"Auntie Em! Auntie Em!"

     A swarm of tornadoes ripped through the U.S. midsection on Friday, tearing homes apart, killing four people, and leaving many families distressed in the state of Indiana. Read this article here. It was a sad story to hear, not being too far from the area, and leaving me in fear of the spring to come.  Last spring, the tornado warnings, and tornadoes were frequent, leaving Joplin in despair. Here in Scott County, MO, we came close to many tornadoes ripping through the area as well. I found myself last spring, watching the weather channel, and taking cover in my bath tub many times. There was a day that my family and I were driving, when one storm decided to hit. The skies turned dark, and the wind levels rose. A power line dropped down in front of us. It was those moments when I realized how afraid of tornadoes and storms I really was. I found myself crying on my eight year old nephew's shoulder, and him comforting me. I really hope that I do not have to experience another spring like the last. After that spring, I started wondering why tornadoes have been frequenting the mid area of the United States, and why they are most commonly occuring in the United State more than any other country. The United States recieves more than 1,200 tornadoes annually, four times the amount seen in Europe. Most tornadoes in the United States occur in "Tornado Alley", an area including the states of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa. Central Tornado Alley experiences the most activity, with about five tornadoes per latitude-longitude radius (a circle about 50 miles (80 km) wide) per year. See an article about this here.  I feel that with the weather changes, "Tornado Alley," has shifted, which could be a cause of the tornadoes recently occuring in Missouri. I remember watching Wizard of Oz when I was smaller, and never realized the amount they damage they really can cause. After last spring, I watched many videos of tornadoes, because I became interested in what they look like, and how they sound, so that I could be aware, and know if one were to occur. See videos of a tornados that stupid people stayed around and taped here. There are many type of tornadoes. They come in various sizes and can form in different locations. They are graded on a level scale called the Fujita scale, which tells how dangerous they are. Being aware of the levels of tornadoes are an imporant precaution to stay in the know and be safe. See a Fujita chart scale here. Hopefully with more knowledge of tornadoes, and having a safe place to take shelter in, will ease my fear a litte, but I think I will always be deathly afraid of Mr. Twister.