By Associated Press
Birmingham AL – Alabama has set a record for the number of tornadoes in a single year, with 78 documented just through August, the National Weather Service says.
NWS meteorologists said the 78 twisters breaks the previous record of 77 tornadoes in 2005.
The 78 twisters were responsible for five deaths and 70 injuries statewide.
Meteorologist Greg Carbin at the NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said Monday there has been a "dramatic increase" in the number of weak tornadoes, the number reported and better recordkeeping in the last few decades.
Carbin said the number of big, dangerous tornadoes, however, has probably not increased in the long-term record.
The annual average number of tornado occurrences for Alabama is 33, based on data collected between 1978 and 2007, according to the NWS.
Although the weather service has records of tornadoes dating back to 1950, the top five years for the number of documented tornadoes were all between 2001 and 2008.
Meteorologist Tara Golden also said it could be that more tornadoes are being reported. In earlier years, a tornado may have struck a rural area, but no one reported it.
A change in weather patterns might also have led to an increase in the number of tornadoes, Golden said. The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay accounted for 13 of this year's twisters.
On the Net:
Storm Prediction Center http://www.spc.noaa.gov