What We Can Learn from Societal Impacts Analysis -- Tornado Climatology and Society's Tornado Risk -- An Analysis of Tornado Casualties -- Tornado Warnings: How Doppler Radar, False Alarms, and Tornado Watches Affect Casualties -- Sheltering from the Storm: Evaluating Tornado Shelters as a Mitigations Investment -- Property Damage and Community Impacts of Tornadoes -- Going Forward: Using Societal Impacts Research to Reduce Tornado Risk.

For almost a decade, economists Kevin M. Simmons and Daniel Sutter have been studying the economic effects and social consequences of the approximately 1,200 tornadoes that touch down across the United States annually. During this time, they have compiled information from sources such as NOAA and the U.S. Census Bureau to examine the casualties caused by tornadoes and to evaluate the National Weather Service (NWS)’s efforts to reduce these casualties. Their unique database has enabled this fascinating and game-changing study for meteorologists, social scientists, emergency managers, and everyone studying severe weather, policy, disaster management, or applied economics.