America's tornado hot spots are shifting eastward, experts say

An AccuWeather assessment found U.S. tornado hot spots shifted across the South and Midwest in 2025, with 1,558 reported tornadoes and 68 fatalities.

A new AccuWeather assessment found that tornado hot spots in the United States shifted in 2025, concentrating largely across the South and Midwest. Forecasters note this continues a broader eastward trend seen in recent decades but that each year can show different patterns. Texas had the most reported tornadoes in 2025, while Florida — which had 34 tornadoes in 2024 tied to hurricane landfalls — did not rank highly this year. Researchers say they are still working to pinpoint how climate change and regional warming may be affecting where tornadoes occur. Key points: - AccuWeather's assessment reports tornado activity in 2025 was concentrated across the South and Midwest, east of the Mississippi River. - There were 1,558 reported tornadoes in 2025 and 68 fatalities reported for the year. - Texas recorded 162 tornadoes in 2025, while Florida did not appear on the 2025 top list despite 34 tornadoes in 2024 that were tied to hurricanes; no U.S. hurricane landfalls were reported in 2025. - An EF5 tornado struck near Grand Forks on June 20, 2025; it was reported as the strongest U.S. tornado since 2013 and resulted in three deaths near Enderlin. Summary: The assessment reinforces observations of an eastward shift in where tornadoes are most frequent and notes regional factors such as Gulf warming as possible contributors. Researchers are continuing to study connections between changing climate patterns and tornado frequency and distribution; undetermined at this time.