A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that stretches from thunderstorms to the ground. In an average year, hundreds of tornadoes occur in the United States, especially in a region famously dubbed Tornado Alley.
The states with the most tornadoes often experience severe weather during late spring and summer. Some of them are Gulf Coast states that are also vulnerable to hurricanes.
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The numbers below are based on data collected by the Storm Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Understanding where tornadoes occur most often helps residents prepare for severe weather and reduce fatalities and property damage.