Tornado Threats Loom Large as Flood Waters Recede

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Much has been written in the last six weeks about the 2008 Midwest Flood. Many are saying the devastation will rival the Great Flood of 1993, and that the crop damage will affect the food supply of this country. While that may be true, we still can’t and won’t forget the destruction and loss numbers that tornadoes have on Midwest and southwest and 2008 unfortunately is turning out to be a record year.

Here are some statistics to consider:

• Prior to 1990, the average number of tornadoes per year in the Continental U.S. was 772. In the period from 1990 through 2007, the average was 1,215. The number of tornadoes reported has gone up more than 50 percent.

• From 1999 through 2004, Kansas had 1,616 tornadoes, 11 of them were F4 tornadoes and nine were categorized as F5. As Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and states throughout the Midwest can attest, 2008 is setting a pace to perhaps beat 2004 in recording the highest number of tornadoes for one year.

• In the past, tornadoes may not have been reported as they hit open farmland, causing no insured damage. If this bias was caused by changing weather patterns, then this reinforces the fact that we should use a shorter reporting period, even if it gives us less data. We want to take into account the higher frequency of events this provides. Cutting the time period down to 1990-2007 reduces the number of tornadoes to 21,800 as opposed to 52,400 from 1950-2007.

In this issue, “Midwest States High on List for Numbers of Tornadoes” on page 12, provides more insight into tornadoes and the impact on the Midwest. The state with the top ranking for the numbers of tornadoes nationwide is Texas. Yet, the Midwest is right behind Texas: Kansas, 1,616; Nebraska, 1,061; Illinois 1,001; Iowa, 926 and Missouri, 776.

With the flood waters finally receding, we need to be sure to be as vigilant as Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” — tornadoes continue to be one of the greatest threats to property and life in this part of the U.S.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Texas Windstorm Flood

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