A woman examined the damage to her home in Harveyville, Kansas, after a tornado had hit the night before.
The United States has had an unusual number of tornadoes this year. In just two days, on March 2 and 3, a total of 65 tornadoes touched down across the Southeast and the Midwest. Alabama, Tennessee, Illinois, and many other states experienced outbreaks. Just days earlier, almost 40 tornadoes had struck the same regions.
Scientists usually measure the strength of tornadoes using the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale. The most powerful tornadoes are called EF5. They have wind speeds greater than 200 miles per hour. However, even tornadoes at the lower end of the scale can be devastating. On February 28, an EF2 tornado struck Harveyville, Kansas. One person was killed, the town’s only church was destroyed, and all the other buildings in the town suffered damage.
Across the United States, tornadoes have killed more than 50 people this year and injured many others. In addition, they have caused millions of dollars in property damage. After the outbreak of tornadoes in March, President Barack Obama called the governors of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio to offer help from the federal government. “We’re not unfamiliar with Mother Nature’s wrath out here in Indiana,” Governor Mitch Daniels told reporters, “But this is about as serious as we’ve seen in the years since I’ve been in this job.”
Many people are concerned that 2012 is going to continue to be a bad year for tornadoes. Those who live in areas that are often affected by tornadoes are taking precautions to stay safe. Some people even have underground shelters to take cover in. Also, modern weather tools such as Doppler radar allow forecasters to issue warnings when conditions are right for tornadoes to form. This helps give people more time to reach safety before a tornado touches down.
Image credit: ©REUTERS/Dave Kaup
Related Link
- NOAA Tornado Guide
Learn more about tornadoes and tornado safety.
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