Tornado Alley
States such as Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and western Ohio are sometimes included in Tornado Alley. Research suggests that tornadoes are becoming more frequent in the northern parts of Tornado Alley where it reaches the Canadian prairies.
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.