Twister

The Maundy Monday Newsletter - This Week in History April 29 - May 5.

Violent tornadoes swept through parts of Nebraska and Iowa last Friday afternoon, leveling homes and businesses and uprooting trees. It was the first significant tornado outbreak of the year, which typically sees tornadoes from March to June. Fortunately, it appears no one has been killed.

Growing up in Ohio, I’m used to the sirens warning us of tornadoes and running for shelter, whether at school or in the house. I haven’t dealt with them much since living in Washington, DC. They tend to hit the same small town of La Plata, Maryland. I’m not sure how they received this unfortunate distinction.

But Friday’s outbreak was a reminder of the deadly tornado outbreak 25 years ago this week.

Fifty-five (55) tornadoes touched down in Kansas and Oklahoma on May 3, 1999. This was part of a larger tornado outbreak for the entire week, which saw up to 154 tornadoes touchdown, including a powerful F5 twister that stretched 38 miles in one hour and twenty-five minutes, killing thirty-six people and injuring almost 600. The Bridge Creek—Moore tornado is considered the most powerful tornado ever recorded. The chance a tornado reaches the F5 level is less than 1%.

Tornadoes form when warm, humid air collides with cold, dry air. The cloud begins to spin the air, and the tornado is born when it drops from the sky. It can quickly change direction and hit random targets due to variations in wind speed. They are extraordinary natural disasters that are difficult to predict, but when they appear, you know it’s time to get out of the way.  

Okay, let's highlight what else happened this week. As a reminder, these events celebrate their anniversary, ending in 5 or 0. Here's what I got:

1. George Washington was inaugurated as president on April 30, 1789. After winning the first presidential election by vanquishing his opponent, “Unopposed,” Washington took the oath of office in New York City and officially established the federal branch of the United States of America.       

2. Commercial television debuted on April 30, 1939. Television cameras began to roll during the opening ceremony of the World’s Fair in New York City. People watching at home complained that the images were too small to see because the cameras were so far away. Not to worry, we figured this out.     

3. The Grammy Awards debuted on May 4, 1959. Celebrating the musical accomplishments of 1958, Frank Sinatra had two albums nominated for Album of the Year. Despite the favorable odds, he did not win. I’m not sure what the point of having music awards and not giving at least one of them to Frank Sinatra. Not to worry, we also figured this out.

The movie Twister came out in 1996, smack dab in the middle of my popular college days. I was dating a lovely young woman who hailed from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and we went to see the movie. We pretty much agreed that people who chase tornadoes are crazy.

Twister is now going to be a series of movies, with the next one debuting later this summer. The storyline centers on the child of the two main characters, played by Helen Hunt and the deceased Bill Paxton, who has grown up to be a storm chaser herself.

This unoriginal concept caught the eye of mega-filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who loved it so much that they tossed out the sequel concept written by Hunt. Her idea would have featured a more diverse cast who would overcome obstacles to chase their passion for understanding storms.

Anyway, I’m sure I’ll end up watching it at some point.

I hope everyone has a great week. Thanks for being here. I’m a bit behind on the presidential election rankings, but I promise to be back on Friday with the latest. Also, when I see you again in this space, it will be May.

Until then, be alert!  

Okay,

Chris

Blue likes a small breeze to hit his face.