Deadly, Destructive May Tornadoes Follow Slow Start to 2015

Chris Dolce
Published: May 12,2015



 
May's reputation for destructive and deadly tornadoes has held true through roughly the first one-third of this month.

Preliminary tornado reports across the United States Jan. 1 - May 12, 2015. (NOAA/Storm Prediction Center)

As of May 11, the preliminary tornado count for May is 144, according to statistics provided by severe weather expert Dr. Greg Forbes of The Weather Channel. This is 47 percent greater than the 20-year average of 98 tornadoes through that date. It's also already more tornadoes than we saw in all of May 2014 (130 total).
Overall, May has averaged the most tornadoes of any month of the year during the last 20 years with 277 total. Through May 11, we've already seen roughly 52 percent of May's average number of tornadoes. With the potential for more significant severe weather in the forecast late this week into the weekend, this number could rise higher.
(MORE: Another Weekend Severe Outbreak?)
The above-average tornado count so far this May follows a relative dearth of tornadoes to start the year.

Tornadoes Started Slow This Year

Note: These counts are preliminary.

Numerous intrusions of cold, dry air east of the Rockies kept the tornado count well below average to start 2015.
After a swarm of 23 tornadoes in parts of the South Jan. 3-4, it was mostly quiet through March. The overall tornado count in January was 38 percent below average with 25 total.
This was followed by a February that had just two tornadoes. Only three other Februaries since 1950 saw two or fewer tornadoes in the U.S.: 2010 (1), 2002 (2) and 1964 (2).
The slow start carried over into March which had its fewest number of tornadoes since 1969. Just 12 tornadoes were confirmed across the country based on preliminary data.
In April, the upward tick in tornado activity relative to average began. The preliminary tornado count for April 2015 is 168, which is very near the 20-year average of 186 for the month. This included the year's first violent EF4-rated tornado that killed two as it roared through Fairdale, Illinois.
(VIDEO: The Fairdale Tornado Scar From Above)
For the year-to-date through May 11, the preliminary tornado count for the United States is 353. This is about 19 percent below the average of 438.

Five Killer Tornadoes in 2015

Eight deaths have been confirmed from five separate killer tornadoes in 2015 as of May 12. All of those deaths were from tornadoes that were rated EF2 or higher on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. This illustrates the fact that stronger tornadoes cause a huge majority of tornado-related deaths.
Most recently, three separate killer tornadoes struck during the weekend of May 9-10. An EF3 tornado killed one person near Cisco, Texas, on May 9. A day later, two people were killed by an EF3 near Van, Texas, and another two died when an EF2 tornado touched down near Nashville, Arkansas.
The other deaths this year were from the aforementioned EF4 that killed two in Fairdale, Illinois, and an EF2 tornado that killed one in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, on March 25.
(VIDEO: Deadly Tornado in Sand Springs)
Though we recognize that all of those deaths are tragic, this year's death toll is trailing the 10-year average (2004-2013) of 71 deaths through May 12. At this point last year, the number of tornado deaths was 35 from 8 separate killer tornadoes.
With another round of severe weather targeting the central states this weekend, please stay aware of the weather forecast for your area and take the necessary precautions should any watches or warnings be issued. To see the latest forecast for severe weather, bookmark this link for our severe weather tracker.

PHOTOS: May 8-10, 2015 Severe Weather