Emergency managers across the United States are urging residents in tornado-prone areas to prepare for the upcoming spring and summer season, following a devastating EF5 tornado in Enderlin, North Dakota, last June that killed three people and destroyed ten homes. The tornado, which was 12 miles wide with winds of 200 mph, was the first EF5 in the US in over a decade.
The US experienced 1,559 tornadoes last year, the fifth highest on record. This year, AccuWeather predicts between 1,050 and 1,250 tornadoes, with the majority expected in May. The most at-risk areas are along the Gulf Coast and across the Plains, though the climate crisis is shifting 'Tornado Alley' eastward due to drought and warming in the Gulf of Mexico.
Cole Baker, emergency manager for Cass County, North Dakota, advised residents to stay aware of forecast changes. He noted that outdoor warning sirens may be inaudible during high winds, which 'sound like a freight train.' Text alerts from agencies like the National Weather Service are also used, but cell service can be unreliable in rural areas, as occurred in Enderlin when the radio tower was knocked down.
Brian Burgess, Williamson County Emergency Management director, recommended that residents respond to warnings by going indoors, checking local meteorologists on TV, and heading to safe spaces when phones alert. The El Niño phenomenon is expected to create ripe conditions for tornadoes in the south from spring into late summer, with hotspots in Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa in April, and the Tennessee Valley and Tornado Alley by June.
Paul Pastelok, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, warned of a change in tornado patterns, urging people to be prepared for the unexpected. He highlighted that El Niño will likely increase storms along the Gulf Coast. Burgess, who responded to an EF4 tornado in Illinois last May that caused $9–11 billion in damage, also stressed the importance of updating home insurance to reflect current property values.
