The relationship between climate change and severe storms is a complex and active area of research.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Severe storms — thunderstorms that produce tornadoes, damaging winds (58 mph or higher), and/or large hail (at least one inch in diameter) — are destructive and deadly. They cause 200 deaths annually in the U.S. and account for half of all billion-dollar weather and climate disasters that have impacted the nation since 1980.
In 2023, the U.S. saw a record-shattering 19 billion-dollar severe storms — nearly 50% more than the previous record year (13 storms in 2020).
Most U.S. regions face severe weather risks — but especially in the South, Plains, and Ohio Valley from April through June.
Parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi have seen the most severe weather watches over the last 20 years.
Severe storms are complex, localized, short-lived events with limited observational records or inconsistent reporting standards. And most climate models are too …