ASSESSING THE DAMAGE AFTER A SERIES OF SEVERE STORMS HIT THE STATE 2 WEEKS AGO.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS SO FAR REPORTED.

31 TORNADOES SURPASSING THE PREVIOUS DAILY RECORD OF 22 MEASURED JUST LAST YEAR.

WHILE THERE'S DEBATE OVER HOW THE STORMS SHOULD BE DEFINED, RESEARCHERS ARE LOOKING INTO THE FACTORS LEADING TO EXTREME WEATHER AND HOW TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES.

JOINING US WITH MORE ON THIS, OUR SCOTT COLLIS, A SCIENTIST AND DEPARTMENT HEAD AT THE ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY AND TRENT FORT, THE ILLINOIS STATE CLIMATOLOGIST.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

AND WELCOME BACK TO CHICAGO TONIGHT.

SCOTT, I'D LIKE TO START WITH YOU.

PLEASE.

ARE WE BETTER ABLE TO PREDICT TORNADOS OR IS IT MORE THAT WE IDENTIFY THE INGREDIENTS THAT FUEL THEM?

THE ANSWER IS, NEW TECHNOLOGY FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, INCLUDING ADVANCED UP THE RAIN OUT TO A PARLIAMENTARY GRADE.

A AND YOU WANT ON FULL COST TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED.

ALLOW US TO BOTH DETECT AND PREDICT WHAT KIND OF STORMS ARE GOING TO LEAD TO THE KIND OF CONDITIONS.

THE PRODUCE A TORNADO OUTBREAK THAT IT COULD IN CHICAGO AROUND JULY.

15TH.

SO WE CAN SORT OF SEE THESE INGREDIENTS IN THE MAKING AND BE ABLE TO WARN FOLKS, THAT'S CORRECT.

YOUNG PEOPLE IS THIS MISCONCEPTION THAT MORE TORNADOES HAPPEN IN THE U.S. THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD, WHICH VERY GOOD AT DETECTING THEM AND VERY, VERY GOOD AT WARNING FOR THEM.

NOW, TRENT, YOU KNOW, STORMS OF THIS SEVERITY, SHOULD WE BE EXPECTING MORE AND MORE OF THESE IN THE COMING YEARS OR WAS THIS A PARTICULARLY RARE STORM SYSTEM THAT WE SAW?

I THINK BOTH COULD BE THIS WAS AN EXTREME EVENT, AS YOU MENTIONED, THAT THE LARGEST SINGLE DAY TORNADO PHYSICIAN COUNTERED CHICO COUNTY WANT WARNING AND EXTREME NG, YOU NO MATTER WHAT THE RECORD BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE, THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND THINGS LIKE EXTREME EXTREME COLD, PRETTY AND THE EASY TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO REALLY SEVERE WEATHER.

I LIKE WHAT WE SAW WAS THIS KIND OF STORM STORMS CREATE TORNADOES.

HAIL.

CONNECTIONS ARE A BIT LESS WHAT WE DO SEE IS THAT OVER THE LAST 30, 40 YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN TRENDS OF INCREASING TORNADO ACTIVITY, ESPECIALLY EAST OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER, PARTICULARLY IN THE MID SOUTH.

BUT COMING UP IN THE MIDWEST AS WELL, WHETHER OR NOT THIS THE CLIMATE CHANGE IS TO BE A CONNECTION THAT NEEDS TO BE SOLIDIFIED AS WELL AS LOOKING AT PROJECTIONS INTO THE FUTURE.

SO AS AS GET MORE ADVANCES, COMPUTATION GOOD.

MORE ADVANCED WERE ABLE TO SEE MORE AND MORE OF THOSE CONNECTIONS.

WE'RE STARTING TO RESEARCH LAST 10 YEARS OR YOU LOSE TODAY, SOME OF THOSE CONNECTIONS THAT THERE MAY BE SOME CONNECTION BETWEEN TORNADO FREQUENCY, ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDWEST, MID SOUTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

I THINK A LOT MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO TO REALLY SOLIDIFY WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS IS CERTAINLY LOOK AT COMMUNITY PLANNING OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DECADES.

WHAT THAT MEANS FOR STORMS LIKE WHAT WE SAW IN JULY.

15TH.

YEAH.

AND WHAT MORE WOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR, TRENT?

YOU KNOW WHAT MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE THAT MIGHT HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT QUESTION A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

YES.

SO JUST USE A TERRIBLE THE TOOLS THAT WE USE.

WE'RE LOOKING AT PROJECTIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE FUTURE.

WE CAN THINK OF THOSE KIND OF BROAD SCALE TOOLS.

HATCHET, FOR EXAMPLE.

AND WHEN WE LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE A TORNADO OR A TORNADO PRODUCING SYSTEM, OFTENTIMES VERY FINE SCALE PROCESSES THAT LEAD TO THAT.

SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY REQUIRES MORE OF A SCALPEL KIND OF LOOKS RIGHT NOW.

SCIENTISTS ARE USING HATCHET FOR SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES MORE OF A SCALPEL.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE GOT TO GET DOWN OR MODELS IN THE COMPUTATION TO GET DOWN TO THE SCALES IN THE PROCESSEES THAT ARE ACTUALLY DRIVING THE STORMS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AND MORE AND MORE.

WE'RE ABLE TO GET CLOSE TO THEIR ACTUALLY.

SCOTT CAN TELL YOU ABOUT ALL THE WORK THEY'RE DOING ARE GONE WITH SUPERCOMPUTING AND OTHER MODELING SYSTEMS TO TRY TO GET DOWN TO THAT SCALE.

THE THE ADVANCEMENTS MADE OF THE LAST 10 ARE ARE UNPRECEDENTED.

I EXPECT THOSE THOSE ADVANCES TO ACCELERATE THE NEXT 10 YEARS.

SO OUR STAR RESEARCHERS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER.

BUT I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THAT RELATIONSHIP OR THAT THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND TORNADOES, TREE ACTIVITY IN THE U.S. IS SO CLEAR THAT WE CAN MAKE STATEMENTS TO SAY WE'LL EXPECT MORE JULY 15TH IN THE FUTURE.

FOR EXAMPLE.

WELL, I'M NOT A SCIENCE GUY.

SO EVEN IF IT'S A BAD ANALOGY, I WILL ABSOLUTELY TAKE A I MEAN, WHAT ABOUT THAT?

GOT TO ME, WHAT WHAT SORT OF WORK.

AND WE DOING IT.

YOU KNOW, THINGS I MAY BE PLAYING A ROLE IN THE MODELING HERE.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO KIND OF BUILDING WANT TRENT SAID IS AS WE KIND OF ZOOM IN FURTHER AND FOR THE WEEKEND WE START TO RESOLVE THESE FEATURES WILL THE LIVES OF THE FEATURE, THE EASIER IT IS BUILD THAT CONNECTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

HURRICANES, EASY, HEATWAVES, EASY.

LOT OF STORMS ARE COMPLETE.

HE WAS TOLD IS KIND OF COMES DOWN TO WARM A AND HOLDS MORE WATER.

IF YOU INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE OF A BY ONE DEGREE CELSIUS, 1.8 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

IT DOES.

THE AMOUNT OF WOULD HOPE GOES UP BY 7% TORNADOES AND THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT MAKE TORNADOES LOVE MOISTURE.

THEY NEED THAT MOISTURE TO PERSIST WHEN IT COMES TO A CITY LIKE CHICAGO.

AND BY THE WITH BUSTED THE YOU DO NOT GET TORNADOES.

COUPLE OF WAYS.

NOW GREW UP BELIEVING IT WRONG.

I WAS NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO HAVE HIGHER RESOLUTION STUDY, BASICALLY A BETTER DIGITAL CAMERA GIVES YOU MORE DETAIL.

WE ALSO NEED TO BUILD NEW PHYSICS INTO THE CLIMATE MODELS.

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICS OF CITIES, THE PHYSICS OF THESE SMALL SCALE STRUCTURES.

THE PHYSICS, FRANKLY, HAVE A LAKE INTERACTS WITH THE CITY AS WELL.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING AND ON THAT GROUPS, INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY ILLINOIS IN THAN A CHAMPAIGN ARE DOING IS TAKING THOSE NEW MEASURES TO BUILD THE NEW PHYSICS INTO THAT COMPUTER CODE THAT RUNS ON OUR OR A SUPERCOMPUTER.

WELL, AND SPEAKING OF, YOU KNOW, EXTREME HEAT WHICH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, TORNADOES GET A LOT OF ATTENTION, BUT EXTREME HEAT, WHICH WE KNOW IS DRIVEN BY CLIMATE CHANGE.

IS PRETTY DEADLY.

ANY WHAT KIND OF AN IMPACT IS THAT HAVING A PLACE LIKE CHICAGO EXTREME HATE?

IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE A BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE LIKE TWIST AS KUZ.

IT HAPPENED.

SLOW AND IT'S VERY AND SIP A IN THAT WAY.

IN THE 30 YEARS UP TO 2022, AROUND ABOUT 76 PEOPLE.

KILLED BY TORNADOES OVER 170 PEOPLE.

YEAH.

KILLED BY EXTREME HEAT AND EXTREME DISCRIMINATES BECAUSE IT WILL GO OFF TO THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.

THOSE WITHOUT ACCESS TO CONDITIONING, THOSE THAT CANNOT TAKE REST BREAKS AND THOSE WITH UNDERLYING COMORBIDITIES AT THE SAME TIME.

YEAH.

WELL, IT IN TREND.

THERE WERE NO DEATHS DURING THIS MONTH'S STORMS.

YOU KNOW, HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE TRACKING AND WARNING SYSTEMS WE HAVE AND IN PARTICULAR, WHAT'S THE POTENTIAL RISK IF THEY LOSE GOVERNMENT FUNDING AS SOME HAVE PROPOSED?

YEAH.

SO THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

WHAT SCOTT MENTIONED MAYBE SOME FOLKS HAVE GOING ON SCENE TWISTERS, RIGHT?

AND THOSE KIND OF MOVIES STAY SORT OF SCENARIO.

WELL, WE HAD A FEW MONDAYS AGO WAS CLOSE TO WE HAD DOZENS LITERALLY DOZENS OF TORNADOES IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA AT NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE ARE MORE VULNERABLE WITH A FAST-MOVING SYSTEM, MEANING THAT THE WARNING TIME WAS LESS THAN IT WOULD BE TIPPED FOR A TYPICAL KIND OF SLOW MOVING STORM SYSTEM.

AND YET THERE WERE NO DEATHS.

AND THAT'S NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT SOME SORT OF MIRACLE, THAT'S THE WORK OF RESOURCES AND RESEARCH AND JUST THE HARD WORK OF FOLKS, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COUNTY AND STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND IT'S GOT THOSE KIND OF EVENTS WE HAD A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT REALLY SHOW THE VALUE OF OF INVESTMENTS IN THOSE SERVICES, PARTICULARLY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

SO YOU WANT TO GET NICE DAYS LIKE SORT OF WHAT WE HAD TODAY A LITTLE BIT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE NICE DAYS WHEN YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT THE WEATHER TOO MUCH, WE CAN TAKE THOSE SERVICES FOR GRANTED, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE WE DEDICATE THE RESOURCES AND APPRECIATION TO NATIONAL ISSUES THAT IT DESERVES BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE ANOTHER EVENT LIKE WHAT WE HAD COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WARNINGS ARE ACCURATE.

THEY'RE TIMELY AND THEY CAN GET A SAFE.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED ON MONDAY LAST MONDAY.

AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN DEDICATE THOSE RESOURCES TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER IS JUST AS PARAMOUNT.

IT'S THESE KIND OF EVENTS THAT REALLY SHOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS SKY.

WE'VE GOT ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT.

I KNOW, YOU KNOW, LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES ARE OFTEN HIT HARDEST BY SEVERE WEATHER LIKE TORNADOES.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO TO TRY MITIGATE THAT, TO PROTECT THOSE ILLINOIS AND IN A CHANGING CLIMATE?

IT'S VITAL THAT WE HAVE A JUST TRANSITION TO CLIMATE RESILIENCY BECAUSE THIS WAS A TERRIBLE TORNADO OUTBREAK, BUT IS PROBABLY ONE OF US WINS SO FAST.

SO BUILDING RESILIENCE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT COMMUNITIES.

WELL, ANDERSON, BUILDING CELL TO SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE SHELTER JUNE.

THESE EVENTS GOING FOR IS SUPER