A tornado ripped a path through Dallas, Texas overnight. The damage is substantial, but so far there are no reports of fatalities or serious injuries. In a news conference this morning, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said he thought this was quite fortunate, considering the significant population living in the affected areas and the fact that many were asleep in their homes when the storm passed through neighborhoods and commercial areas of the city. I'd agree. But I'd also hope this is a wake-up call for the Dallas region.
In March of this year,
Bill Hanna, a writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, penned a warning to those living in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area, admonishing them to prepare for the worst, as the location of the metro area is ripe for a significant tornado strike. He quoted Martin Lisius, a storm chaser,
filmmaker and executive director of the Texas Severe Storms Association who wrote:
“Folks, wake up! DFW is within the highest risk area for violent class
tornadoes in the entire world! It’s just a matter of time and it won’t just happen once.
It’s part of our normal climate and will be here for a long time.”
Maybe that's the lesson that should be on everyone's minds today. Maybe nature is simply trying to remind Dallas that "You've been warned."
No comments:
Post a Comment