The weekend began with a series of giant tornadoes tearing through Minnesota, destroying buildings and causing at least three deaths. The National Weather Service received 36 reports of tornado sightings which, if all are confirmed, would exceed the previous record of 27 tornadoes striking Minnesota in a single day, back in 1992.
Estimates of the volume of oil leaking each day into the Gulf of Mexico were revised upward as more information about the extent of the rig damage came to light. More Gulf Coast tourism and fishing businesses closed as a consequence of the environmental damage. USA Today published an excellent article about the disaster fatigue suffered by Gulf Coast residents who are “forever in recovery” as Katrina-inflicted damage is still with them even as they face the consequences of the oil spill.
The southern states experienced an extreme heat wave, with temperatures in the high 90s/100s. And summer doesn’t officially begin until tomorrow! We are in for a tough weather season. To get you thinking about updating your disaster recovery plan, check out the following article by Inc. magazine columnist Donna Fenn.