FACTS
- Researchers are blaming economic development and population growth as the leading cause of the damage caused by tornadoes. However, scientists have also found that the intensity and frequency of these storms is also changing.
- The strongest tornadoes have rotating winds of more than 250 mph.
- Tornadoes appear as rotating, conical clouds that typically extend from thunderstorms to the ground with wind speeds of up to 300 miles per hour. According to experts, out of the average 1,000 tornadoes that hit the United States every year, at least 20 are expected to reach over 200 mph. The damage paths tend to be anywhere between 1 to 50 miles long. Tornadoes can be more than one mile wide and stay on the ground for over 50 miles.
- The tornado watch concept is generally used to describe favorable conditions for the occurrence of a tornado; warnings entail that meteorologist have already picked up a tornado by radar.
STATS
- 2004 had the highest number of tornadoes recorded in the US in recent times.
- 1,520 tornadoes occurred last year in the US, as reported by tornado statistics for 2019.
- Based on this, we can conclude that 2019 was quite severe when it comes to the number of storms that have occurred.
- Data indicates that 2017 was also quite severe in terms of tornado occurrences, yet it ranks below 2019.
- According to tornado statistics for 2017, a total of 1,429 storms of this type took place.
- 2015 also saw a considerable number of tornadoes in the US, estimated at 1,177.
- The years 2015, 2017, and 2019 mark an on-going uptrend affecting the weather throughout the US, according to tornado statistics for 2015.
- Within the last decade, the lowest occurrence rates were reported during the years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
- Long-term data shows that an average 1,253 tornadoes occur every year in the US.