Tornado Deaths Tragic, but Not Unprecedented
U.S. media has been offering blanket coverage of the horribly destructive tornadoes that have torn through the south this month, particularly this week. Hundreds have been killed; the fatalities and ruined homes are heartbreaking.
But is this weather event unprecedented, as coverage has implied and as global warming opportunists have claimed?
The cause of this month’s tornadoes is La Nina – a cooling of the water in the tropical Pacific Ocean from the coast of South America to the International Date Line. During La Nina — and this has been a historically large one — stronger than usual jetstream winds seven miles above the Earth blow from southern California across northern Texas and to the Great Lakes. The jetstream promotes rising air and the development of strong low-pressure systems over the Great Plains, the Midwest, and the South. These strong low-pressure areas pull warm, humid air northward from the Gulf of Mexico and crash it into cool, dry air pulled south from Canada.
This scenario produces large numbers of powerful tornadoes. It has happened many times in the past.
Large numbers of deaths from these tornadoes are not unprecedented, and in fact were common before 1975. The Tri-State tornado of March 18, 1925, crossed southern Missouri, southern Illinois, and southern Indiana, killing 695 people — 234 in the town of Murphysboro, Illinois, alone.
Total deaths from tornadoes in 1925 were 800. In 1974, 319 people died, mostly on April 3. In 1965, 300 died; in 1953, 530 died; in 1936, 550 died; in 1927, 540 died; in 1917, 550 died; in 1896, 530 died.
From 1900 to 1974 an average of 250 to 300 people a year were killed by tornadoes, and in all likelihood many more would have been killed in the past had today’s population numbers existed then — many more people are in harm’s way today.
the tornadoes, devastating as they are, demonstrate some scale of the dynamics and vibrancy of our planet
if the “gaia acolytes” were true to their goddess then they would strive to biacth slap anyone suggesting human beings role in the matter
Check out what the Propagandists at stinkprogress have just outgassed, as reported at WUWT. http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/04/29/never-let-a-good-crisis-go-to-waste-tornado-deaths-blamed-on-lawmakers-opposed-to-climate-legislation/
The same week as the Great Chicago Fire (in the 1870′s), a fire tornado, spawned during a forest fire, swept through a Wisconsin town, obliterating it and many of the townspeople.
History reminds us of past realities when our media refuses to do so.
I live right in the heart of tornado alley. I have for 50 years. I know something about April-Jun and tornadoes. Unfortunately, I know something of the euphemistically named “Climate Change” crowd too – mainly that they vacillate between Chicken Little and imbecile, closely correlated with Obama’s dismal performance, his standing and their mood.
I’m certainly no climatologist, but I’ve got a long memory. And I predicted with 100% accuracy that the former “global warming” now “climate change” imbeciles would be blaming this tragedy of tornado outbreaks due to their new and improved theory. What a crock.
This weather pattern we are experiencing reminds me of the mid 1970s when we had several wide outbreaks of super cells across the southern plains; a cool, dry early spring, followed by two months of severe thunderstorms. Even then, we knew of La Niña and El Nino. NOTE: There’s your “climate change” Chicken Little.
Back then, the former “global warming” now “climate change” Chicken Little crowd was telling me in no uncertain terms we were on the verge of the next ice age.
Their record of prediction is suspect; more like diametrically wrong.
Man made climite change is BS., G-d climite change appears to me to be occuring. It is not this weather pattern, it is the weather patterns for the last 15 years. Plus earthquakes across the globe, and Hurricanes.
Why? To me, I believe it is due to millions of abortions, Homosexual marriage, drug abuse, worshiping the creation, and not the Creator. Perhaps, I am wrong, and you might think me extreme, but the examples given in the Bible on how it was during the time of Noah sure seems to be that way now.
Thank you for supporting my freedom of speech.
Yes, this series of storms and tornados is not in itself indicative of global warming. But melting polar ice, widespread glacial melting, and the (now very old) data of an upward altitude creep in the Andes of average melt temperature, are indicative.
It’s pretty evident that signing on to the global warming “hypothesis” often aligns with a leftish political bent. Fine. And it’s fine too to oppose political use of the issue. But it is happening. It just is, and it’s plain as day.
I don’t understand why conservatives, who are often so good at critiquing the bullsh*t of the left, can’t acknowledge concrete, evident, physical stuff. Just because the lefties have claimed ownership of an actual, real issue, is no reason to deny the issue. The thing to do is to attack the use they make of it.
Thanks
Rob in Madison
Rob, yes the earth has warmed somewhat in the last 150 years. Question is, what is the cause? Is it natural or due to human activity?
I think it is impossible to know because the left has politicized the science. When we see data being manipulated or “lost” and anything and everything being said to cause global warming, the BS detector is bound to go off rather loudly. It would be great to see real science being applied to this, but they have hurt their credibility by becoming pawns of the warmist.
Even if we get real data, people are going to be skeptical given what we have learned about East Anglia CRU and other places the last few years.
Wish I knew how we could get a real discussion based on actual science. But I don’t.
The earth has been cycling through warming and cooling periods for more than a BILLION years. The only trend over that time has been toward global cooling. This long term cooling trend will continue for another 5-6 BILLION years. This is because our SUN will eventually burn out like every fire that runs out of fuel to burn. But, no worries, we will have long since departed this planet by then. Relax about this obvious global warming situation. There is no crisis coming in our lifetimes. There is only a remote possibility of the coming of another ice age before we are all dearly departed. Ice ages can happen over a period of only a few decades once they get going. Please start using your head, Rob in Madison, and believe only stuff that makes actual sense. I am completely fed up with all of this climate changing catastrophic crisis crap. Only an opportunistic politician or a “useful idiot” could believe in this nonsense.
No Jim, not according to current astronomical theory. As the fuel in the center of the sun is used up, a shell of fusion gradually moves away from the center of the sun causing it to heat up and expand. The sun is aproximately 30 percent larger physically, not heavier, than it was 300 million years ago. As the shell of fusion forms and the expansion continues our sun will continue to expand till it engulfs Mercury, Venus and probably the earth. So our climate will continue trending hotter till about 500 million years from now the oceans will boil and we will either be extinct or we will have moved elsewhere. Nothing we can do will stop this process, the Earth WILL get hotter.
Thanks for the update, I will read more on the subject. I’m glad to hear mankind is not responsible for this impending calamity.
“As the shell of fusion forms and the expansion continues our sun will continue to expand till it engulfs Mercury, Venus and probably the earth.”
And it all will be George Bush’s fault.
The following is a recent quote from the British Royal Society regarding their revised position on global warming. They previously supported the position that global warming was strictly caused by human activity within the past century.
“There is very strong evidence to indicate that climate change has occurred on a wide range of different timescales from decades to many millions of years; human activity is a relatively recent addition to the list of POTENTIAL causes of climate change.”
They also agree “that the warming trend of the 1980s and 90s has come to a halt in the last 10 years”.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1316469/Royal-Society-issues-new-climate-change-guide-admits-uncertainties.html#ixzz1L1bxaU9l
The Royal Society is a prestigious scientific organization once counting the likes of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Ben Franklin, Micheal Faraday and other well known scientists as members. There are other organizations and well known scientists across the globe questioning the “settled science” and “consensus of scientists” on man-made global warming hysteria.
Conservatism or liberalism has nothing to do with it. It’s the science that matters and it’s not settled. But what does the British Royal Society know? They are probably just pawns of the Republican Party.
Fortunately, tornado experts have already jumped into the fray and declared that the apparent increase in tornados over the years is simply detection bias from more people being around to spot them and much better radar equipment. Of course, the climate change true believers will try to ignore this, but they will find it very hard to find many meteorologists to back up their claims, fortunately.
Dana, I’m with you! I’ve noticed that we have far more tornado warnings from the NWS NOT because any actual tornado has been spotted, but because the Doppler radar is detecting circular motion. Circular motion DOES NOT necessarily mean there is a tornado, only that one is possible. It used to be that a tornado warning was not issued unless someone in authority had actually SEEN one. Now, I think it’s admirable that we now have radar system that can detect a strong possibility and give out a warning so people can seek safety. That will save lives. But I think it stinks that the Global Warming crowd are jumping on the “reports” of what may or may not be tornadoes, and also on the deaths of large numbers of people in order to push their political agenda. I grew up in the Midwest and have lived through more tornado seasons than I care to remember. This year doesn’t seem all that different from many years in the past. The only difference is 24/7 news and weather reports with tons of time to fill and ratings to get, instant video of storms and Global Warming alarmists.
I am in no way asserting that it was caused by global warming, but the last few days have been the worst tornado days I can recall in my 65 years. Unbelievable wide-spread devastation! That is the story, isn’t it?
I thank God that I am in the relative safety of Massachusetts, but it blows my mind to see what has happened in Alabama and Mississippi. Even the numbers that Art gives for previous years before we had such an effective warning system tend to emphasize to me just how bad the last few days have been.
It is tragic and my heart goes out to Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Arkansas. Approximately three weeks ago in my home state, there were two elderly women killed in Tushka, OK, which was the start of this horrid two week outbreak.
But twelve years ago, the most powerful tornado on record ripped through Oklahoma City, Del City and Moore, OK with a wind speeds estimated at 318mph. It literally left a swath where even grass was ripped from the ground. 44 people were killed and it made quick national news and was forgotten because tornadoes are a fact of life here, people are better prepared, and global warming wasn’t the popular liberal narrative.
Eight years later in 2007, a string of tornadoes from Texas to South Dakota hit, with the most destructive killing at least 12 people in Greensburg, KS, virtually wiping out the town. The twister that nearly obliterated Greensburg was 1.7 miles wide and the most powerful to strike the United States since the Oklahoma City tornado. Had that tornado happened to have hit a major city like Birmingham or Tuscaloosa, it’s likely thousands would have been killed.
This outbreak was huge indeed, but there have been many the past century that rivaled it.
I think two factors are at play in making things seem out of the norm. First, we have far more sophisticated weather reporting and advisory than we did even twenty years ago, and I believe likely more tornadoes are now reported. Second, this particular series of storms happen to hit populated areas. Like the author mentioned, most tornadoes do little damage not because they aren’t just as powerful or dangerous, but because they are in open rural area.
I also contend that if “global warming” were the cause, we would have been seeing a measurable steady increase in tornado activity starting in 1980 and and peaking this year and expecting worse next year, and so on. What we are getting is sporadic activity year to year. Reminds me of the alarmists claiming that hurricane Katrina was a cause of climate change, and hurricanes would get stronger. Since Katrina hurricanes have been mild.
“Yes, this series of storms and tornados is not in itself indicative of global warming. But melting polar ice, widespread glacial melting, and the (now very old) data of an upward altitude creep in the Andes of average melt temperature, are indicative.”
Yes, it indicates that climate is constantly in a state of flux…just like it’s been ever since the earth first formed.
At least that’s what the best available data says.
Of course, we could take the approach that the global warming nitwits used during the elevated hurricane seasons of 2004-05 — it was Bush’s fault, since he had done absolutely nothing to address the global warming issue. Couldn’t the same argument be used against Zero, since he also has done nada about global warming?
On a much more serious note, I live in northeast Alabama, where much of the destruction occurred. While I personally experienced no damage, several areas not far from me were devastated (including fatalities). Keep these people is your thoughts and prayers.
The scientific reasons for all the deadly tornadoes are cell phones, and flat panel TVs. Cell phones, in the hands of hundreds of not so smart people, who stand in front of looming death, can record fuzzy photos of the killers. A few minutes later, if the folks are alive, they email them to TV weather reporters who transmit them to zillions of flat panel TVs with the prohibition not to do this because it is lethally dangerous.
This, not global warming, or La Nina, is what is new, the “cause” of destructive tornadoes. Storms have been killing and destroying since the world began.
Fortunately, both are saving lives, if people will heed the warnings and run down into the basement.
Obama has brought back the seventies by giving us a seventies economy, mother nature is now giving us seventies weather! Whats next? Bad hair styles and Barry Manilow making a comeback?
Oooooh! Disco! I’m excited!
On March 21, 1932 the Los Angeles Times reported that killed 278 citizens of Alabama. Liberals prefer to ignore the past and invent the present.
Climate change. Whenever the UN is involved, you just know that it’s all about taking from the industrialized nations and redistributing to third world nations, with themselves as middle man. The UN has always been a corrupt organization that skims off the top, always trying to grab more power to skim more.
Over at Instapundit, Glenn published the comments of a reader who wondered why everyone in “Tornado Alley” didn’t build houses that could withstand being hit by a tornado. His thoughts are illustrative of media-fed misconceptions about living there. I’ve lived most of my life in “Tornado Alley,” Kansas and Texas, and though I’ve been within 10 miles of a few tornadoes, and within 20 miles of a lot more, I’ve only actually seen one in my 50+ years. It came down about a mile away, and it headed away from where I was. The chance of even seeing one is pretty low, let alone being hit by one.
Imagine someone in California saying, “I didn’t feel the earthquake, because it was 5 miles away,” or someone in Florida saying, “The hurricane didn’t hit us, because it was on the other side of town.”