KENTUCKY, USA — When you think of which states get hit most by tornadoes, you think of parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Texas — not Kentucky.
But recent studies point to an eastward shift in what’s traditionally known as “Tornado Alley.”
A 2018 study found the ingredients needed to produce tornadoes were moving east. An increase in tornado frequency was noted in portions of Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Severe storms earlier this week produced five EF-1 tornadoes and another severe weather risk looks to bring even more storms to the region on Wednesday.
AccuWeather found historical records showing the majority of tornado reports in the last 50 years have shifted out of “tornado alley” and into the eastern U.S.
“Researchers are still working to pinpoint possible links and effects that climate change is having on tornadoes in America,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Climate Expert Brett Anderson said. “One thing is clear: extreme weather and billion-dollar disasters are happening more frequently as our climate continues to warm.”
The historical “tornado season” is also expanding to include a number of winter and early spring months.
“From 1980–2000 to 2001–2022, the average number of wintertime (December, January, and February) tornadoes has increased 71%. March and April tornadoes have also become more frequent in this time frame with increases of 36%, and 67%, respectively,” according to Climate Central.
In December 2021, an EF-4 tornado ripped through western Kentucky, killing 80 people and destroying several communities.
Some meteorologists believe the term “tornado alley” is misleading all together, as violent tornadoes happen outside of that region every year.
“The U.S. tornado threat shifts from the Southeast in the cooler months of the year, toward the southern and central Plains in May and June, and the northern Plains and Midwest during early summer. Tornadoes can occur and have been reported in all fifty states,” NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory says.
When severe weather is expected, be sure to stay weather-aware and have a way to receive alerts on your smartphone.
If a tornado warning is issued for your area, don’t wait, and seek shelter immediately.
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