If you have turned on your TV anytime over the last month, you have probably noticed that there are little to no political ads being played, that COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere soon, and that the southern United States has already experienced an alarming number of tornadoes. If you are a Colorado native, you know that the Centennial State is not immune to this extreme weather either, which is predicted to also hit us hard this spring:
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
While tornadoes are usually thought to occur in the warm summer months, they are continuing to begin earlier and occur more often, with AccuWeather predicting 1,350 to 1,450 for 2020. While most of these 2020 storms have happened to the south and east of Colorado, we are not out of the woods yet, as the Plains states (including Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and eastern Colorado) may get hit hard over the next few months. As per AccuWeather, May could be a rough month for the central and northern Plains into the Midwest, thanks to both an active north jet stream and increased surface temperatures.Not-so-fun fact: Colorado is ranked the 10th most active state for tornadoes thanks to an average of 52 storms a year and approximately 2,129 tornadoes since 1950.While tornadoes can be devastating in more ways than one, there is some good news to come out of recent years, as the number of annual tornado-related fatalities is down, thanks to both advances in weather science and technology and common weather-alerting apps. If you do find yourself in the path of a tornado, the Center for Disease Control recommends always to be prepared with access to shelter (and – if outside – making a note of where the nearest indoor shelter is), having an emergency kit with water, non-perishable food, and medication, and staying aware of current weather conditions.
