Mid America faces Terrible Storms

March 2012 - Tornadoes in the West..

I read about storms all day and night, I have to admit I obsess with them. I just looked at my phone and I noticed that I received a text at 3:30 am with storm warnings from the Storm Prediction Center last night(early morning). I did not even realize what time it was when I woke up to read this alert. My lifestyle has changed to where I read about storms that affect our Nation and parts of the world. I follow Text alerts, email subscriptions and The Weather Channel in the background, with this I study to be a more effective weather reporter.

One of the great benefits of YouTube, is that you can watch many eye witness storm videos and it has impacted the internet with such popularity that it has made stars out of several storm chasers.

Here are several videos of recent tornado events that have hit our Mid America region within the last few days. Through many reports that I have read, I honestly lost count of the reported damage and casualties. I do not wish to glorify tornadoes giving the wrong idea. I am not a storm chaser, just a reporter to convey storm awareness. Thank goodness that in our area (SE PA) we do not have storms of this magnitude. However you can never know when a strong storm can impact our area. Lives have been lost in our area last year, from flooding form Irene and Lee. I want people to think about being prepared for bad weather. The most important thing to to stay weather aware by checking the news at least once a day. If you are not able to be near a TV or a computer, and own a smartphone, then I suggest you find a weather alert app. The experts always recommend everyone to buy a NOAA Weather Alert Radio. The problem with computers and smartphones is that they rely on plug in AC power and the internet to receive critical information. The moment we get hit by winds over 45 miles per hour, we can experience power outages which can prevent us from watching TV or using our desktop computer. Higher winds can knock out cellphone service, so buying a battery powered weather radio is the best and safest option.

Please watch these videos, I have a feeling that we will face storms like Irene again in the not to distant future.