Heavy rain, thunderstorms and tornadoes could strike portions of California and other areas. The rainfall would bring welcome relief to areas that had to tackle drought, especially in central and southern California. The combination of drought and wildfires have devastated many locations in California. Those have destroyed the green cover and disturbed the ecological balance. Hence, when a tornado strikes, it becomes difficult to visualize the consequent loss of lives and properties. CNN reports drought affects nearly 83 percent of the western United States.
However, the worries of Central US relate to possibilities of severe weather that could follow with prediction of more than 150 storms. These could be severe. That is what the National Weather Service office in Amarillo, Texas says. It mentions about thunderstorms across the eastern Panhandles accompanied by high-speed winds, hail and tornadoes. The path would encompass areas from Wichita, Kansas to San Angelo, Texas.
May is the peak month for tornadoes across the country
The Storm Prediction Center SPC cautions about the potential for severe storms. The authorities would be maintaining a close watch on the developments and monitor the progress. They caution that if a more progressive system develops, there could be severe storms across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic late in the week.
In March last year, tornadoes in Nashville and Tennessee left at least 25 dead. CNN adds that May is the peak month for tornadoes across the country. There could be instances of flash flooding in areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. Of course, some areas that suffered from drought would welcome the rains. However, excessive rain in a short period could prove to be hazardous because of floods and landslides.
The debris could end up with blocked roads and add to the woes of those who use them.
SPC confirms the country has had 34 tornadoes this month
Tornadoes have become a way of life for Americans. These are climatic disorders and leave the infrastructure in shambles. Uprooted trees that fall on the roads lead to disturbance in travel plans.
There could also be power failures due to damaged grids and sub-stations. Restoring the damaged roads, bridges, transmission lines and other infrastructure items is a time consuming process and involves funds. Obviously, tornadoes and flash floods act as stumbling blocks to smooth functioning of systems. In case of power failure, those who have options of renewable energy can heave a sigh of relief. CNN makes a mention of the number of tornadoes in April. It was below normal. SPC keeps track of these occurrences and says this year April witnessed 34 confirmed tornadoes. This is considerably less than the three-year average. Between January and March, the number of confirmed tornadoes was less than the average of that period.
In the opinion of a meteorologist, late April and May is the peak for severe weather in the Southern Plains. In March, tornadoes in the Deep South disrupted lives and left behind a trail of destruction.
The season of tornadoes is approaching
According to USA Today, forecasters says a long stretch of relatively quiet weather is set to end soon. Flash floods are on the cards accompanied by severe storms with large, destructive hail, damaging winds, tornadoes and heavy rain. The National Weather Service says these will happen within the next few days. People must be prepared and take necessary precautions. A meteorologist of AccuWeather has identified likely areas that could face the fury. The most vulnerable places that might have to face flooding would be urban areas, roads and small streams
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