Seven hundred and ninety four people were killed by tornadoes in the US in 1925

[Fumesucker]

That is the most of any year on record.

Twelve were killed in 1910, that's the fewest.

And fifteen in 1986.



http://www.norman.noaa.gov/2009/03/us-annual-tornado-death-tolls-1875-present/

[Skittles]

1. helps to know they are coming

yes INDEED

[dipsydoodle]

2. 22 died in Oklahoma and 30 in Texas 1909

but then I'm guessing the density of population in those states was far far lower then.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/10682194 contains newspaper clip from May 31st 1909.

[exboyfil]

3. One thing to remember is that the population

of tornado alley as a percentage of U.S. population has probably been going down over time. Except for Texas all the other states have declined
State 1960 % of Pop 2010 % of Pop
Iowa 1.5 1.0
Kansas 1.2 0.9
Nebraska 0.8 0.6
S. Dakota 0.4 0.3

Texas is a special case because few on a percentage basis live in tornado alley in the state. Most of the state's growth has been seen outside of tornado alley.

Still the decline in deaths is a tribute to the technology and systems in place to mitigate those deaths.

[JHB]

4. Blessed Be the Free Market and Twister-Predicter Inc.!

Only the unrestricted free market could have brought about such results, thanks to entrepreneurs tapping into the lucrative storm-watching and -warning business! Just imagine if it had been left to Big Gummint and some sort of fat-cat-bureaucrat "National Weather Service" and Big Brother tornado warnings!

tag included, because the country is rife with dunderheads who can't distinguish between public services and Stalinist police states.