Communities in Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma are dealing with the aftermath of tornadoes that carved a destructive and deadly path through them this weekend. It is not an unfamiliar site or tale for many families in Tennessee.

With the right atmospheric conditions any place can experience a tornado, but the Midwest is often where people think of when they think of these destructive weather phenomenon. To the point it is often referenced as “tornado alley.”

But meteorologist have noticed a shift toward the Southeast as the frequency of tornadoes increase in Southern states like Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama over the years.

Here’s a look at where tornado alley is and why some believe is is shifting.

Tornado watch vs. tornado warning: What to know in Tennessee as severe weather hits

Where is tornado alley? Is Tennessee part of it?

Tornado alley has changed and shifted over the years, but as of 2023 Accuweather lists eight states as being part of this area with a unique combination of geographic and meteorological factors that make it more susceptible to tornadoes.

Only three whole states are part of tornado alley: Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Parts of Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska, eastern Colorado and the northern part of Texas are considered part of the alley.

‘Tornado Alley’ is expanding: Southern states see more twisters now than ever before

Tennessee is not considered part of tornado alley, but the state has had its fair share of tornadoes over the years.

Comparing annual data from 1980 to 1999 with 2000 to 2019, 20 U.S. states saw an increase in tornado activity, including Tennessee. Scientists can’t pinpoint precisely how much may be due to an increase in reporting due to improved technology.

Is tornado alley shifting?

Commonly there are more tornadoes in tornado alley, but Southern states are baring the brunt of more destructive outbreaks.

Tornadoes in the South tend to be deadlier than those in the Plains because of several factors such as longer, larger tornado paths, expanding population, more mobile homes and more nighttime tornadoes, according to information compiled from the National Weather Service and other weather services.

The Southern states that bare the brunt of this shift are parts of eastern Texas and Arkansas into Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and includes upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina. This area has been referred to as “Dixie Alley” since the 1970s, but weather service institutions — like the Weather Channel — have refrained from using the name in recent years.

When is tornado season in Tennessee?

Tennessee usually sees the highest number of tornadoes during the month of April, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But tornado season runs from March to May in Tennessee.

Tornado risk for Tennessee

One of the biggest factors affecting the weather in the Southern part of the U.S. is the Gulf of Mexico. According to AccuWeather, the water in the gulf may heat up quickly during the middle and latter part of the spring, which could cause troublesome weather in May.

Alabama (32-14, 9-12) drops two of three to Tennessee (37-9, 16-5) in their final home games at Rhoads before the post-season. Bama is ninth in the SEC standings.

GAME 1: TENNESSEE 5, ALABAMA 0 – Pretzel Logic Day

The two-hit wonders were back at it again. But this time, the Crimson Tide matched those two hits with two errors . Is that bad? Yeah, I think that is bad. #FireAdamArbour

Kayla Beaver (L, 14-7) got the start and gave up a run on a sac fly from Kiki Milloy in the first. Beaver would strike out the next two batters and stonewall the Vols for the next three innings until the 5th. In that frame, she allowed a leadoff double and a walk. Kenleigh Cahalan fielded a grounder on the next play but threw wide and an unearned runner came around to score. Cahalan got the error but truth be told, it should be shared with Emma Broadfoot and whoever coaches defense. In most places in America and Japan and Australia, they teach a first baseman at a young age to come off the bag if a throw is wide. But Emma tried to hold the bag and ball ticked off her glove.

Down 3-0 in the top of the 7th inning, the Tide still had a little bit of hope. But The Gut® stomped all over those hopes by bringing in Jaala Torrence who looks like she already has an eye on the door. Milloy led off with a double and Zaida Puni followed with her twelfth homer of the season to deep center field to put the game WAY out of reach at 5-0.

The Crimson Tide had a few chances to score. They stranded seven runners on base including two in scoring position in the third and runners at first and second in the fourth.
Bailey Dowling had the other error.

GAME 2: TENNESSEE 2, ALABAMA 0 – Head Bobbled

Compared to this game, Friday’s game looked like a bombastic bonanza of hits. The Crimson Tide managed all of one hit against Karlyn Pickens (W, 17-5) and it was a bunt single by Kristen White that traveled about eight feet. Once again, the Crimson Tide matched that total in errors.

Freshman Alabama pitcher Jocelyn Briski (L, 7-3) had another fine effort wasted by the Wet-Noodle-Bat-Hole-In-Glove-Brigade. With two outs and bases empty in the 2nd inning, Cahalan let a slower grounder slip right on by her while lazy outfielders did not have the play properly backed up. This mental error allowed the runner to get all the way to second base. The next batter singled and Bama was in a 1-0 hole.

Briski made one mistake on a solo homer to left field in the 4th inning. Other than that, it was a winnable performance.

After White’s aforementioned hit in the 5th, Cahalan lined into a 5-3 double play. Broadfoot’s walk in the 2nd inning was the only other Tide base runner.

GAME 3: ALABAMA 1, TENNESSEE 0 – Miracle Answered

Alabama escaped disaster on the back of Beaver’s (W, 15-7) complete game two-hit shutout, a Cahalan triple and an antiquated slap single RBI by Kristen White. This game is about the worst thing that could happen to this program. Alabama winning 1-0 on a slap helps justify Patrick Murphy’s dinosaur approach to softball. At this rate, he will never change his ways and Greg Byrne will not pay any attention to the goings-on at Rhoads Stadium until they hit rock bottom.

White also had an error.

NOTES

• This is by far the worst Alabama softball team I have ever followed. But it is not a disappointment. In order to have that, one has to actually have high expectations. The warning signs have been there for years going back to Skylar Wallace’s ouster. Who was the last batter that the Tide has had who the opposing team truly feared? Probably Bailey Hemphill and maybe Kaylee Tow in her junior year (her senior year was awful) both in 2021. Can you imagine where this program would be had Montana Fouts gone to school somewhere else?
• With an SEC record of 9-12, Team 28 will have to sweep Auburn next weekend in order to keep from having the first losing record in conference play in school history.
• Before Sunday’s 1-0 win, Alabama has been shut out four times in the last five games. They scored one run over the last four games.
• Over the last 43 innings Alabama has scored runs in only two innings.
• Tennessee pitching was outstanding. But its their defense that really shined. The Vols are so fundamentally good and slick fielders. They had no errors in the series.
• Bama had errors in each of the three games.
• In Game 1, Kendal Clark struck out in her first two plate appearance. To help build her confidence, The Gut® benched her for Larissa Preuitt’s noodle bat (.191) who grounded out with a runner on first base. Preuitt has one hit against Power teams this season – that is if you consider Virginia a power team – and nine overall in 47 at bats. Clark did not play in the finale (injury? coach’s decision?).
• Torrence – God bless her sweet heart – has given up at least one run in each of her last seven outings.

• Lauren Esman was DH on Sunday and went 1-3.
• Alabama hit .143 as a team on the weekend. The Tide had 10 hits, four walks, and one HBP. They had 14 strikeouts and four errors.
• 0-FERS: Riley Valentine (0-8), Larissa Preuitt (0-3), Jenna Johnson (0-6), Lauren Johnson (0-5), Abby Duchscherer (0-4), Kendal Clark (0-5).
• Friday’s win for UT was Karen Weekly 1300th career coaching W. She spent five years at UT-Chattanooga before moving up the road in 2002.

MVP

• BRISKI – Complete game hard luck loss, one earned run allowed.
• BEAVER – one CG win, one hard luck loss, one unearned run allowed.
• WHITE – 4-6, 1 RBI

UPCOMING ALABAMA SCHEDULE

• Thursday, May 02 at Auburn 7p.m. CT ESPNU
• Friday, May 03 at Auburn 5p.m. CT SEC Network
• Saturday, May 04 at Auburn 11a.m. CT SEC Network

#RollTide #Team28