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As though regions in the Southeast needed more problems piled up on them, more tornadoes are forecast through the weekend. The region is still rendering water damage repairs from severe storms that landed in the Southeast over Easter weekend. Now, while still under social distancing orders, the region will be subjected to yet more twisters.
Thankfully, forecasts are predicting that the storm, while strong, won’t be nearly as strong as the Easter weekend storms. This is welcome news for a rain-soaked and beleaguered Southeast that is only just starting tornado season. While the region is no stranger to strong storms, they’re coming at exactly the wrong time.
Severe storms that arrive during a lockdown pose a unique threat for the people in the Southeast. They would normally be able to quickly evacuate an area and rush for community shelters. Social distancing guidelines make that tough. People are concerned about being in close quarters with others during the COIVD-19 pandemic.
On top of the public health aspect of the lockdown, there’s the reality of where people are. Currently, people are all confined to their homes. As such, it could be much more difficult to respond to a tornado warning. Where else are you going to go but your home? Essentially, tornadoes are currently one of the worst things that could come through the Southeast.
That’s not to mention the compounding economic damage of the lockdowns. Small, local businesses are struggling to stay afloat while local ordnances force their doors to stay shut. Millions of small business employees are out of work and scrambling to file for unemployment. Needless to say, while you never want a tornado to destroy your property, that goes double right now.
People who are already struggling to make ends meet certainly don’t need a natural disaster upending their lives right now. Additionally, patients in hospitals with COVID-19 in the region will need to be evacuated if a tornado crosses their path. That would prove to be very difficult given their condition and the very contagious nature of the disease.
The storms are projected to start somewhere over East Texas and then begin driving to the east. Cities throughout the Southeast, including Jackson, Shreveport and Montgomery. Even Atlanta and Houston could see severe weather powering through over the weekend. In short, the Southeast should be on high alert for strong winds, hail and tornadoes.
