Census figures show the Southeastern states have more mobile homes than other regions of the country. Mobile homes are more vulnerable to violent weather, and in trailer parks, potential victims are closer together. Okla. Another explanation is that houses in the Southeast often don't have basements because the underground water level is so high, said Tom Priddy, an agricultural meteorologist at University of Kentucky. As a result, people can't take refuge in the cellar. Also, tornadoes in the Southeast are more likely to hit at night, because they are powered by cold fronts instead of the heat of the sun, Schaefer said.
Scientists also cite population density and geography.
In the Midwestern and Plains states, a tornado can go miles without hitting anybody, because the region is so sparsely populated. The wide-open geography of the Plains may also allow more warning than the hilly Southeast. In addition to Alabama, two other Southeastern states, Mississippi and Arkansas, rank high in the number of tornado deaths while having relatively few twisters. Mississippi had the second most deaths in the period while ranking 12th in the number of tornadoes. Arkansas ranked third in the number of tornado deaths but 15th in the number of tornadoes.