More tornadoes, more destruction

On April 16, North Carolina caught the onslaught of the worst series of tornadoes this state has see at least since 1984. Wilson was in the path of at least one tornado, which skipped along a northeasterly route destroying whole buildings, tossing vehicles like matchsticks and toppling dozens of trees. Other areas of North Carolina saw even worse destruction and a total of 22 deaths statewide.

Just as we are recovering from that storm, with trees and debris removed from roadsides and tarps stretched across damaged roofs, we learn of an even more destructive series of tornadoes that ripped apart portions of Alabama and other states. Anyone who has lived through a tornado has terrifying stories to tell. Since 1996, when I lay in bed as Hurricane Fran roared overhead through the September night, I have listened more acutely to the sounds of the wind and watched more closely the color of the sky. Nature's destructive force is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. The post-disaster comment that "it looks like a war zone" is more of a commentary on the power of modern weaponry than a measurement of nature's power. Wartime bombardment photos and the aftermath of a tornado do have similarities, but nature's destructive force is often more widespread and unpredictable than any one conventional bomb.

Tornadoes seem to be occurring more frequently but probably are only getting more attention from the 24-hour news cycles and instantaneous communications of today. But whenever the wind blows and the sky darkens, I — and millions of others — will feel the unease in our gut.