Major Tornado Outbreak Expected in Deep South

A major severe weather outbreak may occur tomorrow in the Deep South. The SPC acknowledges the threat "POTENTIAL LIMITING FACTORS DO EXIST" while the NWS in Jackson warns about "tennis-ball sized hail (or larger)" for the southern part of the state.

Whichever way it may turn out, it is a threat that people need to prepare for.

To add to the severity of the expected outbreak, some areas such as McGee, Mississippi (Google map at left) are still recovering from the tornadoes last week, and many areas are experiencing major flooding, as you can see from the AHPS river gauge map at right.

It has recently been said that the Southeast contains a secondary Tornado Alley known as Dixie Alley. While you can look at the stats yourself, the most compelling map is this one by the Northern Illinois University, which shows an area of maximum tornado deaths centered around southern Tennessee, which is in part of the area in question tomorrow. Certainly the numbers put Alabama and Mississippi as the 2nd, 3rd or 4th for states with the most tornado injuries and deaths.

This is probably due to a slightly higher population density (see Census map), number of nocturnal tornadoes, and lack of shelters / poorer home manufacturing, when compared to the "classic" Tornado Alley in the Plains.