Tornado Count Could Hit Record 1,600

By Douglas McIntyre  •  July 20, 2024
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The US tornado season has been among history’s most active and violent. Normally, strong storms are isolated in the middle of the country. Events like Hurricane Beryl pushed tornadoes as far east as Buffalo. 

The risk of tornadoes spread as far as New York City.

The tornado count was already high at the end of last month. According to the National Weather Service, “The 2024 year-to-date U.S. preliminary tornado count is 1,250, which is third place behind 2011’s 1,398 tornadoes and 2008’s 1,303 tornadoes, for the same January-June period.” That increases the odds that 2024 will set a record. 

Much Higher Than Normal Year

Accuweather expects that, by the end of the tornado season, the count for 2024 will be between 1,475 and 1,675. The historical average is 1,255.

Most scientists agree that the reason for the spike is climate change, particularly global warming. Since March, the center of the US has posted average temperatures about 20 degrees above normal, which has triggered many of the storms.

The financial consequences of the rise in storms are considerable. The NOAA reports that 2019 was the year with the highest price tag for damages when the figure reached above $3 billion. Wildfires also had a total price tag of $800 million this year.

Another financial aspect of the powerful and frequent storms is that residential insurance prices have spiked in areas where tornadoes are common. There is a fear that losses will drive out insurance companies completely.

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