It feels like every other week I'm reporting on some kind of crazy weather in the tri-state area. Just a couple of weeks ago, the forecast called for thunderstorms, tornadoes, and snow - all in the span of 24 hours. And sure enough, Mother Nature delivered. Luckily, it all hit on a Sunday when most places were closed, but just a few days later, she dumped another six inches of snow on us, causing major delays and shutdowns.
Now, I don't mess around with tornadoes. As the person responsible for sending out tornado watches and warnings across our websites, social media pages, and apps, I take my job seriously. When storms roll in, I grab my weather helmet, lace up my sneakers, and hunker down in our basement storm shelter while I work. But on the morning a tornado actually hit my yard, I was totally unprepared.
That Time I Was Unprepared Was the Time a Tornado Hit My Property
I knew bad weather was possible the night before, but I went to bed without much concern. I wake up early for work, so when my phone started going berserk at 5:15 a.m., I was groggy but got up to check things out. I walked to our back sliding glass door, opened it, and immediately saw our giant grill sliding past me like it weighed nothing. That was all I needed to see -- I slammed the door shut and yelled for my family to get to the basement.
When the storm passed, it was still too dark to see much. But as the sun came up, we could finally make out a clear path of destruction cutting through the woods behind our house. Driving through the neighborhood later, we saw exactly where the F1 tornado had ripped through, taking down trees and leaving a colossal mess in its wake.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, and all the homes in our neighborhood made it through just fine.
HOW MANY TORNADOES HIT SOUTHERN INDIANA, WESTERN KENTUCKY, AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS IN 2024?
It wasn't the only tornado to hit the area. Another tornado went through Newburgh not long after. Too close to home if you ask me. In fact, the National Weather Service in Paducah reported that 59 tornadoes hit the area in 2024.
There were a total of 59 tornadoes that touched down across our area in 2024, which was the 2nd most on record for a year only behind the 79 in 2011. The tornadoes covered a total of 443.2 miles (also 2nd most behind the 449.8 miles in 2011). There were 4 EF-3's, one of which became our strongest July tornado on record. The vast majority of them (53) occurred during 4 events: April 2, May 8, May 26, and July 9.
It's not surprising since the tri-state is the new Tornado Alley.
I was pretty surprised by the Illinois number. Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Florida, and Illinois all had tornado counts over 101.
HOW MANY TORNADOES WILL WE HAVE IN 2025?
No one can be sure how many tornadoes will hit but forecasters have an idea. According to map created by Reed Timmer Extreme Meteorologist & Team Dominator,
So, looks like tornadic activity is shifting south.
HOW TO GET PREPARED
It's always important to prepare for a tornado so you aren't left wondering where to go or what to do.
Listen
If the weather turns dangerous, we go wall-to-wall with our weather partners at Eyewitness News. You can listen on any radio or via our app.
Consider adding the following items to your emergency supply kit based on your individual needs: