Tornadoes Aren’t Random—They’re Tied to Land Abuse and Desertification

By Megan Banich

Okay, I’m just going to say it: natural disasters like fires, floods, tornadoes, high wind, etc are linked to climates change—and nobody’s talking about it.

I’m not a meteorologist or a scientist. I’m a regenerative landscape designer, a Boulder native, and someone who spends a lot of time digging in dirt and thinking about the future. But the more I learn, the clearer it gets: the health of our land is directly tied to the disasters we’re living through—not just in Colorado, but across the country.

We’re in fire season earlier, we’re watching floods roll through farmland, and yeah—tornadoes are getting more frequent and more intense, especially in states with dry, exhausted soil. This isn’t just about the sky. It’s about the ground.

Desertified mountain landscape with dry, exposed soil, minimal plant cover, and visible erosion—showing the impact of land degradation and climate stress.

Desertification Isn’t Just "Out There" Anymore

If you’ve watched Kiss the Ground or Common Ground, you already get it: when soil dies, the land starts to spiral. Runoff increases, moisture disappears, microorganisms vanish, and temperatures shoot up.

That’s desertification. And it’s everywhere now—not just in far-off farms or overseas. It’s in our cities, our backyards, and our suburban lawns paved over with gravel and concrete.

When I say tornadoes are linked to arid and degraded climates, this is what I mean: Dead soil → Dry air → Heat rise → Atmospheric chaos. Add in climate change and poor land management, and yeah—it’s a recipe for spinning skies.

Tornadoes form when warm, dry air near the ground collides with cooler air above—creating violent instability. Landscapes like this, stripped of vegetation and moisture, accelerate surface heating and disrupt local climate balance, helping fuel the conditions tornadoes need to form.

What We’re Seeing Now: More tornadoes than ever!

Right now, we’re watching the map light up:

• Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, Colorado — high tornado activity, drought, and unstable land.

• California, Oregon, Washington — longer, more dangerous fire seasons.

• The Southeast — extreme flooding wiping out entire neighborhoods.

• The Midwest — farmers losing crops in floods or watching them burn in heatwaves.

And still, very few people are talking about how this is all connected to the way we treat our land.

Risk Mitigation Starts in the Dirt

We can’t stop every storm—but we can absolutely lower the risk. That’s what risk mitigation is, and regenerative landscaping is one of the most powerful tools we’ve got.

Healthy soil stores water. Healthy plants cool the air. Living roots hold everything in place.

Regenerative landscaping is risk mitigation—not a trend, but a real way to make your yard (and your community) more resilient.

Split image showing conventional vs. regenerative agriculture. Left: bare tilled soil. Right: diverse crops. Highlights soil health and climate resilience.

This Is Bigger Than Yards

If you’ve noticed food prices going up, this is connected. Crops are failing because growing food on dead land is next to impossible. That pressure is devastating farmers. Suicide rates are at their highest. People are overwhelmed. And it’s not because they don’t care—it’s because we’re working against the earth instead of with it.

This is where regenerative landscaping becomes a personal, accessible piece of the solution. It’s not just about native plants or ditching chemicals—it’s about rebuilding life underground so everything above ground can survive.

Lawn with native ground cover mixed into grass, helping cool the environment by increasing shade, moisture retention, and soil health.

So What Now?

Start by letting go of the idea that rock landscapes are “eco-friendly”—they’re hot, lifeless, and often make things worse. Instead, plant something. Even one native plant can help cool the ground, support pollinators, and restore soil health.

Add mulch to lock in moisture, rebuild soil structure, and encourage the return of vital microorganisms that keep the earth alive. The more living roots in the ground, the more resilient our land becomes. And most importantly? Tell your friends. Talk about it. Because natural disasters are linked to arid and degraded climates, and the more of us who understand that, the faster we can turn things around—yard by yard, street by street.

Regeneration is a promise, not just a possibility. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about saying: “I see what’s happening. And I want to help.”

You don’t need acres. You don’t need perfection. You just need to start.

— Megan Banich Founder, Magic Beans Landscaping + Boulder Babe

Citations:

1. IPCC (2019) notes that human-driven land degradation and desertification accelerate climate change and exacerbate extreme weather events.

2. According to IISD, desertification disrupts soil health and biodiversity, increasing the severity of floods and droughts.

3. A study in Landscape and Urban Planning shows that ground cover vegetation can significantly lower surface and air temperatures, mitigating heat stress.

4. Regenerative agriculture has been linked to reduced flood risk by improving soil structure and water infiltration

5. Research from Scientific Reports confirms that soil moisture is directly tied to wildfire probability and size, underlining soil’s role in risk mitigation drought

6. Evidence indicates a correlation between vegetation loss, degraded land, and increasing tornado frequency.

7. The U.S. EPA highlights how trees and vegetation reduce urban heat islands and improve local climate resilience.

8. Cover crops and regenerative farming practices have been shown to reduce flooding in the Midwest by stabilizing runoff.

9. World Renew reports that regenerative food systems enhance soil organic matter and resilience to floods and droughts.

10. Kiss the Ground (through regenerative principles) promotes soil biodiversity and moisture retention—core tools for risk mitigation through regenerative landscaping.