Tornado Impacts in the US from 1950-2015: A GIS-Based Analysis of Vulnerability and Evolving Risk Zones for Human Casualties

Abstract

The United States is one of the major countries in the world that faces a numerous number of tornadoes every year, directly and indirectly experiencing extensive property damage and human casualties as well as a variety of demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental impacts. This research provides a GIS-based examination of the ways past tornadoes that occurred in the US in the period 1950-2015 have played out in the context of bodily injuries and loss of human life. To this end, the research collected major secondary data ( i.e. , georeferenced tornado point data) from the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) tornado database and conducted raster-based spatial analysis, utilizing techniques like point density analysis and map algebra to locate areas that have a high risk of tornadoes and to create maps that show relationships between the past tornado events and human casualties. One of the major research findings shown by the spatial analysis was that the geographic areas or regions impacted by tornadoes varied over time. In addition, the statistical results showed a trend that the tornado-prone regions extend from “Tornado Alley” to the states of Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida, indicating that the communities in those states that are newly considered to be vulnerable to tornadoes should step up to develop their own tornado mitigation plan to help protect the public and its property from tornadoes. Such plans can play a crucial role in safeguarding the public and protecting property from tornadoes’ potential impact. Additionally, urban planners and policymakers can use this information to make informed decisions about building codes and infrastructure development in tornado-prone areas, potentially reducing the impact of future tornado events on human lives and property.