More intense tornadoes hit this Texas metropolitan area in the past 20 years, study finds

If your phone pings with a warning about a coming storm this month, it’s best that you don’t ignore it. The warning could save you from being struck by the whirlwinds of a tornado which is common in Texas during the spring.

Dallas-Fort Worth sits on a severe storm corridor which runs from North Texas and up towards eastern portions of Colorado. A recent study ranked the Metroplex as No. 7 among the largest metro areas in the U.S. with the biggest increase in recorded tornadoes, and the intensity of the twisters are growing.

“The second half of spring is jumping out to us, the severe weather threat can be more frequent in the Midwest, Tennessee and Ohio valleys in later March into May, while the northern Plains and Northeast can have an increase in May,” AccuWeather lead forecaster Paul Pastelok told the Star Telegram in March.

In 2023, fifteen small tornadoes were reported in the counties of Dallas and Tarrant. The National Weather Service recorded an average of 25 tornadoes annually during the last 10 years.

April and May have consistently been the months with the highest number of tornadoes since 1880. The study also found that during the 20-year span ending in November 2003, Texas experienced the most EF2+ tornadoes with 395 of them touching down in the Lone Star State.

According to a 2015 report, tornadoes in North Texas resulted in $1.2 billion dollars of insured damage.

Between 2016 and 2022, there were zero to four tornado fatalities in Texas annually, according to a data set created by the El Paso Times.

When a tornado hits it can feel like a big boom, one Texas family said during their description of the experience. While there’s no way to control tornadoes, Accuweather experts recommend preparing a windowless room, storm kit, and other precautionary measures to mitigate risks.

This story was originally published April 5, 2024 at 5:07 AM.