8 Dead in Wake of Tornadoes, Historic Flooding

Just days since the last outbreak of tornadoes ripped through Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado, a new round of destructive twisters was unleashed on the Midwest this weekend, affecting a huge swath of the country from Iowa to Michigan, according to CNN. Historic flooding followed in their wake, and at least eight people have been reported dead from the severe weather.

Parts of Indiana were inundated with 10 inches or more of rain, leading to record flooding that exceeded the deluge of the Great Indiana Flood of 1913, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey. Nearly 20 streams remain above flood stage Monday morning, and more rain is expected tonight.

There had been 1,258 tornadoes reported through May, a tally that nearly matches the 10-year average for an entire calendar year, according to Storm Prediction Center data. While the figure is inflated because some storms are reported twice, storm watchers say this is an extraordinary, if not unprecedented, tornado season.

The latest storms have not yet been tallied.

The 112 reported deaths through May are significantly more than the death count seen in recent years. The 2008 tornado season is the deadliest in a decade and on pace to be the deadliest ever recorded in the United States.

This could be a harbinger of things to come. Some scientists have warned that global warming will create conditions that make violent tornadoes more frequent. They have also warned that rain storms will be more violent and dramatic, with intense bursts of rain like those seen in Indiana more common than slow soaks.

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