2024’s violent tornado season has been one of the most active on record − a meteorologist explains the weather behind the outbreaks

Spring 2024 was menacing for large parts of the US, with a tornado nearly every day in May. Tornado outbreaks tore up communities across multiple states.

William Gallus, Professor of Atmospheric Science, Iowa State University • conversation
June 24, 2024 • ~7 min

Midwest tornadoes: What a decaying El Niño has to do with violent storms in the central US

A powerful storm system produced dozens of destructive tornadoes over three days that tore apart homes in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. A meteorologist explains the conditions that fueled them.

Jana Lesak Houser, Associate Professor of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, The Ohio State University • conversation
April 29, 2024 • ~6 min

The estimated 2.5 million people displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable

Census data and research show all things are not equal in disaster displacement, as two experts in disaster recovery explain.

James Kendra, Director, Disaster Research Center and Professor, Public Policy & Administration, University of Delaware • conversation
March 4, 2024 • ~8 min

Estimated 2.5 million people displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable

Census data and research show all things are not equal in disaster displacement, as two experts in disaster recovery explain.

James Kendra, Director, Disaster Research Center and Professor, Public Policy & Administration, University of Delaware • conversation
March 4, 2024 • ~8 min

Tornadoes in the UK are surprisingly common and no one knows why

Britain doesn’t have huge violent twisters like the US. But it does have lots of little tornadoes.

David Schultz, Professor of Synoptic Meteorology, University of Manchester • conversation
Oct. 16, 2023 • ~6 min

Why tornadoes are still hard to forecast – even though storm predictions are improving

Researchers are turning to computer models, drones and other methods to improve tornado forecasting.

Chris Nowotarski, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science, Texas A&M University • conversation
March 28, 2023 • ~8 min

What do tornadoes look like on the inside?

You can’t photograph the inside of a twister, but radar offers some clues.

Jana Houser, Associate Professor of Geography, Ohio University • conversation
May 2, 2022 • ~4 min

Tornadoes, climate change and why Dixie is the new Tornado Alley

Studies show tornadoes are getting more common and more intense, and they’re shifting eastward to a new tornado hot spot.

Ernest Agee, Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Science, Purdue University • conversation
March 23, 2022 • ~6 min

2021’s biggest climate and weather disasters cost the U.S. $145 billion – here's what climate science says about them in 5 essential reads

Devastating wildfires, the Texas freeze and a hurricane that wreaked havoc from Louisiana to New York City topped NOAA’s list of billion-dollar disasters in 2021. (CHECK LIST)

Stacy Morford, Environment + Climate Editor • conversation
Jan. 10, 2022 • ~10 min

Hurricane-force wind gusts in Colorado, dust storms in Kansas, tornadoes in Iowa in December – here's what fueled a day of extreme storms

Forecasters described it as a ‘historical weather day.’ An atmospheric scientist who was at the heart of the storms explains what happened.

William Gallus, Professor of Atmospheric Science, Iowa State University • conversation
Dec. 16, 2021 • ~6 min

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