Twisters now killing more in the dark

The study, detailed in the October issue of the American Meteorological Society's journal Weather and Forecasting, found that from 1950 to 2005, 27 percent of tornadoes in the United States were nocturnal, yet 39 percent of tornado fatalities and 42 percent of killer tornado events occurred at night.

Ashley predicts that annual tornado fatalities might begin to rise; in fact, they already have. In 2007 alone, 80 tornado fatalities were recorded, with 59 of those fatalities occurring between sunset and sunrise. Nineteen of 26 killer tornadoes that year occurred at night. So far this year, 123 tornado fatalities already have been recorded — nearly double the annual average.

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com Tornado warning systems have decreased deaths in the United States resulting from these destructive storms, but the alerts might be leaving us vulnerable to twisters that strike at night, a scientist now warns. In the past century, tornado deaths have declined overall, in large part due to sophisticated forecasting technology and warning systems that give people in the path of a storm time to get to safety.