Forecasters Issue Warning About Fall Tornadoes

Along with cooler temperatures, fall also brings the risk of more tornadoes to our region. The National Weather Service in Paducah is trying to educate local residents about the possible dangers of fall tornadoes.

NWS officials say September through October, and much of November typically bring more favorable conditions for tornadoes and other severe thunderstorm events, such as large hail and damaging winds. This increase is reportedly driven by a more dynamic atmosphere that occurs during the fall transition to cooler temperatures. This transition period sometimes yields low pressure systems and their associated frontal systems that can provide an environment favorable for severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes.

Tornadoes have killed 55 people in our region over the past two decades. The two main determining factors in those 55 deaths have been the time of day they occurred and the location of the victims. Nighttime tornadoes have accounted for 43 of the 55 fatalities in our region. Thirty six of these fatalities occurred between midnight and sunrise. In addition, 40 of these fatalities occurred in mobile homes. 

The two nighttime tornadoes that have claimed the most lives in our region include the November 6, 2005 Evansville IN Area tornado which struck just before 2 am, claiming 25 lives. The Harrisburg, IL  tornado of February 29, 2012 occurred at 4:51 am and claimed 8 lives.