Tornadoes Caused No Deaths This May

Officials announced that there were no recorded deaths on account of tornadoes this May in the United States, making 2012 the first year since 2005 when no casualties were recorded before the official start of the hurricane season.

Statistics provided by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicate that very few deadly twisters developed over the country last month, which helps explain why no one was injured. Records on tornado-caused deaths began being collected around 1954.

By comparison, last year was extremely deadly. Some 178 people lost their lives at the “hands” of 326 twisters that struck the ground, LiveScience reports. “On average, we would probably expect to see close to 300 tornadoes during the month, give or take,” Harold Brooks says.

The expert holds an appointment as a research meteorologist at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma.