Tornados and Storms and What Not. What’s up with the weather this year?
From deep snow fall to tremendous tornados this country has seen more than its fare share of inclement weather so far this year. So what’s up with the weather? Is it truly that “global warming” effect we continue to hear about? Or maybe it’s the result of “long term planetary trends” as some suggest. Or perhaps it is merely a culmination of bad luck for many across the U.S. Whatever the cause there are people dying due to some pretty terrible and unusual weather conditions.
In the winter of early 2011 there was deep snow fall in many areas across the country, areas used to snow but maybe not prepared for twenty feet or so of the white stuff from Chicago to New York City. Just try to imagine New York City filled with snow and no where to move it all to. Huge piles of the stuff had to be pushed aside so traffic could get through Manhattan streets but what about pedestrians on the sidewalks? Springtime brought severe weather across the nation, particularly to the Deep South and across to the eastern seaboard towns in and around the Carolinas. Tornados killed over three hundred people in the month of April alone.
The city of Joplin, Missouri, population 50,000 was devastated by an enormous tornado last month which destroyed 30% of the city and killed at least 142 people with more still missing. Areas that are not usually affected by tornados have seen the results of twisters. Northern California recently had tornado activity and that was highly unusual. Even though it caused no damage as it was on the ground in a rural area, and no one was injured, it shows they can occur anywhere at any time when weather conditions are right. Just this week Springfield, Mass was hit by tornado activity which resulted in the deaths of at least four people. While they may be used to bad weather conditions they certainly were not expecting tornados. What’s next for the summer months? Draught and devastating heat?
