Free radicals are normal and necessary to some degree. In addition to causing some damage, they also stimulate repair. It is only when so many free radicals are produced, and they overwhelm the repair processes, that it becomes an issue. That is what we call oxidative stress.
1 There were 178 fatalities in May (158 of those in the Joplin EF-5 tornado alone). 2  The record number of tornadoes during the month of May was 542 tornadoes set in May 2003.  The average number of tornadoes for the month of May during the past decade is 298.
As the storm swept across a large part of the U.S., the overall death toll was at least 28, with 11 killed in the South on Monday and 17 in the central region on Sunday. On Tuesday morning, many woke to sirens, tornado warnings, damaged property and downed trees. Forecasts showed Georgia as the next likely target, with 89 counties under a tornado watch until 11 a.m. Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee were hit with the brunt of the storm Monday.