On May 28 th, seven tornadoes were reported, six of which occurred in Kit Carson County and one in Graham County. For example, in 2018, there were five tornado days for the Goodland County Warning Area, however, there were 11 tornado reports. This situation would result when more than one tornado occurs on the same day. When comparing the number of tornadoes versus the number of tornado days that occur in a year, it is important to note that there may be a higher number of tornadoes than tornado days. For example, there were four tornado days in 1950 and 13 tornado days in 1965. A tornado day is defined as a day in which one or more tornadoes occurred. This chart shows the number of tornado days that occurred each year. This data is a little skewed since only nine years (2010-2018) are averaged into the total. So far, the 2010s have averaged around 18 tornadoes per year. The 1990s and 2000s averaged 23-24 tornado reports per year during each ten year period. This averages to around nine tornadoes each year from 1950-1959. For example, in the 1950s, 87 tornadoes were reported over ten years. The 2010s recorded in the bar chart only account for nine years of data (2010-2018).ĭigging into the tornado reports a little further, we can also look at the average number of tornadoes reported each year within a decade. Since 1990, the number of tornadoes reported has dramatically increased with over 200 tornadoes reported in the 1990s and 2000s. From 1950 to 1989, the number of tornadoes reported in each ten year increment ranged from 65 to 87. These factors are likely responsible for the large increase in tornadoes reported since the early 1990s.Īnother way to look at the increase in tornado reports is to break down the numbers by decade. In addition, the number of storm chasers using video cameras and cell phones to document and report severe weather increased in the 1990s. In the early 1990s, a major modernization program within the National Weather Service took place, which included the deployment of Doppler radar and a more rigorous spotter training program. The reason for this is that some tornadoes, especially in rural areas, go unreported. The number of tornadoes is likely an underestimate to the number of tornadoes that actually occurred. For example, 55 tornadoes were reported in 2007 and only one tornado was reported in 1974. This chart shows the number of tornadoes that were reported each year across the Goodland coverage area. The Goodland County Warning Area encompasses 19 counties across Northwestern Kansas, Southwestern Nebraska, and Northeastern Colorado.

Free download torna release date