Another surprise is that the areas with the most fatalities are not those traditionally known for the highest winds. The Great Lakes region has some very strong winds but has a low rate of fatalities. On the other hand, the Northeast had high fatalities: 57 in New York, 23 in Pennsylvania, eight in Connecticut, 11 in New Jersey, 12 in Maryland and Washington, D.C., and one in Delaware. Three western states accounted for a third of all the fatalities: 96 in California, 46 in Oregon and 66 in Washington. Population density probably has a lot to do with the numbers of fatalities, Ashley said. But it's hard to say for certain. What can be said with more certainty is that the general public is less aware of the dangers of non-convective winds, said research meteorologist John Knox of the University of Georgia in Athens. He co-authored another paper about what creates the powerful winds in the Great Lakes region, which appeared in the December issue of the Journal of Climate. "People don't think they can be killed when it's a clear blue sky," Knox said. And often wind speeds are underestimated in forecasts, he said. In many parts of the country winds can gust at a violent 90 miles per hour or more. The extreme potential in the Pacific Northwest, he says, is particularly underappreciated. "What we need to do is make sure people understand that high winds are deadly," said Knox. "All high winds can kill, period." Related Links: |
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