People living in the plains states live on flat land. They can see a tornado coming for miles, Imy says. In the southeast, trees are plentiful and quite tall, perhaps 40 to 60 feet high, blocking views of any tornado touchdowns to the earth. Yet in the southeast, clouds may only be 1,000 feet above the ground, limiting visibility even further. Also, Imy explains that There s more moisture in the southeast.
More moisture means clouds are lower.
People in the southeast also tend to settle in rural areas, many of them living in mobile homes or other structures extremely vulnerable to a tornado's winds. On the other hand, the population of the plains states is centered around cities. These communities that got hit aren t even suburbs, but really just small little towns, Imy says. Another factor limiting warning time is the scarcity of sirens in rural areas. Plus, the noise can only go so many miles.