Saving lives
As the annual death toll from tornadoes dropped significantly from the 1920s to the 1990s, the value of predicting violent storms has become more apparent. Brooks and other experts say lives have been saved through better forecasting, improved building codes and more effective warnings.
Strader said those improvements "stalled out" in recent years, prompting officials to seek better ways to educate the public and communicate timely, effective warnings. He said some people stay in mobile homes and other vulnerable places even after they get warnings in time to move to shelter.
ALSO READ: Prime Farmland Across Midwest Continues to Struggle with Flooding and Weather Issues
As a start, weather experts are teaming up with social scientists to craft warnings that people will heed to find safety, either in a sturdy building or other safe place, Strader said.
"We're bridging the physical science with social scientists to really look at what we can do to continue to solve this tornado issue," he said. (VOA)