Storm season proves rare

By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

This year's storm season has been active and deadly and while that may be nothing new for Oklahoma, the violent weather is getting a high amount of national attention.

Forecasters said there is one thing that is unusual and uneasy about this storm season.

Saturday's tornado that tore through McAlester is the latest in a series of storms hitting neighborhoods packed with people.

Stories of survival and images of death are leaving their mark on the 2008 storm season, but forecasters said the number of tornadoes is not what's unique this year; it's where the storms are hitting.

"It changes the landscape of everything when you get a monster tornado going through populated areas," NEWS 9 Meteorologist Michael Armstrong said. "Like I said there has been other years that have been just as bad, it's just the tornados didn't go though populated areas."

The nation is now turning its attention to this weekend's severe weather in Oklahoma and others states.

NEWS 9 Storm Tracker Alan Broerse, who chased the McAlester storm, said the recent tornado outbreak in the metro is evidence of what's sure to be a memorable season.

"Last Monday we had an F-0 go through the Norman area, just south of Norman and we had tornados in Oklahoma City and Edmond, so it's a very active year," Broerse said. "Even though the tornados aren't large, we're still having them."

Unfortunately, forecasters said there's no way of telling if the rest of this season, which runs until late June, will be just as active as it's been in recent weeks.

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