As 2012 continues to unfold, what started as a relatively quiet year compared to last year's record-breaking natural disasters is beginning to get busier and deadlier. An above-normal number of tornadoes are again projected for 2012 and so far the preliminary count stands at almost 400 – more than doubling the number of tornadoes for the first quarter of the record-breaking 2011.
On March 2nd alone, severe thunderstorms led to one of the worst March tornado outbreaks in U.S. history, leaving massive destruction in their wake across parts of the Midwest and Southeast. At least 39 people were killed and hundreds of homes and businesses have been destroyed in nearly a dozen states.
Amidst these disasters, stories of success will surely emerge that underscore the value of fortifying buildings and homes against disasters, either through stronger building codes, investments in mitigation made by property owners, or both. Already on this front there is cause to celebrate the first ever adoption of a statewide building code in Alabama.
These are the success stories MitigationLeadership.com will continue to share with you in between our Risk Mitigation Leaderships Forums that will periodically address the science behind sound disaster preparedness public policy.
If you're new to our website, we invite you to explore the presentations from past Risk Mitigation Leadership Forums. They're an excellent resource to bring you up to speed on the latest scientific and policy advances to help protect America from disaster.
Stay tuned for information about the next Risk Mitigation Leadership Forum.