Tornado activity in the United States for 2009 is reaching unusually low levels according to statistics from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC). By its latest count as of Sunday, November 1st, 1040 tornado reports have been received this year placing it in the 10th percentile since 1954 (see chart below).
Tornadoes occur in every month on the calendar but 2009 started with far below normal numbers for the first three months of the year. As the traditional severe weather season approached during the spring, tornado numbers returned to near average but have since fallen into a decline.
Similarly, tornado deaths in 2009 are far below the average. The three year running average from 2006 to 2008 saw an average of 91 fatalities per year. Over the longer term, the United States experiences 80 per year. Thus far in 2009 only 22 deaths have been reported as a result of twisters. There was nearly a five month period from May 13th to October 9th when there were no deaths at all recorded.
hello,I am alabhya srivastava.I am from India.In India we usually get to witness big tornadic activities evey year.But this yer only one such activity was witnesed on march 31.
Does this in any way imply that the coming year will be a bizarre with a large number of twisters?
I love them.
Alabhya,
Being unfamiliar with the climate of India, we aren’t really qualified to answer. However, I don’t think you can draw any conclusions between short-termed events such as a lack of tornadoes over a month or two and longer-termed trends.
thanxx foe updating my knowledge….