It’s Tornado Season!
Welcome to June, and welcome to tornado season in the Peace Garden State.
The unofficial tornado season for this region is June and July. And while we are technically on the extreme northern fringe of Tornado Alley, that doesn't mean we don't get our share of twisters.
Fortunately, for this area, most of the funnel clouds we get are on the small side. Statistically, few touch down, and even fewer stay on the ground long enough to do any kind of damage.
That being said, strong and deadly tornadoes are theoretically possible just about anywhere in North America. In 1957, twelve people died when an F-5 twister (the largest rating possible) slammed into the suburbs of Fargo.
Meteorologists say studying the effects of the Fargo twister provided a great deal of useful information for the science community. Dr. Tetsuya Fujita, the now-legendary Japanese-American scientist whose research on twisters saved countless lives, kick-started his career with his study of the Fargo twister.
So, keep your eyes and ears open during tornado season. Watch the above video for safety tips - but don't sweat it too much.
[source: The Weather Channel YouTube]