America's Tornado Alley is shifting eastward. That's according to trends from the National Weather Service and a 2022 study from Northern Illinois University. Rachael Brennan covers insurance for U.S. News & World Report and says tornadoes and other severe weather caused around $68 billion of damage in 2025. She tells Ozarks at Large's Daniel Caruth that extreme droughts in the southwestern U.S. are pushing these storm patterns eastward to more densely populated areas, causing problems for homeowners.
Rachael Brennan: What we had classically known as Tornado Alley, that kind of area up the Central Plains portion of the United States eastward. And so where normally it had been Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, kind of that area, we're seeing now significantly more tornadoes about 500 miles east-southeast of that area into places like Missouri and Arkansas and Kentucky.
Daniel Caruth: And so when it comes to — I mean, the trends that we're seeing, I figure, you know, those insurance premiums, the cost of that has gone up a lot for homeowners. What are the kind of trends, insurance-wise, that you've been seeing as these storms have moved?
Brennan: It's impacting homeowners insurance for people in these areas. And in a couple of ways, we're seeing premiums increase because of the increased number of claims. And we're seeing that the homes that were built in these areas are not necessarily built to withstand regular tornado exposure. And so there's a lot more manufactured homes and homes that are not designed to handle this kind of windstorm. And so they're seeing a lot more damage, and that's causing insurance costs to go up in the area.
Caruth: And I mean, can you talk a little bit more about those added risks for homeowners or even like cities and municipalities where the infrastructure may be isn't resilient to this type of storms. Like it just hasn't been built with the thought of these storms in mind and what those risks are.
Brennan: Well, the risks are generally that you're going to see significant roof damage, significant glass damage, and homes that are not secured on a foundation are going to be at significant risk of the actual home itself toppling or being ripped apart in the process of a storm. And the things that people can do that are helpful in these situations, making sure they have appropriate storm shutters, making sure that they have a solid foundation, removing like dead trees and other debris from the yard so that it does not get slammed into the house and cause excessive damage. There are steps that you can take to protect your home and prevent, like, these high insurance claims from happening. But just the presence of these storms and the increased number of these storms in this area mean that homeowners are filing more claims. And so insurance companies are raising the rates to account for the increased risk.
Caruth: And so when it comes to those insurance policies, I mean, for a lot of us, I think those are tough to decipher. So can you help us go through, you know, what people should be on the lookout for when they're going over their coverage or if they're, you know, a new homeowner, they're getting home insurance and they may be in this new tornado alley. What do they need to be on the lookout for and be aware of?
Brennan: Well, the most important thing is to review your declarations page of your insurance policy and check the perils section and make sure that windstorm and hail and, you know, that sort of thing are listed as covered and are not listed as an exclusion, because a lot of the insurance companies in these areas are now removing coverage for windstorms completely and making you purchase it as a separate endorsement to your policy. And the other thing is that if you do have this coverage, you need to check your deductibles because a lot of insurance companies have moved away from a flat fee deductible for wind damage claims and have moved to a percentage-based deductible. So instead of paying $1,000 to repair a totaled home — like if your home is completely damaged — you may have to pay 2% or 5% of the total cost of repair under your windstorm coverage.
Caruth: And then as far as other proactive tips or things people should do going forward, I mean, how can people be proactive and be prepared for these future storms, especially as they become more prevalent in some of these areas?
Brennan: Well, for proactive planning, the very best thing that you can do is take your phone and walk through every room and take a video. Open the drawers, narrate what you're seeing, look in your closet and talk about the condition that the articles are in, and then upload a video to the cloud. Because if your property is damaged in the process of a tornado or other storm, you need proof to show to your insurance company what it is that you are replacing and what condition it's in, so that they know to have the most accurate information when they're paying out your claim. And then in addition, you're going to want to keep digital copies of your ID and your deed, your insurance policy, all of that in a password-protected cloud folder so that it's not lost in the storm.
Caruth: And this is kind of out of the scope of your article, but I was curious if are there any sort of protections or any other ways that the government is stepping in to protect people in these scenarios?
Brennan: Oh, well, FEMA has always been a program that is designed to help people in these extreme storms and natural disasters and that sort of thing. But what is available in your area and what will be available is very difficult to ascertain, because it's going to depend on whether it was declared a national disaster and those things. So if you are concerned about the possibility that there may be huge claims that you're not anticipating, now is the time to go do a little bit of research and find out what government programs are available in your area, whether that is through your local, state or city government or federally, and to contact your insurance company and make sure that they know that, you know, this is the value of my property. I want to make sure I'm covered. Please help me make sure that I am properly prepared for the storm season.
Rachael Brennan covers insurance for U.S. News & World Report. She spoke with Ozarks at Large's Daniel Caruth earlier this week.
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