PANOLA COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) – As severe storms spawned tornadoes in East Texas last week, a special instrument flew 250 miles from the International Space Station monitoring lightning data.
On Tuesday, Dec. 13, a National Weather Service survey touched down in northern Panola County around 3:30 p.m. and traveled nine miles into Harrison County with an EF2 tornado.
The storm damaged several homes and structures in East Texas, then hours later crossed the state line into northern Louisiana, spawning another deadly tornado.
Researchers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center are looking at data collected at the same time from the Lightning Imaging Sensor aboard the International Space Station (ISS-LIS).
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The LIS, which was installed on the site in 2017, monitors the global lightning during the day and night. The instrument was built as a replacement for an earlier satellite-based system and was shelved for 20 years before being deployed on the ISS. According to NASA, it separates the distribution and variability of cloud-to-cloud, cloud-to-cloud, and cloud-to-ground lightning.
In a newly released map illustration, data collected by LIS shows more than 100 lightning strikes in east Texas, northwest Louisiana and southwest Arkansas between 3:31 and 3:33 p.m.
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According to NASA meteorologist Christopher Schultz, a jump in the number of lightning flashes could indicate a strengthening storm and the possibility of severe weather.
“The speed of change provides critical lead time to when significant changes are occurring in the storm, giving time to warn those in the path.”
Schultz said they aim to use LIS measurements to identify severe storms in the future.
“The events of the past few days provide examples of extremely high volatility that we can use as benchmarks in these analyses.”
The LIS device allows reliable sighting of lightning in daylight.
“Weak lightning signals that occur during the day are difficult to detect because of the background light,” NASA’s website says.
Although the mission is planned for 2-4 years starting in 2017, the instrument continues to provide important data.
Related:
+ National Weather Service survey shows tornado damage in Panola, Harrison counties
+ Cleanup is underway after the storm damaged the Elsian plains.
+ Sheriff: Mother and child die after destroying homes in Caddo Parish, Louisiana
+ An Elysian Field resident reported tornado damage and heard the sound of a freight train.
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