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.
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.