ABSTRACT

The spring 2011 tornado season was amongst the most active in United States history by many measures, including the most fatalities in a single year since 1936. The southeastern US tornado outbreak on 27 April had the most tornado fatalities in a single day since 1932, and the 22 May Joplin, MO death toll for a single tornado was the most since 1947. Combined with major tornado outbreaks over the Carolinas and portions of the central and eastern United States, 2011 was truly a historic spring tornado season. Historic perspectives will be provided through comparison of spring 2011 with events both in the modern record (post 1950) and historic record (1850 - present). How rare were the events in 2011, where do they rank in United States history, and how frequently might they recur? The tragic loss of life during the 2011 spring tornado season also illuminates the urgent need for the US weather enterprise to work collaboratively to further improve US severe weather services, communication and protective actions. The talk will summarize some key challenges and outline potential paths forward to meet these community challenges and look at how such events fit into the large-scale climate perspective.