Tornado season: Are we ready?

Tornadoes are such a freakish thing. Under two identical atmospheric conditions, they may form one time and not another. ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

Consider the subhead to Newsweek’s May 29 cover story:

In a world of climate change, freak storms are the new normal. Why we’re unprepared for the harrowing future.

Are we?

Climate scientists widely agree climate change is no longer a futuristic scenario; it’s here and it’s now. And with climate change comes an extreme likelihood of more violent weather in many parts of the world, including the Great Lakes region.

Yet some of the nation’s top tornado experts, such as NASA’s Tony Del Genio and Harold Brooks of the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla., say the jury is still out on whether a warmer climate necessarily translates into more tornadoes.

Hurricanes, yes. Severe thunderstorms? Definitely. But tornadoes are such a freakish thing. Under two identical atmospheric conditions, they may form one time and not another. Some experts even believe there could be fewer tornadoes as Earth’s climate continues to warm because of dynamic, complex changes to wind shear or velocity.

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So to what degree should tornado-prone states such as Michigan and Ohio prepare for tornadoes if experts themselves don’t know what to expect?

Planning for the unknown is never easy. Records show the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for example, knew long before Hurricane Katrina came ashore in 2005 that New Orleans was susceptible to a storm that size. But the city’s levees were not designed to hold back that much water, and confusion reigned over how the city should be evacuated.

If nothing else, last year’s June 5 tornadoes led many people to believe northwest Ohio and southeastern Michigan are prepared for many natural disasters, be they tornadoes or something else.

Several Ottawa County officials attribute that to evacuation exercises required every two years at each of the nation’s 104 nuclear plants. FirstEnergy Corp.’s Davis-Besse nuclear plant in Ottawa County was the most recent to be critiqued, passing with flying colors last month.

Jim Sass, president of the Ottawa County commissioners, said such training goes well beyond the nuclear complex, putting teachers and troopers in touch with each other while also giving service agencies such as the American Red Cross, the United Way, and the Salvation Army a better understanding of their roles. That familiarity yields dividends in ways that are hard to measure, he said, because valuable time isn’t lost trying to learn all of the personalities and nuances during a crisis.

Case in point: Toledo Mayor Mike Bell’s decision last June to immediately make the city’s Hoffman Road landfill available, free of charge, to those hauling away tornado debris. A minor detail? According to Mr. Sass, it “was huge” in terms of morale. “The last thing you want to see is two-thirds of your house laying all over the place,” Mr. Sass said.

Sure, it’s great to keep some peanut butter and canned goods handy in the basement. Flashlights and dry matches, too, as well as some extra clothing and blankets. One resident even suggested a spare set of shoes.

Perhaps the most important thing people should have in their basement, though, is a battery-operated weather radio programmed with National Weather Service codes, according to Fred Peterson, Ottawa County emergency management agency director.

It’s one of the most overlooked items, he said.

Weather radios differ from ordinary radios in that they can be programmed for direct transmissions from the weather agency. Codes can be entered so that alarms go off in the event of tornadoes, floods, and other events, tailored to areas they’re programmed.

“It’s similar to a smoke detector, but it’s for tornadoes,” Mr. Peterson said. He said they can be purchased at several well-known electronics stores.

Text alerts are fine but will only work if you’re getting cellular telephone reception. Many televisions and computers are dependent on power, satellite reception, or cable lines which often are knocked out by tornadoes.

Above all, have a plan. Everyone in the family should know it.

“It’s a lot like a fire,” Mr. Peterson said. “Know where you’re going to go.”

Contact Tom Henry at: thenry@theblade.com or 419-724-6079.