Is There a Tornado Alley in the Carolinas?

7/29/2019 (Permalink)

Photo by Randy Milanovic on Unsplash

Living in the Piedmont area has many benefits.  One of these benefits is that the Appalachian Mountains break up a lot of weather systems that can affect our region.  That being said according to researchers at the University of Akron the fourth most active area for tornadoes occurs in “Carolina Alley”, which runs from northeastern South Carolina thru areas around the I-95 corridor in North Carolina.

North Carolina averages around 31 tornadoes a year.  They can strike any time but generally occur from 3-9pm and most frequently during the month of May.

What Are The Warning Signs of a Tornado?

Unlike the plains which can see a tornado from miles away and have weather sirens, the piedmont relies heavily on local weather radar and eyewitness accounts.  SO, what should you look for when there’s a threat of a tornado?

• Dark, often a greenish sky
•  A wall cloud or an approaching cloud of debris
•  Large hail often in the absence of rain A loud roar similar to a freight train

If you experience any of these conditions get into an interior windowless room or basement.  Get under a sturdy piece of furniture and protect your head and neck with a blanket.

While tornadoes occur less frequently here than in the central US we all need to be prepared