Tornado Research: Tornadoes Shaping Communities in Huge Ways
Devastating tornadoes have a long-term effect on towns that most do not see. Here is more about this tornado research topic…
Many communities get hit by tornadoes every year. Tornado experts are seeing more days with tornado outbreaks, which devastate many towns. When a tornado hits, it can take years for it to get rebuilt. But even then, people leave, there is a new look, and so many other changes happen. So we will look more into the stages with this tornado research post…
This post is all about tornadoes heavily affecting communities.
Large Tornado Impacts
Immediate Aftermath
First Several Hours
In the immediate tornado aftermath, everyone is shaken by the monster that just tore through their town. First responders start to arrive, people are getting out of their tornado shelters, and people are trapped. The scope of the damage catches everyone’s eyes, and people are amazed at what one tornado can do. The scenario is always different for different individuals. Some have loved ones trapped under the rubble, yelling for help. Some break down in tears, wondering where a loved one is, or how they will ever build the town back up again. The sky is filled with red & blue lights, from the emergency vehicles arriving.
Social media & the news start flooding with reports of casualties, damage reports, and tornado videos/pictures. The hospitals are now getting overwhelmed with patients when the hospital might have no power or be damaged. Speaking of power, the whole area is probably out of power. So if it is nighttime, there is barely any light except for the first responder’s vehicles. Local news crews are en route or already there. Disaster Relief Organizations are also getting all of their supplies and rushing to the area. Those organizations & new funds start setting up for people to donate to the communities. And while all of this may seem like a lot, this is just the start.
The First Week
Organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are already set up & helping people. Funds are also set up online which brings in thousands of dollars in donations for the affected communities. The NWS is now surveying the damage to figure out a rating for the tornado. Government figures are visiting to make speeches and talk with residents. People are trying to figure out everything about the tornado including the percentage of the city damaged/destroyed, width/length of path, & other topics like that. The cleanup has begun with piles of debris already being made. People are finding & taking their possessions. There are now people guarding properties against looters trying to take other’s possessions. Tornado videos/pictures are spreading and getting popular across the world.
Insurance companies are getting contacted by many people and getting ready to get an explosion of work from these affected communities. While the NWS is doing the surveys, there are big debates on social media about what the rating would/should be. Fake NWS accounts are releasing fake reports of the ratings, the ratings they are hoping for. The local NWS office might be giving preliminary ratings and updates. That sparks more debate on social media, with some saying that it doesn’t matter that much because the devastation would still be the same. The hospitals are still holding patients, even though a lot of patients have been let out. People start learning about tornado facts after the event. Tornado tracker apps also have a growing audience.
The Long-Term Impacts
The long-term impacts extend farther than the damage and the physical shape of the town. Even though the town’s shape can change, the population could shrink, & empty foundations can be left, the mental health impacts can also be pretty severe. After large tornadoes that affect people in really bad ways, there are sometimes indirect deaths by suicide. Other mental health issues like domestic violence can also increase after the event. Another big deal that is often talked about is the community population shrinking. There are many reasons which make leaving seem easier than staying in that town. One is that the jobs in that town might take a while to get back up, so they find another job elsewhere.
Another reason that the population declines after a tornado is that the residential buildings will take YEARS to get back up. Even if they get a home and live there, it might not feel like the place it was before because of the new buildings, the new home, the people leaving, and maybe even losing a loved one. The mental health impacts of the tornadoes on residents can stick with them forever. There are really big impacts from that including getting anxious when a storm passes by, and even at the thought of a storm.
