The freak tornado that damaged downtown Atlanta last year might have been caused in part by the city itself. New research funded by NASA shows that, while the twister was spawned by a larger weather system, it also might have been made stronger by a "heat island" that surrounds Atlanta.
University of Georgia geography professor Marshall Shepherd was part of the study and says, the research could help to improve weather forecasts. "Land cover and soil moisture affect weather processes and right now many of our weather forecasting models today don't represent urban landcover or soil moisture as well as they should," Dr. Shepherd says.
The study also says, Georgia's on-going drought could have been a factor by creating what amounted to a "sea breeze" between wet and dry areas. The downtown Atlanta tornado struck almost exactly a year ago today, causing only minor injuries, but millions of dollars damage.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Scientists: City, Drought Fueled Atlanta's Freak Tornado
