Joplin, Mo., is worried about one more tornado hitting

A second tornado could hit the already-tornado savaged area of Joplin, Mo. The lower Midwest is still at great risk, as a new storm front is currently looming above the area. Five states are at the center of the weather front. There’s a very strong risk of tornadoes touching down.

Five states need to be concerned about tornadoes

About 116 people were killed on Sunday, May 22 in Joplin, Mo., where a twister hit and is starting to form once again. According to MSNBC, the storm system has been producing tornadoes in the United States after starting in the south. People are warned with a thunderstorm advisory to view for strong winds, tornadoes and hail in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and the northeast corner of Texas. A National Weather Service official was quoted as saying the risk of tornado outbreaks is “not through … not by a long shot.” There could be more tornadoes just as devastating as the one that struck Joplin, according to USA Today, but the risk will diminish throughout the week as the storm system passes by.

La Nina years bring greater storms

Tornadoes are the reason for many fatalities. Just this year 482 individuals have perished from them. Due to La Nina, or a time when the tropical Pacific Ocean gets cooler, the strength of the storms goes up. Storm systems become more severe meaning more tornadoes could occur when the Pacific cools since the jet streams get stronger and cool air rises into the atmosphere. Even though the tornado outbreaks in the Midwest have been terrible, they are ordinary storms, reports Yahoo News. Areas will get weather patterns such as low pressure systems that will stay for a long time and might mean a tornado. Just last month, there were many tornadoes that hit many states. Over 300 individuals were killed from them.

Insurance losses in the billions

Reuters explains that insurance companies expect to lose billions because of this. The recent Mississippi river flooding and other natural disasters in the United States for instance tornado outbreaks are expected to cost various insurance companies up to $10 billion this year, compared to a normal year’s outlays of $2 billion to $4 billion. Over $55 billion might have to be paid because of the Earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand. In just 2011, there have been 1,151 tornadoes that have hit. Building towns back up is what the Federal Emergency Agency is working on. Since 1947, the Joplin tornado is the deadliest one that has hit. In 1947, 181 people were killed in Woodward, Okla., from a tornado. The Joplin tornado was, at one point, three-quarters of a mile across and generated wind speeds of almost 200 miles an hour.

Articles cited

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/43147795/ns/weather/

USA Today

usatoday.com/weather/storms/tornadoes/2011-05-23-tornadoes-hit-plains_n.htm

Yahoo News

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_sci_midwest_storms_science;_ylt=AjjcCUBXXogIBRiQGeOupzqs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNjM21oOHRnBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwNTI0L3VzX21pZHdlc3Rfc3Rvcm1zBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMQRwb3MDNgRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDcmVsYXRlZA–

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/05/24/us-insurance-disasters-idUSTRE74M6GH20110524