Florida takes No. 1 spot for U.S. tornado deaths
WASHINGTON — Oklahoma and Kansas may have the reputation as tornado hot spots, but Florida and the rest of the Southeast are far more vulnerable to killer twisters, a new analysis shows.
Florida leads the country in deaths calculated per mile a tornado races along the ground, followed by Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio and Alabama, according to an analysis of the past three decades by the federal Southeast Regional Climate Center at the University of North Carolina.
That’s because Florida is No. 1 in so many factors that make tornadoes more risky: mobile homes, the elderly and the poor, said center director Charles Konrad II, who headed the new work.
“People are just much more vulnerable in a mobile home than they are in a regular home,” he said.
Afghanis vote today on new president
KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghans choose a new president today in a runoff election between two candidates who both promise to improve ties with the West, combat corruption and guide the nation with a steadier hand than outgoing leader Hamid Karzai.
The Taliban, who have intensified attacks ahead of the vote, issued a new warning to stay away from the polls.
Afghan troops stepped up security sharply, erecting more checkpoints, searching cars and banning trucks from the streets of the capital, Kabul.
With the insurgency showing no signs of weakening as foreign combat troops prepare to withdraw at the end of the year, the winner will have the task of bolstering Afghanistan’s security forces while weighing the possibility of a negotiated peace with the militants.
The new president will have to find a way to improve the nation’s infrastructure at a time when international aid for Afghanistan is drying up.
Associated Press
