The president didn"t have long to wait. Each spring, for as long as he could remember, Tornado Alley became active. Some years, there were a lot of storms but few twisters. The year had been quiet so far, but in mid-May, the warm weather across the southern tier of the U.S. had begun to produce tornadoes in clusters. Mornings were clear and warm, but as the days heated up, storm clouds and strong winds blew in. From the Gulf of Mexico to Pennsylvania, through the heartland, east to the Atlantic, storms appeared. Even early tropical storms had begun off the coast of Africa. Half the country was under cloud cover, tornadoes playing hide and seek with the stormchasers. Reports of damage came daily to the president"s desk, and he knew he would need to tour the areas most severely affected when
