2 states lead the nation in tornadoes after a rash of ferocious outbreaks
So far this year, the U.S. has seen more twisters reported by early May than in any year since 2011, AccuWeather meteorologist Jesse Ferrell reports.
Ferocious outbreaks in March and April led to hundreds of tornadoes, along with dozens of deaths. As of May 6, the Storm Prediction Center has logged 724 preliminary tornado reports nationwide – 198 more than the historical average of 526.
Ferrell said that two states stand out with unusually high numbers of tornado reports. Mississippi leads with 96 tornado reports through early May. Illinois follows with 82 reports.
"Rounding out the top 5 are Missouri with 78, Texas with 74 and Alabama with 49," he said.
As for tornado fatalities, this year, many of the twisters that caused deaths occurred in Missouri, Tennessee, and Mississippi, the Storm Prediction Center said.
And according to AccuWeather, much of 2025's activity was driven by four major tornado outbreaks in March and April:
• March 14-16: 182 reports• March 30-31: 56 reports• April 2-3: 112 reports• April 4-7: 56 reports
However, the busy year has hit a bit of a lull in early May. "May's tornado count in the U.S. has gotten off to a slow start," said Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman May 8 in an online forecast.
As of May 8, only 20 tornadoes had been reported in the month.
"But that may change due to an upcoming shift in the pattern next week that could bring more severe weather to the nation's midsection," he said, warning of threats of severe thunderstorms with hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.
The Storm Prediction Center, in a May 9 forecast, warned of a "risk for organized severe convection, including a few supercells," by the end of the week.
May is typically the month with the most tornadoes in the U.S., Erdman reported.
May 2024 was particularly intense for tornadoes:
"Last May, 530 tornadoes tore through the U.S., more than double the average and just shy of the May record from 2003 (542 tornadoes)," he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US has recored the highest number of tornado reports in over a decade
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