Deadliest US tornado outbreak in more than a year

KMSP - At least 15 have now been confirmed dead from tornadoes in Mississippi & Georgia over the last 2 days.  This marks the deadliest 2 day tornadic stretch for the US in more than a year.  Over 30 preliminary reports of tornadoes touched down across the Southeast and more are on the way. 

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a “high risk” for severe weather Sunday including the likelihood of large, long-lived, long track tornadoes across Georgia & northern Florida.  The “high risk” is the top risk category when classifying the threat for severe storms on a day to day basis issued by the National Weather Service.  It’s so rare in fact, that a “high risk” day hasn’t been issued in over 2 years and this is the very first time Florida has ever been involved. 

While tornadoes are fairly common in the Southeast during the winter months, large outbreaks with dozens of violent tornadoes are quite rare.  The likelihood that the death toll from all of the severe weather in the Southeast will rise is high because 42% of all tornado related fatalities in the US have occurred on “high risk” days since the risk assessment and forecasts began back in the 90s.