Record Breaking LOW Number of Tornadoes

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – So far this year, we’re breaking a new weather record, a record low number of tornadoes. Compare that to two years ago when we had record breaking number of 1,691 tornadoes touched down in the U-S.

In 2011 two of the deadliest tornadoes touch down – one in Joplin, Missouri and another in Tuscaloosa, AL. An EF 5 also touched down in that same year leveling Smithville killing 15 people and injuring 40. Another tornado sliced through through Hackelburg and Phil Campbell.

But this year, it’s quiet the opposite.

“The area right around Starkville, we hasn’t had a tornado within 25 miles, since 2011. April 27 was the last one. Columbus has had one tornado within that same distance and that was this past spring,” says Meteorologist Professor Dr. Grady Dixon.

To date, we’ve had only two tornadoes touch down in our viewing area. Our viewing area covers about 25 counties. Compare that to more than 55 tornadoes that touched down in our viewing area in 2011.

“Right now we’re in a historical all time low for the country as far as number of tornadoes. The question is, why is that? There’s a number of educated guesses but seasonal tornado forecasting is one of the next big research topics in the field,” says Dr. Dixon.

Research, we hope, that will provide more answers and more lead time to warn you of the weather to come.