In article , helpmeplz2008
@yahoo.com says...
On Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:47:39 -0600, Harold Brooks
sayd the following:

The death rate in the US, overall, is about 1 person per 5 million per
year. In Oklahoma and Kansas, over the last 20 years, it's been a
little less than 1 person per 1 million. The highest rates are probably
in the southeastern US, as a result of high mobile home populations,
poor visibility and, frequently, faster storm movement. In Alabama, the
death rate has been about 1.5 per 1 million over the last 20 years.

Mr. brooks, I've read online that the average number of Tornadoes in a
year is 1,500 and that the number of deaths average 80 per year. Is
this correct or close?

US tornadoes are ~1200 per year and over the last decade and there have
been 636 deaths in the last 10 years.

Also do you see elevation as a way to LESSON your chances of seeing
severe weather.

If you go way up, you probably lessen your chances of a tornado,
although they have crossed the continental divide in the Rockies, or
really large hail, but heavy snow increases. The decrease in tornadoes
and hail is probably more an effect of where the high terrain is located
in the US relative to other features, rather than an elevation effect.
If the Wichita or Quartz Mountains in southwest Oklahoma were a few
thousand feet more above the surrounding terrain, I don't think you'd
see much of an impact from the elevation. The tornado/severe storm
distribution in the US is essentially defined by the presence of the
Gulf, as a moisture source, and the Rockies, as a source of mid-
tropospheric potential instability.

Harold

--
Harold Brooks
NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory