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General Discussion => Live Event Section - Latest Space Flight News => Topic started by: rdale on 02/07/2017 04:53 pm

Title: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 04:53 pm
Reports just coming in so no building specifics. But it appeared to be a significant tornado passing near if not over the facility.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 04:55 pm
NASA is the second building to the east of where the radar indicated the tornado was with the inverted triangle.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 04:56 pm
https://twitter.com/WWLTV/status/829024256226897920/video/1
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Orbiter on 02/07/2017 04:56 pm
What were the G2G velocities over Michoud? That's an impressive looking hook echo.

NASA facilities have sure taken a beating from severe weather the last few months.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 04:59 pm
134kts Gate to Gate. Rotation evident well through 30,000+ feet. Debris ball was clearly notable in the scan prior.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 05:14 pm
https://twitter.com/JonSimeral/status/829024526214250496/photo/1
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: ChrisGebhardt on 02/07/2017 05:26 pm
Crap.  Hope everyone's OK.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Chris Bergin on 02/07/2017 05:30 pm
Thanks for the thread. MAF guys on here please report in when you're able.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 05:34 pm
Video from the scene : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTyfwGLNUkc
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Chris Bergin on 02/07/2017 05:37 pm
Taking out power lines:
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 05:38 pm
https://twitter.com/megfarrisWWL/status/829034828213387268/photo/1
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Ilikeboosterrockets on 02/07/2017 05:39 pm
Was there any SLS hardware there?
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: wxmeddler on 02/07/2017 05:44 pm
Video taken from the (rear?) of MAF.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SmcQIcPvtQ
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Orbiter on 02/07/2017 05:47 pm
Classic wedge tornado...
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Chris Bergin on 02/07/2017 05:47 pm
Was there any SLS hardware there?

Will be, but - as much as we love rockets - it's all about the people right now. Facility and hardware afterwards.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Rocket Science on 02/07/2017 05:47 pm
My thoughts  and prayers go out to all in harms way...
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: edkyle99 on 02/07/2017 05:51 pm
News reports of injuries, of people trapped in damaged buildings and of widespread power outages.  The reports encompass the general area, not NASA Michoud facility specifically.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: okan170 on 02/07/2017 05:53 pm
Sounds like some of the walls were blown out in the assembly facility, overturned cars, and a part of a warehouse damaged too.

http://www.nola.com/weather/index.ssf/2017/02/michoud_tornado_damage.html#incart_river_index
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 06:03 pm
https://twitter.com/jimtaylorjr/status/829040780111183873/photo/1
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 06:13 pm
https://twitter.com/28storms/status/829027408896352256/photo/1
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: FutureSpaceTourist on 02/07/2017 06:15 pm
Quote
Tornado Damage at NASA's Michoud Facility in New Orleans East via Jonathan Simeral

https://twitter.com/28storms/status/829027408896352256 (https://twitter.com/28storms/status/829027408896352256)
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Chris Bergin on 02/07/2017 06:25 pm
Rolling article which will be fed out of this thread:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/02/maf-tornado-damage-injury-assessments/

By Chris Gebhardt.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 06:31 pm
Good article ChrisG!

More from Space Alabama:  http://waaytv.com/space_alabama/nasa-s-michoud-assembly-facility-damaged-by-tornado/article_c0dbafa4-ed61-11e6-b98c-cb51f43ad148.html
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/07/2017 06:35 pm
Direct damage video - https://twitter.com/ScottWalker6/status/829049022635712512/video/1
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Chris Bergin on 02/07/2017 06:52 pm
One of my MAF friends has been in touch. He's OK, said it was like a train hitting. Some walls have been blown out. No serious injuries in his building <---the important part. I only asked him about himself. We can worry about hardware another day.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: woods170 on 02/07/2017 06:53 pm
Direct damage video - https://twitter.com/ScottWalker6/status/829049022635712512/video/1 (https://twitter.com/ScottWalker6/status/829049022635712512/video/1)
Looks to be the old 350 building.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Blackstar on 02/07/2017 06:59 pm
Note that the damage was to a lot of other structures, not just NASA:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/02/07/this-monster-tornado-just-rolled-through-new-orleans-major-damage-reported/?hpid=hp_no-name_hp-in-the-news%3Apage%2Fin-the-news&utm_term=.2eaee33de5f4

This monster tornado just rolled through New Orleans — major damage reported

By Angela Fritz February 7 at 2:15 PM

Severe thunderstorms barreled through the Southeast on Tuesday, dropping multiple tornadoes in southern Louisiana, one of which did major damage to communities in east New Orleans — among the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

The large tornado was filmed by storm chasers and residents as it tracked from west to east across the populous New Orleans region. Multiple tornado warnings were issued as the storm evolved in which the National Weather Service used strong language to convey a tornado had been spotted on the ground.

The National Weather Service confirmed at least three tornadoes touched down.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: PahTo on 02/07/2017 07:06 pm

Drat, not a good story--though thanks for the coverage, NSF.  Best wishes to the folks in the region--hope you and your families are safe!
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Chris Bergin on 02/07/2017 07:20 pm
More pics:

https://twitter.com/ggmckinney/status/829049919608614914
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: psloss on 02/07/2017 07:29 pm
Yuck. 

Apologies if I'm duplicating, but saw this at the airport as I was getting back to the States.  Here's what NASA PAO Tracy McMahan passed along after I touched base with her:

Quote
At 11:25 a.m. CST, a tornado impacted NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. At this time, only minor injuries have been reported and NASA employees and other tenants are being accounted for. There is still a threat of severe weather in the area and emergency officials are continuing to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of onsite personnel. The onsite Michoud emergency response team is also conducting damage assessments of buildings and facilities.

I haven't had a chance to see if this statement or another has gone up elsewhere yet.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: wxmeddler on 02/07/2017 07:32 pm
Yuck. 

Apologies if I'm duplicating, but saw this at the airport as I was getting back to the States.  Here's what NASA PAO Tracy McMahan passed along after I touched base with her:

Quote
At 11:25 a.m. CST, a tornado impacted NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. At this time, only minor injuries have been reported and NASA employees and other tenants are being accounted for. There is still a threat of severe weather in the area and emergency officials are continuing to monitor the situation to ensure the safety of onsite personnel. The onsite Michoud emergency response team is also conducting damage assessments of buildings and facilities.

I haven't had a chance to see if this statement or another has gone up elsewhere yet.

Same statement just got posted to NASA's main twitter page. Only official statement I've seen thus far.
https://twitter.com/NASA/status/829063065735794688 (https://twitter.com/NASA/status/829063065735794688)
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Blackstar on 02/07/2017 08:46 pm
Houses damaged. And one of the NASA buildings.

https://twitter.com/megfarrisWWL
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: psloss on 02/07/2017 10:34 pm
Saw this video on the Weather Channel...there's some NSFW language in the audio...under the circumstances, I probably would have dropped a few expletives, too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQOU9KJAzor/?taken-by=east_side_tv
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: psloss on 02/07/2017 10:45 pm
Story by Lee Roop:
http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2017/02/tornado_swats_nasas_michoud_bu.html

Quote
"Our folks are all taken care of," said Steve Doering, stages manager for the Space Launch System being built at Michoud. Other than scrapes, Doering said there were no major injuries.

There are other tenants at MAF; not sure this covers those but hopefully everyone else is OK, too.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: zt on 02/08/2017 12:00 am
a NASA employee did a reddit AMA: https://www.reddit.com/r/nasa/comments/5sninb/i_work_at_nasa_michoud_where_the_sls_core_stage/
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Rocket Science on 02/08/2017 12:04 am
Story by Lee Roop:
http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2017/02/tornado_swats_nasas_michoud_bu.html

Quote
"Our folks are all taken care of," said Steve Doering, stages manager for the Space Launch System being built at Michoud. Other than scrapes, Doering said there were no major injuries.

There are other tenants at MAF; not sure this covers those but hopefully everyone else is OK, too.
I have only heard reports of minor injuries, but thankfully no fatalities...
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: DDG40 on 02/08/2017 12:09 am
Video taken from the (rear?) of MAF.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SmcQIcPvtQ

This was taken from building 220 (This building is being used by Textron . The storm had just left MAF. property and was heading into a March area.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: DDG40 on 02/08/2017 12:14 am
https://twitter.com/jimtaylorjr/status/829040780111183873/photo/1
What you are seeing here is scaffolding that was being used to remove the corrosion and repaint the rust areas you see on the VAB.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 02/08/2017 01:56 am
Evening NASA Update:

Tornado Recovery Underway at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility
Recovery efforts are underway at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, which was impacted by a tornado at 11:25 a.m. CST Tuesday. All 3,500 employees at the facility have been accounted for, with five sustaining minor injuries.

“Our hearts go out to our employees and the people in New Orleans who have suffered from this serious storm,” said Keith Hefner, director of the facility. “The safety of our team is always our main concern, and we are pleased to report that we’ve identified only minor injuries.”

The facility is currently closed and will remain closed Wednesday, Feb. 8, with only emergency personnel on site to continue damage assessments. All NASA employees and tenants who are not involved in emergency operations have been evacuated. Local law enforcement helped ensure employees arrived home safely. All utilities and services to the facility are being secured and efforts are underway to restore power.

At this time, emergency personnel have identified damage to building numbers 103, 350 and additional structures. Building 103, Michoud’s main manufacturing building, has roof damage in several areas. Approximately 200 parked cars were damaged, and there was damage to roads and other areas near Michoud.

“Michoud has a comprehensive emergency plan that we activated today to ensure the safety of our people and to secure our facilities,” said Hefner. “I am proud of our dedicated team onsite who are successfully implementing that plan.”

Hardware for NASA’s heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System, and the Orion spacecraft is secure, and no damage from the storm has been idenfied to hardware or the barge Pegasus docked at Michoud.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: deBASHmode on 02/08/2017 04:40 am
Multiple vortices. Yikes!

Saw this video on the Weather Channel...there's some NSFW language in the audio...under the circumstances, I probably would have dropped a few expletives, too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQOU9KJAzor/?taken-by=east_side_tv
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: collectSPACE on 02/08/2017 06:16 pm
Tornado destroys first NASA space shuttle external tank to stand on launch pad
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-020817a-michoud-tornado-shuttle-external-tank.html

NASA's first space shuttle external tank to stand on a launch pad was destroyed on Tuesday (Feb. 7) when a tornado impacted the New Orleans facility where it was built 40 years ago.

The external tank-ground vibration test article (ET-GVTA) was in outdoor storage at the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana when the storm hit the site at Tuesday morning. Reports of the tank being "sent flying and destroyed" were shared by people at the facility.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: edkyle99 on 02/08/2017 06:32 pm
This image attributed to NASA/Steven Seipel via. CollectSpace.

First the Cape Canaveral Navaho, now ET-GVTA.  A bad few months for space artifacts.

 - Ed Kyle
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Rocket Science on 02/08/2017 06:45 pm
Sad... :(
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: psloss on 02/08/2017 09:17 pm
Update:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/tornado-recovery-efforts-assessments-ongoing-at-nasa-s-michoud

Feb. 8, 2017
RELEASE 17-013

Tornado Recovery Efforts, Assessments Ongoing at NASA’s Michoud

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans worked overnight and are continuing Wednesday with assessment and recovery efforts following a tornado strike at the facility Tuesday.

Michoud remains closed to all but security and emergency operations crews. Temporary flight restrictions are in place over the area to ensure recovery and operations crews can complete their work without interference from other drones or low-flying aircraft. All Michoud personnel are accounted for, and no new injuries have been reported.

“The entire NASA family pulls together during good times and bad, and the teams at the Michoud Assembly Facility are working diligently to recover from the severe weather that swept through New Orleans Tuesday and damaged the facility,” said acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot. “We are thankful for the safety of all the NASA employees and workers of onsite tenant organizations, and we are inspired by the resilience of Michoud as we continue to assess the facility’s status.”

Teams worked through the night on temporary repairs to secure the perimeter fencing and provide access for the essential personnel through the main gate. Approximately 40 to 50 percent of the buildings at Michoud have some kind of damage; about five buildings have some form of severe damage.

Efforts Wednesday are focused on completing damage assessments and restoring power to buildings that are in the best condition, including the main NASA administration building, boiler house, and U.S. Coast Guard facilities. Power was restored to the east master substation, and it will be used to begin methodically and safely restoring power to buildings. The west master substation sustained some damage that will need to be repaired before it can begin receiving power.

Teams will reassess the condition of the Vertical Assembly Center (VAC), as the initial examination revealed some electrical damage to its substation. The VAC is used to weld all major pieces of hardware for the core stage of the Space Launch System. The most recently welded part was removed from the facility last week.

The team has prioritized completing the assessment at the site’s main manufacturing building for the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft flight hardware so power can be restored in phases and temporary protection put in place to shield hardware from any further inclement weather.

For more information about Michoud, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/michoud

-end-

Stephanie Schierholz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
[email protected]

Kim Newton                                                                                           
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
[email protected]
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: catdlr on 02/09/2017 01:58 am
This image attributed to NASA/Steven Seipel via. CollectSpace.

First the Cape Canaveral Navaho, now ET-GVTA.  A bad few months for space artifacts.

 - Ed Kyle

Based on the last two pictures above, it seems the tank got loose from the moorings and rolled over the truck, bounced over the elevated fuel lines and landed on the other side of that.  I will post an overhead picture of what I think occurred.

The Red star is where the remains of the tank has moved to and the blue star is the crushed truck.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: woods170 on 02/09/2017 07:03 am
This image attributed to NASA/Steven Seipel via. CollectSpace.

First the Cape Canaveral Navaho, now ET-GVTA.  A bad few months for space artifacts.

 - Ed Kyle

Based on the last two pictures above, it seems the tank got loose from the moorings and rolled over the truck, bounced over the elevated fuel lines and landed on the other side of that.  I will post an overhead picture of what I think occurred.

The Red star is where the remains of the tank has moved to and the blue star is the crushed truck.
Well, looks like this tank got to fly after all...
Too bad for this piece of historical hardware but museum stuff should not be displayed outdoors IMO.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: SWGlassPit on 02/09/2017 02:53 pm
Well, looks like this tank got to fly after all...
Too bad for this piece of historical hardware but museum stuff should not be displayed outdoors IMO.

You're making the mistake of calling it "displayed."  It was just stored there, rotting.  It's only museum stuff if a museum asks for it and NASA gives it to them or if NASA forms an exhibit in place.  Something the size of an ET, though historic, is impractical for nearly every museum out there.  There's a lot of hardware that meets a similar fate: "someone" should preserve, archive, and display it, but it never happens.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Citabria on 02/09/2017 03:59 pm
Luckily, S-1C-15 got out of there last year.

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-061616a-saturn-rocket-stage-infinity.html (http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-061616a-saturn-rocket-stage-infinity.html)
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Citabria on 02/09/2017 05:27 pm
Looks to me like the crushed truck is further to the right than the blue star (see the parking lot island?) and was crushed by rollover. The tank may have hit the elevated pipeline instead.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Blackstar on 02/09/2017 06:14 pm
The Red star is where the remains of the tank has moved to and the blue star is the crushed truck.

Imagine the insurance form for that truck:

"Cause of damage? Crushed by space shuttle tank."
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: SWGlassPit on 02/09/2017 06:34 pm
The Red star is where the remains of the tank has moved to and the blue star is the crushed truck.

Imagine the insurance form for that truck:

"Cause of damage? Crushed by space shuttle tank."

My homeowners insurance (and I think my car insurance) specifically names losses due to spacecraft as covered.  Not sure about disused test or pathfinder hardware though :-).
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: woods170 on 02/09/2017 07:54 pm
Well, looks like this tank got to fly after all...
Too bad for this piece of historical hardware but museum stuff should not be displayed outdoors IMO.

You're making the mistake of calling it "displayed."  It was just stored there, rotting.  It's only museum stuff if a museum asks for it and NASA gives it to them or if NASA forms an exhibit in place.  Something the size of an ET, though historic, is impractical for nearly every museum out there.  There's a lot of hardware that meets a similar fate: "someone" should preserve, archive, and display it, but it never happens.
Well good. If it was rotting outdoors then there is no loss in mother nature having accelarated things a bit. At least now there is a reason to cut the crushed remains to pieces and dispose of them properly instead of "abandon in place".
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: catdlr on 02/09/2017 08:13 pm
Tornado Recovery Ongoing at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans LA

NASA's Marshall Center

Published on Feb 9, 2017
Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are continuing with recovery efforts following a tornado strike at the facility Tuesday, Feb. 7. Michoud remains closed to all but security and emergency operations crews. For more than half a century, Michoud has been the space agency’s premiere site for manufacturing and assembly of large-scale space structures and systems.

Updated 2/9 later day: Revised video

https://youtu.be/5YSFgSEzufE?t=001

https://youtu.be/5YSFgSEzufE
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: collectSPACE on 02/09/2017 08:23 pm
...instead of "abandon in place".

As noted by Dennis Jenkins in our article, there were reportedly plans (ideas?) to use the ET-GVTA for an exhibit on the components of the external tank, so it wasn't exactly abandoned in place as much as it was in outdoor storage.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: FutureSpaceTourist on 02/09/2017 09:50 pm
Quote
February 9, 2017: NASA Status Update on Tornado Recovery at Michoud Assembly Facility

The facility will remain closed to all work activities through Sunday, allowing recovery efforts to continue at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans following the tornado strike on Feb. 7 at 11:25 a.m. CST.
 
The site is accessible only to emergency and essential personnel. The facilities teams are working swiftly to transition from emergency state to restore continuity of operations, with a desire to bring tenants and NASA activities back up safely and methodically.
 
The teams on-site have made good progress in their continued damage assessments and restoration work. Visual damage assessment are ongoing. Power has been restored to key substations, the main NASA administration building, and the U.S. Coast Guard facilities with further progress is expected today.
 
All events, conferences, and other non-essential functions have been postponed indefinitely until safe and normal operations resume.
Last Updated: Feb. 9, 2017

http://go.nasa.gov/2kxuN8M (http://go.nasa.gov/2kxuN8M)
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: psloss on 02/09/2017 11:33 pm
Looking at the related posts, I found three aerial photos posted there; EXIF tag on these said they were taken on February 8.  (Yesterday.)  Can see some of the siding off Building 110 and the front of the Final Assembly area of 103.  Also a little roof damage on that "western" end of 103, including near Area 6 where the CS-1 LH2 tank was last we saw it.

Can also partially see the area behind 110 where the ET GVTA was...all I see is a spare dome still there.

And the bottom one shows 350, which is where we often go first when visiting...
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: FutureSpaceTourist on 02/13/2017 02:41 pm
Quote
Our Michoud facility reopened today, but recovery efforts from last week's tornado are ongoing. Details: http://go.nasa.gov/2l7s1Z4

https://twitter.com/nasa/status/831158895578079236 (https://twitter.com/nasa/status/831158895578079236)
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: psloss on 02/28/2017 01:59 am
Multiple vortices. Yikes!

Saw this video on the Weather Channel...there's some NSFW language in the audio...under the circumstances, I probably would have dropped a few expletives, too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQOU9KJAzor/?taken-by=east_side_tv
A few screengrabs from this for possible future use.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: Chris Bergin on 03/03/2017 01:27 pm
An amazing (and very long) overview of the current status via an interview/feature by Philip Sloss:

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/03/maf-tornado-strike-sls-critical-path/
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: rdale on 03/03/2017 01:33 pm
Wow - that's a weather/space lover's dream combo :)

I cannot express how INSANELY disappointed in NASA that they apparently didn't notify people of the tornado. The warning was issued with at least 10 minutes of lead time...
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: FutureSpaceTourist on 03/29/2017 12:35 pm
First attachment:

Quote
Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 6m6 minutes ago

Hill shows this figure of the tornado damage to Michoud in February affecting SLS work:
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847062552467124225 (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847062552467124225)

Second attachment:

Quote
Marcia Smith‏ @SpcPlcyOnline 5m5 minutes ago

Hill summary chart of tornado damage to Michoud.
https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/847063239469023232 (https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/847063239469023232)
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: psloss on 03/29/2017 12:38 pm
Mr. Hill noted that Building 350 is total loss.  Not sure what USDA is going to do, but they are a major tenant.

Also noted that assessment of tornado is that if it had gone more over Building 103 (path slightly more to the east north), they would have been out of business for a while.

The graphic shown is looking south.
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: FutureSpaceTourist on 03/29/2017 12:39 pm
Quote
Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 8m8 minutes ago

Hill: if the tornado’s path had shifted just a bit, it would have gone right over Bldg 103, would have been out of business for a while.
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847062830369165312 (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847062830369165312)

Quote
Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 6m6 minutes ago

Hill: asking for a supplemental [appropriaitons] to cover repair costs; for now paying for them out of SLS.
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847063455899242496 (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847063455899242496)

Quote
Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 5m5 minutes ago

Bill Gerstenmaier: we were really surprised by the amount of damage by tornado. Major disruption to overall schedule at Michoud.
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847063937610907648 (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847063937610907648)

Quote
Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 4m4 minutes ago

Hill: another Michoud building, leased to USDA, heavily damaged by tornado; “uninhabitable” now.
https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847064496933933057 (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847064496933933057)
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: FutureSpaceTourist on 03/29/2017 12:51 pm
Quote
Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 2m2 minutes ago

Hill: Orion service module and SLS core stage “neck and neck” for being the critical path for EM-1 launch. Tornado cost 2-3 months on SLS.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847067689507958785 (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/847067689507958785)
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: psloss on 03/30/2017 06:17 pm
Bill Gerstenmaier is making the presentation he made to the HEO committee to the full NAC today, and noted at the top that the severe weather line that is moving through the country passed through MAF earlier today.

Straight line winds (from storm front) blew away tarps over holes in Building 110 roof siding, which will require standing down again to get that put back in place.  (Currently rain coming into the building again.)
Title: Re: Tornado hits NASA Michoud
Post by: psloss on 03/30/2017 10:08 pm
Sounds like today's event won't add too much to the disruptions.  Here's a statement from NASA Public Affairs:

Quote
On March 30 2017, wind in the New Orleans area removed temporary protective covering placed over parts of the exterior wall of Building 110 at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility after the Feb. 7 tornado.  This resulted in a fine rain mist on Space Launch System manufacturing tooling including the Vehicle Assembly Center and test articles in the building. NASA and Boeing, the SLS prime contractor for the core stage, are evaluating the situation and developing a process to wipe down the hardware using procedures developed under similar situations experienced during space shuttle external tank manufacturing.  Michoud management is looking at ways to fasten the temporary protective covering more securely until permanent repairs are made.