Dixie Alley
Encyclopedia
Dixie Alley is a nickname sometimes given to areas of the southern United States
that are particularly vulnerable to strong or violent tornado
es. This is distinct from the better known Tornado Alley
.
, Mississippi
, Louisiana
, the upper Tennessee Valley
, northern and central Alabama
, northern Georgia
, and Upstate South Carolina
. Although tornadoes are less frequent in these states than they are in the southern Plains, the southeastern states have had more tornado-related deaths than any of the Plains states (excluding Texas
). This is in part due to the relatively high number of strong/violent long tracked tornadoes and higher population density of this region. According to the National Climatic Data Center
, for the period January 1, 1950 – October 31, 2006, Alabama and Kansas
received the largest amount of F5
tornadoes.
According to research made in 2007 by Dr. Walker Ashley in the American Meteorological Society, a number of factors explained the higher number of tornado fatalities in the Dixie Alley area. Dr. Ashley stated that the south is more susceptible to nighttime killer tornadoes, that it has the highest percentage of manufactured homes in the US (where 63% of the overall fatalities occur), and that there are more heavily forested areas. He further explained that there is a lack of a focused tornado season which can lead to complacency - the region occasionally has tornadoes much earlier than the general national peak (May and June), and several notorious outbreaks have struck during the late winter and early spring and also in late fall. After the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak
in February 2008 that hit the Dixie Alley killing 57 people, many people indicated that they had underestimated the threat of severe weather on that day since it was well before the peak of tornado season.
Complicating matters is that tornadoes are rarely visible in this area, as they are more likely to be rain-wrapped (embedded in shafts of heavy rain), and that the hilly topography and heavily forested landscape makes them difficult to see.
In April 2011, a severe tornado outbreak
struck the area, killing over 300 people. Other notorious outbreaks affecting the region include the 1884 Enigma tornado outbreak, the April 1924 tornado outbreak
, the 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak
, the 1936 Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak, the April 1957 Southeastern tornado outbreak, the 1984 Carolinas tornado outbreak, and the November 1992 tornado outbreak
. The 1974 Super Outbreak
also hit the area very hard, producing multiple F5 storms in Alabama, and F4 storms in North Georgia and the Appalachian southwest of North Carolina.
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
that are particularly vulnerable to strong or violent tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es. This is distinct from the better known Tornado Alley
Tornado Alley
Tornado Alley is a colloquial and popular media term that most often refers to the area of the United States where tornadoes are most frequent. Although an official location is not defined, the area between the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian Mountains is usually associated with it.The areas...
.
Description
Dixie Alley includes areas of the lower Mississippi Valley, including the states of ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, the upper Tennessee Valley
Tennessee Valley
The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to northwest Georgia and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina...
, northern and central Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, northern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and Upstate South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Although tornadoes are less frequent in these states than they are in the southern Plains, the southeastern states have had more tornado-related deaths than any of the Plains states (excluding Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
). This is in part due to the relatively high number of strong/violent long tracked tornadoes and higher population density of this region. According to the National Climatic Data Center
National Climatic Data Center
The United States National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina is the world's largest active archive of weather data. The center became established in late 1951, with the move into the new facility occurring in early 1952....
, for the period January 1, 1950 – October 31, 2006, Alabama and Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
received the largest amount of F5
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
tornadoes.
According to research made in 2007 by Dr. Walker Ashley in the American Meteorological Society, a number of factors explained the higher number of tornado fatalities in the Dixie Alley area. Dr. Ashley stated that the south is more susceptible to nighttime killer tornadoes, that it has the highest percentage of manufactured homes in the US (where 63% of the overall fatalities occur), and that there are more heavily forested areas. He further explained that there is a lack of a focused tornado season which can lead to complacency - the region occasionally has tornadoes much earlier than the general national peak (May and June), and several notorious outbreaks have struck during the late winter and early spring and also in late fall. After the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak
2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak
The 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak which affected the Southern United States and the lower Ohio Valley on February 5 and 6, 2008. The event began on Super Tuesday, while 24 U.S. states were holding primary elections and caucuses to select the presidential...
in February 2008 that hit the Dixie Alley killing 57 people, many people indicated that they had underestimated the threat of severe weather on that day since it was well before the peak of tornado season.
Complicating matters is that tornadoes are rarely visible in this area, as they are more likely to be rain-wrapped (embedded in shafts of heavy rain), and that the hilly topography and heavily forested landscape makes them difficult to see.
In April 2011, a severe tornado outbreak
April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
An extremely large and violent tornado outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded, and popularly known as the 2011 Super Outbreak, occurred from April 25 to 28, 2011. The outbreak affected the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States, leaving catastrophic destruction in...
struck the area, killing over 300 people. Other notorious outbreaks affecting the region include the 1884 Enigma tornado outbreak, the April 1924 tornado outbreak
April 1924 tornado outbreak
The April 1924 tornado outbreak was an outbreak of at least 26 significant tornadoes across the Southern and Southeastern states on April 29 and April 30, 1924. The tornadoes left over 110+ dead, and at least 1,133 injured....
, the 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak
1932 Deep South tornado outbreak
The 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak is a deadly tornado outbreak that struck the southern United States on March 21–22, 1932. The outbreak produced tornadoes from Texas to South Carolina, and as far north as Illinois...
, the 1936 Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak, the April 1957 Southeastern tornado outbreak, the 1984 Carolinas tornado outbreak, and the November 1992 tornado outbreak
November 1992 Tornado Outbreak
The November 1992 tornado outbreak was a three-day tornado outbreak that struck large parts of the eastern and Midwestern U.S. on November 21-23...
. The 1974 Super Outbreak
Super Outbreak
The Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
also hit the area very hard, producing multiple F5 storms in Alabama, and F4 storms in North Georgia and the Appalachian southwest of North Carolina.