch.
Just east of Downtown Dallas a quarter of an inch of sleet was
reported. Central Texas had many reports of freezing rain, with a
report of .40 of an inch ten miles north of Austin.
A winter storm rolled across the Plains states Saturday, causing
numerous accidents that killed at least eight people in three states.
Heavy snow hit western and central Kansas, limiting visibility and
creating hazardous driving conditions. A couple and their 20-month-old
daughter died when their car drove off U.S. 50 in western Kansas and
collided with two others cars, authorities said. The couple's 6-year-
old daughter, was critically injured, authorities said. In Oklahoma, a
5-year-old boy died after being thrown from a sport utility vehicle
that rolled over after it left a snow-covered highway. Four people
also died in crashes on Nebraska highways. In Kansas, a heavy snow
warning was in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday from areas around Wichita
westward, the National Weather Service said. Up to 6 inches of snow
were forecast for some sections by Sunday, with more to follow.
Further south, the storm spared much of Oklahoma, though snow fell in
western and north-central regions. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission
reported Saturday night that about 36,000 customers in the state
remained without power a week after a crippling ice storm. The
Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Saturday the latest round of weather
hadn't caused significant problems on state roads, but falling
temperatures overnight could lead to frozen bridges and overpasses.
The ice storm was blamed for 25 deaths, most in motor-vehicle
accidents.