Southeast U.S. could see strong tornado activity
Meteorologists say Alabama and other southern states could be in for a very disruptive tornado season for the second year in a row.
John Christy, the state climatologist and director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, told The Associated Press that the La Niña conditions present in the Pacific Ocean tend to create more tornadoes.
Christy told the news agency that the state generally sees about 60 twisters per year, mainly in the spring. He added that the rising totals for homeowners insurance claims aren't necessarily the result of more storms.
"We still have just as many tornadoes as we've ever had," he told the AP. "We just put more stuff in their way to hit. So the damage from tornadoes will just continue to rise."
The federal government recently released additional funding to help Alabama residents recover from a cluster of storms in January. Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said more than $500,000 in aid to help local communities had been approved. That announcement came just one day after Governor Robert Bentley requested grants for three counties.
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