UPDATE AT 5:10 pm. See Below
A tornado is a random, violent event that happens to good people. We have all heard about the tornado that hit Kentucky this weekend, and our hearts go out to those people. This may be the most damaging tornado to hit the United States It was certainly the worst tornado to hit those people. They will be affected by it for years to come.
But, those of us who have lived longer than a decade can remember other bad tornados. Just off the top of my head, the one that hit Brandenburg, KY in 1974.
Or, the one that hit Tuscaloosa, AL during 2011. Belle has family in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, and it affected those folks in a huge way.
We are already hearing how Climate Change played a huge part, and I dismiss that analysis as flawed. A tornado is a random event, totally unresponsive to human interference. In our grief over such events, we tend to want to blame something, or someone for the misfortune that befalls us, but in most cases the human frailty of wanting to blame outside forces is simply a coping mechanism.
UPDATE** As horrific as this storm was, another site pointed me to the great Tri-State tornado of 1925. Total of 695 deaths across three states. The path was 219 miles and it traveled at 62 miles per hour. It was on the ground for over three hours.
3 comments:
The tornado that really sticks in my mind was the Oklahoma City - Moore weather event back in 2013. boy, that was on the news for days.
Prayers for those families effected by this - I hope survivors receive some good news as soon as possible.
Prayers for those families that lost everything, and those who lost family members.
That is the big gamble in the Mid-West. When we used to drive I-70 in eastern Illinois and/or western Indians, near Terre Haute, there were still tracks in the trees where the twisters had passed through years before. Being where they touch down is a matter of (bad) luck. Texas Tech (whatever it is called now) used to test construction assemblies by firing 2x4s at them with an air cannon. That wind is brutal.
Definitely prayers for those who lost loved ones.
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