Via POLITICO’s Morning Energy – May 21, 2013:
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif. – Chair of Senate Environment & Public Works Committee) took to the Senate floor and invoked the Oklahoma tornadoes in her speech on global warming.
“This is climate change. We were warned about extreme weather. Not just hot weather. But extreme weather. When I had my hearings, when I had the gavel years ago. -It’s been a while – the scientists all agreed that what we’d start to see was extreme weather. And people looked at one another and said ‘what do you mean? It’s gonna get hot?’ Yeah, it’s gonna get hot. But you’re also going to see snow in the summer in some places. You’re gonna have terrible storms. You’re going to have tornados and all the rest. We need to protect our people. That’s our number one obligation and we have to deal with this threat that is upon us and that is gonna get worse and worse though the years.”
[Boxer] also plugged her own bill, cosponsored with Sen. Bernie Sanders that would put a tax on carbon. “Carbon could cost us the planet,” she said. “The least we could do is put a little charge on it so people move to clean energy.”
And then there’s the shameful rant from US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse yesterday.
Here’s a germane question for these geniuses.
Tell us, what could any tax, law, edict, or protest have done to stop yesterday’s tornado outbreak? And what makes this one somehow different from the F5 Oklahoma city tornado of 1999 that also hit the city of Moore?
What made this somehow AGW enhanced or different from the F5 tornado that destroyed the Oklahoma city of Snyder in 1905, or the 1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak which produced an F5 striking Blackwell, Oklahoma, killing 20, with another F5 from the same storm striking Udall, KS, killing 80?
Tell us you Canutian meteorological geniuses, how could you have changed the outcome yesterday?
For those who live in the real world, reference these from NOAA:
US Strong to Violent Tornadoes (EF3-EF5) – 1950 to 2012;
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) – Click the pic to view at source
are below average. US Inflation Adjusted Annual Tornado Trend and Percentile Ranks;
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Storm Prediction Center- Click the pic to view at source
are currently below average. US Tornadoes Daily Count and Running Annual Total;
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Storm Prediction Center- Click the pic to view at source
….are currently well below average.
And when is the hottest part of the year in the USA? July and August of course. When is the peak tornado season? In the spring when it is cooler. Seasonal heat is not aligned with tornadic activity.
![tornadoes_bymonth[1]](http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/tornadoes_bymonth1.png?quality=75)
Andrew Revkin at NYT Dot Earth has a thoughtful essay on how city planning (or lack of it) likely contributed to this disaster. He closes with:
I’ll add a final thought about the persistent discussion of the role of greenhouse-driven climate change in violent weather in Tornado Alley.
It’s an important research question but, to me, has no bearing at all on the situation in the Midwest and South — whether there’s a tornado outbreak or drought. The forces putting people in harm’s way are demographic, economic, behavioral and architectural. Any influence of climate change on dangerous tornadoes (so far the data point to a moderating influence) is, at best, marginally relevant and, at worst, a distraction.
Read it here: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/a-survival-plan-for-americas-tornado-danger-zone/
UPDATE:
The IPCC says:
“There is low confidence in observed trends in small spatial-scale phenomena such as tornadoes” and on no knowledge on future development of tornadoes: “There is low confidence in projections of small-scale phenomena such as tornadoes because competing physical processes may affect future trends and because climate models do not simulate such phenomena.”
On pages 8 and 113, http://ipcc-wg2.gov/SREX/images/uploads/SREX-All_FINAL.pdf
(h/t to Bjorn Lomborg for IPCC link)
From the Daily Caller:
An often cited 1975 magazine article by long-time Newsweek science editor Peter Gwynne warned of tornadoes as a consequence of “global cooling,” along with other residual effects, including food shortages.
“There are ominous signs that the Earth’s weather patterns have begun to change dramatically and that these changes may portend a drastic decline in food production — with serious political implications for just about every nation on Earth,” Gwynne wrote. “The drop in food output could begin quite soon, perhaps only ten years from now.”
There was even a specific passage blaming the “global cooling” phenomenon for a 1974 tornado outbreak.
“Last April, in the most devastating outbreak of tornadoes ever recorded, 148 twisters killed more than 300 people and caused half a billion dollars’ worth of damage in thirteen states,” Gwynne wrote.
John from the EU says:
May 21, 2013 at 10:31 am
“Is someone going to write to these Senators and educate them on the real facts?”
… as if they care about facts ??… pure political posturing in the face of a real disaster & huge suffering … and they see it as a chance to score political points. Sick.
sadbutmadlad says (May 21, 2013 at 11:33 am): “Since it’s well known as Tornado Alley, and has been for a long time, isn’t there any form of building permit that ensure that the properties can survive most tornados, or at the very least that people have places to go to to escape the tornado?”
As I understand it, an above-ground structure strong enough to withstand a tornado would resemble a bunker, with low profile and reinforced concrete. Building codes could require cellars or storm shelters in all new homes and public buildings. A guy on CNN said a prudent family currently without cellar or shelter could dig a decent underground storm shelter for about $5K.
I remember my mother telling me about a twister that hit my grandparents’ Iowa farm back in the Thirties. She watched from a cellar window as it “relocated” the chicken coop but left the house intact. Seventy-odd years later, another tornado took out the barn, again missing the house only a hundred feet away.
Being wiser than my elders, I relocated to (mostly) twister-free California, well above any conceivable sea-level rise, not far from the San Andreas F–
Uh-oh.
Here’s a weather prediction for Barbara Boxer, especially the last 10 seconds
The only dispute I have with this post is the claim of “stunning ignorance” on the part of Barbara Boxer. Based on her record, I’d say that her statement is par for the course. If she HAD done some reading and correctly stated the tornado record (as you did) – now THAT would be stunning.
Wingnuts rule!
“This is climate change. We were warned about extreme weather. Not just hot weather. But extreme weather.”
Explain Xenia Ohio, 1974, Babs.
@_Jim: UD beat ND. 😉
I don’t think all of the bodies have yet been found and she’s already re-pitching the “carbon” tax. Proof positive one CAN go lower than a snake’s belly… with daylight to spare.
[self snip – I’ll save the mods the trouble of cutting out a long, unprintable rant.]
Presently, the left-hand threaded wingnut in the WH is doing so by decree, by press intimidation and by suppressing votes (and voter education projects) in national elections even * … Thanks, RG. We needed to be reminded of that.
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* LBJ (one of the BEST election-tilting democrats in his day) would be PROUD!
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Two Senators using recent Oklahoma Tornadoes and resulting tragic deaths to push their political agendas is well beyond shameful and disgusting. This is one of those times when I wish we could express our actual thoughts in verboten words.
Any chance Anthony would make an exception in this case for use of extreme profanity? Cause “shameful and disgusting” don’t even come close to describing how one feels about two Senators USING this disaster for propagandizing Global Warming and spreading more Global Warming F.U.D.
Yesterday I was switching between FoxNews (standard def) and CNN (HiDef) to follow what was going on in Moore. It seemed to me that Fox was documenting what was going on, while CNN was trying to get people on the phone that would confirm their “manmade disaster” bias. It was rather disgusting to hear.
The most realistic statement I heard on CNN was the Republican Senator who said this is the 4th major tornado in the area in recent years, and sadly they had experience dealing with them.
I’ve been reading a bunch of online reporting and am frankly appalled at the insensitivity of commenters. Some people really just seem to be too stupid to even have a place to air their opinions. This is not the worst tornado or weather event of all time, but it’s devastating to the people directly involved. We’ve created a whole generation of insensitive louts that simply want to hurt anyone they can with their internet communication ability.
For >136 MPH winds (EF3 winds that is)?
Sure, it is doable, at exorbitant costs though (think: bunker, or all underground construction).
For comparison, the tornado in Moore 2013 estimated at an EF4 166–200 MPH winds. Cheaper to build small safe rooms (usually using concrete within an existing above-ground room) or underground storm shelters, which some people have done.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Fujita_scale
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“I’m afraid we have several senators that are not smarter than a fifth grader.”
Isn’t that rather unfair to fifth graders?
I think it was H. L. Mencken that, when asked for an example of a tautology suggested “ignorant politician”.
sadbutmadlad says: ” isn’t there any form of building permit that ensure that the properties can survive most tornados, or at the very least that people have places to go to to escape the tornado?”
Realize it isn’t just the swirling 250mph wind of Tornadoes the structure has to withstand. Tornadoes will pickup and toss around, school buses, fire engines, 18-wheelers, and combines. Any of those thrown into or dropped from sky onto a structure will destroy all but the most rugged above ground shelters.
One company uses 1/4″ plate steel welded onto 4″ box beam steel frame to make an above ground shelter that will take a car dropped on it from 70 feet. That sounds great, except the costs are prohibitive for most. Especially when a trailer home puts those people deep in debt.
It takes a combination of cool and warm air for a tornado to form. Tornados rarely happen in Summer and Winter due to this fact. It is the presence of cool air in the Spring which triggers them.
For once here in Britain we have from the BBC a more balanced view. On the 6pm News we had the environment correspondent stating that there was no link found between tornados and climate change.
Then there is the BBC article Tornado Alley: Patterns without predictability
A couple of quotes
I do not want in any way to downplay this terrible tragedy. There are many today mourning the loss of loved ones and thousands who have seen their homes destroyed. But like with many other natural disasters, the human loss is decreasing dramatically over time and may that decline continue.
Boxer and the other guy just deliver deflection at all costs. Look how HuffPo or NYT or our German public media hop willingly on the bandwagon. Disaster! Obama helps! Evil deniers! Just the normal propaganda push; the IRS, Benghazi, Fox and AP surveillance scandals need to be hidden.
In fact, “Global Cooling” was being touted as the bogey man at that time …. ref the Time (or was it Newsweek) article …
manicbeancounter says:
May 21, 2013 at 12:47 pm
“For once here in Britain we have from the BBC a more balanced view. ”
I noticed that several times now since Black is gone. But I don’t think I will ever trust them again. About anything.
Appropriate that these two metal giants reside in the elite branch of the legislature, the US Senate.
They are now poster children for the movement to require IQ tests for those seeking high offices in our Federal government.
_Jim says: “Sure, it is doable, at exorbitant costs though (think: bunker, or all underground construction).”
Something to keep in mind, the entrance. In Oklahoma tornadoes, there has been two reports where the steel doors on underground bunkers were not strong enough. In one case the steel door was ripped open, leaving occupants unprotected and bracing in a corner. In other case, three men inside had to hold steel door closed, because the latch system was giving way to winds.
People also need to realize, running to an outside above ground shelter or underground bunker has its own dangers. People have been badly hurt by flying debris trying to get into their outside shelters. Decades back, a friend’s sister was partially scalped and knocked unconscious by sheet of flying plywood as she ran to get in an outside shelter as Tornado approached.
manicbeancounter says:
May 21, 2013 at 12:47 pm
Agree wholeheartedly. Best wishes to all those affected.
I have a question for those in such high risk USA locations – and that is, do you get insurance for Tornado(or Hurricane) damage? How much does it cost relative to the value/sums insured? How are the premiums/risk calculated?
In the UK, of late, some places have been flooded twice or more – which as a result, means the homeowners cannot get insurance against flooding. I was wondering if USA insurers take a similar stance with respect to tornadoes (kind of one/two strikes and your out?) – or if, as seems more logical to me, that the large areas involved suggest that tornado strikes are much less likely to repeat in long time intervals (e.g. 1 in 100 year events)?
just curious….if anyone is in such areas or has such experience and can offer comment.
If anyone were entitled to rant about the twisters, it would be the Oklahoma’s senators, not California’s. But Oklahoma is blessed with two of that body’s most-thoughtful members, whereas the less said about California’s delegation, the better.
“We need to protect our people. That’s our number one obligation and we have to deal with this threat that is upon us and that is gonna get worse and worse though the years.”
Since you are a threat, resign Senator Boxer.
Casual belief in AGW is now entrenched in a majority of people. Any extreme weather event is bound to be claimed as a consequence of AGW, which reinforces this casual belief.
Most people are not even aware that there is a controversy about AGW (or, to give another example, about cholesterol and statins). The mainstream opinion is occupying almost all the space.
In that context, it is easy for any event to be used to support the established “fact” of AGW in the general public opinion.
Despite all the contrary evidence, the AGW juggernaut seems unstoppable.
“But you’re also going to see snow in the summer in some places. You’re gonna have terrible storms. You’re going to have tornados and all the rest.”
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So how does any of the above signal a change in the climate? There have always been “terrible storms.” Tornado alley was already named “tornado alley” before Al Gore had even dreamed about global warming. And in 1974 I saw snow on the Fourth of July in Rexburg, Idaho. So what has changed?