June 8, 2024 | Originally published in Flint Beat
By: Aisha Harris, MD
In one week, 140 tornadoes tore across the central U.S., killing five and destroying whole communities. More tornadoes are predicted in the weeks to come.
Could it happen here in Flint?
The answer, unfortunately, is yes. Earlier this year, a tornado touched down in Grand Blanc, MI, less than 10 miles from here. It reached wind speeds of 115 miles per hour and traveled almost 6 miles in 10 minutes. Typically, Genesee County gets an estimated 1.3 tornadoes per year. But we’ve already had one, and it’s not even tornado season yet.
In recent years, tornadoes have occurred more often outside of “tornado alley” in the Great Plains. And while the jury is still out on whether climate change causes more tornadoes, we do know that as the planet warms, we will see more extreme weather of all kinds…READ THE FULL ARTICLE>
Dr Aisha Harris, MD is a Family Medicine Doctor in Flint, Michigan at Harris Family Health. Harris is a 2024 Climate Health Equity Fellow with the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health.