Experts: Oklahoma Will See More Tornadoes In 2022
While we're still experiencing what we all assume will be the last of winter, the weather experts are starting the annual predictions about Oklahoma's most famous phenomenon, our legendary tornadoes.
According to Accuweather, 2022 will be even more active than 2021. As 2021 was also an uptick year that saw a menial 63 tornadoes in the Sooner State, we're all wondering if the predicted future will come true.
Honestly, we've been rather lucky in Lawton the last decade or so. We haven't had a tornado in almost ten years. According to the technicalities of science, we had a tornado inside city limits in 2013. It happened just before I moved back and there hasn't been one since. You're welcome. I'll take credit for that if we can ignore the intense hail storms that tore through Apache, Elgin, Fletcher, Cyril, Cement, etc...
While the idea of a rotating funnel of wind, rain, and debris is truly terrifying, Lawtonian's tend to discuss these impressive displays of power with an almost tongue-in-cheek nonchalance.
"We don't have tornadoes in Lawton, we grow them." I've heard a hundred times when people speak of some of the more historic twisters that started here and traveled up and through OKC.
Come to think of it, I don't think I've even heard the sirens fire off outside of a noon test-time since 2019. Lawton was just waking up on a Saturday, 8-something in the morning, I was sitting in the bathroom when they interrupted the mornings' peace. The only reason I remember it is because I thought "Well if I'm going out, I'm going out like Elvis." (he was a musician that swooned all the Boomers back in the day and famously died on the toilet) As it turned out, the twister popped down south of town in Geronimo.
Only time will tell if this prediction of a vastly more active severe weather season holds true or falls apart. If you believe that Tornado Alley has indeed shifted east, Accuweather might feel the same way. Lawton's not even included in the severe weather tornado outlook. Read the full forecast here... it's near the bottom.