Tornado Trends Across the United States 1950 - 2000

Tornadoes have been on the increase across the United States over the last 50 years. This can be attributed to many factors in areas of meteorology and technology to eyewitness accounts. The National Weather Service community combined with local government and media has made an all out effort in organizing spotter groups in order to inform the public of tornado observances just in the last ten years. This has not always been the case. Lack of technology, i.e. video equipment, Doppler radar, improved satellite data, facsimile machines and cellular telephones is just a short list of tools used today to communicate tornado observations to the National Weather Service.

This presentation will show how improved observing techniques and technology has affected tornado statistics since 1950. These methods have also affected the methods used in forecasting tornadoes and severe storms. The presentation will display how trends in tornado reports and issuance of watches and warnings have increased during the last decade. These trends will be displayed not only in number of tornadoes, but will also be shown in the effects on tornado damage and damage costs as well as the effects on other severe weather events such as hail and damaging winds.