A University of Georgia researcher says there’s a surprising connection between periods of drought and the number of tornadoes that strike the Southeast.
The past two springs have produced numerous and damaging twisters. Several hit north, central and south Georgia this February through April. And it was the destructive March 2008 Atlanta tornado that spurred Marshall Shepherd to launch a study--is it rare to see such activity, coming out of drought conditions of the previous fall and winter seasons?
The associate professor with UGA’s Atmospheric Sciences Department went back through decades of records, finding this result 93-percent of the time in the southeast:
The past two springs have produced numerous and damaging twisters. Several hit north, central and south Georgia this February through April. And it was the destructive March 2008 Atlanta tornado that spurred Marshall Shepherd to launch a study--is it rare to see such activity, coming out of drought conditions of the previous fall and winter seasons?
The associate professor with UGA’s Atmospheric Sciences Department went back through decades of records, finding this result 93-percent of the time in the southeast:
"The strongest statistical result that is related to the fact that when there’s drought there’s below normal activity. We haven’t been able to establish a strong link that suggests when the fall and winter is wetter, that you have even more tornadoes the following spring."Shepherd says he wants to compare this research with that from the tornado-alleys of the Midwest. He says further study could lead forecasters to better predict seasonal tornado-activity…much like hurricane predictions made annually.
