JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska have been the heart of Tornado Alley for decades. Tornado Alley is a section of the United States where tornadoes are most frequent. But is that section shifting to the Southeast?
A newly published article on EarthSky.org shows that tornadoes have shifted eastward, away from Tornado Alley and into Mississippi.
A map from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center shows all EF1 or stronger tornadoes from 1986 to 2015. The map shows that the Southeast, especially Mississippi, has become the new center for tornadic activity. The strongest storms are leaving Tornado Alley and entering into Dixie Alley.
Experts say a major reason for this could be climate change. The warmer weather is causing storms to become much more frequent and intense.
Even as tornadoes become more common, deaths from these storms have decreased. That’s because rapidly evolving science and technology are saving lives with better forecasts, helping people know days in advance when severe weather may hit.
