DOCSLIB.ORG

Twisters in Two Cities: Stuctural Ritualization

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Twisters in Two Cities: Stuctural Ritualization TWISTERS IN TWO CITIES: STUCTURAL RITUALIZATION THEORY AND DISASTERS By KEVIN M. JOHNSON Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Northeastern State University Tahlequah, Oklahoma 2011 Master of Science in Sociology Oklahoma State University Stillwater, Oklahoma 2013 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May, 2019 TWISTERS IN TWO CITIES: STRUCTURAL RITUALIZATION THEORY AND DISASTERS Dissertation Approved: Dr. Duane A. Gill Dissertation Adviser Dr. J. David Knottnerus Dr. Monica Whitham Dr. Alex Greer ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank my committee members – Dr. Duane Gill, Dr. J. David Knottnerus, Dr. Monica Whitham, and Dr. Alex Greer – for their insight and support throughout the writing of this dissertation. I am particularly grateful for Dr. Gill and Dr. Knottnerus, who have invested tremendous time and energy in mentoring and helping me develop as a sociologist and a thinker. I have had the privilege of working with some of my academic heroes on this project, and feel very fortunate to be able to make that claim. I would also like to thank my fellow graduate colleagues, Dr. Dakota Raynes, Christine Thomas, and many others, who were always willing to discuss various issues related to this research and countless other topics when needed. Your contributions to this work extend beyond the words on the page – thank you! Finally, I would like to acknowledge my family for their unwavering support and confidence in me throughout this process. Kasey, Gabriel, Ewok, and Leia: you have been my foundation, particularly in the toughest times, and I hope you all feel the joy of this accomplishment because it could not have happened without you. Johnny and Kelly: thank you for the countless pep talks and willingness to listen, your certainty in my abilities and constant encouragement were boons that cannot be understated. I’m so grateful for you all. iii Acknowledgements reflect the views of the author and are not endorsed by committee members or Oklahoma State University. Name: KEVIN M. JOHNSON Date of Degree: MAY, 2019 Title of Study: TWISTERS IN TWO CITIES: STRUCTURAL RITUALIZATION THEORY AND DISASTERS Major Field: SOCIOLOGY Abstract: The sociological study of disaster has increased in methodological and conceptual complexity since its inception, but despite this progress there persists a need for further theoretical development in order to advance understanding of disasters. To address this need, this work applied structural ritualization theory to two prominent tornado disasters to uncover new ways to conceptualize and study disaster processes. Structural ritualization theory (SRT) emphasizes the importance of ritual in providing order, value, direction, and cohesion – among other things – to individuals and groups. Rituals are defined as ritualized symbolic practices, which are schema driven action repertoires with symbolic and emotional meaning. One line of research within SRT examines the effects of disturbances to performances of RSPs, which are framed as patterns of disruption, deritualization, and reritualization. This model was applied to the cases of the May 22, 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, and the May 20, 2013 tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. Qualitative content analysis was utilized on 1,793 news media articles from local and regional outlets covering each tornado for periods of three months following each event. Patterns of disruption, deritualization, and reritualization were identified in each community throughout the sampling window. Implications for SRT as an alternative disaster framework, empirical and conceptual contributions to SRT as a perspective, as well as potential for synthesizing this framework into existing lines of inquiry in disaster literature were also identified. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT .........................................................................1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 The Joplin and Moore Tornadoes ............................................................................6 Beyond Two Twisters ............................................................................................11 II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW ......................13 Introduction ............................................................................................................13 Disasters .................................................................................................................14 Tornadoes Within Disaster Literature ....................................................................19 Intellectual History of Ritual as a Social Psychological Concept..........................34 Structural Ritualization Theory..............................................................................39 Disruption, Deritualization, and Reritualization ....................................................43 Disasters and Structural Ritualization Theory .......................................................46 Conclusion .............................................................................................................49 III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................51 Introduction ............................................................................................................51 Qualitative Content Analysis .................................................................................51 Data Selection ........................................................................................................53 Analytic Strategy ...................................................................................................57 Conclusion .............................................................................................................59 v Chapter Page IV. RESULTS ..............................................................................................................61 Introduction ............................................................................................................61 Disruption ..............................................................................................................63 Deritualization........................................................................................................71 Reritualization ........................................................................................................74 Conclusion .............................................................................................................87 V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ....................................................................88 Introduction ............................................................................................................88 Research Questions Revisited ................................................................................88 Limitations .............................................................................................................98 Contributions and Directions for Future Research and Practice ............................99 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................103 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................105 APPENDICES ...........................................................................................................118 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Summary of 30 Years of Disasters Tornado-focused Articles ..............................27 2 Visual Demonstration of the Coding Schema ........................................................58 3 Descriptive Statistics of Coded Media Articles .....................................................62 4 Patterns of Disruption and Deritualization ............................................................63 5 Patterns of Reritualization......................................................................................75 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Satellite Image of the May 22, 2011 Joplin, MO Tornado Damage Path ................7 2 Satellite Image of the May 20, 2013 Moore, OK Tornado Damage Path ...............8 3 Damage to a Joplin Residential Area .......................................................................9 4 Damage to a Moore Residential Area ....................................................................10 5 Inclusion of Disaster Cycle Phases in Analyses in Disasters ................................29 6 Use of Different Methodologies in Tornado Research in Disasters ......................31 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT “The old joke that you can tell someone was from the Midwest if they went to the porch with their video camera when the sirens sounded isn’t funny anymore.” It was that time of year again, evidenced by pomp and circumstance figuratively and literally in the air. For the students, parents, and extended family of Joplin High School, the day had finally come for the students to take their largest leap thus far into adulthood. The rite of passage was well under way; speeches were delivered with conviction, most were focused on the accomplishment of high school signifying a beginning of things to come, and less of an end. Smiles crept across faces, students
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Climatology and Comparison of Parameters for Significant Tornado
    106 WEATHER AND FORECASTING VOLUME 27 A Climatology and Comparison of Parameters for Significant Tornado Events in the United States JEREMY S. GRAMS AND RICHARD L. THOMPSON NOAA/NWS/Storm Prediction Center, Norman, Oklahoma DARREN V. SNIVELY Department of Geography, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio JAYSON A. PRENTICE Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa GINA M. HODGES AND LARISSA J. REAMES School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma (Manuscript received 18 January 2011, in final form 30 August 2011) ABSTRACT A sample of 448 significant tornado events was collected, representing a population of 1072 individual tornadoes across the contiguous United States from 2000 to 2008. Classification of convective mode was assessed from radar mosaics for each event with the majority classified as discrete cells compared to quasi- linear convective systems and clusters. These events were further stratified by season and region and com- pared with a null-tornado database of 911 significant hail and wind events that occurred without nearby tornadoes. These comparisons involved 1) environmental variables that have been used through the past 25– 50 yr as part of the approach to tornado forecasting, 2) recent sounding-based parameter evaluations, and 3) convective mode. The results show that composite and kinematic parameters (whether at standard pressure levels or sounding derived), along with convective mode, provide greater discrimination than thermodynamic parameters between significant tornado versus either significant hail or wind events that occurred in the absence of nearby tornadoes. 1. Introduction severe thunderstorms and tornadoes (e.g., Bluestein 1999; Davies-Jones et al. 2001; Wilhelmson and Wicker Severe weather forecasting has evolved considerably 2001).
    [Show full text]
  • Illinois Tornadoes Prior to 1916
    Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science (1993), Volume 86, 1 and 2, pp. 1 - 10 Illinois Tornadoes Prior to 1916 Wayne M. Wendland Illinois State Water Survey Champaign IL Herbert Hoffman National Weather Service Romeoville IL ABSTRACT An effort to chronicle Illinois tornadoes occurring prior to 1916 is summarized. From the more than 440 total Illinois tornado occurrences identified in the literature from that period, the list was culled to 325 individual events. Annual and mean monthly frequencies are shown and discussed relative to the modern record. The present tornado data set includes location, time, and to a lesser extent, number injured, number killed and damage for each tornado event. Prominent tornadoes from the record are discussed, as data are available. INTRODUCTION The history of tornadoes in Illinois is rather well known since the mid-1950s (e.g., see Wilson & Changnon, 1971; and Wendland & Guinan, 1988). That record is believed to be essentially complete since the U.S. Weather Bureau inaugurated a concerted effort to record all such events at that time. Earlier,tornado accounts may be suspect since a record of such a small scale event is largely dependent on population density, awareness, and maintenance of a continuous record. Although the U.S. Army Signal Corps and U.S. Weather Bureau accepted tornado information for archival purposes through the years, a complete and continuous record only exists since the mid-1950s. In spite of the incomplete nature of earlier tornado records, useful information of a climatological nature can be gleaned. This paper represents an initial attempt to document the record of Illinois tornadoes prior to 1916.
    [Show full text]
  • Community Organizations Under Stress: a Study of Interorganizational Communication Networks During Natural Disasters
    71-17,967 BROUILLETTE, John Robert, 1935- COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS UNDER STRESS: A STUDY OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS DURING NATURAL DISASTERS. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1970 Sociology, general University Microfilms,A XEROX Company , Ann Arbor. Michigan COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS UNDER STRESS: A STUDY OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS DURING NATURAL DISASTERS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By John Robert Brouillette, B.S., M.A. ****** The Ohio State University 1970 Approved by t Adviser* /} Department of SociofogyDepartment Sociology ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research in this dissertation was supported in part by PHS Grant 5 R01 MH 15399-02 from the Center for Studies of Mental Health and Social Problems, Applied Research Branch, National Insti­ tute of Mental Health. Many faculty members have been instrumental in assisting me throughout my graduate studies. Foremost among them was my adviser, Dr. Russell R. Dynes, whose untiring guidance, encouragement, and support were always forthcoming when they were needed most. Also I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Dr. E. L. Quar- antelli who, with Dr. Dynes, provided an invaluable graduate training program at the Disaster Research Center which allowed me to apply and advance the sociological knowledge I had been exposed to earlier in formal course work. A special word of thanks belongs to Dr. John F. Cuber who introduced me to The Ohio State University as a teaching assistant under him and who ushered me out when he sat on my final Doctoral oral examination. He has been a significant influence and inspiration to me throughout my graduate program.
    [Show full text]
  • Hazard Mitigation Plan Lapeer County, MI
    + ddddddddd Hazard Mitigation Plan Lapeer County, MI 2015 This document was prepared by the2013 GLS Region V Planning and Development CommissionThis document was preparedstaff byin the collaboration Lapeer County Office of Emergency with Managementthe Lapeer County Office of Emergencyin collaboration with GLSManagement Region V Planning and. Development Commission staff. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction A. Introduction ..................................................................................... 1 B. Goals and Objectives ....................................................................... 5 C. Historical Perspective ....................................................................... 5 D. Regional Setting ............................................................................... 8 E. Climate ............................................................................................. 9 F. Population and Housing .................................................................. 11 G. Land Use Characteristics ................................................................. 14 H. Economic Profile.............................................................................. 14 I. Employment................................................................................... 15 J. Community Facilities/Public Safety ................................................. 16 K. Fire Protection and Emergency Dispatch Services .......................... 16 L. Utilities, Sewer, and Water ............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Florida's Tornado Climatology: Occurrence Rates, Casualties, and Property Losses Emily Ryan
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2018 Florida's Tornado Climatology: Occurrence Rates, Casualties, and Property Losses Emily Ryan Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & PUBLIC POLICY FLORIDA'S TORNADO CLIMATOLOGY: OCCURRENCE RATES, CASUALTIES, AND PROPERTY LOSSES By EMILY RYAN A Thesis submitted to the Department of Geography in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science 2018 Copyright c 2018 Emily Ryan. All Rights Reserved. Emily Ryan defended this thesis on April 6, 2018. The members of the supervisory committee were: James B. Elsner Professor Directing Thesis David C. Folch Committee Member Mark W. Horner Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables . v List of Figures . vi Abstract . viii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Definitions . 1 1.2 Where Tornadoes Occur . 3 1.3 Tornadoes in Florida . 4 1.4 Goals and Objectives . 6 1.5 Tornado Climatology as Geography . 6 1.6 Outline of the Thesis . 7 2 Data and Methods 9 2.1 Data . 9 2.1.1 Tornado Data . 9 2.1.2 Tropical Cyclone Tornado Data . 11 2.1.3 Property Value Data . 13 2.2 Statistical Methods . 15 2.3 Analysis Variables . 16 2.3.1 Occurrence Rates . 16 2.3.2 Casualties . 16 2.3.3 Property Exposures .
    [Show full text]
  • Explaining the Trends and Variability in the United States Tornado Records
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Explaining the trends and variability in the United States tornado records using climate teleconnections and shifts in observational practices Niloufar Nouri1*, Naresh Devineni1,2*, Valerie Were2 & Reza Khanbilvardi1,2 The annual frequency of tornadoes during 1950–2018 across the major tornado-impacted states were examined and modeled using anthropogenic and large-scale climate covariates in a hierarchical Bayesian inference framework. Anthropogenic factors include increases in population density and better detection systems since the mid-1990s. Large-scale climate variables include El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacifc Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Arctic Oscillation (AO), and Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO). The model provides a robust way of estimating the response coefcients by considering pooling of information across groups of states that belong to Tornado Alley, Dixie Alley, and Other States, thereby reducing their uncertainty. The infuence of the anthropogenic factors and the large-scale climate variables are modeled in a nested framework to unravel secular trend from cyclical variability. Population density explains the long-term trend in Dixie Alley. The step-increase induced due to the installation of the Doppler Radar systems explains the long-term trend in Tornado Alley. NAO and the interplay between NAO and ENSO explained the interannual to multi-decadal variability in Tornado Alley. PDO and AMO are also contributing to this multi-time scale variability. SOI and AO explain the cyclical variability in Dixie Alley. This improved understanding of the variability and trends in tornadoes should be of immense value to public planners, businesses, and insurance-based risk management agencies.
    [Show full text]
  • Oklahoma Climate Spring 2004.Indd
    OKLAHOMA CLIMATE SPRING 2004 Tornado! Union City 1973 OK-FIRST Everything You Wanted to Know About Tornadoes Oklahoma’s Flowers Classroom Activities and Tornado Safety ALSO INSIDE: Oklahoma’s Fury • Winter 2003-2004 Summary • Agricultural Weather Watch MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Table of Contents Welcome to the spring 2004 edition of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey’s Union City 1973.................................................3 seasonal Climate series, “Oklahoma Climate.” The theme of this third edition, “Tornado!” may seem a bit cliché, but with more than 2900 tornadoes, OK-FIRST...................................................6 271 fatalities and over 4000 injuries since 1950, Oklahoma’s reputation as the epicenter of Tornado Alley is well earned. Solidifying that infamous A Bounty of Beauty.............................................8 distinction, our state experiences more significant tornadoes per square mile than anywhere else on the planet. Oklahoma’s Fury..............................................12 Our knowledge of tornadoes has come a long way since the somber voice Winter 2003-2004 Summary...........................14 on the television during tornado warnings urged us to run through the house opening windows (did it really seem like a good idea to get closer to windows Summary Maps...............................................16 during a tornado?). And of course, I was assured by many well-meaning adults growing up in Buffalo that we were safe from tornadoes since our fair Summary Tables..............................................18 city lay within a valley. Even today you will hear the oft-repeated myth that rivers somehow deter twisters. We now know, however, that tornadoes can Agricultural Weather Watch............................19 strike virtually anywhere, any time of the year, and any time of the day. Classroom Activity...........................................21 Current research involving these violently rotating columns of air received a significant jump-start with the Union City tornado of May 24, 1973.
    [Show full text]
  • NOTES and CORRESPONDENCE Comments On
    338 WEATHER AND FORECASTING VOLUME 25 NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE Comments on ‘‘Proposed Conceptual Taxonomy for Proper Identification and Classification of Tornado Events’’ PAUL MARKOWSKI Department of Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania NIKOLAI DOTZEK Deutsches Zentrum fu¨r Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut fu¨r Physik der Atmospha¨re, Oberpfaffenhofen, and European Severe Storms Laboratory, Wessling, Germany (Manuscript received 10 August 2009, in final form 9 September 2009) Agee and Jones (Agee and Jones 2009, hereafter AJ09) preexisting boundary layer vertical vorticity. Although have introduced a tornado classification scheme that it would be wonderful to be able to record the dynamical they propose be adopted by the National Oceanic and circumstances behind every tornado, there are grave Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in order to im- limitations in our ability to ascertain the dynamics re- prove the U.S. tornado database and aid climatological sponsible for tornadogenesis using operational data only analyses and detection of climate change impacts on [e.g., Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR- tornado occurrence. AJ09’s classification scheme iden- 88D), aviation routine weather reports (METARs), and tifies tornadoes as being associated with a supercell satellite]. One cannot even compute vorticity from such (type I), a quasilinear convective system (QLCS; type II), datasets, let alone evaluate its forcings. Assigning dy- or neither a supercell nor a QLCS (type III). Fifteen namical cause and effect is not always straightforward tornado subclassifications (Ia–Ic, IIa–IIf, and IIIa–IIIf) even when field experiment data are obtained, and such are included as well. We appreciate AJ09’s attempt to datasets are extremely rare.
    [Show full text]
  • The May 2003 Extended Tornado Outbreak
    THE MAY 2003 EXTENDED TORNADO OUTBREAK Thomas M. Hamill1, Russell S. Schneider2, Harold E. Brooks3, Gregory S. Forbes4, Howard B.Bluestein5, Michael Steinberg6, Daniel Meléndez7, and Randall M. Dole1 1 NOAA-CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center, Boulder, Colorado 2 Storm Prediction Center, NWS/NCEP, Norman, Oklahoma 3 National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma 4 The Weather Channel, Atlanta, Georgia 5 School of Meteorology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 6 AccuWeather, State College, Pennsylvania 7Office of Science and Technology Policy, NOAA/NWS Headquarters revised 25 October 2004 Submitted to Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society Corresponding author address: Dr. Thomas M. Hamill, NOAA-CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center, Boulder, CO 80305-3328. e-mail: [email protected], phone: 1 (303) 497-3060. 1 1. Introduction In May 2003 there was a very destructive extended outbreak of tornadoes across the central and eastern United States (US). More than a dozen tornadoes struck each day from 3 May to 11 May 2003 (Table 1, Fig. 1, and online supplement A), with one or more tornadoes in 26 different states. This outbreak caused 41 fatalities, 642 injuries, and approximately $829 million dollars of property damage. More than 2300 homes and businesses were destroyed, and 11,200 sustained damage. This extended outbreak was unusual in several aspects. First, the outbreak set a record for most tornadoes ever reported in a week1 (334 between 4-10 May) and contributed to the month of May 2003 recording more tornadoes than any previous month in history, totaling 559, 361 of which occurred during the 9-day extended outbreak.
    [Show full text]
  • Tornado Warnings: Delivery, Economics, & Public Perception
    Tornado Warnings: Delivery, Economics, & Public Perception Bibliography Katie Rowley, Librarian, NOAA Central Library Trevor Riley, Head of Public Services, NOAA Central Library Christine Reed, Librarian, Oklahoma University/NOAA NCRL subject guide 2018-15 10.7289/V5/SG-NCRL-18-15 June 2018 U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research NOAA Central Library – Silver Spring, Maryland Table of Contents Background & Scope ................................................................................................................................. 3 Sources Reviewed ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Section I: Economic Impact, Risk & Mitigation ......................................................................................... 4 Section II: Public Perception & Behavior ................................................................................................ 11 Section III: Tornado Identification & Technology ................................................................................... 30 Section IV: Warning Process, Development, & Delivery ......................................................................... 36 2 Background & Scope The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to prioritize weather research to improve weather data, modeling, computing, forecasts,
    [Show full text]
  • Tornado Intensity Prediction Based on Environment Elements at Tornado Events Starting Points
    TORNADO INTENSITY PREDICTION BASED ON ENVIRONMENT ELEMENTS AT TORNADO EVENTS STARTING POINTS A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science by XINWEI DU Dr. Grant Scott, Thesis Supervisor May 2016 The undersigned, appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled: Tornado Intensity Prediction Based on Environment Elements At Tornado Events Starting Points Xinwei Du, a candidate for the degree of Master of Science and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Dr. Grant Scott Dr. Jianlin Cheng Dr. Curt H. Davis ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Dr. Grant Scott for the continuous support of my Master study and research. His guidance helped me in all the time of research and writing of this thesis. Whatever I am getting in trouble with the technique problem or can not express the idea accurately in my thesis, he is always there to provide help. And I would like to thanks the rest of my thesis committee members: Dr. Jianlin Cheng and Dr. Curt H.Davis, for their time, encouragement, and insightful com- ments. I thank my graduate program advisor: Jodie Lenser, thanks for her help during my whole study time. Last but not the least, I would like to thank my family: Jun Du and Xiaoxia Zhang for supporting me in my whole life. And my friends: Muxi Chen, Xiaohui Yang, and Rui Xie for encouragement and valuable suggestions they gave for my thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • United States April & May 2011 Severe Weather Outbreaks
    Impact Forecasting United States April & May 2011 Severe Weather Outbreaks June 22, 2011 Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 April 3-5, 2011 3 April 8-11, 2011 5 April 14-16, 2011 8 April 19-21, 2011 13 April 22-28, 2011 15 May 9-13, 2011 26 May 21-27, 2011 28 May 28-June 1, 2011 36 Notable Severe Weather Facts: April 1 - June 1, 2011 39 Additional Commentary: Why so many tornado deaths? 41 Appendix A: Historical U.S. Tornado Statistics 43 Appendix B: Costliest U.S. Tornadoes Since 1950 44 Appendix C: Enhanced Fujita Scale 45 Appendix D: Severe Weather Terminology 46 Impact Forecasting | U.S. April & May 2011 Severe Weather Outbreaks Event Recap Report 1 Executive Summary An extremely active stretch of severe weather occurred across areas east of the Rocky Mountains during a period between early April and June 1. At least eight separate timeframes saw widespread severe weather activity – five of which were billion dollar (USD) outbreaks. Of the eight timeframes examined in this report, the two most notable stretches occurred between April 22-28 and May 21-27: The late-April stretch saw the largest tornado outbreak in world history occur (334 separate tornado touchdowns), which led to catastrophic damage throughout the Southeast and the Tennessee Valley. The city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama took a direct hit from a high-end EF-4 tornado that caused widespread devastation. At least three EF-5 tornadoes touched down during this outbreak. The late-May stretch was highlighted by an outbreak that spawned a massive EF-5 tornado that destroyed a large section of Joplin, Missouri.
    [Show full text]