Tornado Outbreaks Likely to Ebb Soon

A tornado onslaught that struck Oklahoma twice in 12 days and killed 37 people there is likely to ebb this week, setting the stage for a new focus for a storm outlook: hurricanes.

The Gulf of Mexico is currently monitored by meteorologists for a possible development of a tropical storm that could pummel Florida later in the week.

“It’s possible that we’ll see something forming in the Gulf this week,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Alan Reppert. However, whether it becomes a storm or not, more rainfall is likely in Florida throughout the week, which could lead to localized flooding, he said.

In the last two weeks of May, there was a succession of deadly tornado outbreaks in the USA. Usually, the month of May is the busiest month for tornadoes in the USA, according to the National Climatic Data Center. There were more than 200 reports of tornadoes in the nation in May, the vast majority in the final two weeks of the month, the Storm Prediction Center reports. That’s actually below the recent average for May of 250 tornadoes.

This year, the federal government predicts an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic, with seven to 11 hurricanes expected.

Heavy rain brought flooding across much of the Midwest over the past few days. Three people in Missouri died as a result of the flooding. As of Sunday afternoon, 170 river gauges were at flood stage, the National Weather Service said.

Many parts of Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois are at continued risk from flooding this week. Areas near the Mississippi River are at highest risk.

Source: usatoday.com