With severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings cascading across the radio this weekend, it got us thinking... how rare are tornadoes in our part of the country?

We obviously don't experience them nearly as regularly as "tornado alley" in the middle of the country, but we actually get our fair share of severe storms right here in Vacationland.

According to the Maine.gov emergency preparedness website, we actually get tornadoes more frequently than you might think. For the 40 year period between 1950 and 1990, 74 tornadoes occurred in Maine. That's an average of about 2 tornadoes per year. During 2017 seven tornadoes touched down in Maine.

From the Maine Emergency Preparedness website:

Due to the usual short life-span of tornadoes in northern New England, there is often little, if any, advance warning. Tornadoes in New England generally touch down and then lift off the ground very quickly. Many of the tornadoes that have occurred in the past, have occurred while severe thunderstorm warnings have been in effect. If you hear that a severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for your area, be alert for the possibility of a tornado. A low rotating cloud, large hail, and/or a load roar are all signs that may precede the touchdown of a tornado.

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