No matter where you live in America, there’s a tornado radar system in your region scanning the skies to keep you informed. But the aging technology, which dates back to 1988, is in desperate need of an upgrade.
Tornado activity across the U.S. is increasing, with more than 470 tornadoes reported through early April. The National Weather Service has also issued the most tornado warnings in nearly 40 years. In the first week of April, there were 487 warnings issued across 17 states in the path of 71 million Americans.
“We have to go about a process of replacing and upgrading our weather radars across the country,” said DaNa Carlis, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Severe Storms Laboratory.
Carlis helped design an upgrade called Phased Array Radar, which can scan the sky and send data back to forecasters every 30 to 60 seconds, he said. The update time for the current technology is about 4 to 6 minutes.
“Minutes matter when it comes to forecasting severe weather and tornadoes,” Carlis said.
The issue also hits close to home for Carlis. The existing technology was relatively new, when two tornadoes touched down near Tulsa, where he was in high school in 1993. Seven people died and 130 were injured.
CBS News was there when Carlis returned to his old high school and spoke to students about how the work his lab does could save lives.
“It’s going to be what allows us as the federal government to provie you information to protect yourself, protect your family and protect your property as well,” Carlis said.
That’s especially important because tornadoes are now occurring in every state, detected by NOAA’s nearly 160 radars.