Missouri is one of the most tornado-prone states in the United States. It could be classified as a part of Tornado Alley, an area of the Midwest that suffers from frequent tornadoes and severe storms. St. Charles County reports an average number of 32 tornadoes per year in Missouri. It’s a common occurrence, especially in the springtime, to turn on the news and see video footage of crumpled houses, fallen trees, and damaged cars. All this to say, Missourians are no stranger to problems and destruction that Mother Nature can cause.
Raymond Hanff, a Chautauqua facilitator at Green Tree Elementary, lives in the city of O’Fallon, which was subject to fierce hail storms on Thursday.
“The storm damaged the roof, gutters, put holes in our siding, broke all our fence caps, and tore holes in the grill covers. There was large hail all over our yard,” Hanff said. He was working when the storm hit at around 4 p.m.
Another victim of severe weather was Angel Kramer, a resident of Ballwin.
“We had large branches blown down from our tree, trash bins blew over and in some cases were carried down the street by the wind,” Kramer said. “Our neighbor had something hit his car and set off the alarm.” She described the wind as being strong, loud, and somewhat disorienting.
One of the hardest hit locations was St. Dominic High School. “Photos from the scene showed the ground covered in hail, with the senior class parking lot sustaining considerable damage,” according to Fox 2 News in a recent article.
These storms are extremely harmful, not just to property, but to our lives. Our schools, our homes, and our safety is always put at risk when a severe storm shows up.
“Recently severe weather seems to occur on a much more frequent basis. Last summer we had no power for two days due to a storm. I think serious weather is a big issue in Missouri,” Hanff said.
This graph from the National Centers for Environmental Information shows the number of severe storms across the United States, and as one can see, the annual number of these storms has increased exponentially. This poses a serious problem for everyone in the country, but specifically those who live in places already plagued by frequent bad weather, like Missouri. Kramer also expressed her concerns not only about the “instability and severity of weather patterns becoming worse,” but how desensitized many people are to this issue. “Many of us are barely prepared for the storms we have been used to in our lives,” she said. If this trend in the weather continues to increase, it will be imperative that Missourians take proper precautions to protect themselves and those around them.
