In lieu of the killer tornado that hit Oklahoma city on May 20, 2013, Slate published a map of the most devastating tornadoes to hit the United States since 1950.
As seen in the map, the southwest is the region with the highest frequency of devastating tornadoes.
Source: Slate: Map of the Week: All Killer Tornadoes Since 1950
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Temperatures on the Earth’s surface and moisture levels in the atmosphere have been on the rise. These two factors might be at the root of the drastic change in weather patterns causing severe droughts, heat waves, heavy rains and other extreme weather phenomena.
In its September 2012 edition, the National Geographic magazine featured an extensive article on extreme weather affecting the U.S.