US Hit By 100+ Tornadoes
Over the course of four days, the US was hit by over 100 tornadoes, some of which were so powerful they packed winds over 170 miles per hour. It is an example of storm counts reaching or near record levels even in the earliest part of the tornado season.
According to Accuweather, most of the storms were in the middle of the country from Texas and Oklahoma and due north through Arkansas and Wisconsin. It was an unusually large spread geographically for such a short period.
Accuweather reported, “The National Weather Service confirmed eight EF3 tornadoes as of Tuesday morning, with an additional 17 EF2s, and it will add to that total this week after new storm surveys. Over 170 preliminary tornado reports were issued by storm spotters during the outbreak.” The EF designation is for the Enhanced Fujita scale. An EF3 storm is categorized as “136–165 mph Severe damage.”
Tornado Season
Although the tornado season runs from March through June, the most violent storms are usually in the Southern Plains from May until late June.
NOAA reports about 1,000 tornadoes annually, but the count could exceed the number of weeks to go in the season.
