When you think of tornadoes, you may think of places like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska over the Carolinas. Sure, the central Plains is one of the most active areas for tornadoes in the entire world. Many refer to that region of the country as “Tornado Alley.”
However, research has shown that there is actually more than one “Tornado Alley” in the United States, and one of them is located right here in North Carolina.
Several years ago researchers at the University of Akron analyzed tornado data across the country. They found an area from northern Louisiana to parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee actually has a higher frequency of strong tornadoes (EF-3 to EF-5 tornadoes) than Tornado Alley. They denoted this region as “Dixie Alley”.
The research found the third most active area of the country for tornadoes in “Hoosier Alley” or a region around Indiana including parts of Illinois and Kentucky.
The fourth most active area in the United States for tornadoes is here in “Carolina Alley” that runs from northeastern South Carolina through areas around the I-95 corridor in North Carolina.
The biggest tornado outbreak in North Carolina history occurred just under seven years ago on April 16, 2011 across much of “Carolina Alley.” Thirty tornadoes were reported in that day in the state leading to 24 deaths and around 300 injuries.
Prior to 2011, the largest tornado outbreak in North Carolina occurred in a similar area. The Carolinas Outbreak of March 28, 1984 spanned South and North Carolina. Twenty-two tornadoes were reported across both states that day. Unfortunately, that resulted in 57 deaths and over 1,200 injuries.
by Lee Ringer, Spectrum News Central NC
March 7, 2018
