Florida saw 8th biggest decline in high-intensity tornadoes over last 20 years
Tornado season is already underway in some parts of the country, and many are unaware of how close to home these violent storms occur. Recently, a severe weather outbreak in the Midwest caused at least nine tornadoes in Ohio—including an EF-3 in Logan County, which caused 3 deaths—and another EF-3 in Winchester, Indiana, which injured almost 40 people. Meanwhile, an EF-2 struck Kentucky and destroyed almost 100 buildings.
Tornadoes have impacted all U.S. states during the last decade, save for Alaska, causing $14.1 billion in damages. Half of that damage occurred in just five states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, and Texas, demonstrating the pronounced shift eastward from Tornado Alley to “Dixie Alley”—the area roughly stretching from eastern Texas to the western borders of the Carolinas. It also underscores the growing evidence that global warming is making extreme weather events more frequent or more intense.
To find the locations with the largest increase in tornadoes, researchers ranked locations by the total change in high-intensity tornado occurrences from the 20-year period ending in November 2004 to the 20-year period ending in November 2023. High-intensity tornadoes were considered to be those categorized as EF2 or higher on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
These are the key takeaways from the report for Florida, which saw the 8th biggest decline in high-intensity tornadoes of any state:
• During the 20-year period ending in November 2023, Florida endured 51 high-intensity tornadoes—32 fewer than the previous 20-year span.
• Overall, tornadoes resulted in 35 fatalities and 253 injuries.
• In terms of the impact to property, Florida faced average annual damages of $38,504,117 (after adjusting for inflation) each year of the study period.
Here is a link to the complete results of the analysis, with data on 384 U.S metropolitan areas and all 50 states.
