2024 tornado tally more than 100 higher than historical average
Authorities urged residents in areas of Indiana and Michigan to take shelter as severe storms caused tornados to touch down on May 7.
Spring is the peak of severe weather season across the United States, but 2024 has been incredibly active, particularly over the past few weeks, which has sent the annual tornado count toward record territory.
A graph showing preliminary reports of tornadoes by storms spotters year-to-date. (NOAA SPC)
As of Thursday morning, there have been 699 preliminary tornado reports across the United States, well above the historical average of 549 through May 8, according to the Storm Prediction Center. There have been 129 preliminary reports so far in May, following 378 twisters in April.
The only years when there were more tornadoes through May 8 were 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2017.
A large tornado tracks past a highway near Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 26, 2024. (Aaron Jayjack)
Tornado Alley has roared back to life, a major shift from recent years when twisters favored the Gulf Coast states and Tennessee Valley. The majority of tornadoes in 2024 have touched down in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Ohio has also experienced a surge in tornadoes, with 54 reports so far.
Preliminary tornado reports by state between Jan. 1 and May 8, 2024.
The annual tornado count was running near to slightly below the historical average through mid-April, but a shift in the weather pattern opened the door for tornado-producing thunderstorms to develop more frequently across the central United States.
AccuWeather warned of this flip in the pattern in January with the release of its annual U.S. spring forecast.
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