And this data includes denser population, better radar and more observers than in the past.
My perception is that the most severe storms are moving south and east of the tornado belt.
It’s true that better observation bunmps up the tornado numbers but the bump is mostly in EF-1 and EF-0 which would have been ignored in the past. You are also correct that the severe tornadoes are forming further east. They say the dry line is moving east but that’s probably a long term weather pattern that could switch back.