Severe storms so far in 2009 - not as frenzied as 2008 - but still busy.

As May 2009 comes to a close, it's not nearly as horrific tale of tornado-borne death and destruction as in 2008.

By the end of May, 2008, there had already been 113 people killed by tornadoes, in a year that wound up with 126, second-most since 1974. By the end of May, 2008, there had already been 1010 tornadoes, most on record for the first 5 months of the year. The year wound up with a second-highest-on-record 1691.

2009 has had 21 deaths from 9 killer tornadoes, a more typical pace. By my count there have been fewer than 600 tornadoes, just slightly below average.

Fortunately there have been no tornado outbreaks thus far to match the Super-Tuesday outbreak of February 5-6, 2008, which brought 86 tornadoes and 57 fatalities, and contributed to a record 148 tornadoes in February.

Lone Grove, OK EF4 Rating:

February 10, 2009 brought a rare Oklahoma killer tornado, deadliest of the year thus far, with 8 fatalities. Rated EF4, it was the strongest and deadliest tornado during February in Oklahoma in records dating back to 1880. It was a half-mile wide and tracked for more than 40 miles.

Red River Flooding:

A combination of snow melt from heavy winter snows, heavy rain, and, to a lesser extent, ice jams brought flooding to rivers in ND, MN, and SD, with record crests reached in at least 10 locations from March 25-29.

One such location was the Red River at Fargo, ND, where the river rose to 0.72 feet above its 1897 record and more than 22 feet above flood stage. Heroic efforts by volunteers, placing more than 2 million sandbags to raise the levees, kept flood waters out of the city and averted disaster. The Red River did not go below flood stage at Fargo until May 20.

Unlucky Near Fayetteville, NC:

Tornadoes developed near I-95 in central North Carolina on March 27, including one rated an EF2. One of the tornadoes south of Fayetteville destroyed a home, the third time that a home at that location has been ruined at that location since the home owner moved there in 1968.

An April Tornado Outbreak:

Tornadoes hit KS, OK, TX, LA, AR, and MO on April 9, including an EF3 that carved a 30-mile path near Eagletown, OK and DeQueen and Dierks, AR. It decimated a mobile home park south of DeQueen and heavily damaged the water treatment plant and a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building near Dierks. An EF3 tornado hit Mena, AR, killing 3, injuring 30, and damaging or destroying 500 homes. Also damaged were the Polk County ail, the Mean Regional Health System, Mena Middle School, and Rich Mountain Community College.

Murfreesboro, TN EF4; Close Call for PGA Augusta National:

April 10, 2009 brought a killer EF4 tornado, leaving 2 dead and 42 injured. Damage was estimated at $42 million, with 117 homes destroyed and 450 damaged along a 23-mile path up to a half mile wide. Winds were estimated up to 170 mph. It was part of an outbreak of a preliminary 56 tornadoes across the Southeast. An EF3 tornado moved through part of Augusta, GA into South Carolina, only missing the Augusta National golf course by a few miles, where the Masters Tournament was being held.

Wake Lows Take Center Stage:

A strong area of low pressure trailing a line of thunderstorms downed hundreds or even thousands of trees across northern AL and GA on April 13, 2009, some onto vehicles and homes, killing a person in a vehicle in Atlanta. 220,000 customers were left without power I Atlanta. Other wake lows on April 14 downed trees in Jacksonville and Miami, FL.

Collapse of Dallas Cowboys Practice Facility:

Micro burst winds accompanying a bow echo on May 2, 2009 caused the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys practice facility in Irving, TX, leaving one person permanently paralyzed.

MCV becomes - Inland Hurricane:

May 8, 2009 brought a derecho, a widespread windstorm associated with a bow echo thunderstorm complex, along a 600-mile-long, 60-mile wide swath across southeast KS, south MO, and south IL. Many of the damaging winds were not with the leading line of severe thunderstorm, but rather behind it and beneath a mid-level rotation center called an MCV - mesoscale convective vortex. Winds gusted to 106 mph. At least 220,000 customers lost power in MO and IL. The system spawned more than 30 tornadoes, at 20 of them in southwest MO. EF3 tornadoes hit Howell County MO and Garrard County KY.

Massive WV Flooding:

Heavy rain brought flooding to at least 6 counties in southern WV, destroying at least 300 building and 50 bridges in Mingo County.

Quiet May rough on VORTEX2, The Great Tornado Hunt:

The largest research project ever conducted to study tornadoes and the thunderstorms that produce them began on May 10, 2009 in the central United States, to run through June 13.

This is the time of year when supercell thunderstorms and tornadoes are normally most common in this region. But not so far in 2009. The preliminary tornado count for the 7 states comprising the bulk of the VORTEX2 area in May is 38 tornadoes, compared to and average of 150, or 25% of average. The United States as a whole was also below average, but not that deficient: 75% of average.

Tornadoes Near Kirksville, MO, Anadarko, OK:

May 13, 2009 was probably the most notable day in May for tornadoes, with a preliminary count of 30 tornadoes. A supercell thunderstorm rolling across northern MO, bringing at least 2 killer tornadoes, west and east of Kirksville, MO. 118 vehicles were damaged or destroyed at a car dealership in northern Kirksville. Later, 5 tornadoes struck OK, including an EF2 at Anadarko that damaged 40 homes.

Unusual May Pattern, Unusual May Rain:

The weather pattern in much of May featured a jet stream that retreated into southern Canada, a situation more typical of August. This left the central United States with winds aloft that were usually too weak to support severe thunderstorms. On May 17-23, however, another feature more like what we might expect in August, an stalled upper low just west of Florida, brought a foot to more than two feet of rain to parts of the Sunshine State near Daytona Beach (over 20 inches) and Ormond Beach (over 28 inches) with even isolated 29-30 inch amounts.

What was amazing about this heavy rain was that before it started the state of Florida was in 31.5% severe to exceptional drought that was totally wiped out to 0% by the end of the event.

Damage was estimated at $52 million in Volusia County, where 976 buildings sustained flood damage. An unnamed tropical low finally developed from this system and moved onshore at Dauphin Island, AL on the morning of May 23.

Dr. Greg Forbes Severe Weather Expert otherwise known as Storm Master G will post more summaries as large severe weather events occur.

Look for more of Dr. Greg live on The Weather Channel each afternoon and evening, especially if severe weather begins to erupt. You can count on him and The Weather Channel to keep you safe from the storms.