"Texas Tornadoes: How Much Warning Time Was Possible?"

"Texas tornadoes that hit the Dallas area Tuesday resulted in no fatalities, in part due to timely warnings. But a new model could improve tornado warning times dramatically."



"Powerful Texas tornadoes that struck the Dallas-Fort Worth area Tuesday were as noteworthy for what didn't happen as for the damage the powerful twisters inflicted – no deaths reported so far, and only a handful of injuries in a heavily populated area.

For many, the remarkably low casualty rate is a testament to several factors: the twisters struck during the day instead of at night, warnings were timely, cooperation between the local media and the region's National Weather Service forecast office was good, and the Texas public is well attuned to tornado hazards.

Between 1981 and 2010, Texas saw more tornadoes, on average, than any other state – 150 a year, versus 78 for Kansas and 62 for Florida, according to records kept at the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla."

Pete Spotts reports for the Christian Science Monitor April 4, 2012.

SEE ALSO:

"Obama's 2013 Budget Cuts National Weather Service Information Officers" (ENS)

"Tornado Warning: 'One of These Days a Single Tornado Will Claim Over 1,000 American Lives'" (Huffington Post)

Source: Christian Science Monitor, 04/06/2012