Tornado Season

In the terrible aftermath of the tornado which has killed 116 people in Joplin, Missouri, Michigan has its sights set on the tornado conditions which generally appear later in the upper Midwest than they do in the South. Flint residents in particular remember the savage twister which struck them in the 1950s. It has been the most lethal such storm to date.

Experts cannot pin an exact reason on why so many more tornadoes are striking lately. Interestingly enough, they don't really view global warning as that much of a culprit. There are too many local weather factors at work. But they do seem to be increasing in number and ferocity. In Michigan alone, the number of tornadoes per year averages 17, with wild yearly variations.

Perhaps the real lesson here, one which shall likely become emphacized all the more as the June 1st start of hurricane season looms, is that we very often have little to no say in what happens to us. These vicious storms, the tornadoes, can occur with an almost unpredictable desire. They care not for our security, our safety, or our lives.

It is a sobering thought that, despite so much planning and attempts to make our futures safe, there are factors out there which do not consider human will. This ought to make us more considerate of our true place in the world, more cognizant of our role in a universe which is rather indiscriminate, on the surface, in how it reacts to individuals.

In the meantime, pray for those afflicted in Joplin as with all the tornado victims this spring. Help however you can. And a few moments reflection would not be a bad idea either.