Environment
In Iowa, a New Type of Tornado Warning Gets Residents' Attention
Dire warnings prepare residents for the worst.
Tornadoes tore through the Midwest this weekend, leaving hundreds of families homeless and without power. In Thurman, Iowa (pictured above), 90 percent of homes and buildings were damaged.
In the days before the storms, forecasters tested a new warning system, issuing "sternly worded alerts" more than three days in advance. According to the Associated Press, the alerts warned that residents "could be killed if not underground or in a tornado shelter" and that "complete destruction of entire neighborhoods is likely ... making the area unrecognizable to survivors."