The southern United States was hit hard last week with powerful storms packed with hail, high winds, and in some cases, tornadoes. According to CNN, the death toll from those storms has now reached 35 people. Tens of thousands of residents reportedly also lost power. Severe storms have so far been focused on that region since Illinois has seen a relatively slow start to tornado season. However, those from the area know how quickly that can change.
According to data compiled by the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana’s Prairie Research Institute, roughly two- thirds of all tornadoes in the state have occurred between April and June, with the most active month being April. Winter in Chicago may be rough, yet as evidenced by the data, the spring and summer months provide their own challenges. Located in the middle of the country, a region known to balance out the extremes of both coasts culturally and politically, it should come as no surprise that the city also receives a dose of every type of weather imagined.
Located in what is colloquially coined as Tornado Alley, Illinois will surely see some severe thunderstorms in the coming weeks and months. What makes the Midwest so susceptible to this year in, year out cycle ultimately boils down to the ingredients available for such storms.
The region serves as a pot where warm-moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, cold-dry air from the Northwest and warm-dry air from the Southwest converge like cars at a three-way stop with all lights green. The result of this is an unstable atmosphere that facilitates the formation of severe thunderstorms, many of them capable of producing tornadoes.
“God, those things are scary,” freshman Wynn Drahorad said. This is the sentiment of many, especially those who have run into the powerful force of nature before. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website, “the current average lead-time for tornado warnings is 13 minutes,” though “NOAA Research is working to increase tornado warning lead-times much further.”
Even with such a tight window to take cover, it’s extremely important to do so. “The National Weather Service knows what they’re doing when they release a severe thunderstorm warning or a tornado warning,” Drahorad said. “Warning means it’s here, and you need to make preparations and be ready for it. It’s not a hunch, and it is not wrong.”
While very terrifying for many, severe storms and the offspring they produce such as twisters, hail and strong wind gusts draw many to them. Their sheer power and complexity lead observers and meteorologists to track and even chase them. Drahorad, a self-proclaimed weather junkie who grew up in the Chicago suburbs, looks with awe at what nature can produce.
“One time there was a lightning strike that was less than a block away, I swear like two houses down from me. All of a sudden – crack – the sound was so loud it was amazing,” Drahorad said, trying to mimic the boom of the lightning strike. “My dad and I were just watching the lightning and one hit right there, and it was so close, you could smell what smelled like ozone,” he said.