ATLANTA — Through May 18, Georgia ranks fifth in the nation for number of tornadoes in 2021. There have been 30 tornadoes, including seven earlier this month on May 3 through 4.
The most destructive tornado of this year was an EF-4 that hit the town of Newnan on night of March 2
The top 5 tornado states are highlighted in yellow below: Texas with 79 tornadoes, Alabama with 77, Mississippi with 66, Louisiana with 37, and Georgia with 30.
Georgia has had more tornadoes this year to-date than several prominent tornado alley states including Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. On average, the Peach State has 30 tornadoes each year.
What is important to note is that the time frame of our tornado season is different from in the traditional tornado alley states in the southern Plains.
On average, Georgia's severe weather and tornado season is in March, April and May. Below is the total tornado counts from 1950 through 2012 reflecting this trend.
Traditional Tornado Alley states like Oklahoma and Kansas see their highest tornado frequency on average in the months of May and June.
Tornadoes can and do happen any time of year in Georgia. There can be tornadoes in the middle of winter, during landfalling tropical systems, and even during the heat of summer. It doesn't have to be spring severe weather season for the atmospheric setup to support tornado formation.