The apparent shift from the Plains to the South has perplexed researchers, who aren’t sure if the change is permanent and if climate change is playing a role.
Fifty years ago, tornadoes in the United States were most common over the Great Plains. A bull’s eye of sorts covered parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. The term “Tornado Alley” entered American lexicon.Researchers have pointed to parts of the Deep South and Tennessee Valley as being the modern-day Tornado Alley.confirms the legitimacy of this shift, and also highlights a change in when tornadoes are likely to occur.
A large zone from Texas to Nebraska experienced fewer tornado days, but southern Mississippi, Middle Tennessee and western Kentucky saw an increase. There was also an increase in tornado days in the Mid-Atlantic, including central and eastern Maryland, whereIn terms of path length, or distance covered by tornadoes, similar trends were observed. The study found a decreaseFor significant tornadoes rated 2 out of 5 or higher, the trends are even more robust.
of why twisters in Alabama and Mississippi appear to be on the ground for longer compared to their Plains counterparts.The increased population density “increases reporting, but also damage potential … and impact … and path length reports,” she said in an email. It remains unclear whether this apparent eastward shift in tornado incidence is something that will reverse or become more pronounced.
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