Map of the Week: Tornadoes Leave Tracks Though U.S. Southern Forests

Jun 15, 2015||1 minute
Tornado damage- Georgia
Category
  • Map of the Week
Topics
  • storm
  • tree cover loss
  • wind

By James Anderson Growing up in America’s Midwest, I was raised with a healthy fear of tornadoes. These swirling columns of air can cut through buildings, scatter cars, and wreak massive damage on the economy and human lives. Apparently, according to the data on Global Forest Watch, they can also leave a trail of destruction in their wake as they pass through forests. Tree cover loss data generated by the University of Maryland and Google give a graphic illustration of the damage caused by the 2011 U.S. tornado outbreak, one of the largest in history. The long lines of pink pixels represent tornado tracks as the windstorms knocked over or killed trees.   What stories can you find on the GFW map? Share them with us here.


BANNER PHOTO: Tornado damage near Ringold, Georgia. National Weather Service.

Category
  • Map of the Week
Topics
  • storm
  • tree cover loss
  • wind

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