I was born and raised in Southeast Missouri, where tornadoes in the spring are just part of life. People almost dismiss tornado sirens as mere indicators that rain is coming. Those sirens can lull you into a sense of complacency. It’s not that we aren’t afraid of tornadoes, but their paths, while destructive, tend to be narrow. Over time, their impact fades from collective memory.
For 40+ years, I’ve managed to avoid a tornado’s path (knocks on wood). In 2021, I decided to further tempt fate by moving to Northwest Arkansas, just a bit closer to Tornado Alley. Locals here often say that the worst weather always misses us—a sentiment I heard back home, too. When you’re not directly affected by tornadoes, it’s easy to forget about them.
Today, just as I was about to head to work, the tornado sirens started going off. As usual, I didn’t think much of it at first. Then I checked my RadarOmega app and saw rotation in an outflow of the front coming through. I plotted its path, and it was headed directly toward the warehouse I work at. Since it’s my birthday week, I decided to treat myself to a day off—no need to deal with that mess.
I’m glad I did. While the rotation missed both my work and my place, it hit about two miles east of me. It just goes to show—you never really know where or when these things will drop from the sky. All you can do is follow the radar, listen to local meteorologists, and make the best-educated guess you can.
There’s no denying our climate is warming up. Whether or not you believe in human-caused climate change, it’s hard to dispute that the planet is warming, and severe weather is increasing each year. If you try to dispute it, I won’t entertain your narrative anyway—go find some crayons and draw me a picture for my fridge.
The adults in the room have been keeping good data for over a century now.
That Blue Line Tells a Story
That blue line you see says a lot. Tornadoes are still deadly, with countless lives lost over the years. Yet, thanks to modern meteorology, death tolls have remained relatively steady, despite the fact that tornado frequency has been rising. Tornadoes may be more common, but today’s warning systems, radar technology, and public awareness campaigns have given people a better chance to get out of harm’s way.
This line also reflects the hard work of meteorologists who dedicate themselves to predicting these storms and issuing alerts. Every time they sound the alarm, they’re drawing on decades of data, experience, and often split-second decisions. That blue line reminds us how far we've come in understanding tornadoes and protecting lives, even as tornadoes become more frequent in new regions.
Not Here – Or So They Say
People around here often talk about tornadoes as if they’re something that happens “somewhere else.” But either these folks have short memories, or the times are truly changing. The tornado in the photo above hit the exact same neighborhood that a 1.7-mile-wide EF2 tornado struck back in May. And that wasn’t an isolated incident; in the last few years, several smaller EF1 tornadoes have made their way through this area too.
I’ve witnessed the destruction tornadoes leave in their wake. It’s impossible to forget the sight of an entire neighborhood erased within minutes—a place people once called home, reduced to rubble. It’s no wonder the memories stay vivid for those who have seen it firsthand, even if others seem to forget over time.
Tornado Alley: A Shifting Threat
In recent decades, Tornado Alley itself seems to be moving. Historically centered in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, it now appears to be shifting eastward and southward. This shift has led to more tornado warnings in areas like mine, in places that might have once felt safer or less vulnerable. Tornadoes, once considered a seasonal event, now seem to crop up whenever conditions allow, with no clear boundaries.
This eastward shift brings increased tornado sightings and warnings to regions that weren’t accustomed to such threats. Here, it’s become common to see tornado images flashing across the news, a constant reminder that nature’s power is unpredictable and often relentless.
So yeah, I called off work today when I saw rotation headed toward the warehouse. It just didn’t seem worth the risk. Tornadoes may be part of life here, but that doesn’t mean I have to put myself in their path.
