Latest news with #TornadoAlley
ABC News
4 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Australia has up to 80 tornadoes a year, but many go unseen
When most people think of tornadoes, it's probably the striking and terrifying images from Tornado Alley in the United States. But did you know Australia records anywhere between 30 and 80 tornadoes each year? The weather events are rarely caught on camera, but earlier this week, several people filmed a tornado as it cut a path across farmland near Frankland River in southern Western Australia. With winds of more than 120kph, it pinned a farm worker against a fence, flipping his ute and damaging a tractor. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) meteorologist Jessica Lingard said there were two types of tornadoes, with one more violent. "The first are supercell tornadoes and those spawn from supercell thunderstorms, which are the most severe form of thunderstorms," she said. "They result in our warm season tornadoes [and] usually occur during summer months." These are the tornado types that appear in the United States, some of the largest and most damaging in the world. "The other type are non-supercell tornadoes, and these usually occur along the boundaries of two air masses, like a cold front or a sea breeze," Ms Lingard said. This week's tornado in southern WA was the latter type. "Australia experiences somewhere between 30 and 80 tornadoes each year, but it is possible that many more tornadoes occur in the more remote and unpopulated parts of Australia and therefore go unreported," Ms Lingard said. The BOM has recorded rare "tornado outbreaks" in Australia where multiple tornadoes spawn from a single weather system. On September 28, 2016, seven tornadoes hit South Australia, causing mass blackouts. "There's no area in Australia that's more prone to tornadoes, but we do experience different areas of Australia having tornadoes under different circumstances," Ms Lingard said. Supercell thunderstorms, which can produce tornadoes, are most common in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, and develop generally in late spring and early summer. The Enhanced Fujita scale ranges from EF0, the weakest, to EF5. The Frankland River tornado is believed to have been EF0. "Each category has a wind speed range and a list of typical damage patterns that we would expect," Ms Lingard said. She said most tornadoes recorded in Australia were rated between EF0 and EF1. Ms Lingard said a tornado that hit northern NSW in 1970 was considered the strongest on record. Known as the Bulahdelah tornado, it reportedly left a 22 kilometre trail of destruction more than 1.5km wide. "It wasn't officially rated but we estimate from the damage that it was likely to be an EF5 system," she said. "From all reports, it destroyed 1 million trees, and we also saw a 2-tonne tractor lifted up and thrown on its roof." The first tornado documented on camera in Australia was in 1911 near Marong in Victoria. It touched down near the property of a man who happened to have a camera — a rare piece of technology at the time. There are many kinds of tornado-like weather, and they are different. "A waterspout is a non-supercell tornado that occurs over water," Ms Lingard said. "Willy willies or dust devils form on clear days over hot, dry surfaces, and they are rapidly rising hot air, but they are not attached to a cloud over the top." A "cock-eyed" or "cockeye bob", while commonly thought to refer to a tornado or willy willy specifically, is actually Australian slang for any suddenly occurring storm. Ms Lingard said there was no evidence to suggest Australia was experiencing more tornadoes. But she said a growing population, armed with phone cameras, meant the storms that did happen were better documented. "Everyone's got a camera in their back pocket and access to social media to share these events," she said. This seems to be a frustration for meteorologists, with the term "mini tornado" often used in the media. "It's one of those terms that the media love to use. It either is a tornado or it isn't," Ms Lingard said. It may be surprising news, but Ms Lingard said in terms of tornadoes per square kilometre, the United Kingdom recorded the most. "Based on land size, the UK gets an average of about 33 tornadoes each year," she said. But in terms of sheer volume, tornadoes are most common in the US. "The US obviously holds the title of the country with the most overall tornadoes and the most intense, and they report well over 1,000 tornadoes a year," Ms Lingard said.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Climate
- Miami Herald
Thousands in Oklahoma Ordered to Take Cover Now, Severe Tornado Warning
A severe tornado warning was issued early Friday morning by the National Weather Service (NWS) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, urging residents in Osage and Pawnee counties to take cover immediately. At 3:09 a.m. CDT, radar detected a severe thunderstorm with rotation, located approximately nine miles east of Marland, and moving east at 35 miles per hour. The storm was reported capable of producing a tornado and half-dollar-sized hail, prompting officials to warn that flying debris could pose significant danger to anyone caught outside without shelter. Interactive maps from showed the paths of the storms. Early Morning Tornado Threat in Northern Oklahoma The NWS in Tulsa issued a tornado warning effective from 3:10 a.m. CDT to 3:45 a.m. CDT on June 6, 2025, for Osage and Pawnee counties. Officials reported radar-indicated rotation within a severe thunderstorm east of Marland, with hazards including the potential for tornado formation and hail up to half-dollar size. The NWS advised that "flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter," and noted wind damage to mobile homes, vehicles, roofs, and windows was likely. Communities at Risk and Safety Instructions Ralston and Fairfax were identified as being within or near the storm's projected path during the warning period. Residents in affected areas received instructions to immediately move to basements or interior rooms on the lowest floor of sturdy buildings, and to avoid windows. Those in vehicles, mobile homes, or outdoors were urged to seek substantial shelter and protect themselves from flying debris. The NWS emphasized that timely compliance with these safety instructions can be lifesaving during rapidly developing tornado threats. Wider Severe Weather Outlook for the Central U.S. The tornado warning was part of a broader severe weather pattern across the central and southern High Plains. Forecasters anticipated scattered severe thunderstorms throughout the day, with associated risks including very large hail, damaging winds, and additional tornadoes. Tornado History in the Region Oklahoma regularly experiences severe weather, as evidenced by a tornado in Norman on June 3, 2025. During that storm, the NWS confirmed a tornado, though officials reported "hardly any damage" in the Oklahoma City metro area. Nonetheless, the region saw significant rainfall, hail, heavy winds, and flooding. Preparedness and Monitoring The NWS urged continued vigilance as the storm track shifted eastward. Emergency officials stressed the importance of monitoring weather updates and local alerts. Real-time impacts and damage reports were made available through NWS networks nationwide, helping residents stay informed and safe during ongoing severe weather activity. The latest severe weather outbreak highlights the persistent tornado risk across the central United States, particularly in Oklahoma, which sits within what is often referred to as "Tornado Alley." Extreme weather events like these endanger lives, disrupt communities, and test emergency preparedness systems. Understanding and responding to warnings from the NWS remains critical for public safety, especially as spring and early summer bring a heightened risk of violent storms to the region. The NWS continued to monitor conditions in Osage, Pawnee, and surrounding counties for further tornado development, issuing updates as the situation evolved. Residents were advised to heed official warnings throughout the severe weather cycle and stay alert for any additional storm advisories or emergency instructions. Related Articles Kansas, Oklahoma Face Severe Flooding, Drivers Warned of Drowning RiskFlurry of Executions Scheduled Over Four DaysHow to Watch Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech: Live Stream College Softball World Series, TV ChannelHow to Watch Texas vs Oklahoma: Live Stream Women's College World Series, TV Channel 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should Tennesseans get flood insurance amid hurricane season?
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., (WATE) — It has been a little over eight months since remnants of Hurricane Helene devastated parts of East Tennessee, and now hurricane season is back until November. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance is urging people to be prepared. They suggest having a plan in place if severe weather were to hit your area, and stress the importance of protecting your home with flood insurance. Between hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes, Josh Witt with The Insurance Group said now is a good time look into protecting your home. Tellico Plains families fighting to regain full access to historic cemetery 'Especially as weather patterns are changing, we're starting to see like Tornado Alley used to be through Oklahoma and Texas, It's shifted almost actually in Middle Tennessee, Middle and West Tennessee,' said Witt. 'So as weather patterns shift, rain starts happening more. We saw with Hurricane Helene, that was all flood insurance and it's just not covered by homeowner's policy.' He said both flood and earthquake insurance is not covered by general home insurance but nearly everyone in Knoxville and the greater East Tennessee area should have it. 'There are tons of floodplains around Knoxville, obviously, with all the lakes and rivers that we have. And one of the one of the big misconceptions is just because I'm not in a floodplain doesn't that doesn't mean you don't need flood insurance. As a matter of fact, 40% of flood claims actually occur outside of high-risk floodplains,' said Witt. He said if you live in a floodplain, you're probably already paying for flood insurance as part of your mortgage. If you're not, it could pay off to invest in your home. Locals, tourists recall major Gatlinburg crash that injured seven 'Your average subdivision, it can happen. The people who went through, unfortunately, Hurricane Helene, they were not in floodplains for the most part,' said Witt. 'That ended up being quite the problem for them, and there'll be some disaster recovery that can help, but there's no substitute for actual flood insurance.' While the probability of your home being impacted by natural disasters are low, he said it is important to have. 'If you don't have flood insurance, or you don't have earthquake insurance, sinkhole is another big coverage in East Tennessee that if you don't have it, you need to add it,' said Witt. 'Most of the time, it's not expensive. Nobody wants to look at it. I get it, we all want to keep costs down. But you don't want to be sitting in the situation of not having that coverage when you actually need it.' ▶ See more top stories on Witt added If you do plan to buy flood insurance sometime soon, most plans do not kick in for up to 30 days after buying it, unless you are currently in the process of buying a home. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fast Company
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Fast Company
Tornado Alley is shifting east. Here's what to know
Violent tornado outbreaks, like the storms that tore through parts of St. Louis and London, Kentucky, on May 16, have made 2025 seem like an especially active, deadly and destructive year for tornadoes. The U.S. has had more reported tornadoes than normal—more than 960 as of May 22, according to the National Weather Service's preliminary count. That's well above the national average of around 660 tornadoes reported by that point over the past 15 years, and it's similar to 2024—the second-most-active year over that same period. I'm an atmospheric scientist who studies natural hazards. What stands out about 2025 so far isn't just the number of tornadoes, but how Tornado Alley has encompassed just about everything east of the Rockies, and how tornado season is becoming all year. Why has 2025 been so active? The high tornado count in 2025 has a lot to do with the weather in March, which broke records with 299 reported tornadoes —far exceeding the average of 80 for that month over the past three decades. March's numbers were driven by two large tornado outbreaks: About 115 tornadoes swept across more than a dozen states March 14 to 16, stretching from Arkansas to Pennsylvania; and 145 tornadoes hit March 31 to April 1, primarily in a swath from Arkansas to Iowa and eastward. The 2025 numbers are preliminary pending final analyses. While meteorologists don't know for sure why March was so active, there were a couple of ingredients that favor tornadoes: First, in March the climate was in a weak La Niña pattern, which is associated with a wavier and stormier jet stream and, often, with more U.S. tornadoes. Second, the waters of the Gulf were much warmer than normal, which feeds moister air inland to fuel severe thunderstorms. By April and May, however, those ingredients had faded. The weak La Niña ended and the Gulf waters were closer to normal. April and May also produced tornado outbreaks, but the preliminary count over most of this period, since the March 31 to April 1 outbreak, has actually been close to the average, though things could still change. What has stood out in April and May is persistence: The jet stream has remained wavy, bringing with it the normal ebb and flow of stormy low-pressure weather systems mixed with sunny high-pressure systems. In May alone, tornadoes were reported in Colorado, Minnesota, Delaware, Florida, and just about every state in between. Years with fewer tornadoes often have calm periods of a couple of weeks or longer when a sunny high-pressure system is parked over the central U.S. However, the U.S. didn't really get one of those calm periods in spring 2025. Tornado Alley shifts eastward The locations of these storms have also been notable: The 2025 tornadoes through May have been widespread but clustered near the lower and central Mississippi Valley, stretching from Illinois to Mississippi. That's well to the east of traditional Tornado Alley, typically seen as stretching from Texas through Nebraska, and farther east than normal. April through May is still peak season for the Mississippi Valley, though it is usually on the eastern edge of activity rather than at the epicenter. The normal seasonal cycle of tornadoes moves inland from near the Gulf Coast in winter to the upper Midwest and Great Plains by summer. Over the past few decades, the U.S. has seen a broad shift in tornadoes in three ways: to the east, earlier in the year, and clustered into larger outbreaks. Winter tornadoes have become more frequent over the eastern U.S., from the southeast, dubbed Dixie Alley for its tornado activity in recent years, to the Midwest, particularly Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana. Meanwhile, there has been a steady and stark decline in tornadoes in the 'traditional' tornado season and region: spring and summer in general, especially across the Great Plains. It may come as a surprise that the U.S. has actually seen a decrease in overall U.S. tornado activity over the past several decades, especially for intense tornadoes categorized as EF2 and above. There have been fewer days with a tornado. However, those tornado days have been producing more tornadoes. These trends may have stabilized over the past decade. Deadlier tornadoes This eastward shift is likely making tornadoes deadlier. Tornadoes in the Southeastern U.S. are more likely to strike overnight, when people are asleep and cannot quickly protect themselves, which makes these events dramatically more dangerous. The tornado that hit London, Kentucky, struck after 11 p.m. Many of the victims were older than 65. The shift toward more winter tornadoes has also left people more vulnerable. Since they may not expect tornadoes at that time of year, they are likely to be less prepared. Tornado detection and forecasting is rapidly improving and has saved thousands of lives over the past 50-plus years, but forecasts can save lives only if people are able to receive them. This shift in tornadoes to the east and earlier in the year is very similar to how scientists expect severe thunderstorms to change as the world warms. However, researchers don't know whether the overall downward trend in tornadoes is driven by warming or will continue into the future. Field campaigns studying how tornadoes form may help us better answer this question. Remember that it only takes one For safety, it's time to stop focusing on spring as tornado season and the Great Plains as Tornado Alley. Tornado Alley is really all of the U.S. east of the Rockies and west of the Appalachians for most of the year. The farther south you live, the longer your tornado season lasts. Forecasters say it every year for hurricanes, and we badly need to start saying it for tornadoes too: It only takes one to make it a bad season for you or your community. Just ask the residents of London, Kentucky; St. Louis; Plevna and Grinnell, Kansas; and McNairy County, Tennessee. if you hear sirens or are under a tornado warning, immediately go to your safe space. A tornado may already be on the ground, and you may have only seconds to protect yourself.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Oswego Chasers prepare to hunt storms in Tornado Alley
OSWEGO, N.Y. (WSYR) — SUNY Oswego's storm-chasing student team, the 'Oswego Chasers,' is hitting the road again on Tuesday, May 27. Dr. Scott Steiger, professor of meteorology and Director of LESPaRC, spent Memorial Day preparing his class and visiting students from states in the northeast for the annual summer expedition in the Great Plains. Students were testing instruments, such as a Radiosonde weather balloon, that would be vital to their research in the field. Dr. Steiger told his team the tool measures moisture, temperature, and wind at least 10 miles above the surface. Students from as far as Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, along with Oswego-based students, will be split into three teams to focus on forecasting, equipment care, and logistics. Because their focus is on forecasting daily, each team observes, takes measurements, and compares their data from earlier in the day with the data at the end. 'That really can help to determine whether or not we're in a good place to…where thunderstorms may develop,' Dr. Steiger said. Dr. Steiger has been preparing his band of misfit meteorologists all semester long to take on 'Tornado Alley' for two weeks, a tradition he has loved since 2007. 'One day we'll be in Texas,' he said. 'Two days later, we could be in Montana.' David Rienza, a SUNY Oswego 2024-25 graduate, said he has always been fascinated by storms in New York State but is ready to observe them on a larger scale. 'We get severe thunderstorms, but they're nothing compared to, you know, how severe…just how massive they are out in the Plains,' Rienza said. During the instrument demonstration, the professor's team agreed they were ready to put their skills and tools to the test. 'We can actually plot it ourselves,' Kaitlin Farrell, a senior, said. 'We get to collect that data that we, normally, are kind of given…with these instruments, we can actually see how this stuff works!' Senior Jason Ruiz, an avid astronomy enthusiast, cannot wait to apply his knowledge of Earth and space science while studying the skies. 'It brings excitement to me…knowing that what I'm looking at on the screen is actually happening, like, in large scale around me,' Ruiz said. As Dr. Steiger prepares to pack the vagabond fleet of vans in the morning, he said he never ceases to look forward to his favorite part of any trip. 'When we're out watching a storm…I have my iPad, and we're looking at the radar imagery of the storm, and they're comparing what they're visually seeing to what they see on the radar screen and you can just see when they make that connection in their eyes,' he said. The Oswego Chases depart at 7 a.m. and hope to be storm-chasing in Western Oklahoma by Wednesday evening. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
