Tornado Path Sizes

Abstract

Dimensions of nearly 4400 tornado paths were fitted to the log-normal distribution to derive comparable estimates, by states and regions, of path size parameters. Expected values of ground-contact path area and width for the United States east of the Rocky Mountains were smaller than those published to date. Several statistical populations were evident, with tornado path dimensions in New England, East Coast, some Gulf Coast, and Northern Plains states being notably smaller than those in the mid-continent center of tornado frequency.