Rising Tornado Threats in Unlikely U.S. Areas

In 2025, America’s severe weather season is taking a dramatic turn, with forecasters warning that tornado risk is rising sharply outside the well-known boundaries of Tornado Alley. Instead of focusing on the Central Plains, this year’s highest threats are expected in the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, which are more densely populated and often less structurally prepared for violent storms.

Tornado Threat Expands Beyond the Plains

Traditionally, Tornado Alley stretched from South Dakota down through Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma to Texas, a region known for spring twisters. However, according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, tornadoes can occur in all 50 U.S. states. And in 2025, that broader reality is expected to shift from the norm. 

“This forecast is concerning because more people are in harm’s way,” says Paul Pastelok, a lead meteorologist at AccuWeather. “More people live in the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, and more of those families are in vulnerable buildings without basements like mobile homes.”