1/15/2006
A series of tornadoes brought death and destruction to a broad area of the Midwest this past November. In the deadliest incident, 22 people lost their lives when a powerful F3 twister struck Kentucky and southern Indiana on November 6th. Nearly 600 homes sustained major damage or were destroyed. Just 8 days later, more tornadoes wreaked further havoc in the same region. The twisters are being spawned by an unusual weather pattern caused by the convergence of unseasonably warm temperatures with rapidly moving cold fronts. Tornado season typically runs from May to July. However, as this atypical season proves, a second spike of tornadoes that sometimes occurs in October, November and December can prove even more deadly.
November's unusual tornado season has put a big spin on news headlines. All of the major news media outlets including cable giants CNN, Fox News, and the broadcast networks ran top of the news stories about the devastation in the wake of the twisters. The Associated Press, a network of more than 5,000 media outlets including broadcast, cable, and newspapers issued several stories related to the tornadoes. Stories were generated well beyond the region directly affected by the twisters. These stories ranged from factual accounts of the devastation to human interest stories such as the tragic story of a man describing the loss of his mother in Iowa.
Weathernews rates tornadoes as a HOT topic. Residents in tornado prone areas want to be kept well informed and prepared for any twisters. The rest of us just want to comprehend their fury and are fascinated by tales of survival. We clamor to watch movies that feature twisters, including the 'Wizard of Oz' and 'Twister', and watch television news shows and documentaries for real tornado footage. We want to know where and when tornadoes happen, what impact they make in their path, and how we can help to pick up the pieces left in their wake. Twisters generate headliners and big stories that spread beyond mere weather news. They take the media by storm, as they did this past November.