This weekend’s “Storm Stories” episode is on the wildfires that scorched thousands of acres in Texas back in 2006.

A lightning strike started the wildfire back then, but they can start in other ways too.

-Day.  It was June 6, 1944.

Allied forces invaded France on the beaches of Normandy.  It was basically the turning point of World War II.
And it almost didn’t happen…all because of the weather.

Justs imagine the unthinkable…a planet plagued by famine, disease and war.

It’s not a movie script.  It’s actually a doomsday scenario that could be brought about by a disruption in the ocean’s currents.  And this single event leads to drastic changes in our world’s climate.

Storms…they are dangerous…deadly…and even exciting. 

I chose this career because I am fascinated by weather, and I am one who enjoys watching storms…and even “chasing” them.

It’s an adrenaline rush.  But it’s also an accident waiting to happen.  But sometimes the real danger isn’t in the storms themselves.

At least 425 people have been killed, and 270,000 have been driven from their homes.  Thousands of acres of cropland were destroyed. 

The mudslides of October 1999 became the worst disaster to hit the country in 40 years.

And many say the government didn’t respond quickly enough.

The 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak was a severe weather event that lasted from May 3rd until May 6th, and brought violent storms to Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Tennessee.

In this episode of Storm Stories, we focus on the May 3rd tornado that struck the Bridge Creek/Oklahoma City area.  It was the most significant tornado of the outbreak, causing more than $1.1 billion in damage.  Forty-eight people died during the outbreak.

This tornado was truly amazing.

Eighty-three tornadoes in 17 states

It was the first major outbreak of the 21st century and the second biggest outbreak in November.

The 2002 Veterans Day Weekend Tornado Outbreak was large, widespread and rare.  It started during the late afternoon hours on November 9th and continued through the early morning hours on Veterans Day, November 11th.

For hundreds and hundreds of years, sailors have been telling stories of encountering monstrous ocean waves, which tower over one hundred feet in the air and toss ships about like corks.

In the past, oceanographers discounted these reports as tall tales—-just embellished stories of mariners with too much time at sea.

But not anymore.

Air France Flight 358…it was a flight from Paris, France, to Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The flight started fine.  But when it tried to land in a powerful storm, all went wrong.

Witnesses say lightning may have struck the plane.

From free-fall jumps into stormy seas…to endless training exercises, Coast Guard rescue swimmers are an elite group.  When trouble happens, they are always ready to go.

There are more than 200 stations throughout the country, and it’s here where the Coast Guard maintains a state-of-the-art fleet of ships and helicopters.

Despite all of this high-tech equipment, sometimes, the only way to save lives is to put a swimmer in the water. 

Central Texas is often called “Flash Flood Alley” because of its frequent, intense storms.  The “big ones” seem to happen every decade.

November 15, 2001

A slow-moving storm system stalled over central Texas, west of Austin, and waves of rain and thunderstorms began to sweep up the I-35 corridor.  Widespread rainfall totals typically ranged from five to eight inches, but radar based estimates indicate that some areas may have received 15 inches of rain.  Much of this rain fell within the space of six hours.

“I’ve flown in some storms, but that day was the worse that I’d seen.“
—Frank Flood

Here in the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry, we rarely ever seen snow.  So when it does fall, it’s quite an occasion.  Well just up the coast, the situation isn’t all that different. 

On Thursday, January 23, 2003, unusually harsh winter weather moved over North Carolina’s intracoastal waterway.  An Arctic blast spawned a storm system along the edge of the Gulf Stream, and it produced one of the heaviest snowfalls to ever hit North Carolina’s coast.  It’s a snowfall that brought Elizabeth City’s 17-thousand residents to a standstill.

It’s a storm that caused problems onshore and off. 

Let’s face it.  It’s unlikely any of us will ever be stranded at sea.  But then again, it does happen and could happen to you.  And if it did happen to you, would you know how to survive?

In this episode of Storm Stories, we take you back to 1982 when a storm sinks a yacht off the Atlantic Coast.  The surviving crew members fight to stay alive without food or water, all the while surrounded by sharks.

It didn’t take long for some of the crew members to become delusional, and this ultimately led to their deaths.

We all know it doesn’t take that much rain to cause flooding here in the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry.  Well, the same holds true for Las Vegas, Nevada.  It’s here where they’re spending more than $1 billion over the next 25 years to control flooding.

For Las Vegas, flash flood season runs from July through September.

Flash flooding has caused millions of dollars in damage in recent years.  In August of 2004 and January of 2005, the Las Vegas Valley experienced flash flooding with areas sustaining heavy damage.

Another disasterous and damaging flood hit the northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley on August 19, 2003, causing millions of dollars in damage.  Brief but intense thunderstorms flooded parts of the city, creating harrowing scenes in which police helicopters skirted power lines to pluck stranded motorists from the rushing water. 

Drought—an extended period of months or even years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply

    As of late-March, parts of the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry are running more than 5 inches below average in rainfall totals.  This places our area in a moderate drought.  And during times of drought, wildfires are always a concern.

    Well, imagine being inside an oven, wearing heavy clothing with smoke filling your lungs…this is what it’s like to fight a raging wildfire.

    In this episode of Storm Stories, we’ll take you back to 1994 when 14 firefighters lost their lives battling a wildfire on Storm King Mountain in Colorado.

    Hawaii…it’s located 2000 miles out in the Pacific Ocean, and its breath-taking scenery is the perfect getaway for many, including 28-year-old John Stockton.

    John visits the island to indulge his passion for kayaking.  But when it comes to these waters, there’s a thin line between recreation and danger.

The Plainfield tornado was a devastating tornado that happened on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 28, 1990.

The violent tornado killed 29 people and injured 350.  It’s the only F5 tornado ever recorded in August and the only F5 tornado to ever strike the Chicago area.

This story is all centered around the DLB-269, an oil pipe laying barge, that was caught up in Hurricane Roxanne in 1995.  It’s a harrowing story of survival among one of the fiercest storms Mother Nature can create.

When it comes to tornadoes, they can develop quickly and can come at you almost without warning.

Tornadoes aren’t just a threat during severe weather season.  They’re also a threat during hurricane season.

And this was definitely the case with Hurricane Ivan back in 2004.  The major hurricane produced 123 tornadoes, which is the most ever.

According to some scientists, data shows an increase in hurricane-made tornadoes.

The 1992 Pacific hurricane season was the most active Pacific season on record.

The most notable storm was Hurricane Iniki, which caused billions of dollars in damage to the Hawaiian Islands.

Hurricanes Lester, Virgil, Winifred, and Orlene also made landfall and killed several people, but were significantly less destructive. 

Hurricane Darby and Tropical Storm Agatha brought rains and more destruction to Mexico, without making landfall.

In this episode of Storm Stories, we will focus on Hurricane Darby, where in July of 1992, seven men on a yacht struggle for survival in a category three hurricane.

Hurricane Floyd was the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and third major hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season.  Floyd triggered the third largest evacuation in US history (behind Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Rita) when 2.6 million coastal residents of five states including Georgia were ordered from their homes as Hurricane Floyd approached.

It just so happens that Hurricane Floyd is the last hurricane to directly threaten Savannah.

Winter weather can bring on more than just chills.  It can also cause its share of emergencies, one being hypothermia.
Hypothermia is the dangerous lowering of the human body’s temperature, and it’s the number one killer of outdoor enthusiasts.
In this episode of Storm Stories, a weekend boating trip for two friends in southeastern Alaska turns deadly.  The two men are forced to abandon their vessel in sub-zero temperatures.  The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan vessel are their last hope.  But despite their best efforts, not everyone can be saved. 

Back to back hurricanes…they are common to the Gulf Coast and the Carolinas.  It happened back in 2005, first with Hurricane Katrina and then Hurricane Rita.

Here in the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry, this situation isn’t so common, and I will explain why.

But first, let’s head back to 2005 when Hurricane Rita became the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane. 

Gloucester fishermen have made a living on the sea for over three-hundred years.  For more than two centuries, the Coast Guard has been charged with protecting them.

Living in the southeast, we’re used to heavy rains and flooded streets.  But would you know what to do if you found yourself suddenly surrounded by rising water and having to use your car as a boat? In this episode of Storm Stories, you’ll see what it was like for Houston neighbors caught up in a flash flood and what they were forced to do to survive.

The bird’s eye view, the lack of a feeling of movement…Hot air ballooning can be an amazing experience.  But it doesn’t come without dangers. 

October 1954.  Dwight Eisenhower was president.  The Cold War was raging.  And television is just beginning.  Actually, most households didn’t even have a TV, and that meant no access to televised weather reports.

During hurricanes, zoo animals must rely on their keepers for safety.  Back in 2004, workers at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo struggled to protect their animals from Hurricane Ivan.