2023 So Far: 478 Tornado Reports Across 25 States
Friday, April 7th, 2023 Catastrophe PropertyA string of destructive tornadoes ripped through huge swaths of the country in recent weeks, with experts saying a warmer-than-usual winter across the South likely fueled what has been one of the busiest recorded starts to the tornado season.
There have been at least 478 tornado reports this year across 25 states as of Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Only 2017, with 503 tornado reports, and 2008, with 523, had more at this point in the year.
Pinning down how tornado activity will change in a warming world -- if at all -- is an active area of research, and more data is needed. But a picture is emerging of how risks are changing across parts of the country, particularly in areas where social factors compound vulnerabilities to extreme weather.
This year’s active start can be blamed, at least in part, on the mild winter conditions experienced across much of the country, said Harold Brooks, a senior research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Severe Storms Laboratory.
