Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Tornado season whirling in

Eastern New Mexico received its first tornado scare of the season on March 12 when watches were issued throughout the region.

Curry, Quay and Roosevelt counties avoided the twisters that night, but neighbors to the south in Dexter saw a touchdown that resulted in multiple minor injuries and several damaged homes.

The night reminded old-timers of the deadly tornadoes that struck eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle on March 23, 2007. Heleneta Blevins and Walter Cravy, both 90, of Clovis, were killed in those storms. Hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed, hundreds of cattle were killed and 35 people suffered serious injuries.

While such events are rare in eastern New Mexico, the region often spawns tornadoes that result in devastation in the Tornado Alley of Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

This is the beginning of a tornado season that historically runs through May and early summer. And AccuWeather is predicting a more active season than in recent years.

"We believe that the more traditional severe weather region of the central and southern Plains will have a higher potential for tornadoes and severe weather more frequently than they have experienced on average the past three years," said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.

The forecaster is predicting 1,075 tornadoes in 2019, 9 percent more than the 987 tornadoes in 2018, but 6 percent fewer than the U.S. annual average of 1,141.

It predicts 525 tornadoes will strike Tornado Alley from March through May - about average, but well over the 345 recorded in 2018.

"We believe warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures over the Gulf of Mexico will lead to increased moisture transport from the Gulf over the region and ultimately a higher frequency of severe weather in these areas," Pastelok said.

According to AccuWeather:

Last year, the U.S. set record lows for the number of fatalities and the number of "violent" tornadoes, those with estimated wind speeds of 166 mph or higher. Tornadoes killed just 10 Americans last year, the lowest number since record-keeping began in 1875. The previous record low total was 12 in 1910. Tornadoes cause an average of 80 U.S. fatalities annually.

A few tornado facts to keep in mind:

• Tornadoes are ranked on the Enhanced Fujita Scale - from EF0 (the weakest) to EF5 - and 2018 was the first year since these records began in 1950 that there was not at least one EF4 or EF5 tornado in the U.S.

• The number of tornadoes reported annually has been rising over the past few decades mainly because more are reported as the U.S. population has risen and more people have access to mobile devices and cameras. Many tornadoes of the past were not seen or recorded.

• Tornado-related fatalities have been trending downward despite more people living in tornado-prone areas. The reasons for this trend include advances in weather science and technology, the increasing accuracy of warnings and the effectiveness of warning methods.

• A tornado watch is issued when conditions are favorable for a tornado. "It doesn't mean severe weather is imminent," said AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski

• A tornado warning is issued when severe weather appears imminent, based on specific criteria and existing reports received by the National Weather Service.

• Tornadoes can flatten entire neighborhoods and take many lives. The massive, swirling columns of air pack winds that can reach speeds of up to 300 mph.

• The March 18, 1925 tri-state tornado that hit Missouri, Illinois and Indiana is believed to be the longest-lasting and deadliest in United States history. It covered 219 miles in three hours and killed nearly 700 people.

• Tornado activity has a history of occurring mostly during the spring months, beginning in March. Tornadoes typically experience a peak occurrence between May and June. Historically, May is the most active month for tornado occurrences, with an average of 276 tornadoes occurring annually in the U.S. Most tornado activity occurs in the afternoon and evening.

 
 
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