2011 Tornado Outbreak Death Toll Hits 329, Deadliest Since 1932

[Keith Bee]

Source: Huffington Post

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Southerners found their emergency safety net shredded Friday as they tried to emerge from the nation's deadliest tornado disaster since the Great Depression.

Emergency buildings are wiped out. Bodies are stored in refrigerated trucks. Authorities are begging for such basics as flashlights. In one neighborhood, the storms even left firefighters to work without a truck.

The death toll from Wednesday's storms reached 329 across seven states, including 238 in Alabama, making it the deadliest U.S. tornado outbreak since March 1932, when another Alabama storm killed 332 people. Tornadoes that swept across the South and Midwest in April 1974 left 315 people dead.

Hundreds if not thousands of people were injured Wednesday – 990 in Tuscaloosa alone – and as many as 1 million Alabama homes and businesses remained without power.




Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/29/2011-tornado-outbreak-deaths_n_855646.html

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When I was a kid, the weather would be the lead story on Cronkite or Chancellor maybe five times a year. Now it's 10 times as frequent. But, of COURSE, this has absolutely nothing to do with human-driven global warming!

:sarcasm:

[EmmettKelly]

1. And considering that the US population was about 120 million

in 1932 can you imagine what those storms must have been like?

[msongs]

2. so historically, this kind of thing is NOTHING NEW, just another random occurence since it happened

90 years ago.

[groundloop]

3. Hold off on the global warming connection ...

I was kind of thinking the same thing, that there's a connection, but I've seen several interviews with weather scientists who say that there's just not enough information yet to be able to say whether or not there's a connection.

Apparently there was a very strong jet stream, combined with a strong cold front and warm moist air coming up from the gulf. I would imagine that a warmer gulf would contribute to the severity, but until weather scientists have proof of the connection I think we're doing ourselves a disservice by beating that drum prematurely.

[msongs]

4. tornado in 1840 killed 317. maybe a connection maybe not. nt

[uppityperson]

5. Indeed. One time thing may be coincidence. Let's watch and see what happens. nt

[doc03]

7. Considering that back In 1840 they didn't have weather

satellites, electronic media or even a warning siren I would say that it wouldn't take near a serious a storm to cause 317 deaths.

[slackmaster]

10. OTOH the population was much smaller in 1840 than now

JADP

[Scottybeamer70]

6. Until the news came out about

other occurrences just as bad, if not worse, many wanted to jump on the
global warming wagon.......now........not so much......just sayin'.
Think it's time to stop blaming the world's problems on global warming.

[mindwalker_i]

8. Well, that blows

Guess they pissed off the FSM too many times.

[LarryNM]

9. La Nina and Dry Pacific Decadal Oscillation Together

appear to be the main indicators in this spring's weather. See Wiki, NOAA and appinsys.com. IF man made global warming is also affecting this, then it does not help matters. The warnings gave people some time to try and find whatever shelter they could; hate to think what it would have been like without the warnings. Sadly, this Sunday does not look to good weatherwise for that area and to the north.

[fasttense]

11. Wasn't there a huge dust bowl sweeping through the midwest

and US in 1932?

Don't tell me man doesn't affect the weather.

[Keith Bee]

12. Deny until you spontaneously combust

And I'll be laaaaaaaaaafin'

[Kokonoe]

13. So, on April 16 some say 300 tornadoes could be normal.

Now over 600+ in a month could be the new normal.

Proof the weather is changing!