“The scariest place on earth is earth is directly in the path of an onrushing category 5 hurricane.” That is the prologue to David E. Fisher’s 1994 book The Scariest Place on Earth, Eye to Eye with Hurricanes (Random
House) It is a wonderful book, full of hurricane history and the personal story of Fisher’s ordeal with Hurricane Andrew.
Fisher, a prolific author (he’s written more than a dozen books of fiction and non-fiction) and professor at the University of Miami, readily admits that he (and nearly everyone else in South Florida) was not ready for Andrew. The book is a fascinating first-hand account of one of nature’s most powerful storms. It is a must-read for everyone in South Florida.
While there is little doubt that the scariest place on earth IS in the path of a category 5 hurricane, the residents of Parkersburg, Iowa may respectfully disagree. For them the scariest place on earth is directly in the path of an EF-5 tornado.
That’s what happened to the small Iowa community over the weekend during an outbreak of severe weather. The National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-5 (Enhanced Fujita Scale) twister tore through Parkersburg. The survey team says the tornado produced sustained winds of 205 mph.
Only about two percent of the more than 1,200 annual tornadoes in the United States are ranked an EF-5. The last EF-5 tornado hit Greensburg, Kansas last year destroying most of the town. The National Weather Service has classified seven EF-5 twisters over the last 15 years.
While EF-5 tornadoes are thankfully rare, tornadoes have become much more common during the first five months of 2008. “Right now, we’re on track to break all previous counts (of tornadoes) through the end of the year,” Greg Carbin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service told the Associated Press.
The Storm Prediction Center reports a preliminary count of 1,191 twisters so far this year. That number is likely to drop a bit after duplicate sightings are removed. Still, we are on pace to challenge the 2004 record of 1,817 twister.
While some maybe quick to blame global warming for this year’s increase of tornadoes, Carbin has a one-work answer: May. May is historically the busiest tornado month of the year.
