Janice R. Andrews
The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that a terrible tornado tore across sections of southern Oklahoma, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. One person lost their life during the 27-mile tornado, which was classified EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale and moved from the west side of Marietta to a location close to Dickson.
“Violent tornadoes,” like this one, are named for their tremendous force, which may destroy well-built homes, hurl cars, and even completely destroy foundations. Since this was the country’s first EF4 tornado in more than a year, the rarity of tornadoes with this level of intensity emphasizes their significance.
According to tornado historian Thomas Grazulis, the interval between EF4 and EF5 tornadoes, which dates back to 1871, emphasizes how uncommon these occurrences are. Only two strong tornadoes were reported in 2023; they happened in late March in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and Keota, Iowa.
Violent tornadoes are nevertheless lethal even though they occur infrequently; they account for a sizable percentage of tornado-related deaths. The peak of strong tornado occurrence occurs in April and early June, when favorable atmospheric conditions for supercell thunderstorms combine.
The states most vulnerable to severe tornadoes are those that are part of the classic “Tornado Alley,” including Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, and Kansas. Nonetheless, a large region of the nation has seen devastation as a result of these destructive storms, ranging from the Ohio Valley to the southern corridor that includes Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Although they are less frequent outside of Tornado Alley, powerful tornadoes have been reported as far north as upstate New York and Massachusetts and as far south as Florida. As demonstrated in the Teton and Yellowstone regions in 1987, these powerful storms have even visited upon places like Wyoming that are not generally linked with tornado activity.
The devastating cost of severe tornadoes emphasizes the need for communities to be vigilant and prepared for the unpredictability of nature’s strongest storms.
