Is Tornado Alley Moving East?

Tornadoes have traditionally been considered a Midwest phenomenon, appearing in all their twisting terror in the middle of cornfields or spinning across vast prairie land. We have what we call “Tornado Alley,” which includes the states where most of our country’s tornadoes take place: Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, Iowa, and parts of Colorado and Missouri.While the damage done by tornadoes in these states can be devastating, we don’t usually think of them as hitting big cities. Today that seems to be changing. Are tornadoes changing course? It would seem to be the case, with the destruction seen in more eastern states, such as Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, and even into New England!This is scaring quite a number of people, as the eastern seaboard is considered to be more densely populated than the Midwestern prairies. But is it that tornadoes have always cropped up in these areas and we are just now paying attention, or is there really some fundamental change in weather patterns which will soon become the new norm? Some people claim that global warming is the culprit, while others believe the Earth’s magnetic poles are shifting. Others shrug off these explanations, saying that tornadoes can and do happen all over the United States (and the world), and that we are only taking more notice recently due to the extra media attention these eastern storms are getting.

The truth is, “Tornado Alley” is just the name of the alley way area with the highest number of tornadoes, not the area with the only tornadoes. They can and do occur anywhere, and it’s up to the residents of every state to gauge their risk and take the proper precautions.  If you would like information on how to protect yourself and your loved ones, give us a call today at 888-360-1492 and let one of our storm shelter experts help yo pick out your above ground or below ground shelter today.