Comments on: Why so many tornadoes this year?

By: James

James — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:53:50 +0000

The author of this article is a scientist? Goodman sais that the south is an area that does not normally see many tornadoes? I have to ask which or what south are you talking about? The American south ,’espeacilly parts of Mississippi,North Alabama and Tennessee’is after all known as the ‘Dixi Belt’.The Dixi Belt,’as anyone who has seriously studied the subject knows’is a region of secondary tornado occourance maxima,that is not that far behind the midwestern tornado belt in terms of tornado occourance.Actually if someone were to refere to the American south as tornado alley,many real experts would not correct them.It was not that long ago,that Mississippi and Alabama were actualy ranked ahead of oklahoma in terms of tornado casualties.Some of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in history have occoured exclusivly in the south,and nearly every major national outbreak has included the southern states.It is also a fact that the state of Florida expeareances more tornadoes per square mile than any other state.Per square mile,there are two counties in south Mississippi that are the most tornado prone counties in the country.I could be wrong,but I seem to recall that those two counties are Jones and Newton. The southern states also experience two distinct tornado seasons.One being the early and mid spring,and the second being much of the fall.The later is often highlighted by spin up tornadoes spawned by tropical systems.To say the south is a region that does not normally expeareance’ many ‘tornadoes,is like saying it is seldom dry in Southern California.It just aint so ! Maybe if Goodman was from the Dixi belt and not New York,she would know that!?

By: Dan Kulpinski

Dan Kulpinski — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:46:11 +0000

Here’s an update. TheDailyGreen had an item today noting that NOAA has released updated tornado data indicating that the preliminary count for this year has far exceeded the 10-year average for an entire year! See http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/tornadoes-47061101

NOAA projects the actual tornado count won’t be much lower than the 10-year average for a year — and we’re not half way through this year!

For the NOAA data and graph, go to http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/torn/monthlytornstats.html

-Dan

By: Mr. Sustainable

Mr. Sustainable — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:11:47 +0000

Temperature shifts from global warming in and of themselves are not a direct cause of this phenomenon. However, the temperature volatility exacerbated by climate change, in combination with prolonged periods of drought, are a direct cause. I live in an active tornado zone (Central Florida) and fret for the future of my family and home as climate change worsens.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:04:40 +0000

While it has been an active year, you really can’t compare any data prior to the mid 1990s to what is happening now. Stats from the National Weather Service (NWS) have been based on much more strenuous efforts to verify warnings. In some respects this may lead to more tornadoes being counted that otherwise would not be (good), but also has led to a bit of “tornado inflation” as well (bad). If there is a warning you can bet the NWS will scour the countryside looking for damage which frankly sometimes may or not be tornado damage. Taking to professional meteorologists and those in academic circles, using past tornado and severe weather after 1995 has become difficult because it has become contaminated by marginal, and some might say, non-severe reports motivated by warning verification. IMO it has lowered the severe weather bar.

All the above aside, it has been an active year and with an upswing in loss of life with injury to people and property. I am thinking and hoping this is an aberration. While I think the NWS does a good job in most cases, I sometimes think there are too many watches and warnings which have led to public complacency.

Andrew

By: JoAnne

JoAnne — Sun, 25 May 2008 13:12:53 +0000

I believer the weather conditions are entirely the products of human occupation on the earth.
The butterfly effect.
I live in the country. In the early mornig hours when I walk, I am passed by multipe schol busses The “wind” created by just one
bus is astounding. Multiply this times the billios of modes of transporation and you have a vast weathr changing effect.
earthquakes: imgine any solid sphere, for exaple an orange. Suck all the juice out (oil dilling), drill holes in it scooping out the flesh (mineing) and what effect does it have on the structre?
God Bless.

By: Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd — Sun, 25 May 2008 01:06:25 +0000

If only some of us were hundreds of years old! If so, those oldsters among us could help us see whether the very strange weather we’re having now is really only an ordinary occurrence after all. Some sort of decades-long cycle between stable and unstable weather patterns. But since no one alive today has a memory extending back so far … and since even our scientific measurements are unreliable back more than a few decades … all we can do is wonder …

Deborah