What states are included in Tornado Alley?
Tornadoes in the United States
The Midwestern states are very prone to tornado activity, as they are part of "Tornado Alley." States included in the area that are hit by tornadoes the most are Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. The Midwestern States are often hit by tornadoes during the late spring and early summer months, especially the months of May and June. This is due to the aforementioned air mass moving northward into the Midwest and combining with another air mass that move southward from Canada. This creates unstable air, creating the potential for storms to strike the most during these months. The frequency begins to decrease in the middle of the summer, as the air mass moves northward into the Great Lakes states.
Tornado climatology
July is the peak month in Austria, Finland, and Germany. On average, there are around 294 tornadoes throughout the United States during the month of May, and as many as 543 tornadoes have been reported in the month of May alone (in 2003). The months with the fewest tornadoes are usually December and January, although major tornado outbreaks can and sometimes do occur even in those months. In general, in the Midwestern and Plains states, springtime (especially the month of May) is the most active season for tornadoes, while in the far northern states (like Minnesota and Wisconsin), the peak tornado season is usually in the summer months (June and July). In the colder late autumn and winter months (from early December to late February), tornado activity is generally limited to the southern states, where it is possible for warm Gulf of Mexico air to penetrate.
Tornado (ProSlide ride)
The first Tornado slides opened at Mountain Creek Waterpark, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor: New England and Splashin' Safari in 2003. To this date, ProSlide has installed 97 Tornados.
Tornadoes of 2009
On April 10 (Good Friday), the storm system moved east into the Tennessee Valley and eventually into the Carolinas during the night. The Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk of severe weather for sections of the Tennessee Valley, Gulf Coast states and into the southern Appalachians region. As the system moved across the lower Ohio Valley area, a line of thunderstorms started to produce tornadoes in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. One of the tornadoes that struck Tennessee was an EF4 that killed two people in Murfreesboro. Portions of the moderate risk area in northeastern Alabama, northwestern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee were upgraded to a high risk at 1:44 pm CDT (1844 UTC). The thunderstorms moved southeast across much of South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. They produced tornadoes in northeastern and central sections of Alabama. One area of thunderstorms produced a long-tracked tornado that moved from Grovetown, Georgia, through Augusta and ended in Ellenton, South Carolina. The tornado moved across Augusta but missed the Augusta National Golf Club where the Masters Tournament was taking place during the weekend.
Moore, Oklahoma
Moore itself has seen ten tornadoes between 1998 and 2015, three of them big enough to claim lives and cause catastrophic damage. The city of Moore was damaged by significant tornadoes on October 4, 1998; May 3, 1999; May 8, 2003; May 10, 2010; and May 20, 2013, with weaker tornadoes striking at other times, notably May 31, 2013 and March 25, 2015. Moore is located in Tornado Alley, a colloquial term for the area of the United States where tornadoes are most frequent. About 20 tornadoes occurred in the immediate vicinity of Moore from 1890 to 2013. The most significant tornadoes to hit Moore occurred in 1893, 1999, and 2013.
Tornado Alley (book)
Tornado Alley is a collection of short stories and one poem by Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs, written during the later years of his career and first published in 1989. The first edition of the book included illustrations by S. Clay Wilson.
Tornado Alley
Another third of Canadian tornadoes strike Southern Ontario, especially in the region halfway between the Great Lakes from Lake St. Clair to Ottawa. This happens because tornadoes in this region are triggered or augmented by lake breeze fronts from Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Georgian Bay. Tornadoes do not often hit lake shadow regions, although they are not unknown, and some, such as the 2011 Goderich, Ontario tornado, have been violent. However, most Ontario tornadoes are concentrated in a narrow corridor from Windsor and Sarnia through London, and then northeast to Barrie and Ottawa. Tornadoes up to EF4 in strength have been documented in this region.
Emergency management in American universities
A tornado is a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Although the weather channel can sometimes attempt to predict when an tornado will hit and where, sometimes they occur with little or no time for a warning to be given. Generally tornadoes occur near the trailing end of a thunderstorm and can sometimes be seen forming. It is a common misconception that tornadoes only occur in areas like Tornado Alley, however they have been observed on every continent except Antarctica. Since Tornadoes have the ability to strike quickly with no warning and cause extreme devastation American universities are learning to be aware of their vulnerability and risk. All Universities prepare for the worse even if tornadoes do not typically happen in their vicinity.
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is situated on the edge of the "Tornado Alley", a broad region where cold air from the Rocky Mountains in Canada collides with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the formation of powerful storms especially during the spring. A few areas of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area have had some severe outbreaks of tornadoes at different points in the past, including the Ruskin Heights tornado in 1957, and the May 2003 tornado outbreak sequence. The region can also fall victim to the sporadic ice storm during the winter months, such as the 2002 ice storm during which hundreds of thousands lost power for days and (in some cases) weeks. Kansas City and its outlying areas are also subject to flooding, including the Great Flood of 1993 and the Great Flood of 1951.
Nebraska
Nebraska is located in Tornado Alley. Thunderstorms are common during both the spring and the summer. Violent thunderstorms and tornadoes happen primarily during those two seasons, although they also can occur occasionally during the autumn. The chinook winds from the Rocky Mountains provide a temporary moderating effect on temperatures in the state's western portion during the winter.
Dixie Alley
Dixie Alley is part of a region of enhanced tornadic activity extending between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, but tornadoes and outbreaks in the Dixie Alley region exhibit some statistically distinguishable characteristics than the more well known Tornado Alley. Tornadic storms in Dixie Alley are most often high precipitation supercells due to an increase of moisture from proximity to the nearby Gulf of Mexico. The Dixie Alley tornadoes accompanying the HP supercells are often partially or fully wrapped in rain visually impairing the tornadoes to storm spotters and chasers, law enforcement, and the public. Increases of warmth and instability in conjunction with strong wind shear in the Dixie Alley region impacts the times when tornadoes form. In the traditional Tornado Alley, tornadoes most often form from the mid afternoon to early evening. Dixie Alley's instability can be maintained long after sunset due to being adjacent to the Gulf, increasing the frequency of intense nighttime and early morning tornadoes. There is also a less focused tornado season which tends to be most active in early spring and late autumn but can continue throughout the winter and into late spring, which can lead to complacency among residents of the region. The region often is subject to tornadoes much earlier than the general national peak from May and June, usually from February to Mid-April, and several notorious outbreaks have struck during the late winter and early spring and also in late fall. The complacency situation was noted after the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak in February 2008 that hit the Dixie Alley killing 57 people, many people indicated that they had underestimated the threat of severe weather on that day since it was well before the peak of tornado season.
Tornadoes of 2016
Scattered tornadoes occurred across the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Michigan during a two-day period. Most of these tornadoes remained over open country, though a few caused damage. On August 27, a large EF1 tornado tossed small trailers, destroyed a small barn, and snapped and uprooted many trees near Emerado, North Dakota. An EF3 tornado near Hillsboro ripped the roof and exterior walls from a well-built house, severely damaged a grain elevator, and destroyed half of a metal building. The following night, a multiple-vortex EF2 tornado snapped numerous trees and power poles, completely destroyed a barn, and caused considerable roof and wall damage to two homes near Gary, Minnesota. Eight tornadoes were confirmed in total.
Tornado
The United States has the most tornadoes of any country, nearly four times more than estimated in all of Europe, excluding waterspouts. This is mostly due to the unique geography of the continent. North America is a large continent that extends from the tropics north into arctic areas, and has no major east-west mountain range to block air flow between these two areas. In the middle latitudes, where most tornadoes of the world occur, the Rocky Mountains block moisture and buckle the atmospheric flow, forcing drier air at mid-levels of the troposphere due to downsloped winds, and causing the formation of a low pressure area downwind to the east of the mountains. Increased westerly flow off the Rockies force the formation of a dry line when the flow aloft is strong, while the Gulf of Mexico fuels abundant low-level moisture in the southerly flow to its east. This unique topography allows for frequent collisions of warm and cold air, the conditions that breed strong, long-lived storms throughout the year. A large portion of these tornadoes form in an area of the central United States known as Tornado Alley. This area extends into Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairie Provinces, although southeast Quebec, the interior of British Columbia, and western New Brunswick are also tornado-prone. Tornadoes also occur across northeastern Mexico.
St. Louis tornado history
These tables describe the tornado history for Greater St. Louis. In Missouri, this includes the counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin, and Jefferson. In Illinois, this includes the counties of Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe. Data for the independent city of St. Louis is not part of these tables unless part of the path of the tornado striking these counties also struck the city.
Climate of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City has a very active severe weather season from March through June, especially during April and May. Located in the center of a region colloquially known as Tornado Alley, Oklahoma City is prone to especially frequent and severe tornadoes, as well as very severe hailstorms and occasional derechoes. Tornadoes have occurred in every month of the year in Oklahoma City, and a secondary smaller peak also occurs during the early autumn, especially in mid-September to late-October. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is one of the most tornado-prone major cities in the world, with about 150 tornadoes striking within the city limits since 1890. Since the time weather records have been kept, Oklahoma City has been struck by thirteen violent tornadoes, eleven F/EF4's and two F/EF5's. On May 3, 1999 parts of southern Oklahoma City and nearby suburbs suffered one of the most powerful tornadoes on record, an F5 on the Fujita scale, with wind speeds estimated by radar at . On May 20, 2013, far southwest Oklahoma City, along with Newcastle and Moore, was hit again by another EF5 tornado; that one was wide and killed 23 people. On May 31 of that same year, another outbreak affected the Oklahoma City area, including an EF1 and an EF0 within the city and a tornado several miles west of the city that was in width, the widest tornado ever recorded, and it, as was the May 3, 1999 F5, was one of the most powerful tornadoes on record.
Tornado Alley
Although the official boundaries of Tornado Alley are not clearly defined, its core extends from northern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, into South Dakota and extends into Canada.
Estelline, Texas
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Estelline has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
Estelline, Texas is often referred to as being located at the core of Tornado Alley. Over the years, the location(s) of Tornado Alley have not been clearly defined. No official definition of 'tornado alley' or the geographical area of tornado alley has ever been designated by the National Weather Service Thus, differences of location are the result of the different criteria used.
Tri-State Tornado
It was a widespread outbreak with severe thunderstorms occurring as far east as Ohio, as far southwest as Louisiana, and as far southeast as Georgia. Strong thunderstorms were reported in a broad area that also included parts of Oklahoma, Michigan, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Numerous reports of hail and straight-line winds were reported with up to diameter hail recorded (for reference, a softball is in diameter). What began in the early-mid afternoon as discrete supercell thunderstorms eventually consolidated into a potent squall line.
Tornado outbreak of April 2, 2006
The Tornado outbreak of April 2, 2006 was a series of tornadoes that occurred during the late afternoon and evening of April 2, 2006, in the central United States. It was the second major outbreak of 2006, in the same area that suffered considerable destruction in a previous outbreak on March 11 and March 12, as well as an outbreak on November 15, 2005. The most notable tornadoes of the outbreak struck northeastern Arkansas, the Missouri Bootheel, and West Tennessee, where several communitiesincluding Marmaduke, Arkansas, Caruthersville, Missouri, and Newbern, Tennessee suffered devastating damage. In total, 66 tornadoes touched down across seven states, which is the most in a single day in 2006. In addition, there were over 850 total severe weather reports, including many reports of straight-line winds exceeding hurricane force and hail as large as softballs, which caused significant additional damage in a nine-state region.
Canada Tornado Alley
In the Canadian Tornado Alley in Central/Western Canada, warm, humid air from the United States meets cool, dry air from Northern Canada and the Rocky Mountains. This creates an ideal environment for severe thunderstorms which could produce tornadoes. In the Great Lakes region towards the St. Lawrence River, severe thunderstorms which could produce tornadoes forms from warm, humid air from the United States and cooler air across the Great Lakes, these are triggered alongside lake-breeze fronts. The amount of precipitation in storms around the Great Lakes is normally more than the prairies as the warm temperatures and Great Lakes fuel the storms with heavy precipitation right from the lakes.
Tornado Alley
The tornado alleys in the southeastern U.S., notably the lower Mississippi Valley and the upper Tennessee Valley, are sometimes called by the nickname "Dixie Alley", coined in 1971 by Allen Pearson, former director of the National Severe Storms Forecasting Center (NSSFC).
Tornado climatology
Europe has about 300 tornadoes per year – much more than estimated by Alfred Wegener in his classic book "Wind- und Wasserhosen in Europa" ("Tornadoes and Waterspouts in Europe"). They are most common in June–August, especially in the inlands – rarest in January–March. Strong and violent tornadoes (F3–F5) do occur, especially in some of the interior areas and in the south – but are not as common as in parts of the US. As in the US, tornadoes are far from evenly distributed. Europe has some small "tornado alleys" – probably because of frontal collisions as in the south and east of England, but also because Europe is partitioned by mountain ranges like the Alps. Parts of Styria (Steiermark) in Austria may be such a tornado alley, and this county has had at least three F3 tornadoes since 1900. F3 and perhaps one F4 tornado have occurred as far north as Finland.
Climate of Houston
Unlike Dallas, Houston is not in Tornado Alley; however, smaller tornadoes can occur during severe weather. They are most likely to be found along frontal boundaries of an air mass during the spring months. Tornadoes in Houston usually measure a weak F1 on the older Fujita scale and cause light to moderate damage to well-constructed buildings. The strongest recorded tornado in Houston history was an F4 on November 21, 1992, part of a large outbreak of tornadoes in Harris County.
Tornado Chasers (TV series)
Tornado Chasers is an American documentary series that premiered on September 19, 2012 on TVNweather.com. The program follows Reed Timmer and his team of storm chasers as they attempt to intercept tornadoes in Tornado Alley in the United States and Canada. Season 2, funded largely through a successful Kickstarter campaign, commenced on September 30, 2013. The series is a two-time Webby Award Honoree, once for Best Documentary Series in 2013, and again for Best Editing ("Home, Part 2") in 2014.
Michigan
The state averages 30 days of thunderstorm activity per year. These can be severe, especially in the southern part of the state. The state averages 17 tornadoes per year, which are more common in the state's extreme southern section. Portions of the southern border have been almost as vulnerable historically as states further west and in Tornado Alley. For this reason, many communities in the very southern portions of the state have tornado sirens to warn residents of approaching tornadoes. Farther north, in Central Michigan, Northern Michigan, and the Upper Peninsula, tornadoes are rare.
List of 2008 Minnesota tornadoes
The following is a list of 2008 Minnesota tornadoes. Minnesota is a state located in the North Central United States along the northern edge of Tornado Alley, and on average receives 24 tornadoes per year. 2008 was a more active year historically, with 43 confirmed tornado touchdowns. Thirty-eight of the tornadoes (or 88%) were considered "minor", rated EF0 or EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The remaining five tornadoes were rated as "significant", at EF2 or EF3.
Tornado Alley
The term "tornado alley" was first used in 1952 by U.S. Air Force meteorologists Major Ernest J. Fawbush (1915–1982) and Captain Robert C. Miller (1920–1998) as the title of a research project to study severe weather in parts of Texas and Oklahoma.
Canada Tornado Alley
The Canadian Tornado Alley(s) is a term describing a tornado-prone region in Canada. In Canada, the word is rarely used when compared to that of the United States where their "Tornado Alley" is largely a media-driven term.
Tornado climatology
Tornadoes have been recorded on all continents except Antarctica and are most common in the middle latitudes where conditions are often favorable for convective storm development. The United States has the most tornadoes of any country, as well as the strongest and most violent tornadoes. A large portion of these tornadoes form in an area of the central United States popularly known as Tornado Alley. Other areas of the world that have frequent tornadoes include significant portions of Europe, South Africa, Philippines, Bangladesh, parts of Argentina, Uruguay, and southern and southeast Brazil, northern Mexico, New Zealand, and far eastern Asia.
Tornado
In the United States, 80% of tornadoes are EF0 and EF1 (T0 through T3) tornadoes. The rate of occurrence drops off quickly with increasing strength—less than 1% are violent tornadoes (EF4, T8 or stronger). Outside Tornado Alley, and North America in general, violent tornadoes are extremely rare. This is apparently mostly due to the lesser number of tornadoes overall, as research shows that tornado intensity distributions are fairly similar worldwide. A few significant tornadoes occur annually in Europe, Asia, southern Africa, and southeastern South America, respectively.
Dixie Alley
Although tornadoes are less frequent in these states than they are in the southern Plains, the southeastern states have had more tornado-related deaths than any of the Plains states (excluding Texas). This is in part due to the relatively high number of strong/violent long tracked tornadoes and higher population density of this region, as well as the Southern United States having the highest percentage of manufactured homes in the US, where 63% of the overall tornado-related fatalities occur. According to the National Climatic Data Center, for the period January 1, 1950 – October 31, 2006, Alabama and Kansas received the largest amount of F5 tornadoes. Complicating matters is that tornadoes are rarely visible in this area, as they are more likely to be rain-wrapped, embedded in shafts of heavy rain, and that the hilly topography and heavily forested landscape makes them difficult to see.
Harrah, Oklahoma
Oklahoma is located in a temperate region and experiences occasional extremes of temperature and precipitation typical of a continental climate. Harrah lies in an area known as Tornado Alley characterized by frequent interaction between cold and warm air masses producing severe weather. An average of 54 tornadoes strike the state per year.
Tornadoes of 2006
Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall on June 13, but was producing squalls well before then. Alberto's bands produced a small tornado event in the southeastern United States. There were 16 tornadoes reported; four in Florida, three in Georgia, six in South Carolina and three in North Carolina. At least seven of the tornadoes were confirmed; one was an F1 and the rest were F0. One person suffered minor injuries in one of the tornadoes.
Tornadoes of 2015
On April 2, upper-level southwesterly flow overspread the Ozarks and Ohio River Valley, where an Enhanced risk for severe weather was introduced by the SPC. A surface low tracked into Ontario, supporting a cold front down into southern Missouri. Throughout the afternoon hours, a shortwave trough tracked across the Central Plains, providing ample lift for the development of severe thunderstorms. Several weak tornadoes were recorded. On April 3, the Enhanced risk shifted southeast, encompassing portions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. An EF2 tornado tracked north of Pomona, Missouri, in the pre-dawn hours, damaging or destroying several buildings. Several tornadoes of lesser intensity were observed farther east.
Geography of Oklahoma
Oklahoma sits at a frequent crossroads between three different air masses: warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico; warm to hot, dry air from Mexico and the Southwestern U.S.; and cold, dry air from Canada. Especially from fall to spring, Oklahoma sees frequent air mass changes, which can produce drastic swings in both temperature and humidity. Much of the state is often subjected to extremes in temperature, wind, drought, and rainfall. Most of the state lies in an area known as Tornado Alley characterized by frequent interaction between cold and warm air masses, producing severe weather, with the highest-risk months from April to June. An average of 62 tornadoes strike the state per year, making that one of the highest rates in the world. Due to its position between zones of differing prevailing temperature and winds, weather patterns within the state can vary widely between relatively short distances. Precipitation occurs year-round, but average monthly precipitation is generally lowest in the winter months, rises dramatically to a peak in May (the year's wettest month virtually statewide, owing to frequent, and not uncommonly severe, thunderstorm activity), and decreases again by mid-summer, when long stretches of hot, dry weather are common in July and August many years. Early to mid fall (September and October) often sees a secondary precipitation maximum. From late October to December, precipitation generally decreases again.
History of the Kansas City metropolitan area
Although the Kansas City area, which is in Tornado Alley, is usually hit with at least one and often many more tornadoes each year, two major non-tornadic storms had profound effects on the city. On September 12, 1977, following a soggy summer, of rain fell on Kansas City, causing severe flooding across the entire region. The most dramatic flooding was in the Country Club Plaza neighborhood, along Brush Creek. The storm killed 25 people, and caused nearly $100 million in property damage. On June 4, 1979, a severe thunderstorm that moved through the city that evening collapsed the roof of Kemper Arena. As the area was not holding an event that night, no one was injured at the facility. Initial reports indicated that the collapse was the result of a downburst. However, an investigation later revealed that heavy rain from the storm had collected on the arena's roof, to the point where the supports were unable to handle the weight of the pooled water coupled with high winds that rocked its exterior skeleton. The arena was repaired and reopened in early 1980.
Tornado outbreak of April 9–11, 2011
On April 10, another moderate risk was issued. A PDS Tornado Watch was issued for parts of Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa, as well as most of Wisconsin. With 16 confirmed tornadoes in Wisconsin, the outbreak ranks as the largest single-day event in April in the state. Severe damage occurred in the towns of Merrill, Kaukauna, and Cottonville. On the evening of April 10, a number of tornado watches and warning were issued stretching from southern Oklahoma to Sault. Ste. Marie, Michigan as well as central Ontario which became Canada's first tornado watch of the season. Thunderstorm watches and warnings were also reported as far away as northern and northwestern Ontario.
Accompanying the tornadoes, large hail and high winds also impacted parts of the Midwest. Initially, these events associated with the outbreak were confined to Iowa and parts of Nebraska and Minnesota on April 9. In Iowa, hail was measured up to in diameter, resulting in some damage to homes and cars. On April 10, a large line of severe storms produced damage from northern Minnesota southward to the Texas-Mexico border. Most damage along this line resulted from straight-line winds; however, Wisconsin, diameter hail in La Crosse broke windows, dented cars and damaged homes. Roughly 3,200 insurance claims worth $12 million were later made in the city. Elsewhere in the state, winds up to downed numerous trees and power lines and in some instances tore roofs of buildings.
Manitoba
Southern parts of the province just north of Tornado Alley, experience tornadoes, with 16 confirmed touchdowns in 2016. In 2007, on 22 and 23 June, numerous tornadoes touched down, the largest an F5 tornado that devastated parts of Elie (the strongest recorded tornado in Canada).
South Dakota
South Dakota summers bring frequent, sometimes severe, thunderstorms with high winds, thunder, and hail. The state's eastern part is often considered part of Tornado Alley, and South Dakota experiences an average of 30 tornadoes each year. Severe blizzards and ice storms occur often during winter.
Climate of the United States
In the lower Midwest (and southern Plains states, especially), temperatures can rise or drop rapidly; winds can be extreme; and clashing air masses, including hot, dry air of Mexican and/or Southwestern origin, warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold, dry air from Canada can spawn severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, particularly from April to June. The "dryline," separating hot, dry air of Mexican/Southwestern U.S. origin from warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, often causes severe, occasionally violent, thunderstorms to fire in central and eastern Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas; these sometimes contribute toward the hailstorms and tornado outbreaks that the Southern Plains are well known for. Reflecting these air-mass conflicts, central Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City and Moore-Norman areas, has the highest frequency of tornadoes per unit land area on planet Earth, with May the highest-risk month for tornadoes throughout "Tornado Alley," from northern Texas north-northeastward toward western and central Iowa.
Tornadoes in the United States
Florida is one of the most tornado prone states, with only Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma reporting more storms. During the period 1950 to 2006, Florida reported 2,884 tornadoes according to NCDC figures. However, Florida tornadoes are usually weak in comparison with those that strike the Plains and the Southern states – there have been only four reports of F4 strength tornadoes since 1950 and none of F5 strength. Florida experiences more thunderstorms than any other state but fewer supercell storms. Florida tornadoes are more often spawned by the frequent ordinary thunderstorms that occur over the state. Hurricanes and other tropical storms can generate large numbers of tornadoes. Non-supercell tornadoes are rarely as strong as supercell-generated storms.
Tornadoes of 2016
On April 26 and 27, a large but weak tornado outbreak occurred across a large portion of the Great Plains. On the afternoon of April 26, the Storm Prediction Center issued a PDS tornado watch for most of the state of Oklahoma as well as portions of central Texas. A 10% hatched risk area for tornadoes extended from Nebraska to Texas, and multiple intense tornadoes were expected. However, the wind profile that evening did not support sustained supercell thunderstorms. As a result, only scattered weak tornadoes occurred, though EF1 tornadoes caused minor to moderate damage in parts of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Weak tornado activity continued the following day in Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky, including an EF0 and an EF1 that caused minor damage in the western part of Omaha. An early morning EF0 blew a large tree over onto a mobile home near Tomball, Texas, killing an elderly woman inside. Overall, the outbreak produced at least 57 tornadoes and one death.
List of tornadoes in the tornado outbreak of May 18–21, 2013
The severe threat shifted towards damaging straight-line winds on May 21 as a large squall line developed across the southern states. Further north in Ontario, three tornadoes, including an EF2, touched down. Over the following five days, the system responsible for the outbreak moved very little across the Eastern United States. By May 24, it virtually stalled off the coast of New England, resulting in several days of heavy rain across the region. It later moved northeastward and was last noted by the Weather Prediction Center late on May 26 over southeastern Canada. During the storm's eleven-day trek across the United States, it produced at least 60 tornadoes, four of which were rated EF3 or higher. Over 1,000 reports of damaging winds were received by the Storm Prediction Center as well. The system's slow movement also resulted in record-breaking rains in North Dakota, New York, and Vermont. Additionally, during the overnight of May 25 – 26, unusually cold air behind the cyclone resulting in record-late snows across northern New England.
Tornado
Tornadoes occur most frequently in North America, particularly in central and southeastern regions of the United States colloquially known as tornado alley, as well as in Southern Africa, northwestern and southeast Europe, western and southeastern Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh and adjacent eastern India, and southeastern South America. Tornadoes can be detected before or as they occur through the use of Pulse-Doppler radar by recognizing patterns in velocity and reflectivity data, such as hook echoes or debris balls, as well as through the efforts of storm spotters.
List of United States tornadoes from January to March 2017
From January to March 2017, various weather forecast offices of the National Weather Service confirmed at least 399 tornadoes across the United States, activity well beyond climatological norms. Based on the 1991–2010 average, the first month of the year is expected to see 35 tornadoes, with 29 occurring in February and 80 forming throughout March. In 2017, however, the count for the first three months was 135, 70, and 194, respectively. Activity began with the development of an EF1 tornado north of Jasper, Texas at 15:03 UTC on January 2. The latest storm of the period was an EF1 that touched down southeast of Powellsville, North Carolina at 22:15 UTC on March 31. The strongest tornado, an EF4, carved a path of destruction from Perryville, Missouri to southwest of Christopher, Illinois. Meanwhile, the deadliest tornado of the period was of EF3 intensity that destroyed a mobile home park south of Adel, Georgia, killing 11 people.
Tornado myths
It is often thought that tornadoes only occur in North America. The majority of recorded tornadoes do occur in the United States; however, tornadoes have been observed on every continent except Antarctica.
Tornadoes of 2007
More severe weather is expected on October 18 across the Ohio Valley and the Great Lakes region. Another moderate risk has been issued with tornadoes the main threat. Tornadoes are also possible across the Southern US, particularly the Gulf Coast. The activity began quickly in the southern threat area, and an EF1 tornado took place in the downtown area of Pensacola, Florida. Damage was reported to many buildings in the downtown core, as well as a section of Cordova Mall. Electricity was cut in the area. No injuries were reported. In total, at least 30 tornadoes have been reported so far on October 18 and at least 18 have been confirmed. The hardest-hit state has been Kentucky, where many tornadic supercells formed between Paducah and Louisville, and WFIE has reported many injuries and possible fatalities in numerous communities. At least one person was confirmed dead in Owensboro, Kentucky. However, the National Weather Service has only confirmed minor injuries. Another major tornado has been reported near Nappanee, Indiana; a tornado emergency was declared there. One person was confirmed dead in Kalkaska, Michigan, following an EF2 tornado there while two other people were killed in Ingham County in the Lansing viewing area by an EF2 that caused extensive damage in the Williamston area. While early indications had severe weather continuing into October 19, the lack of sunshine prevented initiation even though temperatures in the 80s Fahrenheit were common as far north as southeastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec.
Tornado preparedness
There were no building codes requiring tornado shelters nor specifically designed to prevent tornado damage until the 2011 Joplin tornado prompted a local ordinance requiring hurricane ties or similar fasteners. The state of Oklahoma adopted the minimum U.S. standard that year for the first time, but did not add high-wind protections like those in Florida designed to protect against hurricanes. Other states in Tornado Alley have no statewide building codes. The chance of any given location in Tornado Alley getting hit by an F-2 tornado (strong enough to do major structural damage and exceeding the 90 mph guideline for straightline winds) is about 1 every 4,000-5,000 years; in other areas the annual probability is one in several million. The most stringent building codes only require earthquake strengthening for a 1 in every 500-1,000 year probability.
Spring (season)
Unstable spring weather may occur more often when warm air begins to invade from lower latitudes, while cold air is still pushing from the Polar regions. Flooding is also most common in and near mountainous areas during this time of year, because of snow-melt which is accelerated by warm rains. In North America, Tornado Alley is most active at this time of year, especially since the Rocky Mountains prevent the surging hot and cold air masses from spreading eastward, and instead force them into direct conflict. Besides tornadoes, supercell thunderstorms can also produce dangerously large hail and very high winds, for which a severe thunderstorm warning or tornado warning is usually issued. Even more so than in winter, the jet streams play an important role in unstable and severe Northern Hemisphere weather in springtime.
Tornado outbreak of April 27–28, 2002
The Tornado outbreak of April 27–28, 2002 was a widespread outbreak that afectted areas of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska were affected on April 27. More tornadoes were reported in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia on the following day, April 28.
Manhattan, Kansas
The state of Kansas falls within an area sometimes called Tornado Alley. The most destructive tornado in Manhattan touched down at approximately 10:30 pm on June 11, 2008. Thirty-one homes and several businesses were destroyed by the EF4 tornado. Kansas State University's campus incurred about $20 million in damage – a number of university buildings sustained significant damage and the tornado's winds destroyed the Wind Erosion Laboratory's garage. No one was killed.
Tornadoes in the United States
Although the period in which most tornadoes strike ("tornado season") is March through June, tornadoes – including violent tornadoes and major tornado outbreaks – have been documented in the United States during every month of the year. Two examples of this are when a series of tornadoes hit the state of Indiana on November 22, 1992, and injured at least nine people. Another notable non-season tornado was where a tornado struck the area of McLean County, Illinois. Even though the tornado was during a winter month, it blew 20 railroad cars off their tracks, and hauled a camper over 100 yards (91 m).
Tornadoes of 2018
The Storm Prediction Center issued an enhanced risk of severe weather for portions of the Great Lakes region of the United States on September 20. This outlook included a 10% hatched risk area for tornadoes. A line of severe thunderstorms with numerous embedded tornadoes impacted the region that evening. Twenty-five tornadoes touched down in Minnesota alone, making September 20, 2018 the third-most prolific tornado day in state history.
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman lies within Tornado Alley, the region of the United States where tornadic activity is most frequent. The city has a tornado season lasting from March through June, with over 80% of all reported tornadoes occurring during these months. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area, including Norman, is the most tornado-prone area in the United States. As recently as May 10, 2010, a tornado outbreak occurred in southeastern Norman that resulted in the loss of multiple homes and businesses. On April 13, 2012 Norman was struck by a weak tornado. On May 6, 2015, the northwestern part of Norman was hit by a weak tornado.
List of tornado-related deaths at schools
More tornadoes with deaths in schools have occurred in the Southeastern United States—23 events or over half the national total—than any other region. Four of the top ten death toll events occurred in the Southeast. Relatively few school fatality tornado events have occurred in the area with the highest frequency of strong tornadoes, the Great Plains (Tornado Alley); only a single event occurred after warnings began being issued. This is probably chiefly due to three reasons: the low population density, greater tornado awareness (and better visibility affording more warning), and the time of year and of day that most tornadoes strike the Great Plains.
The state with the most tornado deaths throughout history is Illinois, with 90. The largest school death toll from a tornado was 69 during the Tri-State Tornado, which also struck Illinois and significantly raised that state's death toll. The greatest death toll at a single school also occurred during the Tri-State tornado, when it killed 33 at a school in De Soto, also in Illinois. This tornado also injured hundreds more at schools, and killed many students returning home from schools. Additionally, three of the top ten events by death toll, and four if separate schools of the same tornado are counted (33 in De Soto and 25 in Murphysboro again from the Tri-State Tornado), have occurred in Illinois.
Tornado outbreak of May 26–31, 2013
The tornado outbreak of May 26–31, 2013 was a prolonged and widespread tornadic event that affected a large portion of the United States. The outbreak was the result of a slow-moving but powerful storm system that produced several strong tornadoes across the Great Plains states, especially in Kansas and Oklahoma. Other strong tornadoes caused severe damage in Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan. The outbreak extended as far as New York. 27 fatalities were reported in total, with nine resulting from tornadoes (eight in Oklahoma and one in Arkansas).
Sean Casey (filmmaker)
Sean Cameron Casey (born December 28, 1967) is an American IMAX filmmaker and storm chaser who appeared in the Discovery Channel reality television series "Storm Chasers". Casey created an IMAX film called "Tornado Alley" about chasing tornadoes and had to build the Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV) and the Tornado Intercept Vehicle 2 (TIV2) to film inside a tornado.
"Tornado Alley" was released worldwide on March 18, 2011. Casey has been named one of the 50 best minds of 2008 by "Discover Magazine".
List of tornado-related deaths at schools
The state with the highest number of tornadoes with deaths at schools is Alabama at 8 events. Illinois is second with 6 tornadoes. Missouri and Oklahoma are tied for third with 5 tornadoes. Fifth is Georgia with 3 tornadoes. Sixth are Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, Nebraska, Mississippi, and Arkansas, each with 2 events. One school fatality tornado event has occurred in Ohio, Louisiana, Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Florida (the probable downburst in New York is not included).
Tornadoes in the United States
Nebraska is fifth overall for sheer numbers of tornadoes, while Indiana has had 88 violent tornado reports from the 1950–2006 period, more than any state except Oklahoma. Iowa reported 3,900 almost as many as Texas. The deadliest tornado in US history, the Tri-State Tornado, struck Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana in March 1925. St. Louis, Missouri and neighboring East St. Louis, Illinois have been hit more than once by violent tornadoes, the most notorious of which was the St. Louis Tornado of May 1896. The New Richmond Tornado of May 1899 and the Flint, Michigan tornado of June 1953 also rank amongst the deadliest tornadoes in US history. The region was badly hit by the Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak in April 1965 and by the Super Outbreak of April 1974. According to NCDC figures for the 1950 to 2006 period, Nebraska reported 2,440 tornadoes followed by Iowa (2,185), Illinois (2,086), Missouri (1,922), South Dakota (1,487), Minnesota (1,477), Indiana (1,327), North Dakota (1,216), Wisconsin (1,185), Michigan (981), and Ohio (916).
Tornado outbreak of mid-November 2005
The tornado outbreak of mid-November 2005 was a tornado outbreak on November 15, 2005, in the Midwestern United States. It occurred along a cold front separating warm, humid air from the southeast from cold Arctic air to the north and northwest. At least 50 confirmed tornadoes have been reported in the central United States in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee over that afternoon and evening. Strong winds and large hail caused additional damage throughout the region. The National Weather Service confirmed 49 tornado touchdowns during the outbreak.
List of tornadoes in the May 2004 tornado outbreak sequence
The Hallam, Nebraska tornado outbreak on May 22 produced nearly 60 tornadoes across mostly Nebraska and Iowa including an F4 that tore through the town Hallam situated halfway between Lincoln and Beatrice. It was recorded as the largest tornado ever with a width of and one person was killed. However, in May 2013 it was passed by the El Reno, Oklahoma tornado with a width of 2.6 miles wide. On May 24, another tornado outbreak took place across the central United States, with about 50 tornadoes confirmed in Kansas, Illinois, Nebraska and Missouri. One person was killed in western Illinois near Winchester west of Springfield. A smaller outbreak on the May 27 produced a damaging tornado in the city of Lexington in northern Kentucky.
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City has a very active severe weather season from March through June, especially during April and May. Being in the center of what is colloquially referred to as Tornado Alley, it is prone to especially frequent and severe tornadoes, as well as very severe hailstorms and occasional derechoes. Tornadoes have occurred in every month of the year and a secondary smaller peak also occurs during autumn, especially October. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is one of the most tornado-prone major cities in the world, with about 150 tornadoes striking within the city limits since 1890. Since the time weather records have been kept, Oklahoma City has been struck by thirteen violent tornadoes, eleven F/EF4s and two F/EF5s.
Tornado outbreak of April 13–15, 2018
An outbreak of tornadoes unfolded across the region as an expansive upper-level trough pushed into the Central United States, along with a 100kt jet streak pushing into Oklahoma and Missouri. A surface area of low pressure tracked from North-Central Kansas toward the Missouri-Iowa state border, supporting a warm front arced across southern Iowa, and a dryline extending from Kansas into Texas. Within the warm sector of the low, surface dewpoints rose to the mid 60s. A swath of 850mb winds at or above 50kt persisted underneath an elevated mixed layer, yielding an unstable environment characterized by mean-layer Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) of 1500–2500 J/kg. Throughout the afternoon, confluent low-level flow caused several discrete thunderstorms to form across Arkansas, where the SPC had issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) tornado watch. The most significant supercell of the day developed over LeFlore County, Oklahoma and eventually progressed into Crawford County, Arkansas, where it produced a half-mile-wide EF2 tornado that caused substantial damage in and near Mountainburg.
Tornado outbreak of May 26–31, 2013
On May 29, the Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The outlook included a 10% hatched risk for tornadoes. A separate slight risk was issued for parts of New England. In the main risk area, only scattered weak tornadoes touched down, though a mile-wide EF2 wedge tornado touched down in upstate New York near Schenectady. On May 30, for the second day in a row, the Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk with a 10% hatched risk of tornadoes, this time for eastern Oklahoma and a small part of Kansas. Numerous tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma and Arkansas, including a few that were strong. An EF2 ripped through the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow, resulting in severe damage to homes and businesses. A brief EF1 near Tull, Arkansas unfortunately caused a fatality due to a falling tree.
Tornado outbreak of February 28 – March 2, 2007
In the end, there were 56 tornadoes confirmed during the outbreak, including three EF3 tornadoes reported across three states, as well as three EF4 tornadoes; two in Alabama and one in Kansas, the first such tornadoes since the introduction of the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Total damages were estimated at over $580 million from tornadoes alone, making it the fourth-costliest tornado outbreak in US history (the figure not including damage from other thunderstorm impacts including hail and straight-line winds). Insured losses in the state of Georgia topped $210 million, making this outbreak the costliest in that state's history. Enterprise, Alabama, which was hit the hardest, sustained damages in excess of $307 million.
Tornadoes of 2018
From the April 13 to 15, a three-day outbreak of tornadoes impacted the Midwest, Deep South, and East Coast of the United States, several of which were strong. On April 13, the Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk of severe weather across parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, including a 15% hatched risk area for tornadoes. An enhanced risk of severe weather was issued for parts of Missouri and Iowa as well. Supercell thunderstorms developed and multiple tornadoes touched down in the threat area that evening, including an EF2 multiple-vortex wedge tornado that struck Mountainburg, Arkansas. This tornado tossed vehicles from roads, severely damaged multiple homes, and injured four people. A high-end EF2 ripped the roofs and exterior walls from a home near Norwood, Missouri as well. Later that night and into the early morning hours of April 14, the storms merged into a large squall line and pushed eastward across parts of the Southern United States. An enhanced risk of severe weather was issued for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, including a 10% risk of tornadoes. A large EF1 tornado moved through Shreveport, Bossier City, and Red Chute, Louisiana during the early morning hours and downed many trees, one of which fell onto a travel trailer and killed a child inside. An EF2 tornado near Bryceland destroyed barns and ripped much of the roof off of a home as well, while another EF2 near Carencro damaged homes and businesses along its path. An EF2 tornado near Portland, Arkansas also caused heavy damage. During the mid-morning hours, an EF2 tornado embedded in the squall line struck Meridian, Mississippi, causing significant damage to homes and apartment buildings.
Tornado outbreak
The tornadoes usually occur within the same day, or continue into the early morning hours of the succeeding day, and within the same region. Most definitions allow for a break in tornado activity (time elapsed from the end of last tornado to the beginning of next tornado) of six hours. If tornado activity indeed resumes after such a lull, many definitions consider the event to be a new outbreak. A series of continuous or nearly continuous tornado outbreak days is a tornado outbreak sequence. Tornado outbreaks usually occur from March through June in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada, the Midwestern United States, and the Southeastern United States in an area colloquially referred to as Tornado Alley. Tornado outbreaks do occur during other times of the year and in other parts of the world, however. A secondary less active and annually inconsistent tornado "season" in the U.S. occurs in late autumn.
Tornado, West Virginia
Tornado is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Tornado is also known as Upper Falls, the U.S. Census Bureau's official name for the community. The United States Board on Geographic Names declared the community's official name to be Tornado in 2013 due to a request from the Kanawha County Commission, which determined that residents of the community supported the name Tornado over Upper Falls. It is also known as Andrews Heights, Big Bend and Upper Falls of Coal River.
Tornado outbreak of August 24, 2016
The Tornado outbreak of August 24, 2016 was a six-hour tornado outbreak in which a total of 24 tornadoes touched down in Ontario, Indiana and Ohio. Several of these tornadoes were strong and caused significant damage, including a high-end EF2 that struck Windsor, Ontario, Canada and an EF3 that struck Kokomo, Indiana. This particular tornado outbreak was unusual for multiple reasons, including the fact that it was largely unexpected. The Storm Prediction Center had issued only a slight risk for severe weather that day, with the threat for a tornado or two limited to parts of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois. Despite this, the outbreak unfolded entirely outside of the outlined threat area as numerous supercell thunderstorms developed unexpectedly across parts of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, producing numerous tornadoes. Tornado outbreaks of this size and intensity are also not commonly seen during the late summer months across the Ohio Valley region. Despite the damage, few injuries and no fatalities occurred.
Tornado climatology
The United States has the most tornadoes of any country. Many of these form in an area of the central (with some definitions including Southern) United States known as Tornado Alley. This area extends into Canada, particularly the Prairie Provinces and Ontario; however, activity in Canada is less frequent and intense than that of the US. The high frequency of tornadoes in North America is largely due to geography, as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is easily advected into the midcontinent with few topographic barriers in the way. The Rocky Mountains block Pacific-sourced moisture and buckle the atmospheric flow, forcing drier air at mid-levels of the troposphere due to downsloping winds and causing cyclogenesis downstream to the east of the mountains. Downsloping winds off the Rockies force the formation of a dry line when the flow aloft is strong, while the Gulf of Mexico fuels abundant low-level moisture. This unique topography allows for frequent collisions of warm and cold air, the conditions that breed strong, long-lived storms throughout the year. This area extends into Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairie Provinces, and strong tornadoes can also occur in northern Mexico.
Tornadoes of 2011
Several storms started to develop in the evening on April 3. Storms in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois brought severe thunderstorms to the areas. A tornado watch was issued for Iowa and Illinois as the storms rolled through, and later a severe thunderstorm watch for northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. However, there were no reported tornadoes. Continuing eastward, the system entered an environment favoring tornadic development. Two tornadoes were reported in Kentucky during the early afternoon, both rated EF2 and resulting in injuries. Near Hopkinsville, a tornado, confirmed by local emergency services, caused significant damage to a manufacturing plant. Numerous buildings were reported to be destroyed, trapping residents within debris. In addition to the tornadoes, there was widespread wind damage (over 1,400 severe weather reports were received by the Storm Prediction Center, with the vast majority being damaging winds) as an extremely large squall line/serial derecho tracked across the southern United States with wind gusts as high as 90 mph (145 km/h) reported across 20 states, killing at least 9 people, one of the deaths was as a result of an EF2 tornado in Dodge County, Georgia. Numerous power outages also took place due to the extensive wind damage. Nearly 100,000 and 147,000 residences lost power in Tennessee and Georgia respectively.
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 19–24, 2011
The tornado outbreak sequence of April 19–24, 2011 was an extended period of significant tornado activity that began on April 19th, 2011 and ended on April 24, 2011. It affected the Midwest and Southern United States. The outbreak produced an EF4 tornado that tore through the St. Louis metropolitan area. Other tornadoes caused damage in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Amazingly, no fatalities were reported in this outbreak. However, it was later followed less than 48 hours later by the largest tornado outbreak in the history of the United States.
Texas
Thunderstorms strike Texas often, especially the eastern and northern portions of the state. Tornado Alley covers the northern section of Texas. The state experiences the most tornadoes in the United States, an average of 139 a year. These strike most frequently in North Texas and the Panhandle. Tornadoes in Texas generally occur in the months of April, May, and June.
Canada Tornado Alley
Although the official boundaries of the Canadian Tornado Alleys are not clearly defined, its core extends from Central Alberta through Saskatchewan, Southern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. A second tornado alley extends from Michigan to Central Ontario and from Central Ontario to Southwestern Quebec. The Canadian Prairies are often considered part of the United States tornado alley.
Tornadoes of 2014
A moderate outbreak of 44 tornadoes impacted the central United States in early May 2014. On May 10, numerous supercell thunderstorms developed across Missouri in advance of an intensifying upper-level low over the Great Basin. One supercell spawned a damaging EF2 tornado that moved through downtown Orrick, Missouri, causing significant damage but no fatalities. 80% of the structures in Orrick were damaged, and the school sustained major damage and lost much of its roof. On May 11, the upper-level low continued eastward into the Plains, providing ample wind shear for tornadoes; in preparation for the event, the Storm Prediction Center issued a Moderate risk for severe weather. Numerous thunderstorms developed across the Midwest – particularly Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa – spawning many tornadoes. A large multiple-vortex EF3 tornado passed near the town of Sutton, Nebraska, causing considerable damage to farm properties and flattening an unanchored farmhouse. Powerful rear flank downdraft winds spawned by the parent supercell severely damaged downtown Sutton. Another very large rain-wrapped EF3 wedge tornado passed near the town of Cordova, Nebraska, destroying multiple homes nearby, spawning multiple satellite tornadoes, and growing to well over a mile wide at times. The Cordova tornado eventually struck the town of Beaver Crossing before dissipating, damaging virtually every structure in town, with a few destroyed. Two separate tornadoes (rated EF2 and EF1) also caused severe damage near the town of Raymond. Numerous other less significant tornadoes touched down in Nebraska and other states that evening as well. Later that night, an EF2 tornado largely destroyed a lakeside condominium building near Yale, Iowa. Two weak EF0 tornadoes touched down in northern Ohio on May 12 before the outbreak came to an end.
Tornado Glory
Tornado Glory is an American documentary film that was released in 2006 by PBS. Produced by Angry Sky Entertainment, the program follows storm chasers Reed Timmer and Joel Taylor through Tornado Alley during the 2003 storm season. The film was produced and directed by Ken Cole.
Tornadoes in the United States
The Southern United States has suffered more tornado fatalities than any other part of the country. Some areas experience repeated damaging tornado events, such as the Tennessee Valley and in northern Alabama. The state of Alabama is tied for the most reported F5 tornadoes. For the period 1950 to 2006, three hundred and fifty eight people were killed by tornadoes in Alabama, ranking the state third nationwide behind Texas (521) and neighboring Mississippi (404). Fourth is Arkansas (336) and fifth is Tennessee with 271 fatalities.
Tornado Alley
According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) FAQ, "Tornado Alley" is a term used by the media as a reference to areas that have higher numbers of tornadoes. A study of 1921–1995 tornadoes concluded almost one-fourth of all significant tornadoes occur in this area.
Tornadoes of 2011
Several tornadoes touched down across parts of the Southern United States. The most significant tornado was in the southeastern part of Nashville, Tennessee where significant damage was reported near Hickory Hollow Mall and near Percy Priest Lake in the evening (with widespread wind damage all across Middle Tennessee), and a tornado emergency was declared shortly thereafter for areas to the northeast in Wilson County where another tornado touched down with injuries. Both tornadoes were rated EF2. Other tornadoes touched down with varying degrees of damage in the Missouri Bootheel, West Tennessee, Mississippi, southwestern Kentucky and parts of Arkansas including three others rated EF2.The overall damage from this system amounted to $1,500,000
Tornado outbreak of June 13, 1998
On June 13, 1998, a tornado outbreak occurred across much of the United States. The day saw 45 tornadoes touchdown primarily across Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. The outbreak saw the Storm Prediction Center outline two Moderate Risk areas in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and in parts of Kansas and Nebraska. Additionally, two far more expansive Slight Risk areas were delineated across much of the Central and Eastern United States. By 06:00 UTC June 14, tornadoes had struck parts of six states, including downtown Sabetha, Kansas and parts of North Oklahoma City and vicinity.
Tornado Alley
Over the years, the location(s) of Tornado Alley have not been clearly defined. No definition of tornado alley has ever been officially designated by the National Weather Service (NWS). Thus, differences in location are the result of the different criteria used.
Tennessee Tornado
The Tennessee Tornado is a roller coaster at Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in the United States. It debuted April 17, 1999, and was Dollywood's first major coaster expansion as well as one of Arrow Dynamics' last major coasters. The ride opened in a valley location previously occupied by Thunder Express, an Arrow Dynamics Runaway Mine Train roller coaster relocated from Six Flags St. Louis in 1989 and opened in 2002 at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls.
2013 Moore tornado
Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie Counties received federal funding for hazard mitigation measure statewide. Obama visited the disaster-stricken areas on May 26.
The third season finale of the sitcom "Mike & Molly", titled "Windy City", was pulled by CBS from its original May 20 airdate within hours of the event due to the episode featuring a plotline involving a tornado descending on Chicago; the network later rescheduled the episode to air ten days later on May 30, 2013.
Tornadoes in the United States
In the Southwestern United States, New Mexico reported 485 tornadoes during the 1950 to 2006 period (NCDC figures), California reported 355, Arizona reported 209, and Nevada reported 75. New Mexico borders the notoriously tornado prone states of Texas and Oklahoma, hence the noticeably higher figures. Most of the tornadoes here happen in the very eastern part of the state. New Mexico's region and the desert landscape of the state help prevent the amount of twisters that happen in Oklahoma and Texas. Arizona and New Mexico experience regular summer thunderstorms during their monsoon season. These are sometimes tornadic but rarely produce violent tornadoes.
Moore, Oklahoma
The Oklahoma City metropolitan area (of which Moore is a part) is located in Tornado Alley and is subject to frequent and severe tornadoes and hailstorms, making it one of the most tornado-prone major metropolitan areas in the world.
Climate of Manitoba
Southern parts of the province, located just north of Tornado Alley, experience tornadoes each year, with 15 confirmed touchdowns in 2006. In 2007, on June 22 and June 23, numerous tornadoes touched down, including an F5 Tornado that devastated parts of Elie (the strongest officially recorded tornado in Canada).
Canada Tornado Alley
Over the years, the location(s) of the Canadian Tornado Alley(s) have been better defined. No complete definition of Canadian Tornado Alley has ever been officially designated and announced by the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
Tornado Alley
No state is entirely free of tornadoes; however, they occur more frequently in the Central United States, between the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian Mountains. Texas reports the most tornadoes of any state due to its large size, in addition to its proximity to Tornado Alley. Kansas and Oklahoma ranked first and second respectively in the number of tornadoes per area, per data collected through 2007, however in 2013 statistics from the National Climatic Data Center show Florida ranked first. Although Florida reports a high number and density of tornado occurrences, tornadoes there rarely reach the strength of those that sometimes occur in the southern plains. Regionally, the frequency of tornadoes in the United States is closely tied with the progression of the warm season when warm and cold air masses often clash.
Americas
Southeastern North America is well known for its occurrence of tornadoes and hurricanes, of which the vast majority of tornadoes occur in the United States' Tornado Alley. Often parts of the Caribbean are exposed to the violent effects of hurricanes. These weather systems are formed by the collision of dry, cool air from Canada and wet, warm air from the Atlantic.
Tornadoes of 2017
A total of 17 tornadoes touched down in the states of Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky, including an EF2 that crossed from Missouri into Kentucky near Hickman, Kentucky. The tornado damaged a few sheds, destroyed several grain bins, and blew over some irrigation pivots. Another EF2 formed in Hickman, damaging 45 structures, knocking down numerous power poles, and snapping or uprooting many trees. The tornado briefly continued into Tennessee before dissipating. Near Doniphan, Missouri, an EF2 tornado moved through heavily forested areas, snapping and uprooting thousands of trees along its path and destroying a barn. An EF1 occurred in the southern part of Murray, Kentucky and caused extensive damage to two dugouts at a high school which had their roofs torn off and hurled, a well-built steel barn was damaged, and a building was destroyed by falling trees. Another EF1 struck the town of Bernie, Missouri, causing moderate damage to several homes.
Supercell
The Tornado Alley is a region of the central United States where severe weather is common, particularly tornadoes. Supercell thunderstorms can affect this region at any time of the year, but they are most common in the spring. Tornado watches and warnings are frequently necessary in the spring and summer. Most places from the Great Plains to the East Coast of the United States and north as far as the Canadian Prairies, the Great Lakes region, and the St. Lawrence River will experience one or more supercells each year.
Tornado preparedness
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency has spent tens millions of dollars subsidizing the construction of shelters and safe rooms in both private and public buildings. Many buildings in Tornado Alley do not have basements, because unlike in more northern areas, there is no need for a deep foundation to get below the frost line, in some places the water table is high, and expansion and contraction of clay-heavy soils can produce additional pressure on buildings that can cause leaks if not reinforced.
Arkansas
Arkansas is known for extreme weather and frequent storms. A typical year brings thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, snow and ice storms. Between both the Great Plains and the Gulf States, Arkansas receives around 60 days of thunderstorms. Arkansas is located in Tornado Alley, and as a result, a few of the most destructive tornadoes in U.S. history have struck the state. While sufficiently far from the coast to avoid a direct hit from a hurricane, Arkansas can often get the remnants of a tropical system, which dumps tremendous amounts of rain in a short time and often spawns smaller tornadoes.
Indiana
In a 2012 report, Indiana was ranked eighth in a list of the top 20 tornado-prone states based on National Weather Service data from 1950 through 2011. A 2011 report ranked South Bend 15th among the top 20 tornado-prone cities in the United States, while another report from 2011 ranked Indianapolis eighth. Despite its vulnerability, Indiana is not a part of tornado alley.
NEXRAD
WSR-88D has coverage gaps below 10,000 feet (or no coverage at all) in many parts of the continental United States, often for terrain or budgetary reasons, or remoteness of the area. Such notable gaps include most of Alaska; several areas of Oregon, including the central and southern coast and much of the area east of the Cascade Mountains; many portions of the Rocky Mountains; Pierre, South Dakota; portions of northern Texas; large portions of the Nebraska panhandle; and areas near the borders of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Notably, many of these gaps lie in tornado alley. At least one tornado has gone undetected by WSR-88D as a result of such a coverage gap – an EF1 tornado in Lovelady, Texas in April 2014. As a result of the coverage gap, initial reports of tornadic activity were treated with skepticism by the local National Weather Service forecast office.
Tornado outbreak of mid-October 2007
The first severe thunderstorms developed during the early morning of October 17 across much of northern and eastern Texas and parts of Oklahoma and Kansas with only one reported tornado in east Texas. Several severe thunderstorms then later developed across eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, western Mississippi, eastern Kansas, Missouri and parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee. Twelve additional tornadoes were reported in Missouri and Louisiana during the late afternoon and early evening with damage reported in Lawrence and Greene counties in Missouri. One of the tornadoes located near Verona destroyed several barns and homes but did not cause any injuries and was later confirmed as an EF2. The storms persisted throughout the night and an additional tornado killed 2 people inside a mobile home in Greene County, Missouri near Paris.
Canada Tornado Alley
Technically speaking, no province or territory is entirely free of tornadoes; however, they occur more frequently in the Central Canada and Southern Canada, between the Rocky Mountains and the Great Lakes and between the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
1998 Eastern tornado outbreak
The 1998 Eastern Tornado Outbreak stands out, because it spawned an unusually high number of supercell thunderstorms, occurrences of damaging winds and hail, and tornadoes, in the central Appalachian Mountain area, where most residents were unaccustomed to experiencing such violent thunderstorms that are commonly believed to only occur in Tornado Alley in the central part of the United States.
Missouri
Located in Tornado Alley, Missouri also receives extreme weather in the form of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. The most recent tornado in the state to cause damage and casualties was the 2011 Joplin tornado, which destroyed roughly one-third of the city of Joplin. The tornado caused an estimated $1–3 billion in damages, killed 159 (+1 non-tornadic), and injured over 1,000 people. It was the first EF5 to hit the state since 1957 and the deadliest in the U.S. since 1947, making it the seventh deadliest tornado in American history and 27th deadliest in the world. St. Louis and its suburbs also have a history of experiencing particularly severe tornadoes, the most recent memorable one being an EF4 tornado that damaged Lambert-St. Louis International Airport on April 22, 2011. One of the worst tornadoes in American history struck St. Louis on May 27, 1896, killing at least 255 and causing $10 mil. damage ($3.9 bil. damage in 2009) or $ in today's dollars.
Tornadoes of 2018
A moderate outbreak of mostly weak tornadoes occurred across the Great Lakes region of the United States during late afternoon and evening of August 28. A majority of these tornadoes touched down in Wisconsin, and were embedded within a line of severe thunderstorms that moved across the southern portion of the state. An EF1 tornado stuck community of Alto, destroying large outbuildings, damaging trees and power poles, and causing considerable damage to farmsteads in the area. Three separate EF1 tornadoes caused damage to barns, trees, and homes in and around South Byron. The strongest tornado of the event was an EF2 that touched down in Brownsville, snapping numerous large trees, destroying a large barn, and toppling a large communications tower to the ground outside of town. A separate EF1 tornado also impacted Brownsville simultaneously, damaging trees and power poles in town. A few additional tornadoes also occurred in Iowa and Michigan, including an EF1 that heavily damaged a house near West Branch, Michigan. In addition to the tornadoes, the severe thunderstorms produced numerous reports of significant straight-line wind damage across the region. Damage to trees and agriculture across southern Wisconsin was severe. A total of 24 tornadoes were confirmed, none of which resulted in any fatalities or injuries.
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 3–11, 2008
The tornado outbreak sequence of June 3–11, 2008 was a series of tornado outbreaks affecting most of central and eastern North America from June 3–11, 2008. 192 tornadoes were confirmed, along with widespread straight–line wind wind damage. Seven people were killed from a direct result of tornadoes; four in Iowa, two in Kansas, and one in Indiana. Eleven additional people were killed across five states by other weather events including lightning, flash flooding, and straight-line winds. Severe flooding was also reported in much of Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa as a result of the same thunderstorms, while high heat and humidity affected much of eastern North America; particularly along the eastern seaboard of the United States from New York City to the Carolinas.