Losing cultural context in emergency communication can be a matter of life and death

Misunderstanding disaster warnings can have catastrophic consequences. New research shows how easily modern emergency communications can get lost in translation.

Jason von Meding, Associate Professor, Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience, University of Florida • conversation
March 18, 2021 • ~7 min

Wild weather: 4 essential reads about tornadoes and thunderstorms

With the onset of spring come thunderstorms, and sometimes tornadoes. Learn how these systems form and why night tornadoes are especially deadly.

Jennifer Weeks, Senior Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation • conversation
March 17, 2021 • ~7 min

Extreme wildfires can create their own dangerous weather, including fire tornadoes – here's how

Persistent heat waves and dry lightning are part of the problem. For firefighters, the erratic behavior gets dangerous quickly.

Leila Carvalho, Professor of Meteorology and Climatology, University of California, Santa Barbara • conversation
Aug. 25, 2020 • ~6 min

Western wildfires are spinning off tornadoes – here’s how fires create their own freakish weather

Persistent heat waves and dry lightning are part of the problem. For firefighters, the erratic behavior gets dangerous quickly.

Leila Carvalho, Professor of Meteorology and Climatology, University of California, Santa Barbara • conversation
Aug. 25, 2020 • ~6 min

What is a derecho? An atmospheric scientist explains these rare but dangerous storm systems

Hurricane and tornado winds spin in circles, but there's another, equally dangerous storm type where winds barrel straight ahead. They're called derechos, and are most common in summer.

Russ Schumacher, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science and Colorado State Climatologist, Colorado State University • conversation
June 15, 2020 • ~9 min

​Tornadoes that strike at night are more deadly and require more effective warning systems

In the Southeast US, tornadoes strike at night more often than in other regions. This poses special challenges for getting early warnings to the public.

Alisa Hass, Assistant Professor of Geoscience, Middle Tennessee State University • conversation
March 5, 2020 • ~8 min

‘Tornado Alley’ deaths hit a turning point in 1916

The period from 1808 to 1915 involved little to no understanding of tornadoes and the start of population growth in tornado-prone regions of the US.

Kayla Zacharias-Purdue • futurity
Feb. 18, 2019 • ~4 min

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