Over the past 20 years, high-intensity tornados have spread farther into the Southeast and Midwest
Source: Captain Experiences analysis of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data | Image Credit: Captain Experiences
Historically, areas including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and their surrounding regions—also known as Tornado Alley—have been most impacted by tornadoes. During the 20-year span ending in November 2003, Texas experienced the most EF2+ tornadoes with 395 of them touching down in the Lone Star State, followed by Oklahoma (226), Iowa (222), and Arkansas (194).
However, the next two decades saw a notable shift in tornado geography. Although Tornado Alley was still heavily frequented with tornado occurrences, areas in the Southeast experienced sizable increases. Mississippi led all states with 303 EF2+ tornado occurrences during that span, a more than 77% increase from the prior 20-year period. Similarly, Alabama (277) and Georgia (194) saw the third and fifth most EF2+ tornadoes, respectively, both translating to increases of over 60%.
This pronounced shift eastward to “Dixie Alley”—or the area roughly stretching from eastern Texas to the western borders of the Carolinas—is mirrored at the metropolitan level. Over the past two decades, the Birmingham-Hoover, AL and Hattiesburg, MS metro areas observed the most substantial increases in high-intensity tornadoes, recording an additional 19 and 18 EF2+ tornadoes, respectively. In contrast, despite enduring double-digit tornado occurrences over the same period, the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX and Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN metros each experienced a decrease of 18 EF2+ tornadoes.
Below is a complete breakdown of 384 metropolitan areas and all 50 states for the locations with the biggest increase in high-intensity tornadoes. Researchers at Captain Experiences conducted the analysis using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For more information on how each statistic was computed, refer to the methodology section below.