BY TORNADOS IN 14 YEARS.
MANY PEOPLE ASKING ON TWITTER 
AND FACEBOOK AND SO ON, IS IT 
GETTING WORSE.
HERE IN NEW YORK, HURRICANE 
SANDY WAS OBVIOUSLY THE WORST 
THAT HE HAD FOR HUNDREDS OF 
YEARS.
IS IT GETTING WORSE IN TERMS OF 
STORMS, DAMAGE AND POWER?
>> IT'S NOT CLEAR.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU CAN'T SAY FROM
ANY ONE STORM THAT THIS IS A 
RESULT OF LET'S SAY CLIMATE 
CHANGE.
HOWEVER, JUST LOOKING AT CHAED'S
GRAPHIC, IT'S THE WIDTH OF THIS 
TORNADO THAT AT LEAST TO MEET 
LOOKING AT THE DATA THAT ARE 
AVAILABLE ONLINE THAT THIS IS A 
MUCH MORE POWERFUL STORM THAN 
THE ONE THAT EVERYBODY TALKS 
ABOUT MAY 3rd, 1999 BECAUSE IT'S
WIDER, CUTTING A WIDER SWATHE.
YOU'VE GOT FIGURE IF IT'S TWICE 
AS WIDE, YOU MIGHT FIGURE IT'S 
GOT TWICE AS MUCH ENERGY BUT IT 
MIGHT HAVE FOUR TIMES AS MUCH 
ENERGY.
MIGHT HAVE TEN TIMES AN ORDER OF
MAGNITUDE ORDER OF ENERGY.
AND THIS CAN BE ESTIMATED BY 
LOOKING AT THE DESTRUCTION.
IT SOUNDS ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE, 
BUT YOU CAN ASSESS THE SPEED OF 
THE WIND BY LOOKING AT THIS 
VIDEO AND LOOKING FOR A PIECE OF
RECOGNIZABLE DEBRIS.
THIS IS ALL VERY -- IT'S 
IMPORTANT GOING FORWARD BUT THE 
DESTRUCTION THERE TONIGHT IS 
REALLY OVERWHELMING.
I JUST WANT TO REMIND US ALL 
IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
THIS IS THE 20th OF MAY, AND 
TORNADO SEASON GOES AT LEAST 
ANOTHER MONTH, AND THEN 
HURRICANE SEASON GOES ON ALL 
SUMMER WELL INTO THE FALL. 
>> THE STATISTIC I SAW WAS 
AMERICA GETS AT LEAST 1,000 
TORNADOES EVERY YEAR.
LAST YEAR IN THE WHOLE OF THE 
YEAR, 70 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY 
TORNADOES.
IT WOULD SEEM LIKE THE DEATH 
TOLL HERE MAY WELL RISE TO THAT 
LEVEL AT LEAST WHICH IS AN 
ILLUSTRATION OF JUST HOW DEADLY 
IT'S BEEN. 
>> ONE EVENT.
 THESE HOUSES YOU WOULD THINK AS
AN ENGINEER YOU WOULD THINK YOU 
COULD DESIGN STRUCTURES THAT 
COULD WITHSTAND THIS AND PEOPLE 
WOULD THEN BE REQUIRED BY LAW TO
HAVE ACCESS TO THEM, BUT CLEARLY
IT'S MORE COMPLICATED.
>> IN OKLAHOMA THERE'S A 
PARTICULAR PROBLEM THEY WERE 
SAYING EARLIER IS THAT IT'S 
BASICALLY BUILT ON ROCK.
IT'S INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE FOR 
MANY HOMEOWNERS TO ACTUALLY GO 
DOWN INTO THE GROUND. 
>> IT'S EXPENSIVE. 
>> BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE 
TERRAIN THERE. 
>> YOU CAN LOOK AT IT ANOTHER 
WAY, WHAT DOES IT COST TO 
REBUILD AND THE LOSS OF PEOPLE 
NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING.
THEY'VE LOST THEIR POSSESSIONS 
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PITCH
IN AND HELP OUT.
BUT I
