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posted by martyb on Sunday December 12 2021, @03:45AM   Printer-friendly

At least 100 feared dead after tornadoes devastate six US states:

US President Joe Biden has pledged support to states affected by a swarm of devastating tornadoes that demolished homes, levelled businesses and left at least 100 people feared dead.

Describing the tornadoes as likely "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in history, Biden on Saturday approved an emergency disaster declaration for the worst-hit state of Kentucky, where at least 22 people have been confirmed dead.

"It's a tragedy," said a shaken Biden. "And we still don't know how many lives are lost and the full extent of the damage."

He added, "I promise you, whatever is needed – whatever is needed – the federal government is going to find a way to provide it."

The powerful twisters, which weather forecasters say are unusual in cooler months, destroyed a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, ripped through a nursing home in neighbouring Arkansas, and killed at least six workers at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the collection of tornadoes was the most destructive in the state's history. He said about 40 workers had been rescued at the candle factory, which had about 110 people inside when it was reduced to a pile of rubble.

[...] Mayfield Fire Chief Jeremy Creason, whose own station was destroyed, said the candle factory was diminished to a "pile of bent metal and steel and machinery" and that responders had to at times "crawl over casualties to get to live victims".

[...] The tornado outbreak was triggered by a series of overnight thunderstorms, including a supercell storm that formed in northeast Arkansas. That storm moved from Arkansas and Missouri and into Tennessee and Kentucky.

Unusually high temperatures and humidity created the environment for such an extreme weather event at this time of year, said Victor Gensini, a professor in geographic and atmospheric sciences at Northern Illinois University.

"This is an historic, if not generational event," Gensini said.

If early reports are confirmed, the twister may have touched down for nearly 250 miles (400km), he said, a path length longer than the longest tornado on record, which tracked for about 220 miles (355 km) through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana in March 1925.

[...] The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said it received 36 reports of tornadoes touching down in Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

[...] In Edwardsville, Illinois, Fire Chief James Whiteford said at least six people were killed when an Amazon warehouse collapsed. Some 45 people survived.

[...] In Monette, Arkansas, one person was killed and five seriously injured when a tornado tore through a nursing home with 90 beds.

Also at phys.org, CNET, and CNN


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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by canopic jug on Sunday December 12 2021, @05:18AM (3 children)

    by canopic jug (3949) Subscriber Badge on Sunday December 12 2021, @05:18AM (#1204097) Journal

    The weather patterns have already changed. Look at the path the tornadoes took this time and how long they stayed on the ground. More heat equals more water and energy into the storms. Furthermore, the areas that do get water are getting more of it:

    Atmospheric rivers will become about 10% less frequent by the end of this century, but about 25% longer and wider, the study found. That will lead to nearly double the frequency of the most intense atmospheric river storms.

    Canada flood shows how climate change could fuel atmospheric river storms [reuters.com]

    So these rain events in the US and Canada over recent years are a small taste of what is yet to come if the crisis is not managed immediately.

    --
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 12 2021, @12:33PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 12 2021, @12:33PM (#1204182)

    a small taste of what is yet to come if the crisis is not managed immediately.

    FTFY. Past the point of no return.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 12 2021, @03:03PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 12 2021, @03:03PM (#1204229)

      Nah. If there were the will to take drastic measures and think longer term than a year or two, we could drastically change the climate intentionally and benefit from it.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 12 2021, @05:24PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 12 2021, @05:24PM (#1204302)

        I don't own a sea front resort in Florida. I don't give a shit about preserving the current status quo.