Very Unusual Tornado Record For Iowa

Up until the outbreak of tornadoes that tore through five Midwestern states on Sunday and Monday morning, Iowa hadn’t recorded a single tornado in almost a year, and that’s very unusual for a state that averages about 35 a year.

Before last week’s tornadoes in north Texas that killed six people, this country had recorded the second-fewest number of fatalities in the last 125 years.

The central and southern United States is prone to some of the most destructive tornadoes in the world.  Averaging about 1,200 a year, there are more tornadoes in this country than any other country in the world.

Any guess what state has the most tornadoes?  It’s Florida.  They are more prone to tornadoes than any other state but the ones they have rarely approach the power of those in the central states.

Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas and Alabama are the states hit with the most destructive tornadoes - EF5’s with winds over 200 miles an hour.

Tornadoes can occur anytime of the year but the peak months in the southern states are March thru May while tornadoes in northern states usually come in the summer.

Here in Buffalothe National Weather Service has verified a total of 19 tornadoes since 1950 in the months April thru September.  In the 63 years since records have been kept there have been a total of four tornadoes each in the months of June and August.  There’s never been a tornado in the months October thru March.