MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Over the past 6 years, more tornadoes have hit Mississippi than any other state in the nation.
However, Mississippi also tops the list of states that have made the biggest funding cuts to environmental agencies.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Mississippi has the highest number of tornadoes in the United States on average each year between 2019 and 2023. The only other state to breach 100 tornadoes per year in that time was Texas—a state five and a half times the size of Mississippi.
Severe Weather Center 13 has tracked the shift of tornado alley. A 25-year-long megadrought in the Southwest and the Plains states, where the traditional tornado alley lies, coupled with warming waters in the Gulf, means more moisture and heat are sent to the Mid-South, driving tornado alley to our area, right over Mississippi.
As the Magnolia State endures an increasing number of tornadoes, the state is also making significant cuts in environmental funding and staffing.
A study released last week by the Environmental Integrity Project shows Mississippi cut funding to state environmental agencies by 71% between 2010 and 2024… from $373 million to $107 million. That’s the most of any state in the country.
Arkansas and Tennessee actually saw increases in environmental funding during that same time period.
However, all three Mid-South states have seen cuts in staffing at state environmental agencies over the past 15 years.
The environment plays a key role in the weather we see every day.
Pollution puts more particles in the air, which trap heat. With more moisture being transported northward from the Gulf, that makes storms more common and stronger.
Funding and staffing cuts are also happening at the federal level.
There is a proposal set for next year for the Environmental Protection Agency to experience a 55% cut in its budget.
The agency has also seen a decrease in employees.
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