Joplin, MO Tornado - Deadliest...

...since 1953?

And what does that mean?

"The deadliest year for tornadoes in the U.S. was 1925, when 794 people were killed, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Yesterday’s Joplin twister is tied with a 1953 Flint, Michigan, tornado as the single deadliest in records going back to 1950."

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"Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf are now 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the pre-1970 average..."

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"“Two degrees of that can be attributed to natural variability while one degree Fahrenheit is associated with climate change,” said Trenberth in an interview today. “Some part of it is global warming-climate change and some part is natural variability.”"

Uh huh. "Natural variability" has a static upper and lower limit, I suppose and "global warming-climate change" isn't natural.

"Hayes, Schneider and Thomas Schwein, deputy director of the weather service’s central region, who was also on the conference call, weren’t ready to attribute the outbreaks to climate change.

“This is certainly a rich topic for research,” Schneider said.

Schneider said there is “emerging research” to suggest that years like 2011 in which a La Nina fades tend to produce more tornadoes.

More deadly tornadoes may develop tomorrow from Kansas to Texas, Schneider said.

“There are some very dense population areas,” Schneider said. “This is a very serious situation that is brewing.”"

Glad there's somebody with common sense weighing in on this. More people = more buildings = more death and destruction. Elementary, for most of us.

Sooo glad I don't live in tornado alley. I'll take a blizzard any day, as long as I'm home where it's cozy and warm.

Godspeed the people of Joplin, Missouri. 

Which reminds me: