December tornadoes are part of ‘new normal’ caused by climate change, FEMA chief says
clock The rising sun illuminated entire cities in ruin as morning broke Saturday in western Kentucky. Piles of bricks appeared where buildings had stood. Roofs torn open revealed mangled furnishings inside. Bicycles and refrigerators dangled from trees like ornaments. The deadly tornadoes that caused devastation in Kentucky and five other states came just a few months after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti and Category 4 Hurricane Ida tore through the Eastern United States and Atlantic Canada. In an interview Sunday morning on CNNs State of the Union, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the agency is preparing for severe weather events of similar magnitude. This is going to be our new normal, and the effects that were seeing from climate change are the crisis of our generation, she said. Well continue to work on helping to reduce the impacts, but were also prepared to respond to any community that gets impacted by one of these severe events. Severe tornadoes are uncommon this late in the year, with December usually considered a quiet month. We do see tornadoes in December, that part is not unusual, but at this magnitude, I dont think weve ever seen one this late in the year, Criswell told host Jake Tapper. The severity and the amount of time this tornado, or these tornadoes, spent on the ground is unprecedented. As of early Monday, the death toll remained uncertain. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) last estimated that some 50 to 100 people in his state were dead. A warming world could add more fuel to tornadoes, scientists say Climate experts who spoke with The Washington Post this weekend said that while global warming creates conditions amenable to tornado formation, it is difficult to conclusively connect tornado events to a changing climate. Thats because the process by which a thunderstorm turns into a tornado involves a complex mix of variables. President Biden told reporters Saturday that he would ask the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal authorities to explore ties between the tornadoes and climate change. The specific impact on these specific storms, I cant say at this point. ... But the fact is that we all know everything is more intense when the climate is warming everything, the president said. President Biden arrived in Kentucky on Wednesday to survey the swaths of damage in areas hardest hit by a string of tornadoes that killed at least 74 people there and 14 in other states. Live updates: Biden arrives in Kentucky, hardest-hit state after devastating tornado outbreak Victims: What we know about some of the lives lost in Kentucky Photos and video: See the damage left by the tornadoes The storms path: Satellite images show leveled buildings The candle factory: Everyone was trapped: A candle factory survivor tells her story Climate: Researchers ponder why Fridays tornadoes led to so many deaths, despite ample warning