Eric Robinson

In the weather community, few topics generate more buzz than weather modification. It has been the source of grand engineering ideas, among them tornado walls, armadas of mirror-laden ships, and hurricane-busting superbombs. And popular culture has glamorized the idea with futuristic devices that provide rain or shine at the touch of a button.

In 2011, a record was set for insured losses from severe thunderstorms. In all, more than USD 26 billion of losses left insurance companies wondering if they had underestimated nature's potential or—more importantly—if we were in the midst of a fundamental shift in the distribution of severe thunderstorm risk.

Over the last 85 years the number of people at risk from tornadoes has increased dramatically, yet the tornado fatality rate has dropped significantly. This is undoubtedly good news, but a bigger drop would be even better.