AccuWeather Says 700-Plus Tornado Reports Filed in 2024 Above Historical Average

Approximately 700 preliminary tornado reports have been filed so far in 2024, above the historical average for this time of year, according to AccuWeather Global Weather Center.

The roughly 700 preliminary tornado reports through May 9 is above the historical average of 549. There have been at least 170 preliminary tornado reports in the U.S. in May alone, and more than 380 preliminary tornado reports were filed in April, AccuWeather found.

The only years with more tornado reports by May 9 were 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2017, records show.

Texas leads all states with 68 reported tornadoes, followed by Iowa (64), Ohio (60), Kansas (57) and Nebraska (50). Tornadoes aren’t limited to Tornado Alley, either. States from California to New York have seen reported tornadoes, including 34 in Florida.

Half of the tornadoes that hit the U.S., typically happen during the months of April, May, and June, AccuWeather said.

“Hundreds of homes were destroyed, businesses were damaged, and thousands of lives have been turned upside down by these relentless tornado outbreaks over the past two weeks,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter.

AccuWeather’s 2024 U.S. Tornado Forecast issued in March predicts 1,251 to 1,375 tornadoes in the U.S. this year, slightly higher than the historical average of 1,225 tornadoes annually.

Photo: Storm damaged mobile homes are surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich. Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A tornado ripped through the area the evening of May 7. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)