Is Tennessee Part Of Tornado Alley Or Not?

I heard a report on the TV news recently about Tennessee being part of Tornado Alley.

They were saying that technically, it’s not. But realistically, it probably should be.

This got me wondering…

How can the state of Tennessee have SO many tornadoes each year and not be included in what is technically known as Tornado Alley???

The answer is: The Southeastern states now have their very own tornado designation that is separate from the Plains states!

Tennessee Is Part Of Dixie Alley

As described in this video report from a local Tennessee TV station, Tennessee is in “the new Tornado Alley” that is being called Dixie Alley:

Also, in Tornado Alley you typically only see tornadoes in the months of May, June, and July.

However, in Dixie Alley, you see tornadoes year-round — in every single month — in the Southeast.

So I dug around a little to try and find some up-to-date stats about Tennessee tornadoes…

Tennessee Tornado Facts

Here are some of the interesting facts about Tennessee tornadoes that I found:

• Tennessee is not part of Tornado Alley but it is a part of Dixie Alley — a term coined to describe the southeastern parts of the United States that have a higher risk of developing tornadoes.
• There are more deaths in Dixie Alley than in Tornado Alley — because these areas have a higher population living in a smaller area and in mobile homes.
• If you combine the number of tornadoes that occur in Tennessee during the winter, fall, and summer months, it is still drastically less than the number of tornadoes that occur in Tennessee during the spring.
• After the spring months, November has the highest number of tornadoes in Tennessee.
• Almost two-thirds of Tennessee tornadoes have happened in Middle Tennessee.
• These days, Middle Tennessee gets an average of 30 tornadoes a year.

Here are some good summaries of Tennessee tornado facts:

• Average Number Of Tornadoes By State Each Year (and here)
• Tennessee Tornadoes By County (1950 to present)
• Nashville Tennessee Tornado Database (1811 to present – by year, month, rating, and time of day)
• Tornado Climatology Of Middle Tennessee (1830 to 2003)
• Tennessee Tornadoes (1950 to 1995 — with the estimated cost of each one)

Compared with other states, Tennessee ranks #23 for frequency of tornadoes, #9 for number of deaths, #11 for injuries and #25 for cost of damages.

~ DisasterCenter.com

Tennessee Tornado Outbreaks

And then there are all the times that Tennessee has experienced very active and devastating “tornado outbreaks” in a given year.

Here are a few of the most notable tornado outbreaks in Tennessee:

• Tennessee Had 35 Tornadoes In 2020 Alone (more here)
• East Tennessee Had A Tornado “Super Outbreak” In April 1974
• Nashville Had A Tornado Outbreak In March 1933
• Middle Tennessee Had A Tornado Outbreak In April 1909

Time Of Day Most Tennessee Tornadoes Occur

Another thing to think about is the time of day that most tornadoes occur in Tennessee.

Believe it or not, Middle Tennessee leads the country in nighttime tornadoes!

This video explains how and why tornadoes in Middle Tennessee often occur at night:

How Is Tornado Alley Defined Anyway?

It was fascinating for me to learn that tornado maps differ greatly from source to source!

I always thought there was a clear-cut area they were talking about whenever you heard mention of Tornado Alley. NOPE!

For example, here are two completely different Tornado Alley maps:

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Tornado Alley maps are sometimes based on the area where only the most intense killer tornadoes are likely to occur, looking where F4 and F5 tornadoes have struck in history multiple times. Others draw Tornado Alley maps where tornado frequency is the highest, looking at areas that have recorded multiple tornado touchdowns consistently year after year.

~ Tornado Tim

Weather experts have stated that the term Tornado Alley is simply a term coined by the media. There’s really not a “scientific” definition of Tornado Alley.

Here’s an interesting video showing 5 days of Tornado-generating storms moving from Arkansas, Illinois, and Missouri into Mississippi, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana:

Now, watch that video again while visualizing “Tornado Alley” vs. “Dixie Alley” in your mind!

Here’s the latest info about tornado alley… including new Tornado Alley maps.

Firsthand Experience Of A Tennessee Tornado

Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to experience a Tennessee tornado firsthand?

I’ve seen funnels a few times — both, nearby (from our boat while rushing back to our campground) and from a distance (from our house, but not heading toward us).

But I’ve never experienced anything like this deadly Tennessee tornado as viewed from a car: