Mississippi is one of the most susceptible states, with the highest number of tornadoes per 2 mi (3.21 km) occurring in the entire United States.Tornadoes occur when warm, moist air clashes with dry, cool air. They are also called twisters, whirlwinds, or cyclones.Annually an average of 43 tornadoes hit Mississippi, located in the Dixie Alley. Most of the storms strike in March, April, and May. Union County in Mississippi has the most number of tornadoes. The tornado on March 27, 1890, that occurred in the middle Mississippi valley is one of the most destructive events in the history of the United States.HistoryTornadoes in the United States most commonly occur to the east of the Rocky Mountains. This area around the Rocky Mountains is popularly called the ‘Tornado Alley’ as it is more prone to tornadoes than all other parts of the United States. Tornado Alley runs from northern Texas up to Canada, centered on Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, and northern Texas.Oklahoma is also a tornado-prone city. This city has had a history of 160 tornadoes since 1893 and 13 of these were violent. An Oklahoma tornado is more likely to occur in the month of May. Since 1999 there have been 45 tornadoes there, ranging from a 1.3 mi (2.09 km) path to as much as 24 mi (38.62 km). These violent storms killed many people in and around Oklahoma and caused huge property damage.Another prevalent area, locally called the ‘Dixie Alley’, has encountered several tornadoes. Dixie Alley is in the southern United States and refers to the northern and central areas of Alabama and Mississippi. From 1956 to 2006, 1,787 tornadoes hit Mississippi.SeasonTornadoes are more prevalent during the night, which can cause many injuries and fatalities. However, they can occur at any time of the day. Tornado storms form when cold air collides with warm moist air which causes heavy rains, hail, and damaging winds.The intensity and frequency of a tornado depend on the time of year to a large extent. There is no specific tornado season, and a twister can hit at any time of year. Tornado storms mostly occur in spring and fall. A significant number of tornadoes hit in March, April, and May, but the National Weather Service reports showed that the number peaks even in November. Temperature patterns play a very important role in the tornado storm formation being at its peak in spring.ConsequencesThere are many types of tornadoes, and they occur in various shapes, sizes, and appearances. In some cases, one storm can cause more than one tornado, either concurrently or one after another. More than one tornado made by the same storm cell is called a tornado family. If a tornado happens continuously without any break, then it is known as a tornado outbreak.Tornadoes can be weak and small or very violent. A tornado appears in the shape of a funnel and can cause a huge amount of destruction to the community, depending upon its intensity. Mississippi is one of the states prone to destructive and deadly tornadoes. This is due to the occurrence of tornadoes at night as well as the presence of a huge number of windblown trees, which cause damage to the communities. Tornadoes can last for a few minutes to hours in some cases. Central Mississippi and areas southeast of Jackson County are the most prone to tornadoes.Facts About Mississippi Tornadoes HistoryMississippi had seen the worst tornadoes in the history of the United States. The Great Natchez Tornado takes second place in the history of the United States as the most killer tornado and the topmost in the Mississippi tornadoes history. This hit the cities of Louisiana and Mississippi on May 17, 1840. Around 300 people died and $31 million worth of destruction was caused to properties, buildings, and structures.The second deadliest twister occurred in the Tupelo region of Mississippi on April 5, 1936. According to the National Weather Service, this storm was estimated to have killed more than 200 people in the city, destroyed more than $3 million worth of property, and damaged many community buildings and structures. The next day another twister occurred that was part of the same storm, causing around 203 deaths. The aftermath of this event was a fire that appeared hours after this Mississippi tornado across the entire community. This fire destroyed a garment factory in the city and killed 60 employees.On February 21 and 22, 1971, the Mississippi delta tornado outbreak hit some parts of the Mississippi valley. This outbreak led to 19 more tornadoes which killed 123 people in the surrounding three states and within Mississippi. From that, came three violent tornadoes that lasted for a long time and two tornado families which caused the most destruction around the 300 mi (483 km) path.The tornado outbreak series took place on March 3 and 4, 1966, in Jackson County, Mississippi. This event was a series of four tornadoes that caused terrible effects in Jackson County. This violent tornado resulted in 58 deaths, left 521 injured, and caused an estimated $75 million of property destruction across a 202.5 mi (329.5 km) path.The Vicksburg Mississippi tornado that hit on December 5, 1953, is reportedly the fifth-worst of the Mississippi tornadoes. This tornado caused 38 fatalities, around 270 people injured, and an estimated $25 million in property damage. This tornado was followed by heavy rain that caused a lot of destruction, especially to the city’s electrical services. Also, 12 blocks of the business districts and their surrounding communities were destroyed, leaving around 1300 people homeless and felled many trees.The 2011 super outbreak was the biggest tornado outbreak event and occurred on April 25-27, causing calamitous destruction in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. A total of 175 tornadoes struck these places out of the 360 tornadoes present in Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern states that week.Both the Tornado Alley and the Dixie Alley are places where tornadoes hit throughout the entire year. Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina have seen the highest number of storms of all the states included in the Dixie and Tornado Alleys.
Mississippi is one of the most susceptible states, with the highest number of tornadoes per 2 mi (3.21 km) occurring in the entire United States.
