On Monday, May 10, more than 40 tornadoes touched down across Kansas and Oklahoma. Five individuals were killed and dozens injured as hailstones nearing baseball size fell from the sky. Power was knocked out for thousands. Damage so far appears to be minimal, considering the power of the storms. Multiple tornadoes, unleashed by a single storm are referred to as “tornado families,” and also the damage can take a lot more than a little instant cash loans to clean up.
Tornado family wreaks havoc on Great Plains
There had been a tornado warning given that a large storm front moved into the Great Plains last week. (The Rocky Mountains block any weather moving in from the Pacific, which creates a low pressure area east of the mountains. Low pressure plus big storms equals bad news.) Hail stones the size of baseballs fell from the sky and upwards of 40 different tornadoes touched down across Oklahoma and Kansas.
Brunt bore by Oklahoma
All five fatalities and also the bulk of the damage seem to are confined to Oklahoma. Norman and Oklahoma City were where the deaths occurred. Norman is in Cleveland County, directly south of Oklahoma County, where Oklahoma City is located. According to the New York Times, a tornado warning and storm advisory were issued in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas.
They were in Kansas too, Toto
Several tornadoes did touch down in Kansas, but the damage was less extensive. A tornado touched down in Belmont, Kansas, as outlined by ABC News, and caused some wind damage to homes and several overturned trucks on the Interstate.
It was in Tornado Alley
Every region carries with it unique risks and weather patterns. The Great Plains area is commonly also referred to as Tornado Alley, since the region’s unique susceptibility to form tornado producing storms. More severe damage from tornadoes could be caused within the South, as the Mississippi and Alabama tornadoes various weeks ago did. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has storm warnings available on its website. A severe thunderstorm warning is nevertheless in effect for Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri.
Citations
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/11/us/11tornado.html
ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/deadly-tornado-alley-dead-dozens-injured/story?id=10612080&page=1
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association
http://www.noaawatch.gov/
