Published: May 16, 2008 09:43 am         

Weather Whys for 05-16

Advance Tornado Warnings

Q: How much advance warning time is there before a tornado hits?

A: New technologies have improved advance warning times dramatically, says Brent McRoberts of Texas A&M University. “The National Weather Service says that in the last 15 years, the amount of pre-warning time before a tornado hits has almost doubled,” McRoberts explains. “It is now as high as 15 minutes, but the average time is about 11 minutes. That’s up sharply from 5-6 minutes in the 1980s. Also, there is now something called the Emergency Alert System used by many radio and TV stations. This system takes control automatically of a broadcast and advises listeners and viewers of an approaching tornado. When an alert is sent, a forecast is automatically scrawled across a TV screen or there is a break in programming.”

Q: Is that enough time?

A: Every advance minute could possibly save someone’s life, McRoberts adds. “Last year, the 122 National Weather Service stations issued more than 3,000 tornado warnings. There is no doubt that these warnings saved lives and gave people a chance to take cover and seek safety. Remember that in an average year, there are about 1,200 tornadoes in the United States and about 55 people are killed each year with almost $500 million worth of damage. So the more time people have when a tornado nears is time that can surely save some lives.”

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