Causes and effects of extremely active severe weather year

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Almost every corner of Michiana has been impacted by severe weather this year, though hopefully we see a slowdown through the month of September.

“We've issued 820 of the local storm reports. So, it, is, it has been busy. That is the highest ever that we have right now. The next closest was back, looks like 580 reports. That was back in 2010.”

Lonnie Fisher from the National Weather Service says this year has blown other active years out of the water.

The numbers from 2010 were for the entire year, we have greatly exceeded them in nine months. That number covers the entire warning area for the Northern Indiana office which stretches from La Porte County to Lima, Ohio.

Even then, it shows the magnitude of these storms Michiana has seen through this year.

Severe storms can form anywhere, and this year, Michiana has seen the right combination of ingredients.

We have seen some hot stretches in our area, but when it comes to severe weather formation, it truly isn't the heat, it's the humidity.

“Nobody in the state of Indiana, I think, has hit 100 degrees yet, but we have been very humid in comparison to past years. A lot more humidity, which, you know, that's one of the key ingredients we need for severe weather.”

Fisher says the available moisture makes storms more likely to form and dump a lot of rain in some areas. Fisher also says most of the systems we’ve seen recently are from a repeating set of circumstances.

“We've been on the edge of these areas of high pressure that as we kind of call the 'Ring of Fire' sometimes that, you know, the storms just like to track through here, and we've just, for whatever reason, kind of been lined up.”

Part of the reason we've been seeing the jet stream funnel "Ring of Fire" systems in the right spot for severe weather formation in the Great Lakes region could be the strong El Nino the Pacific Ocean has been experiencing. However, more research will have to be done for that to truly be a contending factor.

“Just how much of an influence, we're not 100 percent sure, but that is definitely something that we've kind of considered here.”

Of course, the severe season is never truly over here in Michiana, and while we may be seeing some quieter conditions at the moment, the best way to stay safe, is to stay updated.

Multiple ways of getting weather alerts and information are imperative.