What It's Really Like to Live in Tornado Alley

Every time there are big storms that roll through part of the country, I hear people asking, "What's it like to live in Tornado Alley?"

I'm here to answer that question.

I have spent my whole life on the central plains of the United States. Grew up and lived in Nebraska for 20-ish years, then Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the next two decades-ish. I have spent every spring and summer since the late 1970s living with the possibility of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Look, a tornado! (Image: Cava)

What it's like to live in Tornado Alley

So, after nearly half a century of tornado seasons in tornado alley, what is it like living there? It's like living anywhere else, I'd guess.

What is a Tornado?

Tornadoes are funnels of very fast-moving air that drop down from severe thunderstorms. They travel along the ground sucking up dirt and debree and blowing down structures with focused winds that can get into the 200 MPH range.

A VERY basic look at Tornado Alley (Image: Cava)

What is Tornado Alley?

Tornado Alley is an area in the middle of North America that extends from northern Texas north to southern South Dakota. And at times of the year, it can extend east into the south-central US.

It's called Tornado Alley because the geography and air flow of the region work together to create weather conditions that can spawn tornadoes. In the spring, cold air from Canada is funneled down the middle of the country by the Rocky Mountains.

At the same time, warm, moist air from the southeast is pumped up into the middle of the continent. When these air masses collide, they create the perfect conditions for thunderstorms, which are where the twisters come from.

A storm is comin' (Image: Cava)

The thing about tornadoes is that they can be very destructive, but they are pretty rare. In fact, in all my years of weather nerdiness, I haven't ever seen one in real life.

The Power of Plains Storms: More Than Just Tornadoes

I've probably experienced thousands of thunderstorms. Storms that you can feel forming in the morning of a hot and humid June day. Then, watching the clouds build in the west and knowing that the complex of wind and water will be here soon, blocking out the afternoon sun, making it midnight dark. Storms so powerful that the thunder rattles windows like a loud car stereo playing the bassiest of bass. With lighting so bright that the flash turns off the streetlights.

But not every storm births a tornado. So, when asked, I tell people that living in Tornado Alley is like a combo of living in earthquake-prone parts of California and states in the path of hurricanes.

File image of tornado damage (Image: Cava)

How Tornado Alley Living Compares to Earthquakes and Hurricanes

Tornadoes are like earthquakes in that they can happen anytime, most of the year. They are not likely in December, but if the ingredients are in the air, they could happen. But during the spring and summer, tornado-producing storms can blow up at any hour of the day. Like an earthquake, you can't be in crisis position all the time, you ll burn yourself out, but you need to be ready with supplies, a plan, and a place to go.

Tornadoes are also like hurricanes in that there is a season when they are more likely, and most times you know they are coming and where. I should say, you know the STORMS that can produce tornadoes are coming. It's still hard to predict exactly when and where, and even if a tornado will drop from those storms.

Like a hurricane bearing down on your coastal town, when the line of storms is coming towards you, that's when you switch on the prepping skills. You double-check the family's locations, give them a heads up to pay attention, and make sure you have a place to go, just in case.

Living in Tornado Alley is like living in mountain-lion country in the mountains. You know they are there, but you'll rarely see one, and if you do, that could mean trouble. But if you pay attention, you'll be OK.

MORE: Tornado Tuesday - Remembering the Day Dozens Of Twisters Ripped Through South Dakota

The Spencer, SD Tornado: A Devastating Reminder of Tornado Power

On May 30, 1998, an F4 tornado nearly destroyed the small town of Spencer, SD, after clobbering several farmsteads on its way there. The hellish vortex ripped a 1900-foot-wide path through Spencer for six minutes. Winds from the twister were estimated to be between 207 and 260 miles per hour.

Six people died, and a third of the town's residents were injured. Five of the dead were in a building that collapsed. Almost all of the town's buildings were destroyed. Damage was estimated to be around 18 million dollars (in 1998 money).