Breaking News: Tornadoes

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A group of school administrators, who are enrolled in Western Illinois University's Educational Leadership Program, was in a school building in Washington, IL, Nov. 17, the day a deadly tornado outbreak swept across the Midwest. The educational leaders made it through the storm and provided the area's residents much-needed help—after the twister devastated their neighborhood.

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Three-dimensional computer models of the interaction between tornadoes and hills shows that wind velocities are significantly reduced on the leeward side of hills. The finding applied to hills whose height was equal to or greater than the radius of the tornado vortex.

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The study will examine a data set of at-risk youth compiled before the April 27, 2011 tornado, which killed 64 people. Researchers will study levels of exposure, peer relationships and physiological responses of more than 350 children and their parents.

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A new study of an April 2011 tornado outbreak apparently affirms some new theories about factors that might enhance tornado development.

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In the wake of deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma this past spring, Florida State University researchers have developed a new statistical model that will help determine whether the risk of tornadoes is increasing and whether they are getting stronger.

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The first field investigations of the effect of terrain elevation changes on tornado path, vortex, strength and damage have yielded valuable information that could help prevent the loss of human life and damage to property in future tornadoes. Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas analyzed Google Earth images of the massive 2011 Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Joplin, Mo., tornadoes and found similarities between the two in behavior and interaction with the terrain. The findings likely apply to all tornadoes.

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The research of a Western Illinois University professor and two of the school's meteorology students could contribute to better tornado prediction methods.

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Thousands of homeowners are considering adding safe rooms after recent devastating tornadoes. How will they impact home values and resale? What factors should they consider before purchasing?

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Members of the National Communication Association who are experts in crisis communication and emergency preparedness messaging are available to provide insight on what communication strategies are most effective, the role of new media in disaster preparation, and the best way to communicate support after a storm.

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Storm-preparation expert says it's time for people to get prepared for a summer's worth of storms; promotes new planning handbook

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There’s been a string of large, deadly tornadoes impacting the United States in recent years, and UAB researchers say benefits of preparation trump previous false alarms.

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Animals experience stress during traumatic events. Clinical associate professor from Kansas State University's Veterinary Health Center explains how to ease that stress.

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Department was born 43 years ago after F5 tornado hit Lubbock on May 11, 1970. The devastation also brought forth the nation’s leading facility for wind research at Texas Tech University.

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Spring storm season is approaching. Each year, the season brings fear and anxiety to many residents of the Southeast, including Middle Tennessee. Last year, 37 tornadoes ripped through the state of Tennessee, 258 storms produced damaging hail, and 565 thunderstorms left significant wind damage in their wake, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Vanderbilt University Medical Center experts are offering tips about both how to minimize storm stress, and how to be prepared in case a storm takes you out of your home.

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Farmers face unique challenges when severe weather strikes. That is why a University of Kentucky professor wants to get the word out about what they, and everyone living in rural areas can do ahead of time to protect themselves from severe storms.

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On Leap Day last year, the largest natural disaster in Illinois in 2012 devastated a small town in Southern Illinois. Since the Feb. 29 EF-4 level tornado that tore through Harrisburg one year ago—hitting the ground with a force of 175-180 miles per hour and leaving eight people dead, injuring many others and destroying more than 250 homes—Western Illinois University Department of Health Sciences Emergency Management Assistant Professor Jack Rozdilsky has been on site close to 10 times to study the response and recovery efforts of the small town's stretched emergency management resources. His visits and data gathering have culminated in the qualitative study, "Disaster Management with Limited Local Resources: The 2012 Illinois Leap Day EF-4 Tornado." The research was funded by a grant from the University of Colorado Natural Hazards Center through its Quick Response Grant Program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

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Recycled materials may become armor against flying debris: Panels for a new high-tech shelter created at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have passed the National Storm Shelter Association’s tornado threat test.

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In 1915, Snowden D. Flora of the U.S. Weather Bureau wrote, "Kansas has been so commonly considered the tornado state of the country that the term 'Kansas cyclone' has almost become a part of the English language."

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With severe weather season now in full swing, people with disabilities must ensure they can quickly escape their homes in an emergency.

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Scientific researchers and other professionals will participate in an April 27 symposium commemorating the one-year anniversary of the tornado outbreak that struck Tuscaloosa, Ala. and the region.

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Christopher Karstens, an Iowa State doctoral student, noticed storm damage far from the path a tornado took through hilly Alabama terrain. He's using Iowa State's tornado simulator to confirm rough terrain can channel a tornado's damaging winds.

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The recent record number of tornado-related fatalities underscores the need for safety plans.

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Members of the National Communication Association who are experts in crisis communication and emergency preparedness messaging are available to provide insight into disaster messages.

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In the wake of the horrendous tornadoes that delivered massive destruction to the state of Alabama in April, University of Alabama engineers have analyzed building structures and design codes to recommend an approach to safer and stronger buildings going forward.

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A team of scientists from The University of Alabama in Huntsville want to learn more about the physics behind the deadly outbreak of tornadoes earlier this year, as well as the psychology and sociology of storm warnings and what might be done to make warnings more effective.

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What can Waffle House teach about disaster preparedness and risk management, especially in the wake of this spring’s devastating tornadoes? Plenty, says a supply chain expert at Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis.

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The economic impacts of routine weather events can add up to 3.4% of the nation's GDP.

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Jack Rozdilsky, an assistant professor in Western Illinois University's emergency management program in the WIU Department of Health Sciences, specializes in natural hazards and emergency management issues.

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The wave of destructive tornadoes throughout the United States this spring has resulted in an outpouring of charitable donations. While all donations help the cause, raising funds through eBay auctions can be particularly effective, both for consumers and sellers, according to research by a strategy professor at Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis.

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A Kansas State University climate expert attributes the increase in the number and severity of tornadoes and severe storms in 2011 to a change in weather patterns.

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Cities decimated by Mother Nature, largely devoid of businesses and infrastructure. In recent months, Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Joplin, Mo., have provided stark examples of how drastically life changes as a result of serious natural disasters. Rebuilding and recovery have begun in both communities and the federal government has a key role to fulfill, according to two Kansas State University business experts.

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A Baylor University expert is available to comment to journalists about how people and communities respond to extreme weather related shocks like the recent deadly tornado outbreak in Missouri.

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Tragically, the April 27 tornadoes caused loss of life and widespread damage in several states, especially in Alabama. In the wake of this disaster, engineers throughout the country are beginning to analyze building structures to help design safer and stronger buildings. A research team, consisting of academic researchers, code developers and professional engineers, has received a NSF Rapid Response Grant for Exploratory Research to investigate and gather data about the damage to, and performance of, woodframe structures in the affected areas due to strong winds.

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Tornado victims experiencing "survivor guilt," University of Alabama at Birmingham experts say. They offer tips to healing.

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Despite their seemingly obvious nature, daily activities can be dangerous or deadly in the wake of a disaster. These tips remind people how to stay safe.

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It was “busy, controlled chaos” in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital emergency room Wednesday night in the aftermath of the deadly tornado outbreak that pounded Central Alabama, said Loring Rue, M.D., chief of trauma surgery.

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Wednesday's storm system had all the ingredients and the trigger -- all seen days in advance.

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People in Alabama are experiencing a real tragedy in the aftermath of yesterday’s deadly storms. It’s important to realize just how severely the many losses are being felt, and while emergency responders are helping those with physical injuries, it’s important to care for those with psychological wounds as well, says Joshua C. Klapow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the UAB School of Public Health.

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As tornado season blows into the U.S., Texas Tech University’s Wind Science and Engineering Research Center prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary of studying the destructive storms and developing new technologies and methods of warning and damage mitigation. Home to some of the nation’s most prominent wind researchers, Texas Tech has experts available in many disciplines.