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Our Daily Planet: Alabama's EF-5 Tornado and Missouri Flooding

Each weekday morning, OurAmazingPlanet takes the pulse of the Earth, reporting on natural phenomena and exploration news from around the globe.

Alabama Tornado: An EF-5 tornado in Alabama is the second EF-5 twister among the estimated 250 tornadoes that struck the South last week. [Related: The Tornado Damage Scale in Images ]

Nashville Flood Anniversary: A year after flooding struck the Music City, most have been able to bounce back.

Missouri Flooding: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the green light to blast a levee along the Mississippi River to ease the flood risk to cities downstream. Not everyone is happy about the plan.

Loretan Dies: Famous Swiss mountain guide Erhard Loretan, known for summiting all 14 of the world's peaks above 26,247 feet (8,000 meters), died during a climbing accident.

Previously on Our Daily Planet: Alabama Tornado Photos and Royal Wedding Weather

Reach OurAmazingPlanet staff writer Brett Israel at bisrael@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @btisrael.

Brett Israel was a staff writer for Live Science with a focus on environmental issues. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from The University of Georgia, a master’s degree in journalism from New York University, and has studied doctorate-level biochemistry at Emory University.