Craig Koplien: Weather or Not

Tornadoes and Fatalities

Story Created: Apr 25, 2008

Story Updated: Apr 25, 2008

Tornadoes and Fatalities

Craig Koplien

email:  ckoplien@todaystmj4.com


...TORNADO AND SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS APRIL 21-25...













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USA SEVERE-WEATHER FATALITY STATISTICS...
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SEVERE WEATHER...INCLUDING LIGHTNING...TORNADOES...FLOODING...
HURRICANES...EXTREME HEAT OR COLD...AS WELL AS SEVERE WINTER
WEATHER...CAN BE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND A COSTLY HAZARD TO ANY
COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY...BUSINESS...OR SCHOOL HAVE A PLAN
TO STAY ON TOP OF CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW
WHAT THE WEATHER FORECAST CALLS FOR AND WHAT HAZARDS ARE POSSIBLE.

ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO OBTAIN A WEATHER FORECAST IS BY LISTENING
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS...WHICH BROADCASTS ON A 24-HOUR
BASIS. YOU CAN PURCHASE A SPECIAL RADIO RECEIVER THAT PICKS UP THE
NOAA ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO SIGNAL AT MOST ELECTRONICS STORES.

PREPARE AN EMERGENCY KIT THAT CONTAINS ITEMS SUCH AS FIRST AID
SUPPLIES...FOOD AND FRESH WATER...BLANKETS...EXTRA CLOTHING...EXTRA
MEDICINE...A FLASH LIGHT AND BATTERIES...AND OTHER PERSONAL ITEMS.
THOSE ITEMS WILL COME IN HANDY SHOULD A DISASTER STRIKE YOUR AREA.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS THE SEVERE-WEATHER FATALITIES IN THE
UNITED STATES FOR THE 20-YEAR PERIOD OF 1988-2007.

/DIRECTLY-RELATED DEATHS...WHEN EVENT WAS PRIMARY CAUSE OF DEATH/

YEAR  LGHT  TOR  FLD  WIND  HUR  HEAT  COLD  WINTER  DAMAGE COST
1988    68   32   31     -    9    41    17      55        6.2 B
1989    67   50   85     -   38     6   121      63       13.8 B
1990    74   53  142    71    0    32    13      48        6.0 B
1991    73   39   61    64   19    36    13      45        6.2 B
1992    41   39   62    28   27     8    14      59       38.4 B
1993    43   33  103    63    2    20    18      66       28.4 B
1994    69   69   91    29    9    29    52      29        4.4 B
1995    85   30   80    84   17  1021    22      17       11.4 B
1996    53   26  131    54   37    36    62      86        8.0 B
1997    42   67  118    75    1    81    51      90       10.8 B
1998    44  130  136    65    9   173    11      68       16.1 B
1999    46   94   68    62   19   502     7      41       12.3 B
2000    51   41   38    51    0   158    26      41        9.0 B
2001    44   40   48    31   24   166     4      18       11.8 B
2002    51   55   49    45   53   167    11      17        5.7 B
2003    43   54   86    43   14    36    20      37       11.4 B
2004    32   35   82    42   34     6    27      40       26.8 B
2005    38   38   43    23  1016  158    24      45      100.8 B
2006    48   67   76    40    0   253     2      28       11.7 B
2007    45   81   88    34    1   105    47      34       MM
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20-YEAR AVERAGE
        53   54   81    50   66   152    28      46       23.9 B

THE DAMAGE COST AVERAGE IS ONLY FOR THE YEARS 1988-2006

KEY...
LGHT   - LIGHTNING
TOR    - TORNADO
FLD    - FLOODS
WIND   - THUNDERSTORM STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND
          WIDESPREAD NON-TSTM HIGH WINDS
HUR    - HURRICANE
HEAT   - EXCESSIVE HEAT AND HUMIDITY
COLD   - COLD TEMPERATURES OR WIND CHILLS
WINTER - WINTER STORMS/BLIZZARDS/ICE/AVALANCHES
DAMAGE COSTS...FOR WEATHER-RELATED HAZARDS...INCLUDING HAIL


FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEB-SITE AT:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX/              /ALL LOWER CASE/

OR THE WEB-SITE FOR THE AMERICAN RED CROSS AT:
HTTP://WWW.REDCROSS.ORG/                 /ALL LOWER CASE/
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