Being a student at the University of North Texas, I have noticed that there has been not only a frequency of severe thunderstorms, but also a frequency in the number of tornados that spawn from them. I must admit the recent wicked weather has at least made campus life somewhat more exciting. I now expect to hear a tornado siren go off once every few days and I catch myself walking down the more comfortable hallways fearing that I might have to take shelter somewhere close by.
It is being noted that the beginning of this year’s tornado season is off to a very unusual start with tornados bringing destruction from as far as Wisconsin to the East Coast, Georgia. Since the start of tornado season this year there have already been 250 tornadoes reported. According to Sulzberger, the author of the article, “So far this year, tornadoes have killed 41 people and torn apart countless neighborhoods and, this weekend, one major airport.” The airport which was damaged was St. Louis’ International Airport, and luckily, even though the tornado ripped through Concourse C of the airport no fatalities have been reported. If you wish to view the video of the tornado tearing through the airport you can do so right here: (http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110425/us_yblog_thelookout/watch-a-tornado-rip-through-st-louis-airport).
But that is just one of the many tornados that have touched down this season and there will most likely be many more to come. Scientists have admitted that they do not know what is causing such an increase in the frequency of tornados. There isn’t a credible reason that global warming could be causing the increases because there is a clear lack of historical data. Since in the early 1900’s people were not as spread out over the entire country, as we are now, there could have been several tornados that touched down but were never reported. For instance the author mentions in “April 1974, there was a record 267 tornadoes reported, but the actual number that occurred is believed to be closer to 500.” Whereas today we notice the majority, if not all, of the tornados that touch down because we are so vastly populated across the country.
The article states “It’s unusual but it does happen,” said Howard Bluestein, a meteorology professor at the University of Oklahoma who specializes in tornado research. “This isn’t a sign that the world is about to end.” This might just end up being an abnormal year as far as thunderstorms are concerned. Knowing Texas we will get swamped with rain this year, but next spring there probably will not be a rain cloud in sight. Tornadoes are one of the hardest weather formations to predict, because tornadoes form when warm moist air combines with powerful dynamic winds inside a thunderstorm, sending a funnel cloud spinning toward the ground. It is only usually minutes before a funnel cloud starts to take shape that a meteorologist can actually predict that a tornado is about to form.
This spring seems to be turning out to be an interesting one. With that being said all I can suggest is to hold onto your hats and good luck holding onto your name UNT. If all these tornadoes persist we might have to start calling it the ‘University of Not There’.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/us/26tornadoes.html?hpw
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