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| A tree uprooted from the ground and collapsing onto a house after the tornado |
At least 11 other states in the region were alerted of possible severe weather - specifically tornado attacks. According to weather officials, parts of Indiana, Illinois, western Ohio, and southern Michigan were at the greatest risk of rare, late-season tornadoes, with damaging winds going at 130-185 mph, with great potential to produce hail and thunderstorms as well.
The tornadoes did not last longer than fifteen minutes, but the scope of the calamity has been much more drastic than what residents initially anticipated. Illinois took the hardest hit, with the town of Washington, a community of 16,000, sustaining the most damage. Illinois State Police Trooper Dustin Pierce confirms that the tornado teared from one end to another in the town, knocking down power lines and rupturing gas lines. The storm also ripped through Missouri to Kentucky, flattening homes and uprooting trees throughout the region, also leaving many without electrical power. Communication and cellphone services are disconnected, keeping residents from confirming whether friends and loved ones are safe.
Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill, expresses, "Literally, neighborhoods are completely wiped out. I'm looking at subdivisions of twenty to thirty homes and there's not a home there."
Although tornadoes are a common natural disaster in the region, it is rare for it to occur so late in the year - the last time a warning was issued for tornadoes that came so late in the season were in 2005.
Matt Friedlein, a weather service meteorologist said, “People can fall into complacency because they don’t see severe weather and tornadoes, but we do stress that they should keep a vigilant eye on the weather and have a means to hear a tornado warning, because things can change very quickly.”
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Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/17/chicago-tornado-2013_n_4292281.html
3 comments:
Am I the only one who hasn't heard about this until reading this just now? I feel it is strange that stories like this and what happened in the Philippines haven't gotten to me through the media but through friends. I think it's strange that there isn't more media out there asking for the more fortunate to help the less fortunate in these situations.
I agree with Jon, I actually didnt realise it before but I hadnt heard a thing about either of the two natural disasters until my friends started mentioning it. Maybe I've just not been paying as much attention to the news or the news in the right places but it seems like the media would rather cover scandals, than stories like these. And like Jon said, I think that stories like these should be broadcast just to get the word out so fundraising can go to those that have been badly impacted by the disasters.
I actually did here about this! maybe it's because i just so happened to be watching CNN last Thursday I believe. I don't think its surprising that you may have missed because there are many other significant events going on today in the news especially with the Philippines, Benghazi Attacks and Middle Eastern Revolutions ( always news on that). I think if you compare the devastation of the Philippines to this tornado it really belittles it. Not to take away from the severity and families damaged by the tornadoes but I think that the storm in the Philippines is such a rare disaster which is why it has so much more coverage. Also there are many more tornadoes. Regardless my thoughts prayers, donations, and assistance will be with both.
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