S42
Diagnosing the Conditions for Tornadic Outbreaks and Their Effects on Human Population Centers
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In addition to understanding the conditions associated with tornadic outbreaks, another area of interest is determining which cities are more prone to such an environment in the future. When used in combination with RCMs and GCMs, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) add more understanding as to where possible tornado activity may occur, and the effects it would have on human populations in the affected cities. In this presentation, previous severe weather reports from the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) are assessed in order to understand which areas are most at risk of tornado activity, and whether these findings correlate to areas where large human population centers are located. The usage of reports associated with tornadoes, high winds, and hail, as well as census block data, enables further understanding of the cities that are more at risk during tornado activity based on human populations and socioeconomics. By looking at the socioeconomic data from potentially affected cities, it possible to see which areas can or cannot readily recover from tornado outbreak events in the future. This study is designed to lead to improved understanding of tornadic outbreaks and the risk assessment of cities that are more likely to endure hazardous environments in the future.