Tornado Outbreak Essay

The Tornado Outbreak of 2011 was a powerful and devastating event that had many far-reaching effects. This was the largest and most expensive tornado outbreak ever recorded and caused 324 deaths. This event consisted of 363 separate tornadoes which is a record amount for a single outbreak. There was also heavy rain which led to flash floods, further inundating the victims of the storm. This storm began on April 25 with the first tornado landing in Vilonia, Arkansas. It lasted until April 28 and left huge amounts of damage in its wake. This massive outbreak was caused by many different things. To create such a storm, the conditions needed to be perfect. This particular outbreak was caused by a trough that spanned the South of the United States. A cyclone formed around this low pressure band and began to gather momentum. This trough was then met from behind by a jet stream which led to an extremely high wind shear. The temperatures in the affected areas were also fairly high, ranging from 70° to 90°. All of these conditions contributed to an environment that was extremely conducive for tornadic …show more content…
The town is surrounded by mountains on all sides and is at a very high elevation. The mountains serve as a protective barrier around the town that tornadoes would have a hard time penetrating. Whatever force a tornado gains during its creation would be all but lost by the time it climbs the towering mountains that envelop us. Montclair also has an advantage in its elevation. The flash floods that affected the towns in the 2011 outbreak would not harm Montclair in the same way. The town lies above most major bodies of water in the area so the majority of the water would have to come from pure rainfall. That being said, Montclair lies in a sort of valley where rainwater would be inclined to collect. If that were to happen though, there are many outlets by which water can escape to other