Monday, April 13, 2015

The Midwest is on alert following tht tri-state desastation of a few days ago.

The attention was focused on Illinois where deaths occurred, but, the reality is there was a tornado outbreak in Iowa, Illinois and Ohio.

April 9. 2015
(CNN) —One person has died as a result of storms Thursday in Fairdale, Illinois, said Patti Thompson, a state emergency management spokeswoman.
Tornadoes tore through parts of Iowa, Illinois and Ohio on Thursday in what forecasters from the National Weather Service warned is a "particularly dangerous situation."
People across the Midwest should be on alert for severe weather, the weather agency said.
In Rochelle, Illinois, there were "multiple reports of injuries and damage," the Ogle County Sheriff's dispatchers said.
A video of the storm on YouTube showed a massive twister barreling across an open field....

...Another tornado was reported south of Toledo, Ohio. (click here)
The twisters are part of a broader severe weather pattern that was expected to affect about 95 million people Thursday, including those in major cities such as Chicago and St. Louis.
Eight tornadoes were reported Wednesday in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, the Storm Prediction Center said.
The National Weather Service indicated a tornado may have touched down in the small town of Potosi, Missouri, about 70 miles from St. Louis.
More storms are expected in the Midwest, Mississippi River Valley, Tennessee River Valley and near the southern Great Lakes, the Weather Service said. 

Any candidate traveling through the Midwest and otherwise needs to be checking forecasts for their safety. Please. This is not about bravery, this is about a hot planet and being 'smart' about avoidance of very accurate predictions of these perilous storms.

There is nothing saying the candidates cannot visit storm damage sites. That would be a smarter choice than ignoring any potential for such storms. 

April 11, 2015

The people of Fairdale (click here) returned to what's left of home Saturday morning for the first time since Thursday's devastating tornado.
Stepping down from the buses that brought them back, they walked slowly down Main Street, clutching each other, looking out on the mounds of debris that used to be their homes.
At about 7 a.m., the town was silent save for the whine of a wood chipper and the honking of geese flying by. Carefully, the residents began to pick through the piles, searching for lost pets, valuables, important legal documents and items of more sentimental value....

Some in the region have not experienced tornadoes, but, have sustained hail damage from extended hail storms. Crop damage are very susceptible to hail storms. It would be worthwhile to concessional check in with USDA about the farming community and their ability to cope with a warming planet. 

It is a matter of knowing what is occurring with the country. I remind California is suffering from an extended drought that may impact the agriculture there. If that were to occur that would be a profound problem to the food supply in the USA and the world. These are not minor issues. Frequently agricultural problems are not visited simply because it has high priority with the White House. That does not mean there is no problem at all.