This is a big week in meteorological history. Friday is the 25th anniversary of the Plainfield tornado that killed 29 people…and it’s 10 years since hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans.
College of DuPage Meteorology professor Paul Sirvatka says researchers are still learning from the severe weather events. He says they sent a message that goes beyond the science of severe weather.
“The problem is, the sociological envy, maybe the emergency management preparedness side, was what was weak,” Sirvatka said. “People tend to underestimate the power of nature, and Katrina just brought back how amazing and how significant a Category 3 or higher hurricane can be.”
The Plainfield storm produced the only EF-5 tornado to touch down in Illinois. Sirvatka says, even 25 years later, he thinks of the Plainfield storm any time there’s severe weather in the region at this time of year.
