Why,and Why It Will Get Worse: A Scientific Meterological Explaination
Some people ask "Why did this happen?", "How could this happen?", and "Will it happen again?" in regards to the violent March storm and probable tornado activity during the Mississippi vs. Alabama Game in the Georgia Dome in Downtown Atlanta.
The answers lay in the laws of thermodynamics and meterology -- that is, the study of heat and cold, and the study of current weather patterns and trends.
The so-called "Tornado Belt" for which our country is famous runs in a large, varying swath from west Texas to the East Coast, and is well known for spawning violent storms, high winds -- and tornados.
Why is this?
The answer lies in the convergance of winds coming from the Northwest Jet Stream, which sweeps down across the mid-west American states, and the highs and lows which form in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The occasional Atlantic hurricane and tropical storm also play an occasional role, as well as the warm waters of the Gulf Stream which exits the Gulf of Mexico and travels the Eastern seaboard before taking off towards Europe, but the role of these elements, mainly confined to Southeastern and lower New England States, is usually minor.
Whenever you get a "high" or "low" of warm air meeting cooler air, you have the potential for high winds. If one of those 'fronts' happens to contain a high moisture (humidity) content, then the chance of rain shoots up -- along with the possibility of thunderstorms and deluges which flood the roads and towns where pavement and buildings have succeeded in preventing rainwater from percolating into the ground.
The Gulf air, rising from a sun-warmed ocean, carries with it tons and tons of evaporated water; rising, the trade winds spawned by the Earth's rotation then carry that warm, moist air into the belly of the United States (Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama) and 'push' it across the Southeastern states. Therein lies the reason that when you live in the South and you feel a wind coming from the Southwest, chances are that wind will bring you a higher humidity and thermometer reading.
On the other hand, the Northwestern Jet stream, traveling at hundreds of miles per hour, carries cold dry air down from the North. Swooping down over the mountains of California, it loops and writhes like a strangling snake over the deserts and hills of the midwest; rising and falling in a north, then south again pattern, it describes what could be best defined as a 'sine wave' over the middle of the United States. It, too, is affected by global spin, as well as falling under the influence of the highs and lows coming from the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf pattern, and the incoming Atlantic highs and lows (which in general arrive from Africa, and are also influenced -- and sometimes deflected -- by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream).
Along the edges of this 'snake' of 'cold' air -- where the cooler jet stream collides with the warmer (and wetter) Gulf air masses, you will find "Tornado Alley"-- snaking and streaming along with that colliding of cool air and warm air fronts. If you pay close attention to the weather patterns and the jet stream, you will notice that the bad weather occurs where these two fronts meet. And this 'front' changes as the jet stream changes -- when it moves northward (usually in the spring), tornados and storms crawl up north -- as far as Idaho, the Dakotas, and so forth -- and when fall comes and the world cools, the jet stream dips further down into the south; hence you find that "Tornado Alley" falls further south, striking Texas, Alabama, and the Southeastern states.
Whenever you SEE on a weather map which shows these colliding fronts you can predict the weather for YOUR area based upon the location of those fronts and the speed with which they are moving across the country. Pay attention to the positions of the jet stream and you will see: that storms and tornados play along these fronts; the worst of the weather (aside from that caused by Atlantic hurricane and tropical storm patterns) lies along that writhing front that follows the jet stream's meandering course.
Be prepared. This type of weather, most common when the seasons start to change, increases as the temperature differential between the colliding fronts increases. With the onset of global warming, this seasonal temperature differential is going to become more drastic, and nature removes this excess 'energy' in the atmosphere through her winds and storm fronts in an effort to 'balance' the temperatures region wide. With the increased heat in coming years, plus an expanding ocean, expect increased evaporation from the world's oceans -- including the Gulf of Mexico. With that increased evaporation comes increased percipitation throughout the southern reachs of the United States -- with some areas subject to desertficiation throughout the far to mid-West.
Expect the worst. Start preparing NOW. If you are building a new building, use the newer "Hurriquake Nails" -- tougher than the wood they're pounded into, and almost impossible to pull out or sheer. Make sure your shingles are glued from TOP to BOTTOM on each row: insist that the contractor's 'paint' the entire ROOF with roofing cement PRIOR to laying down the 'tarpaper', and have them coat the back of EACH shingle thoroughly prior to nailing them in. Install sturdy LOCKING shutters which DO swing closed over your windows -- and make sure they lock both at the TOP and BOTTOM so wind can't reach around the edges and rip them off. Make sure your foundation vents can be fully opened, and that they are not blocked either on the outside or inside to reduce pressure differentials should a violent whirlwind come up.
Also -- check your attic vents. Are they large enough -- and unblocked enough both INSIDE and outside -- to allow a large volume of air to easily enter and exit? Pressure differentials such as produced by a "tornado" or large "whirlwind" passing over your house can tear your roof off if the 'room' above your head can't "breath" as atmospheric pressure increases and decreases. Remove any heavy branches or trees which you feel can cause damage to your house. Check your yard for loose items which can become damaging --- and potentially fatally dangerous -- projectiles in a violent blowing windstorm. Use common sense: look around you, think "high winds, high rains, and the potential for something else" -- use a critical, objective eye -- and then take the steps you need to take to protect life, property, yourself, and others.
For existing construction, you can still use those handy "Hurriquake" nails -- along with steel 'gusset' or 'mending' plates to attach your ROOF to your wall's SILLS (the top beams on your home's walls.) Screws work just as well if you can't find those Hurriquake nails. Just be sure they penetrate the wood AT LEAST 2/3rds of the way through. In extreme cases you can even go so far as to use telephone pole "anchors" (those long dirt augers which the telephone company uses to anchor it's telephone poles) and the same heavy type of guy wire to loop OVER your house's frame, fastening it down like a 'tent' to keep your house from blowing over -- or worse. Of course nothing is perfect, and if a tornado DOES hit -- you can usually just kiss your house (and perhaps other body parts) goodbye.
Lastly -- prepare. Stock yourself up with at least 2 or 3 days of bottled water; some ready-to-eat food stuffs, toilet paper, a radio (with extra batteries), flashlight(s) (again, more FRESH batteries), WARM blankets, rainproof tarps / ponchos or a roll of heavy plastic sheeting; duct tape, some pegs, bailing wire, and twine. And DON'T FORGET THE MEDICAL KIT. Should the power go out and your home get destroyed, and you find yourself stranded -- these things will help you to survive. The more the merrier: think creative (like maybe get some candles and matchs -- wax is a 'fuel' you can use to start most anything) -- and store it away DEEP DOWN somewhere -- like in a waterproof, air-proof "kit" under your house, in the corner, where the foundation can protect it in case of a tornado (and you might want to include a shovel and a pair of gloves to take with you into the closet when "it" comes -- so you can DIG those incredible supplies OUT from under your house for when you NEED them, LOL!)
So "Why?". Its the weather, man. "Will it happen again?". Yes, most definately. Atlanta got off with a "light scolding" -- not even a "true" tornado (after all, no one got any pictures of it) -- compared to what happened when the F4 tornado hit Witchita Falls, Texas. These types of events are going to become more common -- and more violent -- as the world responds to record rates of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, and the atmosphere heats up (and the oceans along with it!)
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mhogue3909 at 9:28:28 AM EDT
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