Severe
-
The Weather Channel posted an article this morning noting that Georgia has had the most tornadoes of any US state so far this year. Through May 25, an estimated 102 tornadoes have touched down somewhere in the state, including a record-setting outbreak in January and the record-setting month of April, when 35 confirmed tornadoes occurred,…
-
If you ever have to provide risk assessments for your county or city and need tornado information, this web site might help you identify historical tornadoes in your area. It’s from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center but includes information for all of the United States. It seems pretty straightforward to use. You can see it…
-
Do you know anyone who lives in a mobile home or a house without a basement? Do they know what to do in case of severe weather? If they are not sure, you might find this short article from the Weather Channel helpful. Most severe weather deaths in the South are in mobile homes, not…
-
Have you ever heard that tornadoes don’t hit cities, or rivers, or hills? While local geographic features can have a small impact on tornadoes, this week’s anniversary of the Miami tornado of May 12, 1997 is a good example of how wrong that “old wives’ tale” is. Of course, here in the Southeast we have…
-
A new Michigan State University study looks at the impacts of living on a mobile home on tornado safety. Of all of the tornado-related deaths that have occurred so far this year, 63% were in mobile homes. And the South is prime territory for mobile home residence, due to a combination of zoning and poverty…
-
The second deadliest tornado in history happened in Natchez MS on May 7, 1840. A large and powerful tornado went right through the center of town, flattening most of the buildings. But even worse was the damage on the Mississippi River, which was filled with boats, including 120 flatboats and a steam boat. Many bodies…
-
In 2014 on April 30 a morning storm came through Athens and dropped a large oak tree between my garage and my neighbor’s house. It barely missed the garage but clipped a corner of the neighbor’s house. I had moved my car out of the garage less than half an hour earlier, which was lucky because…