2023 Storm Season on Pace to Break Tornado Record Across U.S.

Just as residents along the northern Gulf Coast were thinking that we might get a bit of a break on the severe weather this year Mother Nature swoops in and throws us another curve ball. As the July 4th holiday arrives and moves on residents of the Gulf South start to keep a keen watch on what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico. It is hurricane season and late July through August and September are when things really start popping in the tropics.

But this year we were told there it was an  El Nino year. That climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean usually means less tropical activity in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, hence, the "perceived break" we thought we might be getting from hurricanes.

While the 2023 Hurricane Season could still be below average what we have found is that the 2023 Tornado Season is extremely active and is on pace to be the busiest season in history.

There have already been some 400-plus tornado touchdowns in the United States in just the first three months of this year. To put that into perspective, that's most tornadoes that have ever touched down in that same time frame, ever. And the number of touchdowns between January and March is double the amount of storms the nation experienced in that same time frame between 2000 and 2022.

What makes this even more amazing is that nearly 25% of the total tornadoes that touchdown during the first quarter of the year were reported on the same day. That day was March 31st. The storms of that day killed some 30 people and as of now, the day holds the record for fourth most storms reported in a single day in the country.

What does this mean for the rest of the tornado season?

Well just as tornadoes are unpredictable so are the outbreaks of those storms. Forecasters say there is no historical evidence they can look to justify a call for more storms or a call for fewer storms as the year rolls on. That's why it's very important that you understand what precautions you and your family would need to take should threatening weather approach where you live.

Tornadoes, unlike hurricanes, strike quickly and time is of the essence in being prepared for them. Make sure your family has a storm plan in place. That plan should include what to do when everyone is home or when kids are home alone. You should have a predetermined safe room in your home too. It's just one more way you can enhance the safety of yourself and your family during times of severe storms.