“La Nina could supercharge this year’s tornado season, just like it did to deadly effect in 2011,” a harrowing CNN headline from April said.
Although La Nina has had a large impact on tornadic weather this year, the month of May ended with more optimistic news. Throughout the entire month of May, tornadoes caused zero fatalities in the United States.
Each year, tornadoes kill an average of 71 Americans. In the U.S., storms produce approximately 1,200 tornadoes a year, and on average, 281 of those occur within the month of May — making it the most active month of the year. Preliminary reports suggest that 289 tornadoes formed in the month of May this year, but none of them proved fatal.
“Last month was a rarity in the weather world,” Weather Channel meteorologist Orelon Sidney said. “If we look at every May going back to 1950, only 15% of them were free of fatalities.”
Unfortunately, although tornadoes did not claim any lives in the month of May, severe weather did. With or without tornadic activity, the strongest of the storms that occur in spring months have still proven themselves deadly. As seasons shift, experts still urge those who live in storm-prone areas to remain prepared for the possibility of severe weather.
“Even though spring was relatively quiet in terms of major tornado outbreaks, it is important not to let your guard down in terms of preparedness because tornadoes can happen at any time of the year,” said Stacy Lamb of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team.
To learn more about how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe during storm season, click here.
Throughout storm season — and year round — Convoy of Hope stays prepared to respond in the event of a disaster. With your help, we can provide hope in every storm. To support our disaster response team, click here.
