In May 2026, the United States is confronted with an unprecedented mix of severe weather hazards. Following an EF-5 tornado that impacted Indiana in March, more than 300 tornadoes were reported by mid-April, with the NWS Chicago office recording its highest number of warnings ever. Tornado activity has also affected Minnesota and Wisconsin this past weekend, while Oregon has declared a wildfire state of emergency, and drought conditions are affecting over 40% of the continental U.S. AccuWeather predicts that this summer could see as many as 8 million acres scorched. Traditionally, May marks the height of tornado season, and this year is proving to be anything but ordinary.
