List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
Appearance
These are some notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred in North America.
- The listing is U.S.-centric, with greater and more consistent information available for U.S. tornadoes. Some North American outbreaks affecting the U.S. may only include tornado information from the U.S.
- Exact death and injury counts are not possible, especially for large events and events before 1950.
- Prior to 1950 in the United States, only significant tornadoes (rated F2 or higher or causing a fatality) are listed for the number of tornadoes in outbreaks. These ratings are estimates from tornado expert Tom Grazulis and are not official.
- Due to increasing detection, particularly in the U.S., numbers of counted tornadoes have increased markedly in recent decades although number of actual tornadoes and counted significant tornadoes has not. In older events, the number of tornadoes officially counted is likely underestimated.
- Historical context: Much of the tornado activity in the American Midwestern area is relatively unknown and significantly under-reported prior to the middle of the 1800s as few people lived there to record the yearly activity. The American government did not acquire the Midwestern states area until the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from the French government. The Louisiana Purchase area included major tornado activity areas of north Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, and lower Minnesota. Large groups of settlers and pioneers only began populating the region after 1820. As these areas began being more populated, existing tornado activity there became more known and reported through newspaper and telegraph.
Where applicable, a count of the number of significant (F2/EF2 and stronger), violent (F4/EF4 and stronger), and killer tornadoes is included for outbreaks.
United States
[edit]1643–1859
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
Essex County, Massachusetts–Hampton, New Hampshire tornado | July 5, 1643 | Essex County, Massachusetts, Hampton, New Hampshire | - | 1 fatality | Potential earliest recorded U.S. tornado and fatality. Event was recorded by Massachusetts Bay Colony governor John Winthrop. "There arose a sudden gust at N.W. so violent for half an hour as it blew down multitudes of trees. It lifted up their meeting house at Newbury, the people being in it. It darkened the air with dust, yet through God's great mercy it did no hurt, but only killed one Indian with the fall of a tree. It was straight between Linne [Lynn] and Hampton."[1] | ||
Rehoboth, Massachusetts tornado | August 1671 | Massachusetts | - | 0 fatalities | Earliest confirmed U.S. tornado. | ||
Cambridge, Massachusetts tornado | July 8, 1680 | Massachusetts | - | 1 fatality | Earliest confirmed U.S. tornado with a fatality. | ||
1761 Charleston, South Carolina tornado | May 4, 1761 | Charleston, South Carolina | >2 | 8 fatalities | Earliest recorded U.S. tornado with multiple fatalities. A large tornado temporarily emptied the Ashley River and sank five warships lying offshore | ||
Four-State Tornado Swarm | August 15, 1787 | New England | ≥5 | 2 fatalities | First recorded U.S tornado outbreak. | ||
1811 Charleston, South Carolina tornado | September 10, 1811 | Charleston, South Carolina | - | 20 fatalities | Associated with the 1811 hurricane that hit Charleston, SC.[2] | ||
1814 Washington, D.C. tornado | August 25, 1814 | Washington, D.C. | - | c. 30 fatalities | Killed several British soldiers occupying the city. The British subsequently abandoned the city. | ||
September 1821 New England tornado outbreak | Sep 9, 1821 | New England | >5 | 8 fatalities | One of the most destructive New England outbreaks ever documented. Produced a deadly multiple-vortex tornado in New Hampshire. | ||
1835 New Brunswick, New Jersey tornado | June 19, 1835 | Mid-Atlantic | - | 5 fatalities | Deadliest tornado in New Jersey history. | ||
Great Natchez Tornado | May 7, 1840 | Southeastern United States | >1 | 317+ fatalities, 109+ injuries | Second-deadliest tornado in U.S. history | ||
September 1845 New York outbreak | September 20, 1845 | New York, Vermont | >5 | – | Multiple long-track tornadoes crossed upstate New York | ||
August 1851 Waltham, Medford, and West Cambridge tornado | August 22, 1851 | Waltham, Medford, West Cambridge Massachusetts | 1 | - | The center of Arlington, MA was devastated by a strong tornado.[3][4] | ||
1855 Des Plaines tornado | May 22, 1855 | Illinois | - | 4 fatalities, 8 injuries | First recorded tornado in Illinois history, which occurred in present-day Des Plaines, Illinois. Erroneously thought for a long time to have taken place in Jefferson Township, before research corrected the tornado's location.[5] |
1860s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1860s | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
June 1860 Mid-Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak | June 3, 1860 | Middle Mississippi Valley | – | ≥148 fatalities, ≥409 injuries | Very violent outbreak. Produced a deadly tornado or tornado family that struck Camanche, Iowa. (7 violent, 6 killer) | ||
1865 Viroqua, Wisconsin tornado | June 28, 1865 | Viroqua, Wisconsin | >1 | ≥22 fatalities | One of Wisconsin's first killer tornadoes. Also one of the first documentations of a multiple-vortex tornado. | ||
Rock Island, Illinois tornado | March 16, 1868 | Rock Island, Illinois | – | 1 fatality, 3 injuries | An apparent tornado severely damaged a bridge on the Mississippi River.[6][dubious – discuss] |
1870s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
1871 St. Louis tornado | March 8, 1871 | Middle Mississippi Valley | ≥1 | 9 fatalities, 60 injuries | Estimated F3 tornado killed nine people in St. Louis. | ||
May 1873 Midwest tornado outbreak | May 22, 1873 | Midwestern United States | ≥7 | 18 fatalities, ≥ 93 injuries | At least three tornadoes recorded | ||
November 1874 Southeast tornado outbreak | November 22, 1874 | Alabama | ≥2 | 16 fatalities, ≥ 50 injuries | An F4 tornado damaged or destroyed about a third of Tuscumbia, Alabama, killing 12 people in town and at least 2 others in nearby rural areas. An F3 tornado damaged or destroyed about half the buildings in Montevallo, Alabama, killing two others. | ||
March 1875 Southeast tornado outbreak | March 19–20, 1875 | Southeastern United States | ≥19 | ≥96 fatalities, ≥367 injuries | Outbreak produced seven estimated F4 tornadoes. The worst of the damage and most of the fatalities took place in Georgia. (15 significant, 7 violent, 12 killer) | ||
May 1875 Southeast tornado outbreak | May 1, 1875 | Southeastern United States | – | 58 fatalities, 195 injuries | Included several long-tracked, (estimated) F3 tornado families. (1 violent, 7 killer) | ||
1878 Wallingford tornado | August 9, 1878 | Connecticut | – | 34 fatalities, ≥70 injuries | Deadliest tornado in Connecticut history. Estimated to have been an F4. | ||
May 1879 Central Plains tornado outbreak | May 29–30, 1879 | Central Great Plains | – | ≥36 fatalities, ≥186 injuries | (≥15 significant, 6 violent, ≥9 killer) |
1880s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
April 1880 tornado outbreak | April 18, 1880 | Mississippi Valley – Great Plains | ≥25 | ≥165 fatalities, ≥511 injuries | 99 people killed in and near Springfield and Marshfield, Missouri. Three long-tracked F4s in Missouri. (>22 significant, 5 violent, 14 killer) | ||
1880 West Prairie–Christian County tornado | April 24, 1880 | West Prairie – Christian County, Illinois | 1 | 6 fatalities | Many "well built" homes were leveled and farms vanished. Its victims (both people and cattle) were reportedly carried up to half a mile. This is the earliest estimated F5 that can be verified in the U.S. according to Grazulis. (The 1953 Waco tornado is the earliest officially rated - see below.) The F5 rating is widely accepted. | ||
June 1881 tornado outbreak | June 11–12, 1881 | Great Plains – Midwest | ≥11 | 20 fatalities, ≥141 injuries | Produced five violent tornadoes across three states, one of which was an F4 that destroyed the community of Floral, Kansas. Another F4 that hit near Hopkins, Missouri, may have been an F5. (11 significant, 5 violent, 7 killer) | ||
1881 Minnesota tornado outbreak | July 15–16, 1881 | Minnesota | ≥ 6 | 24 fatalities, ≥123 injuries | Produced a destructive F4 (possibly F5) tornado in New Ulm, Minnesota, along with other killer tornadoes in rural areas, including one that killed four people. (6 significant, 2 violent, 2 killer) | ||
1882 Grinnell tornado | June 17, 1882 | Grinnell, Iowa | 1 | 65 fatalities | 16 farms were blown away and the town of Grinnell was devastated, as well as the Grinnell College campus. Debris was carried 100 mi (160 km). Estimated F5. Caused 68 fatalities according to Grazulis. | ||
April 1883 Southeast tornado outbreak | April 22–23, 1883 | Southeastern United States | – | ≥109 fatalities, ≥755 injuries | Produced several killer F3+ tornadoes in Mississippi and Georgia. (17 significant, 3 violent, 13 killer) | ||
May 1883 tornado outbreak | May 18, 1883 | Middle-Lower Mississippi Valley | – | ≥64 fatalities, ≥386 injuries | One of the most intense outbreaks ever to hit Illinois, where five F4s struck. (≥21 significant, 6 violent, 16 killer) | ||
1883 Rochester tornado | August 21, 1883 | Rochester, Minnesota | 1 | 37 fatalities, 200+ injured | Estimated F5 tornado led to the formation of the Mayo Clinic.[7] | ||
1884 Enigma tornado outbreak | February 19–20, 1884 | Central – Eastern United States | >51 | >178 fatalities, ≥1056 injuries | Among largest known outbreaks ever recorded. Produced violent and killer tornadoes across a large portion of the Southeastern United States, killing well over 170 people. Long-track F4 tornado moved through Alabama and Georgia, killing 30 people. Another F4—the deadliest in North Carolina history—hit Rockingham, North Carolina, and killed 23. (≥37 significant, 4 violent, ≥27 killer) | ||
1884 March tornado outbreak | March 24–25, 1884 | Southeastern United States – Ohio Valley | >29 | 32 fatalities | (29 significant, 11 killer) | ||
1884 Oakville tornado | April 1, 1884 | Oakville, Indiana | 1 | 8 fatalities | Among contemporary meteorologists, this was considered one of the most intense tornadoes observed up to that time. Parts of Oakville "vanished," with house debris scattered for miles. Estimated F5. | ||
1884 Howard, South Dakota tornado | August 28, 1884 | Howard, South Dakota | 1 | 4 fatalities, 2 injuries | One of the oldest known tornado photographs.[1][8] | ||
April 1885 tornado outbreak | April 1885 | Texas | - | 60 fatalities, 4 injuries | One tornado struck Waco. | ||
1885 Philadelphia/Camden tornado | August 3, 1885 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Camden, New Jersey | - | ≥7 fatalities, ≥8-10 injuries | An estimated F3 tornado devastated Philadelphia and its New Jersey suburb of Camden. A ferry boat and steamboat on the Delaware River were damaged and numerous homes, factories, shops, and other buildings were damaged or destroyed. At least 200 were left homeless by the storm.[9] | ||
1886 Sauk Rapids tornado | April 14, 1886 | Central Minnesota | 1 | 72 fatalities, 200+ injuries | Deadliest tornado in Minnesota history. Estimated to have been an F4. | ||
1887 Grand Forks tornado | June 16, 1887 | Grand Forks North Dakota | - | At the time, Fargo, North Dakota was believed to be the northern limit of potential tornado activity by the United States Signal Service. Grand Forks is located another 75 miles north of Fargo in North Dakota. The tornado there led to a rethinking of the potential northern boundary of tornado activity in the United States at the time.[10] |
1890s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
1890 St. Louis tornado outbreak | January 12, 1890 | Middle Mississippi Valley | – | 16 fatalities, 91 injuries | (≥1 violent, 3 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 27, 1890 | March 27, 1890 | Middle Mississippi Valley | ≥24 | ≥146 fatalities, ≥847 injuries | Deadly tornado outbreak killed at least 146 people across the Midwest. An F4 that struck downtown Louisville killed 76 people alone. Four other F4s, including a long-tracked tornado family that killed 21 people in southern Indiana and northern Kentucky. (≥24 significant, 6 violent, 16 killer) | ||
1890 Lawrence tornado | July 26, 1890 | Lawrence, Massachusetts | – | 8 fatalities, 63 injuries | Touched down shortly after 9 am, estimated F3 strength. Path 11 mi (18 km) long through the city. | ||
1890 Wilkes-Barre tornado | August 19, 1890 | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | 1 | 16 fatalities, 50 injuries | It is believed that the tornado touched down west of Nanticoke as an estimated F0. The storm intensified as it traveled northeast towards the City of Wilkes-Barre. After 5:00 pm, it tore through the heart of Wilkes-Barre as an estimated F3. The tornado killed 16 people, injured 50, damaged or destroyed 260 buildings, and cost at least $240,000 (in 1890 USD). The tornado then traveled east and ended in a heavily wooded region just outside the city.[11] | ||
1892 Southern Minnesota tornado | June 15, 1892 | Minnesota | 1 | 12 fatalities, 72 injuries | Entire farms were obliterated, and house timbers were embedded into the ground 3 mi (4.8 km) away from the foundations. Estimated to have been F5 intensity. | ||
1893 Willow Springs tornado | May 22, 1893 | Willow Springs, Wisconsin | – | 3 fatalities | Two farm complexes were completely swept away. Estimated to be an F5. | ||
1893 Pomeroy tornado | July 6, 1893 | Pomeroy, Iowa | – | 71 fatalities | Grass was scoured from the ground, and a metal bridge was torn from its supports. A well pump and 40 feet (12 m) of pipe were pulled out of the ground. Estimated to be an F5. | ||
1894 Upper Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak | September 21–22, 1894 | Upper Mississippi Valley | – | >63 fatalities, >253 injuries | Included a long-tracked F4 tornado family in Wisconsin and Iowa. In Kossuth County Iowa (five farms and a home were swept away, leaving little trace) and Wisconsin. (>9 significant, 4 violent, 5 killer) | ||
1895 Kansas-Iowa tornado outbreak | May 1–3, 1895 | Central-Northern Great Plains | – | >18–35 fatalities, >67 injuries | Seven people killed in schools in Ireton-Hull, Iowa. In Harvey County Kansas on May 1, an estimated F5 hit where farms "entirely vanished," with debris carried for miles. In Sioux County Iowa on May 3, an estimated F5 hit where farms "entirely vanished," with debris carried for miles. (2 F5s, 3 killer) | ||
1895 Queens tornado | July 13, 1895 | Queens, New York | – | 1 fatality | Forty others were injured, seven homes were demolished and at least 25 others damaged, and monuments and tombstones in Cypress Hills and Bayside cemeteries were uprooted by a cyclone that touched down near Cypress Hills and moved through the neighborhoods of Woodhaven, Union Course, and Ozone Park.[12] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 1896 | May 15–28, 1896 | Upper Mississippi Valley – Great Lakes (Ontario) | ≥38 | ≥484 fatalities, >2,000 injuries | The deadliest tornado outbreak sequence in American history. Killer tornadoes touched down from Texas to Pennsylvania. Produced at least three F5 tornadoes and several F4s, including an F4 that killed at least 255 people and injured 1,236 in the St. Louis area. In Sherman Texas on May 15, one of the most intense tornadoes of the 19th century according to Grazulis struck. "Extraordinary" damage occurred to farms and 20 homes that were obliterated and swept away. An iron-beam bridge was torn apart and scattered, with one of the beams deeply embedded into the ground. Trees were reduced to debarked stumps, and grass was scoured from lawns in town as well. Several headstones at a cemetery were shattered or thrown up to 250 yards through the air, and a trunk lid from Sherman was found 35 miles away. Reliable reports said that numerous bodies were carried hundreds of yards, and that multiple deaths occurred in 17 different families; seven deaths were in one family alone. In Seneca Kansas on May 17, an opera house was swept away along with some farms. Entire farms were reportedly swept clean of debris, leaving the areas "bare as the prairie. In Ortonville-Oakwood Michigan on May 25th, houses and farms were leveled and swept away, with debris carried up to 12 mi (19 km) away. Trees were completely debarked, with even small twigs stripped bare in some cases. (>38 significant, 3 F5, 9 violent, ≥22 killer) | ||
1898 Fort Smith, Arkansas, tornado | January 11, 1898 | Lower Mississippi Valley | 1 | ≥56 fatalities, ≥119 injuries | Devastating F4 tornado struck Fort Smith. (1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
May 1898 Mississippi Valley tornado outbreaks | May 17–18, 1898 | Middle-Upper Mississippi Valley | – | 55 fatalities, ≥380 injuries | In Salix, Iowa, on June 11, an estimated F5 tornado struck and impacted several farms. In Marathon County, Wisconsin, on May 18, an estimated F5 tornado flattened 12 farms. (5 violent, 10 killer) | ||
1899 New Richmond tornado | June 11–12, 1899 | Upper Midwest | 1 | ≥117 fatalities, ≥203 injuries | Devastating (estimated) F5 destroyed the town of New Richmond, Wisconsin. Deadliest Wisconsin tornado on record, ninth deadliest in US history. |
1900s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1900-1909 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
1900 Plains tornado outbreak | May 5–6, 1900 | Nebraska-Texas-Missouri | – | ≥3 fatalities, ≥16 injuries | May 6 named "day of the cyclones" by the press. (≥19 significant, 2 killer) | ||
1900 Southeast tornado outbreak | November 20, 1900 | Southeastern United States | – | ≥77 fatalities, ≥75 injuries | A major tornado outbreak killed at least 77 people across the Southeastern United States. A long-lived family of tornadoes, the strongest of which was rated F4, killed at least 30 people in Mississippi and Tennessee, including 11 near Strayhorn, Mississippi and 15 on plantations in Tunica County, Mississippi. Another F4 tornado devastated the west side of Columbia, Tennessee, killing 27 people. | ||
1902 Goliad, Texas tornado | May 18, 1902 | South Central U.S. | – | 114 fatalities, ≥279 injuries | Tied with the Waco tornado as deadliest in Texas history. Estimated F4 tornado. | ||
1902 Trenton, New Jersey Cyclone | August 10, 1902 | Trenton, New Jersey | – | 2 injuries | A destructive tornado, estimated to have been at F1 or F2 strength, tore through Trenton, New Jersey, on a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) path. Walls or roofs were torn off of 100 homes and wagons and outhouses were tossed like toys. Heavy rain in the city also collapsed a bridge. Due to limited knowledge of tornadoes at the time, the tornado was considered to be a "cyclone."[13][14] | ||
1904 Moundville, Alabama tornado | January 22, 1904 | Hale/Tuscaloosa Counties, Alabama | 1 | 36 fatalities, 150 injuries | A violent F4 tornado struck Moundville, Alabama, just after midnight, destroying all but one store in the business district along with a number of homes, railroad depots, freight cars, farm buildings and a hotel. Damage was also reported northeast of Moundville in the towns of Hull, Phifer, Maxwell, and Tidewater.[15] | ||
1904 Chappaqua tornado | July 16, 1904 | New York | 1 | 2 fatalities, 6 injuries | An estimated F3 tornado struck upstate New York. | ||
1904 St. Louis tornado | August 19, 1904 | Missouri-Illinois | 1 | 3 fatalities, ≥10 injuries | Heavy damage in downtown St. Louis. | ||
1904 Upper Midwest tornado outbreak | August 20, 1904 | Minnesota-South Dakota-Wisconsin | ≥8 | 14 fatalities, ≥100 injuries | Severe damage throughout the Twin Cities. | ||
1905 Snyder, Oklahoma tornado | May 10, 1905 | Oklahoma | ≥1 | 97 fatalities, ≥150 injuries | An estimated F5 tornado largely destroyed Snyder, Oklahoma. | ||
1908 Dixie tornado outbreak | April 23–25, 1908 | Southeastern United States | – | 324 fatalities, ≥1,720 injuries | Tied with the 2011 Super Outbreak for fourth-deadliest US tornado outbreak. Produced numerous violent tornadoes in the Southern United States and Great Plains, including an F5 tornado in Nebraska. One long-track tornado killed 143 people alone in Louisiana and Mississippi. See, e.g., Wilmer, Louisiana. (≥34 significant, ≥6 violent, ≥13 killer) | ||
Late-April 1909 tornado outbreak | April 29 – May 1, 1909 | Mississippi-Tennessee Valley | – | ≥165 fatalities, ≥696 injuries | Produced numerous killer tornadoes across the Southern United States. Two tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama killed 29 each. (≥35 significant, ≥4 violent, ≥23 killer) |
1910s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1910-1919 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 11, 1911 | November 11, 1911 | Midwestern United States | ≥9 | 13 fatalities, 117 injuries | Outbreak was produced by a large and dynamic storm system. F4 struck Janesville, Wisconsin, and killed nine people. Other killer tornadoes occurred in Illinois and Michigan. (9 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 20–22, 1912 | April 20–22, 1912 | Southern-Central Great Plains – Middle Mississippi Valley – Southeastern United States | – | ≥56 fatalities, injuries | Numerous violent tornadoes in North Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, including what is now the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. (≥30 significant, 9 violent, ≥19 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 27–29, 1912 | April 27–29, 1912 | Southern-Central Great Plains – Red River basin – Ark-La-Miss region | – | ≥45 fatalities, 167 injuries | Violent tornadoes struck portions of the Great Plains, mainly in Oklahoma. (25 significant, 8 violent, 15 killer) | ||
Mid-March 1913 tornado outbreak | March 13–14, 1913 | Southeastern United States – Middle Mississippi Valley | – | 78 fatalities, ≥492 injuries | Produced deadly, long-tracked F3+ tornadoes in Tennessee. (20 significant, 3 violent, 16 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of March 1913 | March 20–23, 1913 | Southeastern United States – Central Great Plains – Middle Mississippi Valley | – | ≥ 241 fatalities, ≥ 1,535 injuries | Produced the devastating Omaha tornado (103 deaths), among several other violent and deadly tornadoes in Nebraska. Other violent tornadoes killed numerous people in Alabama and one in Terre Haute, Indiana, killed 21. (19 significant, 7 violent, 15 killer) | ||
June 1916 tornado outbreak | June 5–6, 1916 | Mississippi Valley – Southern U.S. | – | 112 fatalities, 741 injuries | Produced numerous killer tornadoes in Arkansas, including one that killed 25 people. An F3 killed 13 people in the northern suburbs of Jackson, Mississippi. (35 significant, 1 violent, 23 killer) | ||
February 1917 Southeast tornado outbreak | February 23, 1917 | Southeastern United States | – | 17 fatalities, 81 injuries | Six strong tornadoes touched down across the South. (≥6 significant, ≥3 killer) | ||
March 1917 tornado outbreak | March 23, 1917 | Ohio Valley | >9 | 47 fatalities, 311 injuries | F4 tornado devastated New Albany, Indiana. Destroyed two schools and a wood shop. At least 300 homes were destroyed, some swept away. (≥9 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 25–June 1, 1917 | May 25 – June 1, 1917 | Central – Southeastern United States | ≥ 73 | >382 fatalities | One of the deadliest tornado outbreak sequences in US history. An F5 killed 23 people in Kansas. One tornado family in Illinois killed 101 people alone. A long-track tornado killed 67 people, mostly in Kentucky. (63 significant, 15 violent, 35 killer) | ||
May 1918 tornado outbreak sequence | May 18–21, 1918 | Central-Northern Great Plains – Upper Midwest | – | 44 fatalities, 340 injuries | (≥34 significant, 5 violent, 13 killer) | ||
1918 Tyler tornado | August 21, 1918 | Tyler, Minnesota | – | 36 killed, 225 injured | F4 tornado killed 36 people in and near Tyler. | ||
March 1919 tornado outbreak | March 14–16, 1919 | Central United States | – | 53 fatalities, 219 injuries | (4 violent, 18 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 1919 | April 8–9, 1919 | Southern Great Plains | – | 92 fatalities, 412 injuries | Unusual nocturnal outbreak produced numerous violent, large, long-tracked tornadoes in East Texas. (4 violent, 10 killer) | ||
1919 Fergus Falls tornado | June 22, 1919 | Fergus Falls, Minnesota | – | 57 fatalities, 200 injured | F5 tornado leveled many homes in Fergus Falls, killing 57 people. 35 of the deaths were at the three-story Grand Hotel, which was completely destroyed. |
1920s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1920-1929 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
1920 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak | March 28, 1920 | Midwest – Southeast | ≥37 | ≥153 fatalities, ≥1215 injuries | First of the Palm Sunday outbreaks; one of the deadliest outbreaks in US history. Tornadoes devastated the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, including parts of the Chicago metropolitan area. Other long-track killer tornadoes tore across the Southern states. Official death toll is uncertain and may be considerably higher than what is listed. (32 significant, 8 violent, 19 killer) | ||
April 1920 tornado outbreak | April 19–21, 1920 | Southeastern United States | ≥17 | 224 fatalities, 1374 injuries | Several violent, long-track tornadoes touched down across the South, killing numerous people. Mississippi and Alabama were the hardest hit, with multiple tornadoes producing double-digit death tolls, including one that killed 88 people alone. (14 significant, 7 violent, 9 killer) | ||
April 1921 tornado outbreak | April 15–16, 1921 | Southern U.S. | – | 90 fatalities, 676 injuries | Violent, long-tracked tornado killed 59 people in Texas and Arkansas. (34 significant, 1 violent, 17 killer) | ||
1922 Austin twin tornadoes | May 4, 1922 | Texas | 2 | 13 fatalities, 50 injuries | (Deadliest tornadoes in Austin history) (1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
April 1923 tornado outbreak sequence | April 4, 1923 | High Plains | – | 14 fatalities, 68 injuries | (2 violent, 4 killer) | ||
May 1923 Great Plains tornado outbreak | May 2, 1923 | Great Plains | 4 | 17 fatalities, 68 injuries | (1 violent, 4 killer) | ||
April 1924 tornado outbreak | April 30, 1924 | Southeastern United States | ≥28 | 110 fatalities, 1133 injuries | Long-tracked tornado family killed seven people at a school in Horrell Hill, South Carolina. Multiple violent killer tornadoes struck the Carolinas and Georgia. (28 significant, 2 violent, 16 killer) | ||
1924 Lorain–Sandusky tornado | June 28, 1924 | Eastern Great Lakes | ≥6 | 90 fatalities, 349 injuries | Deadliest tornado in Ohio history, estimated to have been an F4. (6 significant, 1 violent, 4 killer) | ||
Tri-State tornado outbreak | March 18, 1925 | Middle Mississippi – Ohio Valley | ≥12 | ≥751 fatalities, ≥2298 injuries | A deadly outbreak, including the deadliest and longest-tracked tornado in U.S. history–the Tri-State tornado, a massive F5 tornado that traveled 219 mi (352 km) across the three states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people. Third-costliest U.S. tornado ever. Other violent tornadoes hit Kentucky and Tennessee, including a long-tracked F4 that killed 38 people. (≥9 significant, 3 violent, 8 killer) | ||
1926 La Plata, Maryland tornado outbreak | November 9, 1926 | Mid-Atlantic | – | 17 fatalities, 65 injuries | 17 people killed at schools in La Plata. An F4 tornado also hit the area on April 28, 2002. | ||
Late-November 1926 tornado outbreak | November 25–26, 1926 | South | ≥27 | 107 fatalities, 451 injuries | Deadliest November tornado outbreak in the US, produced several long-tracked, strong, killer tornadoes. (27 significant, 2 violent, 18 killer) | ||
1927 Rocksprings, Texas tornado | April 12, 1927 | Southern Great Plains | 1 | 74 fatalities, 205 injuries | A large F5 tornado struck Rocksprings, Texas, destroying 235 of 247 buildings in town. (1 violent, 1 killer) | ||
April 1927 Southern Plains-Midwest tornado outbreak | April 18–19, 1927 | Southern Great Plains – Midwest | – | ≥46 fatalities, ≥235 injuries | (16 significant, 3 violent, 5 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 1927 | May 8–9, 1927 | Great Plains – Mississippi Valley | 22 | 217 fatalities, 1156 injuries | One of the most prolific outbreaks in US history. A long-tracked F5 on May 7 in Kansas killed 10 people and injured 300. Other deadly tornadoes hit Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas including an F4 on May 9 that devastated Poplar Bluff, Missouri, killing 98 people. (32 significant, 8 violent, 17 killer) | ||
1927 St. Louis tornado outbreak | September 29, 1927 | Middle-Lower Mississippi Valley | 15 | 82 fatalities, 620 injuries | Produced a devastating tornado that struck St. Louis and killed 79 people. Estimated to have been an F3, but may have been an F4. (11 significant, 3 killer) | ||
September 1928 Upper Plains-Midwest tornado outbreak | September 13–14, 1928 | Upper Great Plains – Midwest | – | 23 fatalities, 197 injuries | Most intense September outbreak in US history. Several violent tornadoes, including one F4 that hit Rockford, Illinois. (15 significant, 3 violent, 3 killer) | ||
January 1929 Mid-Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak | January 18, 1929 | Middle Mississippi Valley | – | 10 fatalities, 46 injuries | (7 significant, 5 killer) | ||
1929 Slocum, Texas-Statesboro, Georgia tornado outbreaks | April 24–25, 1929 | Great Plains – Midwest – Southeast | – | 63 fatalities, 567 injuries | (15 significant, 4 violent, 7 killer) | ||
1929 Rye Cove tornado outbreak | May 1–2, 1929 | Southern – Eastern United States | 17 | 44 fatalities, 349 injuries | 13 people killed at school in Rye Cove, Virginia. (17 significant, 10 killer) |
1930s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1930-1939 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
May 1930 tornado outbreak sequence | May 1–2 & 5–6, 1930 | Great Plains – Mississippi Valley | – | 94 fatalities, 520 injuries | Very intense and prolific outbreak sequence including a deadly F4 tornado in Frost, Texas, which resulted in 41 fatalities. (51 significant, 11 violent, 15 killer) | ||
November 1930 Southern Plains tornado outbreak | November 19, 1930 | Southern Great Plains | – | 24 fatalities, 162 injuries | Morning F4 tornado kills 23 people in Bethany, Oklahoma. (8 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
1932 Deep South tornado outbreak | March 21–22, 1932 | Southeastern United States | ≥38 | ≥330 fatalities, 2145 injuries | One of the most intense outbreaks in US history, produced 10 violent tornadoes. Third-deadliest continuous tornado outbreak in US history. Hundreds of people were killed by violent tornadoes across the Southern United States. Deadliest Alabama outbreak with 268 fatalities. (36 significant, 10 violent, 27 killer) | ||
March 1933 Nashville tornado outbreak | March 14, 1933 | Tennessee Valley | >5 | 44 fatalities, 461 injuries | Destructive F3 tornado through downtown Nashville, killing 11 people. Other tornadoes touched down across the Ohio Valley, including an F4 that killed 12. (≥5 significant, 1 violent, ≥4 killer) | ||
Late-March 1933 tornado outbreak | March 30–31, 1933 | Southeast | – | 87 fatalities, 620 injuries | (30 significant, 1 violent, 16 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 4–10, 1933 | May 4–10, 1933 | South | ≥33 | 128 fatalities | Produced an F4 that struck Tompkinsville, Kentucky, and killed 36 people. Another F4 struck rural Tennessee and killed 35. Numerous other killer tornadoes touched down across the Southern United States. (27 significant, 3 violent, 10 killer) | ||
1936 Cordele–Greensboro tornado outbreak | April 1–2, 1936 | Southeast | ≥13 | 45 fatalities, 568 injuries | Produced multiple killer tornadoes in Georgia and the Carolinas. An F4 tornado in Cordele, Georgia, killed 23 people. (8 significant, 3 violent, 10 killer) | ||
1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak | April 5–6, 1936 | Southeastern United States | 17 | 454 fatalities, 2498 injuries | Second-deadliest continuous tornado outbreak in US history. Several strong and deadly tornadoes were observed across the South. Two of the individual tornadoes killed well over 200 people each. (12 significant, 3 violent, 11 killer) | ||
1938 Bakerville, Missouri tornado outbreak | March 15, 1938 | Mississippi Valley | – | 24 fatalities, 200 injuries | (14 significant, 2 violent, 6 killer) | ||
Late-March 1938 tornado outbreak | March 30–31, 1938 | Southern Plains – Mississippi Valley | – | 40 fatalities, 548 injuries | An F3 tornado in South Pekin, Illinois, destroyed the town and killed 9. Remains Central Illinois' deadliest tornado after 75 years, (26 significant, 3 violent, 9 killer) | ||
1938 Oshkosh, Nebraska tornado outbreak | April 26, 1938 | Great Plains | – | 6 fatalities, 39 injuries | F5 near Oshkosh killed three students at a leveled school. Several other strong tornadoes were observed that day, killing three others. (9 significant, 2 violent, 2 killer) | ||
1938 Charleston, South Carolina tornadoes | September 29, 1938 | South Carolina | – | 32 fatalities, 100 injuries | (2 killers) | ||
April 1939 tornado outbreak sequence | April 14–17, 1939 | Great Plains – Mississippi Valley | – | 57 fatalities, 316 injuries | Included a long-tracked F5 tornado family on April 14 in Oklahoma and Kansas that killed seven people. (25 significant, 3 violent, 11 killer) |
1940s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1940-1949 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
February 1942 tornado outbreak | February 5–6, 1942 | Southeast | ≥28 | 22 fatalities, 330 injuries | (22 significant, 9 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 16–17, 1942 | March 16, 1942 | Central – Southern U.S. | – | 148 fatalities, ≥1284 injuries | Produced a deadly tornado family in Mississippi that killed 63 people. An F5 struck Lacon, Illinois, killing eight people. A long-tracked F4 killed 15 people in Tennessee. (25 significant, 7 violent, 18 killer) | ||
April–May 1942 tornado outbreak sequence | April 27–30 & May 2, 1942 | Great Plains | – | 123 fatalities, ≥839 injuries | Included six F4s that devastated northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas on May 2. (20 significant, 11 violent, 17 killers) | ||
January 1944 Oklahoma tornado outbreak | January 26. 1944 | Southern Great Plains | – | 2 fatalities, 40 injuries | (8 significant, 2 killer) | ||
1944 South Dakota–Minnesota tornado outbreak | June 17, 1944 | South Dakota, Minnesota | – | 13 fatalities, ≥80 injuries | An F5 tornado killed eight people in South Dakota and dissipated in Minnesota. Farms south of Wilmot, South Dakota, were destroyed with no debris left behind. Two other deadly tornadoes, rated F3 and F4 by Grazulis, struck elsewhere in South Dakota. Official records only list windstorms even though well-defined funnels were sighted. (6 significant, 2 violent, 3 killers)[16] | ||
1944 Appalachians tornado outbreak | June 22–23, 1944 | Great Lakes – Mid-Atlantic | >7 | 163 fatalities, ≥1044 injuries | 100 died in a single tornado in West Virginia, the deadliest in the state's history. Other deadly tornadoes were observed in Pennsylvania and Maryland. First of two violent outbreaks in Pennsylvania, the other occurring on May 31, 1985, with an F5 tornado hitting Wheatland, Pennsylvania. (≥7 significant, 3 violent, ≥6 killers) | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 12, 1945 | February 12, 1945 | Alabama and Mississippi | 8 | 43 fatalities, 417 injuries | Included a devastating tornado that struck Montgomery, Alabama, killing 26 people. The U.S. Weather Bureau would describe this tornado as "the most officially observed one in history".[17] (8 significant, 1 violent, 4 killers) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 1945 | April 12, 1945 | Southern Great Plains – Mississippi Valley | ≥17 | 128 fatalities, 1001 injuries | A large and deadly F5 struck Antlers, Oklahoma, killing at least 67 people. (17 significant, 5 violent, 10 killer). | ||
1945 Jamestown Tornado | June 10, 1945 | Jamestown, New York | – | 0 deaths, 14 injured | A tornado touched down in Jamestown at 9:30 pm, with many factory buildings losing their roofs and in some cases even their top floors, and causing significant damage to hundreds of homes, totaling $5 million ($85 million in 2023 dollars).[18] | ||
Tornado outbreak of January 4–6, 1946 | January 4–6, 1946 | South—Central United States | 10 | 47 fatalities, 412+ injuries | Includes the Log Lake–Southview–Palestine tornado, which is classified as one of the worst tornadoes in the history of Texas. (9 significant, 3 violent, 7 killer) | ||
1946 Windsor–Tecumseh tornado | June 17, 1946 | River Rouge, Michigan – Windsor, Ontario | – | 17 dead, dozens injured | Third-deadliest tornado in Canadian history, formed in River Rouge, Michigan. May have been an F5. | ||
January 1947 tornado outbreak | January 29–30, 1947 | Mississippi Valley – Southeast | – | 8 fatalities, 155 injuries | (15 significant, 1 violent, 5 killer) | ||
1947 Glazier–Higgins–Woodward tornadoes | April 9–10, 1947 | Southern Great Plains | – | 181 fatalities, 980 injuries | Deadly tornado family devastated multiple towns in Texas and Oklahoma, producing F5 damage. Entire communities were either partly or totally swept away in both states. (≥8 significant, ≥2 violent, ≥1 killer) | ||
1947 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak | December 31, 1947 | Southern U.S. | – | 20 fatalities, 256 injuries | (7 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | ||
1948 Alton-Bunker Hill-Gillespie tornado outbreak | March 18–19, 1948 | Great Plains – Middle Mississippi Valley | – | 43 fatalities, ≥566 injuries | Early-morning F4 killed 33 people in Illinois. (25 significant, 3 violent, 5 killers) | ||
1948 Tinker Air Force Base tornadoes | March 20 & 25, 1948 | Oklahoma City | 2 | First successful tornado prediction in history by Maj. Ernest J. Fawbush and Capt. Robert C. Miller who was on duty at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[1] | |||
Late-March 1948 tornado outbreak | March 25–27, 1948 | Central United States | – | 37 fatalities, 321 injuries | (19 significant, 3 violent, 5 killer) | ||
May 1948 McKinney tornado outbreak | May 3, 1948 | McKinney, Texas | 1 | 3 fatalities, 43 injured | An F3 tornado touched down in the southwest portion of the city at 2:59 pm, causing minor destruction to 300 homes including a few churches and a nearby plant base caused by all 3 hazards, including 100 mph winds. | ||
May 1949 tornado outbreak | May 15–22, 1949 | Great Plains and Midwest | >74 | 9 fatalities | A massive outbreak struck the Great Plains and Midwest. An F4 hit Amarillo killing seven, the costliest and strongest tornado in the city's history. Another F4 was on the ground for nearly 60 miles as it tore through the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles, injuring three in Stratford, Texas and killing an elderly man near Goodwell, Oklahoma. A third F4 missed the town of Spur, but destroyed a dozen farmhouses, killing a woman. Palestine, Illinois was hit by an F4, but some experts rated it as an F5. |
1950s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1950-1959 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 11–13, 1950 | February 11–13, 1950 | Lower-Middle Mississippi Valley | 19 | 45 fatalities, 201 injuries | A tornado outbreak produced several long–tracked, deadly tornadoes that touched down in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas. (14 significant, 1 violent, 8 killer)[19] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 26–27, 1950 | March 26-27, 1950 | Mississippi Valley | 16 | 1 fatality, 52 injuries | A destructive outbreak produced two F3 tornadoes in Arkansas and a fatal F2 tornado in Mississippi. An F2 tornado also struck Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, while twin F2 tornadoes damaged Downtown Jackson, Mississippi. (12 significant, 1 killer)[20] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 28–29, 1950 | April 28-29, 1950 | Great Plains - Mississippi Valley | 7 | 11 fatalities, 38 injuries | Several destructive tornadoes touched down with all three F3+ tornadoes being killers. (5 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer)[21] | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 19, 1951 | June 19, 1951 | Midwest | 5 | 1 fatality, 20 injuries | A small, but destructive outbreak spawned a violent, long-tracked F4 tornado in Minnesota with all casualties coming from this storm. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[22] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 25–27, 1951 | June 25-27, 1951 | Great Plains - Midwest - Northeastern United States | 13 | 6 fatalities, 161 injuries | An F4 tornado killed five and injured 100 in WaKeeney, Kansas, while F3 tornadoes killed one and injured 50 in Illinois. (7 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer)[23] | ||
Great Lakes tornadoes of September 26, 1951 | September 26, 1951 | Wisconsin - Michigan | 3 | 8 fatalities, 15 injuries | A destructive series of three tornadoes touched down, all of which caused major damage, injuries and fatalities. (3 significant killers, 2 violent killers)[24] | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 13, 1952 | February 13, 1952 | Southeastern United States | 15 | 5 fatalities, 102 injuries | A destructive outbreak hit the Southeast with three killer F3+ tornadoes occurring in Alabama and Tennessee. (8 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer)[25] | ||
Tornado outbreak of Leap Day 1952 | February 29, 1952 | Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia | 8 | 5 fatalities, 336 injuries | A localized, but destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted three states. An F1 tornado killed three people and injured 166 others in Belfast, Tennessee, an F4 tornado killed two and injured 150 in Fayetteville, Tennessee, and an F3 tornado injured 12 in Fort Payne, Alabama. (7 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer)[26] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 21–22, 1952 | March 21–22, 1952 | Lower-Middle Mississippi Valley | 31 | 209 fatalities, 1,212 injuries | This was the fourth-most violent outbreak in U.S. since 1950 with 11 F4 tornadoes, most intense ever in Arkansas. F4 tornadoes that struck Judsonia and Cotton Plant killed a total of 79 people. Other F4 tornadoes struck Tennessee and Northern Mississippi. The event marked the first time the word "tornado" was used during a public television weather broadcast (it was said by Oklahoma City WKY-TV's weatherman Harry Volkman). The word had been a banned word by the FCC at the time. (28 significant, 11 violent, 20 killer)[1][27] | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 21–24, 1952 | May 21–24, 1952 | Great Plains - Great Lakes - Southeastern United States | 16 | 8 injuries | A moderate outbreak produced a large F4 tornado outside of Kansas City, inflicting major damage. Some tornado experts say the tornado may have reached F5 intensity. (6 significant, 1 violent)[28] | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 23–24, 1952 | June 23–24, 1952 | Great Plains - Midwest | 7 | 2 fatalities, 35 injuries | Several intense tornadoes touched down, including an F4 tornado in Iowa and a fatal F3 tornado in Wisconsin. The Minneapolis metro was struck by long-tracked F2 tornadoes on both outbreak days with the second one moving directly through Downtown. (5 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer)[29] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 12–15, 1953 | March 12–15, 1953 | Great Plains, Mississippi Valley, Southeast | 23 | 21 fatalities, 72 injuries | This outbreak produced a devastating F4 tornado that killed 17 in Western North Texas as well as multiple strong tornadoes in Arkansas. (18 significant, 1 violent, 4 killer)[30] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 28 – May 2, 1953 | April 28–May 2, 1953 | Southeast | 24 | 36 fatalities, 361 injuries | Five deadly F4 tornadoes across four states, including one that killed 18 on Robins Air Force Base. (15 significant, 5 violent, 7 killer)[31] | ||
1953 Waco tornado outbreak | May 9–11, 1953 | Southern-Central Great Plains / Upper Mississippi Valley | 33 | 144 fatalities, 895 injuries | The outbreak produced the first officially rated F5 tornado in Waco, Texas, killing 114 people. It is tied for deadliest tornado in Texas history and the eleventh deadliest in United States. Other deadly tornadoes struck Hebron, Nebraska, and San Angelo, Texas. (17 significant, 5 violent, 6 killer)[32][33] | ||
1953 Sarnia tornado outbreak | May 20-21, 1953 | Midwest, Ontario | 3 | 8 fatalities, 123 injuries | Two F3 tornadoes and an F4 tornado touched down over a two-day period, causing catastrophic damage and several fatalities. (3 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer)[34] | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 29, 1953 | May 29, 1953 | Great Plains | 9 | 2 fatalities, 22 injuries | An F5 tornado caused catastrophic damage in Fort Rice, North Dakota, although the rating is disputed. It was part of a small outbreak that affected five states. (6 significant, 1 violent killer)[35] | ||
Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence | June 7–9, 1953 | Central Great Plains – Great Lakes – New England | 50 | 247 fatalities, 2,562 injuries | Numerous tornadoes struck the Great Plains and Midwestern United States. The Flint-Beecher F5 tornado produced the last 100+ death toll for a single tornado in US history until the 2011 Joplin tornado. An F4 tornado that struck Worcester, Massachusetts, killed 94 people and may have reached F5 status as well. (26 significant, 6 violent, 7 killer)[36][37] | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 27, 1953 | June 27, 1953 | North Dakota, Iowa | 5 | 1 fatality, 5 injures | A violent F5 tornado obliterated farms east of Anita, Iowa. It was part of small outbreak that affected two states. (3 significant, 1 violent killer)[38] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of December 1–6, 1953 | December 1–6, 1953 | Southeast United States | 19 | 49 fatalities, 404 injuries | A destructive outbreak sequence produced two violent tornadoes, including an F5 tornado that struck Downtown Vicksburg, Mississippi. It is one of only two official December F5 tornadoes in US history, although the rating is disputed. An F4 tornado also passed near Fort Polk and Alexandria, Louisiana. (15 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer)[39] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 24–25, 1954 | March 24–25, 1954 | Great Plains – Arkansas | 28 | 2 fatalities, 11 injuries | Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down, including an F3 tornado that injured four in Bentonville, Missouri, and an F4 tornado in rural Texas County, Missouri, that killed two people. (12 significant, 1 violent killer)[40] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 5–9, 1954 | April 5–9, 1954 | Midwestern, Southeastern United States | 21 | 1 fatality, 22 injuries | An F4 tornado tracked from near Westboro, Missouri, to near Northboro, Iowa, injuring two people, while an F3 tornado destroyed most of Indian Oaks, Illinois, killing one person and injuring 13 others.[41] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 25 – May 3, 1954 | April 25 – May 3, 1954 | Great Plains – Midwest – Mississippi Valley | 100 | 4 fatalities, 167 injuries | This was one of the largest tornado outbreak sequences at the time. Several long-tracked tornadoes touched down in Texas, Arkansas, and Iowa and violent tornadoes touched down in Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma. (50 significant, 3 violent, 2 killer)[42] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 30 – June 3, 1954 | May 30–June 3, 1954 | Great Plains – Eastern United States | 39 | 9 fatalities, 65 injuries | This outbreak produced a catastrophic F4 tornado in Kalamazoo, Nebraska, killing six, and injuring 23. F3 tornadoes also caused casualties in the Wichita Falls, Texas, metropolitan area. (22 significant, 1 violent, 4 killer)[43] | ||
Tornado outbreak of December 5, 1954 | December 5, 1954 | Georgia, Alabama | 14 | 2 fatalities, 125 injuries | Multiple long-tracked F2-F3 tornadoes touched down. An F2 tornado also hit the Atlanta metro. (10 significant, 2 killer)[44] | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 1, 1955 (unofficial) | February 1, 1955 | Mississippi, Tennessee | 2–4 | 23 fatalities, 166 injuries (unofficial) | An F3 tornado killed 20 people in and near Commerce, Mississippi, most of them at a plantation school, and destroyed 45 homes. An F2 tornado destroyed another school between Lewisberg and Olive Branch, Mississippi, killing 3 others. A survey team declared that these events were not tornadoes, despite the fact that the funnels were sighted and heavy debris was carried long distances. As a result, they are not listed as tornadoes in official records.[45] Official records list two tornadoes as striking southern Tennessee, but Grazulis states that one of these was likely a downburst. (2–3 significant, 2 killer)[46][45] | ||
1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak | May 25–26, 1955 | Great Plains – Midwest – Mississippi Valley | 46 | 102 fatalities, 593 injuries | This was one of the deadliest Plains outbreaks on record. An F5 tornado struck Blackwell, Oklahoma, killing 20 people. Another F5 tornado from the same storm struck Udall, Kansas, killing 80. (17 significant, 3 violent killer)[47] | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 15–16, 1955 | November 15–16, 1955 | Mississippi, Ohio Valleys | 18 | 1 fatality, 35 injuries | Multiple strong tornadoes touched down, including a deadly, long-tracked F3 tornado in Arkansas and a destructive F2 tornado in Downtown Indianapolis. (10 significant, 1 killer)[48] | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 14–18, 1956 | February 14–18, 1956 | Southeast | 16 | 2 fatalities, 64 injuries | A large, early season outbreak caused numerous casualties. (10 significant, 2 killer)[49] | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 24–25, 1956 | February 24–25, 1956 | Central United States | 23 | 6 fatalities, 47 injuries | The St. Louis metro was hit by a violent and deadly F4 tornado. An F2 tornado also hit the Cincinnati metro. (14 significant, 1 violent killers)[50] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1956 | April 2–3, 1956 | Central United States | 47 | 38 fatalities, 638 injuries | An F5 tornado struck the suburbs of Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 3, killing 17 people. Other significant tornadoes struck Oklahoma and Kansas on April 2 and the Great Lakes region on April 3. (33 significant, 6 violent, 8 killer)[51] | ||
1956 McDonald Chapel tornado | April 14–15, 1956 | Southern Great Plains – Great Lakes – Southeastern United States | 5 | 25 fatalities, 200 injuries | An F4 tornado struck the Birmingham suburbs on April 15, killing 25 people. It was part of a very small outbreak of tornadoes. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[52] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 12–14, 1956 | May 12–14, 1956 | Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Texas | 19 | 4 fatalities, 162 injuries | Five separate outbreaks hit five separate states. Two F4 tornadoes caused major damage in Flint, Michigan, and the Southern suburbs of Detroit. (11 significant, 2 violent, 2 killer)[53] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 2–5, 1957 | April 2–5, 1957 | Great Plains, Midwest, Southeastern United States | 72 | 21 fatalities, 338 injuries | A widely photographed and filmed F3 tornado struck just outside of Dallas, killing 10 people. Other deadly tornadoes struck Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Georgia. (33 significant, 2 violent, 8 killer)[54] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 8, 1957 | April 8, 1957 | Alabama – Georgia – North Carolina – South Carolina – Tennessee – Nebraska – Virginia | 19 | 7 fatalities, 223 injuries | %h3 outbreak produced several destructive tornadoes across the South. The town of Jefferson, South Carolina, was devastated by an F4 tornado family. (16 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 18–27, 1957 | April 18–27, 1957 | Great Plains, Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes | 117 | 2 fatalities, 33 injuries | A long-lived outbreak sequence produced numerous significant tornadoes. April 21 featured two violent F4 tornadoes, one of which hit Lubbock, Texas. (42 significant, 4 violent, 2 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 12–17, 1957 | May 12–17, 1957 | Great Plains, Midwest, Southeast | 50 | 23 fatalities, 105 injuries | An F4 tornado struck Silverton, Texas. (15 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | ||
May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak sequence | May 19–21, 1957 | California – Central Great Plains – Middle-Upper Mississippi Valley | 57 | 59 fatalities, 341 injuries | This outbreak produced numerous tornadoes across the Great Plains states, including an F5 tornado that ripped through several Kansas City suburbs and killed 44 people. Other deadly tornadoes touched down in Missouri. (29 significant, 4 violent, 3 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 24–25, 1957 | May 24–25, 1957 | New Mexico and southern Great Plains | 45 | 4 fatalities, 10 injuries | Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down across the southern Great Plains, including, an F3 tornado caused severe damage in Olton, Texas, and an F4 tornado killed four people near Lawton, Oklahoma. (12 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
June 20–23, 1957 tornado outbreak sequence | June 20–23, 1957 | Great Plains, Midwest | 23 | ≥11 fatalities, 105 injuries | This outbreak sequence produced what may have been one of the most intense F5 tornadoes in US history that killed 10 people in Fargo, North Dakota. An additional fatality occurred in South Dakota from an F2 tornado. (7 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 7–8, 1957 | November 7–8, 1957 | Southeastern United States | 20 | 14 fatalities, 199 injuries | An intense outbreak spawned a F4 tornado that killed one in Orange, Texas. (12 significant, 1 violent, 6 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 16–19, 1957 | November 16–19, 1957 | Southeastern United States, Northeastern United States | 32 | 10 fatalities, 84 injuries | Alabama took the brunt of this outbreak as both killer F4 tornadoes and eight of the 10 deaths from the outbreak occurred in this state alone. The other deadly tornado was in Mississippi. (15 significant, 2 violent, 4 killer)[55] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of December 18–20, 1957 | December 18–20, 1957 | Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama | 37 | 19 fatalities, 291 injuries | This was one of the most intense December outbreaks in the Contiguous United States and the most intense Illinois tornado outbreak in any month. An F4 tornado struck Mt. Vernon, Illinois, an F5 tornado obliterated Sunfield, Illinois, and a long-tracked F4 struck several towns hit by the 1925 Tri-State tornado. An additional F4 tornado hit Arkansas. (29 significant, 4 violent, 6 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 15, 1958 | April 15, 1958 | Florida and Georgia | 5 | 36 injuries | A small, but deadly outbreak produce one of only two known F4 tornadoes in Florida, although the rating is disputed. (3 significant, 1 violent) | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 4, 1958 | June 4, 1958 | Great Plains – Upper Midwest | 10 | 28 fatalities, 133 injuries | A series of strong and destructive tornadoes affected Wisconsin, including an F5 tornado that devastated the town of Colfax, although the rating is disputed. (6 significant, 3 violent killers) | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 1958 | November 13–17, 1958 | Great Plains, Mississippi Valley | 43 | 37 injuries | Several destructive tornadoes touched down during the period with 34 of the 43 tornadoes touching down on the final day of the outbreak. (25 significant)[46] | ||
St. Louis tornado outbreak of February 1959 | February 9-10, 1959 | Great Plains, Midwest, Southeast | 17 | 21 fatalities, 358 injuries | A devastating F4 tornado struck northwestern Downtown St. Louis while an F3 tornado heavily damaged an occupied school in Southern Highland County, Ohio. (7 significant, 1 violent killer)[56] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 2, 1959 | March 31-April 2, 1959 | Great Plains - Midwest - Southeast | 17 | 7 fatalities, 83 injuries | An F4 tornado killed six in Texas and an F2 tornado killed one in Florida. (9 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 4–6, 1959 | May 4–6, 1959 | Great Plains, Midwest | 50 | 2 injuries | A total of 46 tornadoes touched down on May 4. (15 significant) | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 8–12, 1959 | May 8-12, 1959 | Great Plains, Mississippi Valley, Eastern United States | 60 | 7 fatalities, 34 injuries | This outbreak produced F4 tornadoes in Oklahoma and Iowa. Tornadoes also struck the St. Louis suburbs as well as both Northeast Austin and Downtown Green Bay. (29 significant, 2 violent, 1 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 20–21, 1959 | May 20–21, 1959 | Great Plains, Southeastern United States | 15 | 5 injuries | An F4 tornado injured five people in Wayne County, Iowa. (4 significant, 1 violent) | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of September 26–29, 1959 | September 26–29, 1959 | Great Plains – Mississippi Valley | 36 | 2 fatalities, 47 injuries | Numerous strong to violent tornadoes touched down two violent F4 tornadoes as well as the first F2 tornado ever in Idaho. Tornadoes also struck the suburbs of both Chicago and Milwaukee. (15 significant, 2 violent, 2 killer) | ||
Hurricane Gracie tornado outbreak | September 29–30, 1959 | Southeastern United States | 6 | 12 fatalities, 13 injuries | Hurricane Gracie produced a small, but deadly outbreak after making landfall in North Carolina. September 30 produced two deadly F3 tornadoes that killed one and 11 in Virginia respectively. (3 significant, 2 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of October 2–4, 1959 | October 2–4, 1959 | Great Plains | 10 | 7 injuries | This tornado outbreak mostly the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, causing heavy damage. (2 significant) |
1960s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1960-1969 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 28–30, 1960 | April 28–30, 1960 | Great Plains - Midwest - Mississippi Valley | 19 | 3 fatalities, 79 injuries | Tornado outbreak tore through Oklahoma City metropolitan area including one F3 tornado that tore the city, injuring 57. The three deaths came from a separate F2 tornado. (13 significant, 1 killer)[57] | ||
May 1960 tornado outbreak sequence | May 4–6, 1960 | Southern Great Plains - Southern United States - Midwest | 66 | 33 fatalities, 302 injuries | Produced numerous violent and killer tornadoes, especially in Oklahoma. An F5 tornado killed five people and produced extreme damage near Prague and Iron Post. An F4 tornado struck Wilburton and killed 16. (41 significant, 5 violent, 8 killer)[58] | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 24−25, 1961 | February 24-25, 1961 | Southeastern United States | 14 | 11 injuries | Strong F2 tornadoes moved through multiple towns and cities across the Southeast. (7 significant)[59] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 23–30, 1961 | April 23-30, 1961 | Midwest - Mississippi Valley - Northeastern United States - Great Plains - South Texas | 30 | 3 fatalities, 38 injuries | The most prolific days were April 23 and 25, when multiple long-tracked, large, and strong to violent tornadoes touched down, including five that traveled over 50 miles (80 km). An F3 tornado killed one in Iowa, an F4 tornado injured seven in Indiana and Ohio, and an F2 tornado killed two in Ohio. Strong F2 and F3 tornadoes also impacted Delaware, Corpus Christi, and the Northwestern Oklahoma City suburbs during the other outbreak days. (18 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer)[60] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 3–9, 1961 | May 3–9, 1961 | Great Plains - Mississippi Valley - Midwest - Northeastern - Mid-Atlantic - Southeastern United States | 73 | 23 fatalities, 126 injuries | Outbreak produced many destructive and deadly tornadoes across a large swath of the country. This included an F2 tornado caused heavy damage in St. Petersburg, Florida, and an F4 tornado that killed 16 in Le Flore County, Oklahoma. (40 significant, 2 violent, 5 killer)[61] | ||
Hurricane Carla tornado outbreak | September 10–13, 1961 | Southern U.S. | 22 | 14 fatalities, 337 injuries | Produced several strong tornadoes, including a killer F4 tornado that hit Galveston, Texas. (15 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer)[62] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 30–31, 1962 | March 30-31, 1962 | Southeastern United States | 11 | 17 fatalities, 105 injuries | A catastrophic F3 tornado destroyed the northwest side of Milton, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 100. Five other injuries occurred from other tornadoes as well. (4 significant, 1 killer)[63] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 14–31, 1962 | May 14–31, 1962 | United States | 188 | 3 fatalities, 168 injuries | A very active stretch of severe weather produced 188 tornadoes. Although the worst tornadoes occurred during the outbreak sequence, the active period of daily tornadoes did not officially end until June 25. Devastating F3 tornadoes struck Mitchell, South Dakota, and the northern suburbs of Waterbury, Connecticut, causing severe damage and dozens of casualties. Three F4 tornadoes were also recorded, although one of them may have not reached such an intensity. (62 significant, 4 violent, 3 killer)[64] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 10–12, 1963 | March 10–12, 1963 | Southeastern United States | 18 | 6 fatalities, 38 injuries | A very destructive outbreak of tornadoes hit the Southeast. Both F4 tornadoes were killers along with two F2 tornadoes. (14 significant, 2 violent, 4 killer)[65] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 17, 1963 | April 17, 1963 | Illinois - Indiana - Missouri - Michigan | 6 | 2 fatalities, 71 injuries | Very intense localized outbreak produced a long-tracked, killer F4 tornado that hit Bourbonnais, Illinois. (4 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer)[66] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 28–30, 1963 | April 28–30, 1963 | Midwest - Mississippi Valley - Southeastern United States | 37 | 13 fatalities, 72 injuries | Multiple large and destructive tornadoes touched down with killer F2-F4 tornadoes occurring in four states. Additionally, an F2 tornado in Florida had a track of 61 miles (98 km). (24 significant, 1 violent, 5 killer)[55][67] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence April 2–8, 1964 | April 2–8, 1964 | Great Plains - Southern United States - Midwest | 33 | 7 fatalities, 119 injuries | The Wichita Falls, Texas, tornado of April 3 was rated F5. First tornado ever captured on live television. First of two violent tornadoes to hit Wichita Falls, the other—an F4 tornado that killed 42—occurring on April 10, 1979. (13 significant, 1 violent killer)[68] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence April 12–14, 1964 | April 12–14, 1964 | Midwest - Ozarks | 23 | 7 fatalities, 75 injuries | Killer outbreak of tornadoes hit the Kansas City metropolitan area as well as areas to the north and south. Both F4 tornadoes were killers. (11 significant, 2 violent, 5 killer)[68] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 1964 | May 4–8, 1964 | Great Plains - Midwest | 73 | 15 fatalities, 383 injuries | Large outbreak produced multiple strong-to-violent tornadoes, including a long–tracked F5 tornado killed four in Nebraska and an F4 tornado that struck Metro Detroit in Macomb County, before continuing into Lambton County in Ontario, killing 11. (45 significant, 3 violent, 2 killer)[69] | ||
Hurricane Hilda tornado outbreak | October 3–4, 1964 | Southeastern United States | 12 | 22 fatalities, 172 injuries | Four states were hit by tornadoes produced by Hurricane Hilda, including a violent F4 tornado that caused catastrophic destruction in Larose, Louisiana. (8 significant, 1 violent killer)[70] | ||
Hurricane Isbell tornado outbreak | October 14, 1964 | South Florida | 9 | 48 injuries | Hurricane Isbell generated one of the most prolific tornado outbreaks ever recorded in South Florida as nine short-lived, but destructive tornadoes hit the state. (4 significant)[71] | ||
Tornado outbreak of Christmas 1964 | December 24–26, 1964 | Southeastern United States | 14 | 2 fatalities, 28 injuries | Destructive tornado outbreak occurred during the Christmas holiday. One long-tracked F3 tornado killed two and injured 16 in Georgia. (8 significant, 1 killer)[72] | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 23, 1965 | February 23, 1965 | South Florida | 4 | 8 injuries | Four destructive tornadoes hit South Florida, including an F2 tornado in Fort Myers as well as an F3 tornado that hit Fort Lauderdale. (2 significant)[73] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 16–18, 1965 | March 16–18, 1965 | Great Plains - Southeastern United States - Midwest | 24 | 2 fatalities, 129 injuries | Very destructive tornado outbreak caused major damage in multiple states. An F4 tornado tracked 82.7 miles (133.1 km) through Oklahoma and Kansas while a deadly F3 tornado killed two and injured 85 in North Carolina. (11 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer)[74] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 7–9, 1965 | April 7–9, 1965 | Midwest - California - Great Lakes - Southeastern United States | 19 | 16 injuries | Destructive outbreak sequence struck the US right before the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak.(11 significant)[74] | ||
1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak | April 10–12, 1965 | Central United States | 55 | 266 fatalities, 3,662 injuries | One catastrophic F4 tornado killed six and injured 200 in Conway, Arkansas, before the main outbreak occurred the next day. It is among the most intense outbreaks ever recorded. Numerous violent and long-track tornadoes, some possibly reaching F5 intensity, tore across the Great Lakes states, killing hundreds of people. Two violent F4 tornadoes hit Dunlap, Indiana, killing 51 people there. Two F4 tornadoes with parallel paths in Michigan killed 44 people. Deadly tornadoes also impacted the Cleveland and Toledo areas. National Weather Service adopts standard broadcast language of tornado watch and tornado warning to use for public warnings of tornadoes following the aftermath of this storm. (38 significant, 18 violent, 22 killer)[1][75][76][77] | ||
Early May 1965 tornado outbreak | May 5–8, 1965 | Great Plains - Midwestern United States | 77 | 17 fatalities, 772 injuries | Included the 1965 Twin Cities tornado outbreak, in which a series of violent tornadoes struck the Twin Cities metro area on May 6, devastating Fridley and Golden Valley. A violent outbreak occurred on May 8 in Nebraska and South Dakota, including a massive F5 tornado in Tripp County and two long-tracked F4 tornadoes, one of which almost obliterated Primrose, killing four people. (37 significant, 9 violent, 5 killer)[78] | ||
Late-May 1965 tornado outbreak | May 25–27, 1965 | Great Plains - Mississippi Valley | 36 | 48 injuries | Produced multiple strong tornadoes in the Great Plains, including an F3 tornado near Pratt, Kansas. (9 significant)[55][79] | ||
1966 Candlestick Park tornado outbreak | March 3–4, 1966 | Louisiana – Mississippi – Alabama – North Carolina | 4 | 58 fatalities, 521 injuries | Outbreak produced the Candlestick Park tornado, which was an extremely violent F5 tornado or tornado family that killed 58 people and traveled 202.5 mi (325.9 km) across Mississippi and Alabama. It is one of the longest such paths on record and one of only four official F5 tornadoes to hit Mississippi. Three additional F1 tornadoes also touched down. (1 violent killer)[80] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 4–5, 1966 | April 4–5, 1966 | Central Florida | 2 | 11 fatalities, 530 injuries | Third-deadliest tornado event in Florida, behind those of February 2, 2007, and February 22–23, 1998. Produced at least two long-tracked tornadoes, including one of only two F4 tornadoes in Florida history, killing 11 people. Affected major urban areas in Tampa and Greater Orlando, but crossed the entire state as well. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[81] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 1966 | June 3–12, 1966 | Kansas – Illinois | 57 | 18 fatalities, 543 injuries | Outbreak sequence produced a series of tornadoes across the Great Plains states. An F5 tornado devastated downtown Topeka, Kansas, killing 16 people and disproving myths about the city's being protected. A large F3 tornado also hit Manhattan, Kansas. (23 significant, 3 violent, 3 killer)[82] | ||
Tornado outbreak of Mid–October 1966 | October 14–15, 1966 | Midwest | 23 | 6 fatalities, 225 injuries | Unusually intense October outbreak spawned a deadly F5 tornado in Belmond, Iowa, although the rating is disputed. (15 significant, 1 violent killer)[83] | ||
Los Angeles tornadoes of November 7, 1966 | November 7, 1966 | Southern California | 4 | 10 injuries | An extremely rare series of strong tornadoes struck Southern California with two F2 tornadoes striking Los Angeles.(3 significant)[84] | ||
1967 St. Louis tornado outbreak | January 24, 1967 | Midwest | 30 | 7 fatalities, 268 injuries | One of the most intense January outbreaks ever documented. F3+ tornadoes occurred as far north as Wisconsin. An F4 tornado killed three in the St. Louis suburbs, paralleling the paths of earlier tornadoes in 1896 and 1927. Two students were killed at a high school in Orrick, Missouri. (23 significant, 2 violent, 4 killer)[85] | ||
1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak | April 21, 1967 | Midwest | 45 | 58 fatalities, 1,118 injuries | One of the most intense outbreaks to hit the Chicago metropolitan area. An F4 tornado devastated Belvidere, Illinois, killing 13 people in a school (one of the highest such tolls in US history). Another very destructive F4 hit Oak Lawn, killing 33 people in rush-hour traffic. Other violent tornadoes touched down in Missouri and Michigan. (25 significant, 5 violent, 3 killer)[55][86] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 30 – May 2, 1967 | April 30-May 2, 1967 | Midwest - Southern United States | 38 | 13 fatalities, 90 injuries | Outbreal started in the Midwest, where only one known tornado was rated below F2 strength in Minnesota. The towns of Albert Lea and Waseca were devastated by deadly F4 tornadoes. Another outbreak of destructive outbreak of tornadoes hit the South during the second and third outbreak days. (29 significant, 4 violent, 3 killer)[87] | ||
Hurricane Beulah tornado outbreak | September 18–24, 1967 | Texas | 120 | 5 fatalities, 41 injuries | One of the largest tropical cyclone-related tornado outbreaks ever recorded. Produced several strong tornadoes, some of which were deadly. Also set the record for most tornadoes in one state within a 24-hour period. (14 significant, 2 killer)[88] | ||
Tornado outbreak of December 1–3, 1967 | December 1–3, 1967 | Southeastern United States | 8 | 2 fatalities, 14 injuries | Active December produced three outbreaks with this being the first one. An F4 tornado killed two in Mississippi. (6 significant, 1 violent killer)[89] | ||
Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 1967 | December 10–11, 1967 | Southeastern United States - Midwest | 22 | 2 fatalities, 103 injuries | Active December produced three outbreaks with this being the second one. F2 and F3 tornadoes in Florida both killed one and injured 50. (12 significant, 2 killer)[55][90] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of December 17–21, 1967 | December 17–21, 1967 | Hawaii - Southwestern United States - Midwest - Southeastern United States | 30 | 6 fatalities, 110 injuries | Active December produced three outbreaks with this one being the third and most severe of them. An F2 tornado killed two in Alabama, an F4 tornado killed three in Missouri and another F2 tornado killed one in Mississippi. (19 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer)[91] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 21–24, 1968 | April 21–24, 1968 | Ohio Valley | 14 | 14 fatalities | Outbreak produced several violent and killer tornadoes across the Ohio Valley, including two F4 tornadoes—one possibly reaching F5 intentsiy. An F5 tornado struck Wheelersburg and Gallipolis as well. The F5 rating is, however, disputed by some sources. (9 significant, 3 violent killer)[92] | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 1968 | May 15–16, 1968 | Mississippi Valley | 46 | 74 fatalities | Two F5 tornadoes struck Iowa on the same day, killing 18 people. Two deadly F4 tornadoes struck Arkansas, including one that killed 35 people in Jonesboro. (21 significant, 4 violent, 8 killer)[93] | ||
1968 Tracy tornado | June 13, 1968 | Midwest | 11 | 9 fatalities, 167 injuries | Narrow, but powerful F5 tornado killed nine people and injured 150 in Tracy, Minnesota. Other strong tornadoes also touched down, including an F2 tornado that injured 17 people in Arnolds Park, Iowa. (4 significant, 1 violent killer)[94] | ||
1969 Hazlehurst, Mississippi tornadoes | January 23, 1969 | Southeastern United States | 3 | 32 fatalities | Devastating pre-dawn F4 tornado hit Hazlehurst and other towns, killing 32 people on a long path across southern Mississippi. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[95] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 1969 | June 21–26, 1969 | Midwestern United States | 63 | 7 fatalities, 169 injuries | Significant tornadoes struck the Midwest for six consecutive days. An F3 tornado caused major damage in Salina, Kansas, injuring 60 people. Two F4 tornadoes struck western Missouri, killing 6 people and injuring 77. (24 significant, 3 violent, 3 killer)[96] | ||
1969 Minnesota tornado outbreak | August 6, 1969 | Minnesota | 13 | 15 fatalities, 109 injuries | Mid-summer outbreak produced several destructive tornadoes in Minnesota. An F4 tornado killed 12 people near Outing. (11 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer)[97] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of August 8-10, 1969 | August 8-10, 1969 | Indiana – Ohio | 21 | 4 fatalities, 257 injuries | F3 tornado killed 4 in the Cincinnati suburbs. Other strong tornadoes occurred in Indiana and Virginia. (8 significant, 1 killer)[98] |
1970s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1970-1979 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 17–19, 1970 | April 17–19, 1970 | Midwestern United States - Southern United States | 33 | 26 fatalities, 68 injuries | A destructive outbreak sequence produced multiple violent, long-tracked tornadoes in the Llano Estacado and the Texas Panhandle. (17 significant, 5 violent, 4 killer)[99] | ||
Lubbock tornado | May 11, 1970 | West Texas | 5 | 26 fatalities, 500 injuries | A violent F5 tornado struck Downtown Lubbock, killing 26 people. Studies of this tornado led to the formation of the Fujita scale. Four other weak tornadoes also formed before the F5 tornado. (1 violent killer)[100] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 10–16, 1970 | June 10–16, 1970 | Central United States | 82 | 3 fatalities, 73 injuries | A large outbreak sequence of 82 tornadoes touched down across the Great Plains and Midwest. The outbreak sequence featured a long–tracked F3 tornado that struck Springdale, Arkansas, and an F4 tornado near Bynumville, Missouri. One tornado near Macon, Missouri, featured an oddity where a welcome mat made an imprint on the side of a house. (26 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 21–22, 1971 | February 21–22, 1971 | Southern Mississippi Valley | 19 | 123 fatalities, 1,592 injuries | A deadly outbreak produced multiple long-track, violent tornadoes, or tornado families, across Mississippi Delta region, including the only known F5 tornado in Louisiana history, although the rating is disputed, and it may have been a tornado family rather than a single tornado. The tornado continued into Mississippi and killed 21 people in Inverness, a large section of which was also destroyed. An F4 tornado (which was likely a tornado family) traveled 202 mi (325 km) across northern and central Mississippi, destroying several entire communities and killing 58 people, including 21 alone in Pugh City, which was entirely destroyed and never rebuilt.(13 significant, 3 violent, 5 killer)[101] | ||
Tornado outbreak of December 14–15, 1971 | December 14–15, 1971 | Great Plains - Midwest - Mississippi Valley | 40 | 2 fatalities, 119 injuries | Multiple tornadoes pummeled Dallas–Fort Worth and Springfield, Missouri metropolitan areas during the massive outbreak. One long-tracked F2 tornado on December 14 passed through the Western suburbs of Springfield, Missouri, killing one and injuring 22. (19 significant, 2 killer)[55][102] | ||
1972 Portland–Vancouver tornadoes | April 5, 1972 | Oregon - Washington | 4 | 6 fatalities, 301 injuries | The most intense outbreak ever recorded in the Pacific Northwest. An F3 tornado struck Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, becoming the deadliest West Coast tornado event ever documented. (4 significant, 1 killer)[103][104] | ||
Hurricane Agnes tornado outbreak | June 18–19, 1972 | Florida and Georgia | 19 | 7 fatalities, ≥ 135 injuries | This was the third-deadliest tropical cyclone-related outbreak in the U.S. since 1900 and as well as the deadliest such tornado outbreak on record in Florida. (11 significant, 2 killer)[105] | ||
Tornado outbreak of September 28–30, 1972 | September 28–30, 1972 | Midwest - Southeastern United States | 13 | 30 injuries | An F4 tornado hit the Chicago suburbs, destroying military barracks, although the rating is disputed. (6 significant, 1 violent)[106][107] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 19–21, 1973 | April 19–21, 1973 | Southern United States - Midwest | 68 | 2 fatalities, 106 injuries | Large outbreak sequence produced multiple destructive tornadoes. An F3 tornado killed one in Arkansas and an F4 tornado killed another in Missouri. (38 significant, 3 violent, 2 killer)[108][109] | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 6–8, 1973 | May 6–8, 1973 | Great Plains - Midwest - Southeastern United States | 47 | 2 fatalities, 41 injuries | Destructive outbreak sequence spawned a violent F5 tornado in Texas, a damaging F3 tornado in Missouri, and a deadly F2 tornado in Alabama. (23 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer)[110][111] | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 22–31, 1973 | May 22–31, 1973 | Great Plains - Midwest - Southern United States - Hawaii | 145 | 24 fatalities, 820 injuries | A massive and destructive 8-day period of tornadoes occurred. All four F4 tornadoes were killers, including a well-documented tornado that killed two and injured four in Union City, Oklahoma and another in central Alabama that killed seven and injured 199. Combined, the F4 tornadoes killed 17 and injured 517 alone. (55 significant, 4 violent, 9 killer)[112][113] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 1–2, 1974 | April 1–2, 1974 | Southern U.S. – Mississippi Valley | 23 | 4 fatalities, 72 injuries | A destructive outbreak ended only 17 hours before the Super Outbreak began in the same areas. (10 significant, 3 violent, 4 killer)[114] | ||
1974 Super Outbreak | April 3–4, 1974 | Eastern United States – Ontario | 148 | 315 fatalities | The second-largest and most violent tornado outbreak ever documented. At least 50 of them were killers. Violent and deadly tornadoes, several of which were long lived, touched down over a wide area from Alabama to Indiana, affecting major population areas including Louisville, Cincinnati, and Huntsville. A violent F5 tornado destroyed Brandenburg, Kentucky, and killed 31, and another F5 tornado destroyed a large section of Xenia, Ohio, killing 32. Three F5 tornadoes occurred in Alabama, including one of the strongest tornadoes on record, a long-tracked F5 tornado that obliterated a large section of Guin, killing 28 people, 20 of them in Guin alone. Additionally, two other powerful F5 tornadoes devastated the town of Tanner a half hour apart and killed total of 50 people. Numerous other violent, killer, long-tracked tornadoes occurred from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, including an extremely long-tracked F4 tornado that traveled almost 110 mi (180 km) and killed 18 people in northern Indiana. Strong, deadly tornadoes occurred as far north as Ontario (where an F3 tornado touched down) as well. The outbreak produced the most violent tornadoes ever recorded in an outbreak with 30 rated either F4 or F5. (98 significant, 30 violent, 50 killer)[115] | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 8, 1974 | June 8, 1974 | Southern Great Plains | 36 | 22 fatalities, 477 injuries | Several significant tornadoes occurred over the southern Great Plains, including two violent, killer F4 tornadoes that hit Oklahoma and Kansas. One of the tornadoes struck Drumright in Oklahoma, killing 14 people, while the other killed six in and near Emporia, Kansas. Other strong, F3 tornadoes affected the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas. (22 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer)[116] | ||
Great Storm of 1975 | January 9–12, 1975 | Southeastern United States | 45 | 12 fatalities, 377 injuries | A large January outbreak produced a violent F4 tornado that killed nine people in McComb, Mississippi. An F3 tornado east of Birmingham, Alabama, destroyed numerous homes and killed one person. (16 significant, 1 violent, 4 killer)[117] | ||
1975 Omaha tornado outbreak | May 6-7, 1975 | Northern Great Plains | 36 | 3 fatalities, 137+ injured | A violent F4 tornado struck Omaha, Nebraska, killed three people and was one of the costliest tornado disasters in US history. Another F4 tornado destroyed the town of Magnet, Nebraska. (19 significant, 2 violent, 1 killer)[118] | ||
1975 Canton, Illinois, tornado | July 23, 1975 | Illinois | 3 | 2+ fatalities, 69 injuries | A high-end F3 tornado destroyed downtown Canton, Illinois. (2 significant, 1 killer)[119] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 20–21, 1976 | March 20–21, 1976 | Mississippi Valley - Great Lakes - Southeastern United States - Mid-Atlantic | 66 | 3 fatalities, 189 injuries | Several destructive tornadoes touched down in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. This included a violent F4 tornado in the suburbs of Detroit. (18 significant, 3 violent, 3 killer)[120] | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 26, 1976 | March 26, 1976 | Great Plains - Midwest - Mississippi Valley | 17 | 4 fatalities, 89 injuries | Killer F4 and F5 (rating disputed) tornadoes occurred in Oklahoma with a killer F3 tornado in Missouri. Other damaging tornadoes also touched down as well. (9 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer)[121] | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 1977 | April 4–5, 1977 | Southeastern United States | 21 | 24 fatalities, 200 injuries | Violent F5 tornado struck the Smithfield area in northern Birmingham, Alabama, sweeping away many homes and killing 22 people. Outbreak extended from Mississippi to North Carolina, with several strong tornadoes documented. The storm system also caused the crash of Southern Airways Flight 242, which killed 72 and injured 22. (5 significant, 2 violent, 5 killer)[122] | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 4, 1978 | May 4, 1978 | Florida - South Carolina - South Dakota - Texas | 15 | 3 fatalities, 102 injuries | An F3 tornado struck an elementary school in Clearwater, Florida, killing three students and an F2 tornado struck Gainesville, Florida. (2 significant, 1 killer)[123] | ||
1978 Bossier City tornado outbreak | December 3, 1978 | Southeastern United States | 11 | 5 fatalities, 277 injuries | An F4 tornado struck Bossier City, Louisiana, causing two deaths and 266 injuries. (8 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | ||
1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak | April 10–12, 1979 | Southern Great Plains – Southeastern United States | 60 | 58 fatalities, 1,927 injuries | A deadly outbreak produced multiple killer tornadoes across the southern Great Plains states, including a famous, devastating, F4 wedge tornado that killed 42 people in Wichita Falls, Texas. Another deadly F4 tornado occurred in Vernon, Texas. (31 significant, 2 violent, 5 killer)[124] | ||
Tornado outbreak of October 2–3, 1979 | October 2–3, 1979 | Virginia - West Virginia - Pennsylvania -Wisconsin- Connecticut | 7 | 3 fatalities, 501 injuries | A rare New England and October F4 tornado, one of the costliest tornadoes in US history, struck Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Six other tornadoes touched down prior to the violent tornado, including an F1 tornado that injured one person west of Martinsburg, West Virginia. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[125] |
1980s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1980-1989 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
April 1980 Central United States tornado outbreak | April 7–8, 1980 | Central United States | 59 | 3 fatalities | Many strong tornadoes touched down, including an F3 that struck Round Rock, Texas, killing 1. (31 significant, 2 killer) | ||
1980 Kalamazoo tornado | May 13, 1980 | Michigan | 1 | 5 fatalities | F3 struck downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, killing 5 people. | ||
1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak | June 2–3, 1980 | Central – Eastern United States | 29 | 6 fatalities | Grand Island, Nebraska, was devastated by a series of damaging tornadoes. Best known for forming three rare anticyclonic tornadoes in one system. Outbreak produced violent tornadoes as far east as Pennsylvania. (16 significant, 3 violent, 4 killer) | ||
Hurricane Allen | August 8-11, 1980 | Mexico – Texas | 29 | 0 fatalities | Costliest tropical cyclone-related tornado in history struck the Austin area. | ||
1981 West Bend tornado | April 4, 1981 | Wisconsin | 1 | 3 fatalities | One of the strongest anticyclonic tornadoes on record, rated F4. | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 22–23, 1981 | May 22–23, 1981 | Great Plains | 43 | 0 fatalities | Multiple strong tornadoes touched down across the Great Plains. Spawned the Cordell and Binger, Oklahoma, tornadoes, the latter of which was a violent F4. (14 significant, 1 violent) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1982 | April 2–3, 1982 | Southern Plains – Mississippi Valley | 61 | 29 fatalities | Produced an F5 tornado near Broken Bow, Oklahoma, though the rating is disputed. An F4 tornado also struck Paris, Texas, and another occurred in Arkansas. (24 significant, 4 violent, 10 killer) | ||
May 1982 tornado outbreak | May 11–12, 1982 | Texas – Oklahoma | 70 | 3 fatalities | Produced killer tornadoes in Texas and Oklahoma. (17 significant, 2 killer) | ||
Marion, Illinois tornado outbreak | May 29, 1982 | Illinois | 7 | 10 fatalities | Produced an F4 that killed 10 people in Marion, Illinois. (3 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
Early-December 1982 tornado outbreak | December 2–3, 1982 | Lower-Middle Mississippi Valley | 43 | 4 fatalities | (16 significant, 2 killer) | ||
1982 Christmas tornado outbreak | December 23–25, 1982 | Central – Southeastern United States | 43 | 3 fatalities | (18 significant, 3 killer) | ||
March 1983 South Florida tornadoes | March 17, 1983 | Southern Florida | 2 | 0 fatalities | Produced an unusually long-lived tornado across the Everglades and urban Broward County, Florida. An F1 tornado also hit Collier County. Other tornadoes may have occurred across southern Florida as well. (2 tornadoes, 1 significant, 3 unconfirmed) | ||
Early-May 1983 tornado outbreak | May 1–2, 1983 | Mississippi Valley – Great Lakes | 63 | 7 fatalities, 110+ injured | Affected 11 states with $200 million in damage, Ohio and western New York hardest hit. (27 significant, 5 killer) | ||
May 12–23, 1983 tornado outbreak sequence | May 12–23, 1983 | 157 | 6 fatalities, 122 injuries | A series of outbreaks occurred, spawning tornadoes from Texas to Michigan. An F3 hit Pine Bluff, Arkansas on May 14, injuring two. On May 20-21, an outbreak affected Texas and Louisiana, killing six; three F2's touched down in Harris County, Texas, killing three. An F1 killed one southeast of Brenham and another F2 killed one near Nederland. In Louisiana, an F3 tore a 12 mile path from Urania to Clarks, killing one. | |||
December 6, 1983, Selma tornado | December 6, 1983 | Alabama | 1 | 1 fatality, 19 injuries | Rated F3. | ||
1984 Carolinas tornado outbreak | March 28, 1984 | Carolinas | 24 | 57 fatalities, 1200+ injuries | Long-lived supercell tracked near the center of a low pressure center and generated 13 tornadoes, 11 of which were F3 or F4 in strength. Two F4s left damage paths more than 2 mi (3.2 km) wide. Worst tornado outbreak ever recorded in the Carolinas. Winnsboro and Bennettsville, South Carolina, along with Red Springs and Greenville, North Carolina, were devastated. (19 significant, 7 violent, 10 killer) | ||
1984 Philipp-Water Valley, Mississippi tornado outbreak | April 21, 1984 | Southeastern United States | 7 | 15 fatalities | Produced a multiple-vortex F3 with an unusual V-shaped path that struck Water Valley, Mississippi, killing 15. (3 significant, 1 killer) | ||
1984 Morris, Oklahoma tornado outbreak | April 26–27, 1984 | Great Plains – Mississippi Valley | 47 | 16 fatalities | Produced many strong to violent tornadoes, especially in Oklahoma and Wisconsin, where a F4 moved through Milwaukee's western suburbs and killed one person. (20 significant, 8 killer) | ||
1984 Mannford-New Prue, Oklahoma tornado outbreak | April 29, 1984 | Central United States | 42 | 1 fatality | New Prue was devastated by an F4, killing 1. (4 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
May 1984 tornado outbreak | May 2–3, 1984 | Southeastern United States | 60 | 5 fatalities | (15 significant, 1 killer) | ||
1984 Barneveld tornado outbreak | June 7–8, 1984 | Central United States | 45 | 13 fatalities | Numerous strong tornadoes touched down across the northern Plains states. Late-night F5 killed nine people in Barneveld, Wisconsin. Long-track F4 killed three in Missouri. (29 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer) | ||
1985 United States–Canada tornado outbreak | May 31, 1985 | U.S. – Canadian Eastern Great Lakes | 44 | 90 fatalities | Unusual tornado outbreak was among the most intense recorded, the largest such outbreak in the region. Violent tornadoes devastated towns in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario. Long-track tornado produced F5 damage in Ohio and Pennsylvania, killing 18. Two F4s occurred in Canada, including one that killed eight people in Barrie, Ontario. (28 significant, 9 violent, 12 killer) | ||
Hurricane Danny | August 1985 | Southeastern United States | 39 | 1 fatalities | Produced an F3 that struck Eva, Alabama. (13 significant, 1 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 10-12, 1986 | March 10–12, 1986 | Central – Southeastern United States | 41 | 6 fatalities | High-end F2 tornado struck Lexington, Kentucky. (24 significant, 1 violent, 5 killer) | ||
July 1986 tornado outbreak | July 1986 | Minnesota | 36 | 2 fatalities | Produced F4 tornado struck Minnesota. An F2 which hit the Twin Cities suburbs of Brooklyn Park and Fridley on July 18, 1986, was carried live on KARE-TV and became a media sensation. This twister caused limited damage and no deaths. | ||
1987 Saragosa, Texas tornado | May 22, 1987 | West Texas | 3 | 30 fatalities | Brief but violent F4 tornado devastated the small town of Saragosa, killing 30 people. | ||
Teton–Yellowstone tornado | July 21, 1987 | Wyoming | 1 | 0 fatalities | Rare high-altitude F4 tore through parts of Yellowstone National Park, flattening acres of forest. | ||
1987 Arklatex tornado outbreak | November 15–16, 1987 | Southeastern United States | 50 | 12 fatalities | Produced a series of strong tornadoes across Oklahoma, Texas, and Mississippi. (18 significant, 6 killer) | ||
1987 West Memphis, Arkansas tornado | December 14, 1987 | Arkansas – Tennessee | 1 | 6 dead, 100 injured | Rated F3. | ||
May 1988 tornado outbreak | May 8, 1988 | Midwest | 57 | 0 fatalities | (8 significant) | ||
Hurricane Gilbert | September 16–17, 1988 | Central – North America | 41 | 1 fatalities | Produced several tornadoes in Texas. (2 significant, 1 killer) | ||
1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak | November 28, 1988 | North Carolina | 7 | 4 fatalities | Produced a long-track F4 that struck Raleigh, North Carolina, killing four people. A few other less significant tornadoes occurred as well. (3 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
May 1989 tornado outbreak | May 5, 1989 | Mid-Atlantic – Southeast U.S. | 16 | 7 fatalities | Produced three killer F4s in the Carolinas. The Charlotte, Winston–Salem, and Durham, North Carolina, areas all sustained major impacts. (9 significant, 3 violent killer) | ||
1989 Northeastern United States tornado outbreak | July 10, 1989 | Northeastern United States | 17 | 0 fatalities, 142 injured | One of the most intense tornado events to ever impact the New England region. Destructive tornadoes touched down in New York and Connecticut, including a violent F4 that devastated Hamden, Connecticut. (6 significant, 2 violent) | ||
November 1989 tornado outbreak | November 15–16, 1989 | Southeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States | 40 | 21 fatalities | Produced a deadly F4 that struck Huntsville, Alabama, at rush hour. Strong tornadoes touched down as far north as Quebec. (10 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) |
1990s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1990-1999 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
March 1990 Central United States tornado outbreak | March 11–13, 1990 | Central United States | 64 | 2 fatalities | The most violent March outbreak and the most intense Great Plains outbreak to occur so early in the year. Produced two powerful F5 tornadoes near Hesston and Goessel, Kansas. A long-tracked F4 tornado, possibly a family of tornadoes, occurred near Red Cloud, Nebraska. (27 significant, 4 violent, 2 killer) | ||
June 1990 Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak | June 2–3, 1990 | Central United States | 66 | 9 fatalities | Outbreak produced many strong to violent tornadoes across the Ohio Valley. An F4 tornado devastated Petersburg, Indiana, killing six people. Another very long lived F4 tornado was on the ground for 106 miles across Illinois and Indiana. A late night F4 tornado impacted the northern sections of the Cincinnati metro as well. (27 significant, 7 violent, 4 killer) | ||
1990 Plainfield tornado | August 28, 1990 | Northeastern Illinois | 13 | 29 fatalities | Produced some of the most intense vegetation scouring ever documented. Strongest August tornado, though only rated F5 based on corn damage. F4 damage occurred to buildings in Plainfield, Illinois, killing 29 people. Was part of a small outbreak that also produced strong tornadoes in Ontario and New York. (4 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
1991 Andover tornado outbreak | April 26–27, 1991 | Central-Southern Great Plains | 58 | 21 fatalities | One of the most intense Plains outbreaks on record, produced five violent tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas. A very violent F5 tornado killed 17 people in the Wichita metropolitan area at Andover, Kansas, destroying an entire mobile-home park. A long-tracked F4 tornado near Red Rock, Oklahoma, produced Doppler-indicated winds into the F5 range. Three other F4 tornadoes occurred in Kansas and Oklahoma. (32 significant, 6 violent, 5 killer) | ||
May 1991 Central Plains tornado outbreak | May 16, 1991 | Central Great Plains | 46 | 0 fatalities | (4 significant) | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 14–18, 1992 | June 14–18, 1992 | Central United States | 170 | 1 fatality | Large outbreak produced many strong to violent tornadoes, mainly across the Northern Plains states. A large F5 tornado devastated the town of Chandler, Minnesota, killing one person. (27 significant, 4 violent, 1 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 21–23, 1992 | November 21–23, 1992 | Southern – Eastern United States | 95 | 26 fatalities | The most intense and largest November outbreak on record in U.S. history. Produced strong tornadoes from Texas to North Carolina and into the Ohio Valley, including a long-track F4 tornado that impacted Brandon, Mississippi, and killed 12 people. A series of destructive tornadoes (including one rated F4) devastated the Houston metro area as well. (43 significant, 5 violent, 9 killer) | ||
1993 Storm of the Century | March 12–14, 1993 | Florida | 11 | 5 fatalities | A serial derecho on the south-side of the larger extratropical low produced several tornadoes including three rated F2. Tornadoes also struck Tampa and Jacksonville. (3 significant, 3 killer) | ||
1993 Catoosa, Oklahoma tornado outbreak | April 24, 1993 | Oklahoma | 13 | 7 fatalities | A rain-wrapped F4 tornado killed seven people in the suburbs of Tulsa, and a destructive F3 tornado paralleled its path. (4 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
1993 Virginia tornado outbreak | August 6, 1993 | Virginia | 24 | 4 fatalities | Largest tornado outbreak in Virginia history. Produced a violent F4 tornado that struck downtown Petersburg, Virginia, and killed four people. (4 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of August 8–9, 1993 | August 8–9, 1993 | Northern Plains | 7 | 2 fatalities | Small outbreak that resulted in two fatalities in Minnesota. (1 significant, 1 killer) | ||
1994 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak | March 27, 1994 | Southeastern United States | 29 | 40 fatalities | Produced multiple violent tornadoes across the Southeastern U.S., including one that killed 20 people in a church near Piedmont, Alabama. Last of the three famous Palm Sunday outbreaks. (2 violent, 13 significant, 5 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 25–27, 1994 | April 25–27, 1994 | Southern Great Plains – Midwest | 101 | 6 fatalities | Large and widespread outbreak. An F4 tornado devastated the Dallas suburb of Lancaster, Texas, killing 3 people there. Another F4 tornado that struck West Lafayette, Indiana, killed three as well. (12 significant, 2 violent killer) | ||
June 1994 tornado outbreak | June 26–27, 1994 | – | 62 | 2 fatalities | (11 significant, 2 killer) | ||
1994 Thanksgiving Weekend tornado outbreak | November 27, 1994 | Southeastern United States | 19 | 6 fatalities | Produced several strong tornadoes across the South. (32 significant, 6 violent, 5 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 6–27, 1995 | May 5–27, 1995 | Central United States | 351 | 13 fatalities | Very large outbreak sequence produced many strong to violent tornadoes. An F4 tornado struck Harvest, Alabama, and killed one person, and another F4 tornado struck Ethridge, Tennessee, and killed three. A tornado rated F3 killed three people and caused major damage in the Ardmore, Oklahoma, area. The outbreak sequence produced an F0 tornado that downed several trees at the National Arboretum in Washington D.C. (57 significant, 8 violent, 6 killer) | ||
1995 Great Barrington tornado | May 29, 1995 | Massachusetts | 2 | 3 fatalities | Strong tornado caused three fatalities in a vehicle that was thrown near Great Barrington, Massachusetts. (2 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
June 8, 1995 Texas tornado outbreak | June 8, 1995 | Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Idaho, North Carolina, Arkansas | 29 | 0 fatalities, 11 injuries | This outbreak produced 3 F4s, the most well known being the Pampa, Texas tornado that directly hit the city. | ||
March 6, 1996, Selma, Alabama tornado | March 6 | Alabama | 1 | 4 fatalities, 40 injuries | Rated as an F3. | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 1996 | April 19–22, 1996 | Texas – Arkansas – Illinois – Indiana – Ontario | 117 | 6 fatalities | Large outbreak sequence. Multiple towns in Illinois sustained major damage, with one death occurring in Ogden. An F3-rated tornado devastated downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas, killing 2. Two F3 tornadoes also caused severe damage in Ontario. (29 significant, 4 killer) | ||
May 1996 Kentucky tornado outbreak | May 28, 1996 | Kentucky | 11 | 0 fatalities | Produced a long-track F4 tornado near Louisville. (3 significant, 1 violent) | ||
1996 Oakfield tornado outbreak | July 18, 1996 | Wisconsin | 12 | 1 fatality | F5 tornado. Was part of a small mid-Summer outbreak that occurred in Wisconsin. An F2 tornado killed one person in Marytown, Wisconsin. (2 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer) | ||
Late-October 1996 tornado outbreak | October 26, 1996 | West North Central States | 26 | 11 injuries | Unusual late-season outbreak in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Homes were destroyed near Lobster Lake, Minnesota and Albany, Minnesota. (5 significant) | ||
Tornado outbreak of January 23–24, 1997 | January 23–24, 1997 | Deep South | 16 | 1 fatality | Tornadoes touched down across several states in the Southern United States. An F4 destroyed homes in and near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. An F2 tornado killed one person in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (10 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer) | ||
March 1997 tornado outbreak | February 28-March 1, 1997 | Mississippi Valley – Ohio Valley | 56 | 26 fatalities | Many strong tornadoes touched down across the south, especially in Arkansas. Produced a devastating F4 tornado that began near Benton and struck Shannon Hills, Arkansas, killing 15 people along the path. An F4 tornado struck Arkadelphia, killing six. (16 significant, 3 violent, 5 killer) | ||
1997 Miami tornado | May 12, 1997 | Miami, Florida | 1 | 0 fatalities | Widely photographed F1 tornado struck downtown Miami, Florida. | ||
1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak | May 27, 1997 | Texas | 20 | 28 fatalities | Produced a remarkably violent, deadly F5 tornado in Jarrell, Texas. Based on the damage, it may have been the strongest tornado ever recorded (though no mobile radar measurements were taken to confirm this). An F4 devastated neighborhoods near Lake Travis, and an F3 tornado caused major damage in Cedar Park. (8 significant, 2 violent killer) | ||
1997 Southeast Michigan tornado outbreak | July 1–3, 1997 | Southeast Michigan – Southwestern Ontario | 52 | 2 fatalities (+5 non-tornadic) | An F2 tornado passed through some Detroit neighborhoods, the suburbs of Hamtramck, and Highland Park. One also touched down near Windsor, Ontario, site of an F3 tornado in the 1974 Super Outbreak. F3 tornadoes caused major damage near Clio and Thetford Center, with a fatality occurring at the latter of the two locations. Other strong tornadoes touched down in Minnesota and New England. (13 significant, 2 killer) | ||
1998 Kissimmee tornado outbreak | February 22–23, 1998 | Florida | 11 | 42 fatalities | Deadliest and most destructive Florida outbreak on record. The outbreak produced three F3 tornadoes, including a long-tracked tornado near Kissimmee that was initially rated F4. Nighttime occurrence made the death toll high. (5 significant, 4 killer) | ||
1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak | March 20, 1998 | Georgia to Virginia | 12 | 14 fatalities | An early-morning F3 tornado passed near Gainesville, Georgia, and killed 12 people. Another F3 tornado struck Mayodan and Stoneville, North Carolina, killing two. (4 significant, 2 killer) | ||
1998 Comfrey–St. Peter tornado outbreak | March 29, 1998 | Southern Minnesota | 16 | 2 fatalities, 36 injuries | Earliest tornado outbreak in Minnesota history. A long-track F4-rated wedge struck Comfrey, Minnesota, killing one person. An F3 tornado struck St. Peter, Minnesota, causing another fatality. Le Center, Minnesota, sustained major damage from a large F2 tornado. (7 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 6–9, 1998 | April 6–9, 1998 | Metropolitan area of Birmingham, Alabama; also Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee | 62 | 41 fatalities | Produced a violent nighttime F5 tornado that moved through several suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, killing 32 people. Other killer tornadoes touched down in Georgia. (10 significant, 1 violent, 5 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 15–16, 1998 | April 15–16, 1998 | Southeastern United States | 63 | 12 fatalities | F3 tornado passed through downtown Nashville, killing one person. Numerous other strong tornadoes occurred across the South, including an extremely violent one rated F5 near Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. An F4 tornado devastated the town of Manila, Arkansas, killing two. (21 significant, 4 violent, 7 killer) | ||
Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho | May 30–31, 1998 | South Dakota, Great Lakes, New York, Pennsylvania | 60 | 7 fatalities (+6 non-tornadic) | Large and dynamic outbreak produced many strong tornadoes, some of which were embedded in an extremely intense derecho. A large F4 wedge tornado devastated Spencer, South Dakota, killing six. Produced an unusually intense outbreak of tornadoes across Pennsylvania and New York, with multiple F2 and F3-rated tornadoes. (4 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 2, 1998 | June 2, 1998 | New York to South Carolina | 49 | 2 fatalities, 80 injuries | Unusually severe outbreak affected mainly the northeastern states just days after a similar outbreak affected roughly the same region (see previous event). Produced a large F4 tornado that struck Frostburg, Maryland. Caused $42M in damage. (10 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 13, 1998 | June 13, 1998 | Central United States, North Carolina, Wyoming | 45 | 26 injuries | Tornadoes affected six different states, with Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma receiving most of the tornadoes. A tornado struck downtown Sabetha, Kansas, and a series of tornadoes struck the North Oklahoma City area. (3 significant) | ||
Upper Great Lakes severe weather outbreak of August 23, 1998 | August 23, 1998 | Wisconsin, Michigan | 3 | 1 fatality (non-tornadic) | Spawned the F3 Door County tornado, the eighth costliest in Wisconsin history. (1 significant) | ||
1998 Lynbrook tornado | September 7, 1998 | Long Island, New York | 1 | 1 fatality | Occurred during the Labor Day derecho event. | ||
Hurricane Georges tornado outbreak | September 24–30, 1998 | Southern US | 47 | 36 injuries | Produced many tornadoes. Most were weak, though an F2 tornado caused major damage in the Live Oak, Florida, area. (1 significant) | ||
1998 Oklahoma tornado outbreak | October 4, 1998 | Oklahoma | 19 | 5 injuries | A late-year autumn outbreak, it was the largest October tornado outbreak in Oklahoma history. (8 significant) | ||
Tornado outbreak of January 17–18, 1999 | January 17–18, 1999 | Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi | 24 | 8 fatalities | Strong and deadly tornadoes touched down in Tennessee, including an F3 and an F4 tornado that struck Jackson, killing six. A similar but even larger outbreak occurred just days later (see next event). (6 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of January 21–23, 1999 | January 21–23, 1999 | Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi | 127 | 9 fatalities | Largest January outbreak on record. An F3 tornado passed near downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, killing three. A tornado rated F3 devastated Beebe, Arkansas, killing two. Other strong tornadoes struck Tennessee and Mississippi. (23 significant, 1 violent, 5 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1999 | April 2–3, 1999 | Southern Plains | 17 | 7 fatalities | Small but intense outbreak produced several strong tornadoes. An F4 tornado devastated Benton, Louisiana, killing seven. The town of Logansport, Louisiana, was severely damaged by an F3 tornado. (4 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 8–9, 1999 | April 8–9, 1999 | Ohio Valley/Midwest | 54 | 6 fatalities | Produced an F4 tornado that moved through the Cincinnati suburbs, killing 4. Two F4 tornadoes also touched down in Iowa. (15 significant, 3 violent, 3 killer) | ||
1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak | May 2–8, 1999 | Southern Great Plains | 152 | 46 fatalities, 665 injuries | Produced one of the strongest documented tornadoes, an F5-rated tornado in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area with Doppler winds remotely sensed at 301 mph (484 km/h) near Bridge Creek, among the highest winds known to have occurred near the Earth's surface. First tornado to incur $1 billion in (non-normalized) damages. Other violent tornadoes occurred, including those near Mulhall, Oklahoma, and Wichita, Kansas. (≥20 significant, ≥4 violent, ≥5 killer) | ||
1999 Salt Lake City tornado | August 11, 1999 | Utah | 1 | 1 fatality | An F2 tornado hit downtown Salt Lake City, causing the second known fatality in a Utah tornado. |
2000s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 2000-2009 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Fatalities | Notes | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 13–14, 2000 | February 13–14, 2000 | Georgia | 17 | 18 | Produced a series of strong and deadly tornadoes that struck areas in and around Camilla, Meigs, and Omega, Georgia. Weaker tornadoes impacted other states. | ||
2000 Fort Worth tornado outbreak | March 28, 2000 | Texas | 10 | 2 | Small outbreak produced an F3 that hit downtown Fort Worth, Texas, severely damaging skyscrapers and killing two. Another F3 caused major damage in Arlington and Grand Prairie. | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 23, 2000 | April 23, 2000 | Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas | 33 | 0 | Tornado outbreak occurred on Easter Sunday. | ||
2000 Brady, Nebraska tornado | May 17, 2000 | Nebraska | 1 | 0 | Highly photographed F3 passed near Brady, Nebraska. The tornado was unusual, as it had traveled in a westerly direction, unlike most tornadoes which generally travel towards the east. | ||
2000 Granite Falls tornado | July 25, 2000 | Granite Falls, Minnesota | 1 | 1 | F4 tornado struck Granite Falls, causing major damage and killing one person. | ||
Tornado outbreak of December 16, 2000 | December 16, 2000 | Southern United States | 24 | 12 | Small outbreak produced an F4 that struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama, killing 11. An F3 devastated Coats Bend, Alabama, and an F2 caused major damage and 1 fatality in Geneva, Alabama. | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 24–25, 2001 | February 24–25, 2001 | Southern United States | 25 | 7 | An F2 killed one person near Union, Arkansas. An F3 caused major damage near Reed, Arkansas, and another long-tracked F3 devastated multiple towns in Mississippi and killed 6 people in Pontotoc. | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 10–11, 2001 | April 10–11, 2001 | Great Plains Midwest | 79 | 4 | Widespread outbreak produced numerous tornadoes, some strong. F2 caused major damage in the town of Agency, Iowa, and killed two people. Other tornado-related fatalities occurred in Missouri and Oklahoma. Outbreak produced one of the worst hailstorms ever documented. | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 13, 2001 | June 13, 2001 | Central Plains | 36 | 0 | Outbreak of mostly weak tornadoes, though a few were strong. An F3 tornado caused major damage near Parkers Prairie, Minnesota, along with a large F2 near Brainerd. An F4 completely destroyed a farmstead near Ruby, Nebraska. | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 18, 2001 | June 18, 2001 | Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin | 5 | 3 | An F3 tornado killed three people in Siren, Wisconsin, and caused an estimated US$10 million in damage. | ||
2001 Myrtle Beach tornadoes | July 6, 2001 | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | 2 | 0 | Two tornadoes of F1 and F2 strength passed through the area, resulting in severe damage. | ||
Tornado outbreak of September 24, 2001 | September 24, 2001 | Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania | 9 | 2 | Multiple-vortex F3 tornado passed through the University of Maryland campus and multiple DC suburbs, killing two people. An F4 also occurred near Rixeyville, Virginia. Other weaker tornadoes were observed as well, including an F1 that struck Washington, D.C. | ||
Tornado outbreak of October 9, 2001 | October 9, 2001 | Great Plains | 30 | 0 | Unusual October outbreak in the Great Plains produced multiple strong tornadoes in Nebraska and Oklahoma. A large F3 devastated the town of Cordell, Oklahoma. | ||
Tornado outbreak of October 24, 2001 | October 24, 2001 | Central United States | 25 | 2 | Most of the tornadoes in this outbreak were embedded in a squall line. An F3 hit Crumstown, Indiana, killing one. An F2 near LaPorte, Indiana, caused a fatality as well. | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 23–24, 2001 | November 23–24, 2001 | Southeast U.S. | 67 | 13 | One of the strongest November outbreaks ever recorded. Produced three F4s, including one that struck Madison, Mississippi, killing 2. An F3 struck Wilmot, Arkansas, killing 3. | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 27–28, 2002 | April 27–28, 2002 | Midwest to Mid-Atlantic U.S. | 49 | 6 | Produced several strong tornadoes across the Midwest, including an F3 that caused major damage in Dongola, Illinois, and killed one person. Also produced a few strong tornadoes in Maryland, including an F4 that devastated the town of La Plata and killed three. | ||
Tornado outbreak of June 23, 2002 | June 23, 2002 | Brown County, South Dakota | 6 | 0 | A powerful supercell thunderstorm spawned six tornadoes, including an intense F3 and a violent F4, during the early evening hours. There were no fatalities or serious injuries, but the storm did over a million dollars in damage. (2 significant, 1 violent) | ||
September 2002 Indiana tornado outbreak | September 20, 2002 | Indiana, Ohio | 8 | 0 | A very long-tracked F3 tornado touched down near Elletsville, Indiana, destroying many homes and businesses in the town of Martinsville, which caused 127 injuries. An F2 injured 2 people when striking Washington, Indiana, along with another F2 that caused one injury near Wadesville, Indiana. | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 9–11, 2002 | November 9–11, 2002 | Southeastern United States – Ohio Valley | 83 | 36 | Very large and deadly outbreak produced multiple killer tornadoes across the Ohio Valley and Southeastern United States over the Veteran's Day weekend. A violent F4 hit Van Wert, Ohio, killing four people. Deadly F3 also hit Mossy Grove, Tennessee, killing seven. Two long-track F3s moved across northern Alabama, killing 11 people. | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 17–20, 2003 | March 17–20, 2003 | Great Plains – Southern United States | 28 | 7 | Camilla, Georgia, was devastated by an F3 for the second time in 4 years, killing 4. An F2 killed 2 people near Bridgeboro, Georgia. Many other weaker tornadoes touched down as well. | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2003 | May 3–11, 2003 | Great Plains - Southern United States | 401 | 42 | Large series of strong to violent tornadoes across the Great Plains and South. Two F4s struck the Kansas City metropolitan area, including one that killed two. In Missouri, the towns of Pierce City, Stockton, and Carl Junction were devastated by killer tornadoes. An F4 destroyed Franklin, Kansas, killing four, and another F4 struck downtown Jackson, Tennessee, killing eleven. A large F4 also caused major damage in southeastern Oklahoma City with additional damage in nearby areas. | ||
2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak | June 21–24, 2003 | South Dakota | 125 | 2 | Tied U.S. record for most tornadoes in one state during a 24-hour period, with 67 tornadoes in South Dakota on the 24th. Produced a violent F4 that literally wiped Manchester, South Dakota, off the map. In Nebraska, an F4 killed one person near Coleridge, and an F2 caused another fatality in Deshler. An F2 also caused major damage in Buffalo Lake, Minnesota . | ||
Derecho and tornado outbreak of July 21, 2003 | July 21, 2003 | Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont | 22 | 0 | $48M in damage. Tornadoes occurred in supercells embedded in a very intense "Super-Derecho" event, which at times took on a tropical cyclone-like appearance. An F3 leveled a farm near Ellisburg, Pennsylvania, and two F2s occurred in upstate New York. | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 20, 2004 | April 20, 2004 | Illinois – Indiana | 31 | 8 | Unexpected outbreak produced an F3 that struck the Illinois towns of Granville and Utica, with 8 fatalities at the latter of the two locations. Many other weaker tornadoes touched down as well. | ||
May 2004 tornado outbreak sequence | May 21–31, 2004 | Great Plains – Midwest | 389 | 7 | Very large outbreak sequence. Produced the second-widest tornado on record, a 2.5 mile-wide F4 that destroyed 95% of Hallam, Nebraska, killing 1. An F3 killed 1 person and destroyed 80% of Marengo, Indiana. An F4 near Weatherby, Missouri, killed 3. See also: List of May 2004 tornado outbreak sequence tornadoes | ||
2004 Roanoke, Illinois tornado | July 13, 2004 | Central Illinois | 4 | 0 | High-end F4 tornado destroyed an industrial plant and swept away several homes. | ||
Hurricane Frances tornado outbreak | September 2004 | Eastern United States | 103 | 0 | Produced a large outbreak of mostly weak tornadoes, though in South Carolina, the towns of Gadsden and Millwood sustained considerable damage from F2s. An F3 touched down near Camden. | ||
Hurricane Ivan tornado outbreak | September 2004 | Eastern United States | 120 | 7 | Largest hurricane-related tornado outbreak ever recorded. An F2 struck Macedonia, Florida, and killed 4. Many strong tornadoes touched down in Virginia, including an F3 that struck Remington. | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 22–24, 2004 | November 22–24, 2004 | Southern United States | 104 | 4 | Produced multiple strong tornadoes across the South. An F3 struck Olla and Standard, Louisiana, killing 1. An F2 severely damaged the Talladega Superspeedway and struck Bynum, resulting in another fatality. | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 21–22, 2005 | March 21–22, 2005 | Southern United States | 26 | 1 | An F3 near Donalsonville, Georgia, killed one person, and an F2 struck Screven, Georgia, resulting in major damage. Many other weaker tornadoes touched down as well. | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 5–7, 2005 | April 5–7, 2005 | Southern United States | 39 | 0 | Several strong tornadoes touched down across the Southern US, including an F3 that struck Mize, Mississippi. Another F3 caused major damage near Monterey, and an F2 struck Port Fourchon, Louisiana. | ||
2005 Hurricane Cindy tornado outbreak | July 6–8, 2005 | Southeastern – Eastern United States | 44 | 0 | Produced an F2 that severely damaged the Atlanta Motor Speedway. | ||
Wisconsin tornado outbreak of 2005 | August 18, 2005 | Wisconsin – Minnesota | 28 | 1 | Largest tornado outbreak in Wisconsin history. An F3 caused major damage in Stoughton and killed 1. An F2 also caused severe damage in Viola. | ||
Hurricane Katrina tornado outbreak | August 26–31, 2005 | Southeastern – Eastern United States | 54 | 1 | Widespread outbreak produced mostly weak tornadoes. Worst damage occurred in Georgia, including an F2 that caused major damage and one fatality near Roopville. The towns of Helen and Fort Valley also sustained major damage from F2s. | ||
Hurricane Rita tornado outbreak | September 22–26, 2005 | U.S. South | 101 | 1 | Produced numerous tornadoes across the South. An F3 caused major damage near Clayton, Louisiana. An F1 killed one person in a mobile home near Isola, Mississippi. | ||
Evansville tornado outbreak of November 2005 | November 6, 2005 | Middle Mississippi – Ohio Valley | 8 | 25 | Nighttime F3 struck the Evansville, Indiana, area, killing 25 people. Was part of a small outbreak that also produced strong tornadoes that struck Munfordville and Wheatcroft, Kentucky. | ||
Iowa tornado outbreak of November 2005 | November 12, 2005 | Iowa – Missouri | 14 | 1 | Rare November outbreak in the Great Plains. Strong tornadoes struck Ames, Woodward, and Stratford. | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 15, 2005 | November 15, 2005 | Central – Southeastern United States | 49 | 1 | F3 devastated a campground near Benton, Kentucky, and killed one person. A multiple-vortex F4 also hit Madisonville and Earlington, Kentucky, causing major damage. An F2 caused severe damage in Paris, Tennessee. | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 27–28, 2005 | November 27–28, 2005 | Central – Southeastern United States | 55 | 2 | F3 near Plumerville, Arkansas, tossed multiple cars on a highway, killing one person. An F2 near Briar, Missouri, killed another. Another F3 caused major damage near Cherry Hill, Arkansas. | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of March 9–13, 2006 | March 9–13, 2006 | Central United States | 99 | 11 | Strong outbreak caused deadly tornadoes across the Midwestern United States. Two separate F2s struck Springfield, Illinois, resulting in major damage. An F3 near Renick, Missouri, killed 4 people, and a double F4 occurred near Monroe City. | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 2, 2006 | April 2, 2006 | Central United States | 66 | 28 | Long-tracked F3 devastated the towns of Marmaduke, Arkansas, and Caruthersville, Missouri, killing 2. A deadly F3 killed 16 people in Newbern, Tennessee, while another F3 killed 6 in Bradford. | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 6–8, 2006 | April 6–8, 2006 | Central – Southeastern United States | 73 | 10 | Worst damage and all fatalities occurred in Tennessee. An F3 caused major damage near Charlotte, and another F3 devastated the town of Gallatin, killing 7. Two F1s killed 3 people in the McMinnville area as well. Many other weaker tornadoes also touched down. | ||
Easter Week 2006 tornado outbreak sequence | April 13–19, 2006 | Midwestern United States | 54 | 1 | Produced an F2 that struck downtown Iowa City, resulting in major damage. An F1 killed one person in a mobile home near Nichols, Iowa. Multiple other tornadoes affected rural areas, a few of which were strong. | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 9–10, 2006 | May 9–10, 2006 | Midwestern United States, Southern United States | 30 | 3 | An F2 caused considerable damage in Childress, Texas. An F3 near Westminster, Texas, killed 3 people. Other strong tornadoes occurred in Louisiana and Mississippi. | ||
2006 Westchester County tornado | July 12, 2006 | Southern New York and Fairfield, Connecticut | 1 | 0 | Rare F2 tornado in Westchester County, New York | ||
Tornado outbreak of August 24, 2006 | August 24, 2006 | North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota | 14 | 1 | Small but intense mid-Summer outbreak produced a long-tracked F3 that struck Nicollet and Kasota, Minnesota, killing one person. Two other F3s caused major damage in rural areas near Eureka and Wolsey, South Dakota. | ||
Tornado outbreak of September 21–23, 2006 | September 21–23, 2006 | Central United States | 48 | 0 | Numerous strong tornadoes hit the Midwest, mostly in rural areas. An F4 struck Crosstown, Missouri, and an F3 struck the north edge of Metropolis, Illinois. | ||
Tornado outbreak of November 14–16, 2006 | November 14–16, 2006 | Southern United States | 32 | 10 | Several strong tornadoes occurred across the South. An F3 killed eight people in Riegelwood, North Carolina, and an F2 caused major damage in Montgomery, Alabama. Two F3s also affected rural areas in Mississippi. | ||
2007 Groundhog Day tornado outbreak | February 2, 2007 | Florida | 4 | 21 | Single supercell produced three of the tornadoes, including two EF3s, and all 21 deaths. Was the second-deadliest tornado event in Florida, behind the outbreak of February 22–23, 1998. | ||
2007 New Orleans tornado outbreak | February 13, 2007 | Southern United States | 19 | 1 | Produced two EF2s that caused major damage and one fatality in New Orleans, Louisiana. Another EF2 also caused major damage near the town of Breaux Bridge. | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 23–24, 2007 | February 23–24, 2007 | Southern United States | 20 | 0 | Produced several strong tornadoes, especially in Arkansas. The town of Dumas was devastated by an EF3. Another EF3 occurred near Strong. | ||
Tornado outbreak of February 28 – March 2, 2007 | February 28 – March 2, 2007 | Central – Southeastern United States | 57 | 20 | Numerous strong to violent tornadoes across the Midwest and South, including a destructive EF4 in Enterprise, Alabama, that killed nine people, eight of which were students at a local high school that was destroyed. Another EF4 struck Millers Ferry, killing one, and a nighttime EF3 devastated Americus, Georgia, killing two. An EF2 destroyed a mobile home park near Newton, Georgia, killing six. | ||
Tornado outbreak of March 28–31, 2007 | March 28–31, 2007 | Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado | 80 | 5 | An EF3 tornado devastated the town of Holly, Colorado, killing two people. Other strong tornadoes hit the rural portions of the Great Plains, especially Texas. | ||
April 2007 nor'easter | April 13–15, 2007 | Southern United States | 36 | 2 | Produced a moderate outbreak of tornadoes across the South. An EF1 caused considerable damage and killed one in Fort Worth, Texas. An EF3 caused major damage and caused another fatality near Mayesville, South Carolina. | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 20–27, 2007 | April 20–27, 2007 | United States, Mexico | 92 | 10 | An F4 struck Piedras Negras, Coahuila, killing 3 people. The parent supercell produced an EF3 that struck Eagle Pass, Texas, killing 7 people. The towns of Tulia and Cactus, Texas, sustained major damage from EF2s. | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 4–6, 2007 | May 4–6, 2007 | Central United States | 123 | 14 | Very large outbreak across the Great Plains. Produced a large and deadly nighttime EF5 that destroyed 95% of Greensburg, Kansas, killing 11. Other strong tornadoes occurred in Oklahoma and elsewhere in Kansas. | ||
2007 Greensburg tornado | May 4, 2007 | Greensburg, Kansas | 11 (including ten satellite tornadoes) | 11 | A large and devestating EF5 tornado destroyed 95% of Greensburg, Kansas, killing 11 and injuring 63 more. The tornado was the first to be rated EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. | ||
2007 Brooklyn tornado | August 8, 2007 | Brooklyn | 2 | 0 | EF2 tornado strikes Brooklyn, causing 9 injuries. Also spawned an EF1. | ||
Tornado outbreak of August 26, 2007 | August 26, 2007 | North Dakota, Minnesota | 11 | 1 | Localized outbreak produced a large EF4 that devastated the town of Northwood, North Dakota, killing 1. An EF3 caused damage near Rugh Lake, and an EF2 occurred near Reynolds. | ||
Tornado outbreak of October 17–19, 2007 | October 17–19, 2007 | Midwest, Ohio Valley, Great Lakes, U.S. South | 63 | 5 | EF3s caused major damage in Owensboro, Kentucky, and Nappanee, Indiana. Another EF3 affected rural areas near Vesta, Indiana. EF2s caused fatalities in parts of Missouri and Michigan, including one that struck Williamston, Michigan, and killed two people. | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of January 7–11, 2008 | January 7–8 and 9–11, 2008 | Washington, Midwestern, Southern United States | 72 | 4 | Rare January outbreak produced strong tornadoes as far north as Wisconsin, where an EF3 tornado caused major damage in the town of Wheatland. Another EF3 tornado caused severe damage in and around Lawrence, Illinois, as well. An EF3 tornado killed three people near Strafford, Missouri, and an EF2 tornado killed one near Appleton, Arkansas. Several EF3 tornadoes impacted Mississippi and Alabama, including one that caused major damage in the town of Caledonia, Mississippi. An unrelated EF1 tornado also caused moderate damage in the northern suburbs of Vancouver, Washington. | ||
2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak | February 5–6, 2008 | Southern United States | 87 | 57 | One of the deadliest modern outbreaks to hit Dixie Alley struck the Midwest and South, producing many strong and violent tornadoes. Included the longest-lived Arkansas tornado on record, an EF4 tornado that traveled 122 mi (196 km) in two hours, killing 13 people and devastating the towns of Clinton, Mountain View, and Highland. One long-track EF3 tornado caused 22 deaths alone in Tennessee, mainly in Castalian Springs and Lafayette. A pair of EF3 and EF4 tornadoes also struck areas in and around Jackson, Tennessee, killing three in the area, and an EF2 tornado moved through Memphis, killing 3. | ||
2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak | March 14–15, 2008 | Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina | 45 | 3 | Strong tornado hit downtown Atlanta for the second time in history, killing one person. An outbreak of tornadoes, some strong, moved across the South the next day, killing two people. | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 1–3, 2008 | May 1–3, 2008 | Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee | 60 | 6 | Tornadoes struck the Midwest and South, including an EF3 tornado that hit Damascus, Arkansas, killing five people. (13 significant, 2 killer) | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 7–11, 2008 | May 7–11, 2008 | Southern Plains, Southeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic | 120 | 25 | A long-track EF4 tornado killed 21 people in Picher, Oklahoma, and Neosho, Missouri. Other strong to violent tornadoes struck the Eastern and Southern states. (30 significant, 2 violent, 4 killer) See also: List of tornadoes in the tornado outbreak sequence of May 7–11, 2008 | ||
Tornado outbreak of May 22–27, 2008 | May 22–27, 2008 | Great Plains | 173 | 13 | This large, long-lived outbreak produced strong to violent tornadoes across the Great Plains and Midwest. An EF3 wedge tornado struck Windsor, Colorado, killing one and causing severe damage. An EF5 tornado caused extreme damage in Parkersburg and New Hartford, Iowa, killing 9. A nighttime EF3 tornado killed two people in a vehicle near Cairo, Kansas. Another EF3 tornado also killed one in Hugo, Minnesota, and destroyed many homes. (25 significant, 2 violent, 4 killer) See also: List of tornadoes in the tornado outbreak of May 22–27, 2008 | ||
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 3–11, 2008 | June 3–11, 2008 | Central United States | 192 | 7 | This was third of a series of widespread tornado outbreaks. Tornadoes hit the Omaha-Council Bluffs area and the Chicago area. An EF3 tornado in Little Sioux, Iowa, struck the Boy Scouts of America's Little Sioux Scout Ranch, killing four people. Additionally, a violent EF4 tornado hit Manhattan, Kansas. (20 significant, 1 violent, 4 killer) | ||
2008 Tropical Storm Fay tornado outbreak | August 18–27, 2008 | Southern United States | 50 | 0 | Tropical Storm Fay produced dozens of tornadoes, including an EF2 tornado near Wellington, Florida. (3 significant) | ||
November 2008 Carolinas tornado outbreak | November 15, 2008 | North Carolina, South Carolina | 8 | 2 | A small, but destructive early-morning tornado outbreak killed two people in the Carolinas. (3 significant, 1 killer) | ||
February 2009 North American storm complex | February 10–11, 2009 | Central and Southern United States | 15 | 8 | The event is best known for producing the strongest February tornado on record in Oklahoma; an EF4 tornado that hit Lone Grove, killing eight people. Other tornadoes caused damage in the Oklahoma City area as well. (2 significant, 1 violent killer) | ||
March 2009 tornado outbreak sequence | March 23–29, 2009 | Eastern United States | 56 | 0 | Several small tornado outbreaks occurred across six straight days. The event is best known for producing destructive EF3 tornadoes in both Magee, Mississippi, and Corydon, Kentucky. (7 significant) | ||
Tornado outbreak of April 9–11, 2009 | April 9–10, 2009 | Central and Southern United States | 85 | 5 | Produced numerous strong tornadoes across the South, including an EF3 tornado that hit the Mena, Arkansas, area, killing three people, and an EF4 tornado that hit Murfreesboro, Tennessee, killing two. (22 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
May 2009 derecho series | May 2–8, 2009 | Central and Southern United States | 96 | 2 | A series of derecho and tornado outbreak occurred over period of six days with May 8 being the most of destructive day for tornadoes. An EF3 tornado killed two people in Kentucky, while a second EF3 tornado caused major damage in Missouri. (16 significant, 1 killer) | ||
2009 North American Christmas blizzard | December 23–24, 2009 | Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi | 28 | 0 | An EF3 tornado caused major damage and two injuries in Lufkin, Texas. EF2 tornadoes also touched down in both Texas and Louisiana. (6 significant) |
2010s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 2010–2019 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Year | Region | Tornadoes | Fatalities | Map | Event Summary |
Tornado outbreak of March 28–29, 2010 | March 28–29 | 2010 | Southeastern United States, The Bahamas | 13 | 3 | Tornadoes caused substantial damage to the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina while a rare tornado in the Bahamas killed three people. A damaging EF3 tornado struck High Point, North Carolina. (4 significant, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 22–25, 2010 | April 22–24 | 2010 | Great Plains, Southern United States | 88 | 10 | An extremely large, long-tracked EF4 tornado traveled 149.25 mi (240.19 km) from Tallulah, Louisiana, to north of West Point, Mississippi, becoming the fourth-longest such path in Mississippi history, killing 10 people, four of them in Yazoo City. Other strong to violent tornadoes occurred as well, causing severe damage. (15 significant, 2 violent, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 30 – May 2, 2010 | April 30–May 2 | 2010 | Midwest, Southern United States | 60 | 5 | An EF3 tornado killed one person and extensively damaged Scotland, Arkansas. An overnight EF3 tornado killed two people in a mobile home near Ashland, Mississippi, before crossing into Tennessee, killing one more near Pocahontas. The same storm also produced an EF2 tornado with one death near Abbeville, Mississippi. (16 significant, 3 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of May 10–13, 2010 | May 10–13 | 2010 | Great Plains | 91 | 3 | Numerous strong tornadoes touched down, especially in Oklahoma. A violent EF4 tornado near Moore and Choctaw killed two people, destroying many homes, businesses, and automobiles in the area. A separate EF4 tornado also badly damaged areas near Norman and Little Axe, killing one person in a mobile home. (19 significant, 2 violent, 2 killer) | |
Late-May 2010 tornado outbreak | May 22–25 | 2010 | Central United States | 80 | 0 | This fairly large tornado outbreak that affected the Great Plains. Most of the tornadoes remained over open country, but some caused considerable damage to rural farms and other structures. This outbreak produced a violent EF4 wedge tornado that caused severe damage near Bowdle, South Dakota. (11 significant, 1 violent) | |
Tornado outbreak of June 5–6, 2010 | June 5–6 | 2010 | Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan | 53 | 8 | An EF4 tornado hit Millbury and Lake Township in Ohio, killing seven people and becoming the second-deadliest US tornado of 2010. Several other destructive tornadoes touched down in Illinois, where one other person died. (15 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | |
June 2010 Northern Plains tornado outbreak | June 16–18 | 2010 | North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa | 93 | 3 | This was one of the largest Minnesota outbreaks in history and the largest June outbreak in U.S. history. Four large EF4 tornadoes caused extensive damage throughout the states of Minnesota and North Dakota. Several other Northern Plains states also were impacted by strong tornadoes. (17 significant, 4 violent, 3 killer) | |
2010 Bronx tornado | July 25 | 2010 | New York City | 1 | 0 | A weak, but damaging EF1 tornado damaged numerous structures and injured seven people in the Bronx. One indirect fatality also occurred. | |
2010 Brooklyn–Queens tornadoes | September 16 | 2010 | New York City | 14 | 2 | Two tornadoes (rated EF1 and EF0) embedded in a large area of damaging winds moved through the New York City area and caused significant damage, killing one person. The tornadoes were part of a small outbreak that affected the Eastern United States and killed two people. (4 significant, 2 killer) | |
October 2010 Arizona tornado outbreak and hailstorm | October 6 | 2010 | Arizona, Utah | 12 | 0 | One of the strongest and most prolific tornado events west of the Rocky Mountains, a rare tornado outbreak struck the state of Arizona, producing a few strong and destructive tornadoes, including two rated EF3—one of the most intense ever recorded in the state. One other tornado touched down in Utah as well. (6 significant) | |
October 2010 North American storm complex | October 23–27 | 2010 | Central United States, Eastern United States | 69 | 0 | A massive and powerful storm system produced a widespread derecho with 69 embedded tornadoes, including 8 EF2 tornadoes. The system also produced a blizzard and a windstorm. (8 significant) | |
2010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak | December 31–January 1 | 2010 and 2011 | Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois | 36 | 9 | An early morning EF3 tornado struck Cincinnati, Arkansas, killing four people. Another EF3 tornado struck Fort Leonard Wood in southeastern Pulaski County, Missouri, and another killed two elderly women near Rolla. Additionally, an EF1 tornado killed two women near Lecoma and a high-end EF3 tornado caused extensive damage in Sunset Hills, killing another person. (12 significant, 4 killer) | |
Derecho and tornado outbreak of April 4–5, 2011 | April 4–5 | 2011 | Southern United States, Eastern United States | 46 | 1 | Many tornadoes, including six EF2 tornadoes, touched down across the southern and eastern United States. One of the EF2 tornadoes killed a person in a mobile home near Eastman, Georgia. (6 significant, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 9–11, 2011 | April 9–11 | 2011 | Iowa, Wisconsin, Texas, Missouri, Alabama | 49 | 0 | This outbreak produced many strong tornadoes in Iowa and Wisconsin. In Iowa, the towns of Mapleton, Early and Varina sustained major damage. In Wisconsin, Merrill, Cottonville and Kaukauna sustained severe damage as well. (12 significant, 1 violent) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 14–16, 2011 | April 14–16 | 2011 | Midwest, Southern United States | 178 | 38 | A very large three-day outbreak produced numerous large and intense tornadoes. EF3 tornadoes devastated the towns of Tushka, Oklahoma, Leakesville, Mississippi, and De Kalb, Mississippi, and Geiger, Alabama, among other places. The final day of the outbreak produced the largest North Carolina tornado outbreak on record. An EF3 tornado struck downtown Raleigh (albeit at EF1 strength), killing six people, and another EF3 wedge tornado killed 12 in the small town of Askewville. (45 significant, 11 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of April 19–24, 2011 | April 19–24 | 2011 | Midwestern United States, Southern United States | 134 | 0 | A large tornado outbreak produced many tornadoes, one of which was a destructive EF4 tornado that struck the St. Louis metropolitan area. A few other strong tornadoes caused damage in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio, most of which were embedded in a squall line. (17 significant, 1 violent) | |
2011 Super Outbreak | April 25–28 | 2011 | Southern United States, Eastern United States, Ontario | 367 | 324 | The largest continuous, fourth-deadliest, and costliest outbreak in United States history caused the most tornado-related deaths since 1936. April 27 was also the deadliest tornado day in the U.S. since March 18, 1925, and the second-deadliest Alabama outbreak on record, with 238 deaths in the state, behind only the 268 people killed on March 21, 1932. The outbreak produced 15 violent (EF4-EF5) tornadoes, all of which occurred on April 27, the third most violent tornadoes produced in a single outbreak behind only the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak (18) and the 1974 Super Outbreak (30). Numerous, violent, long-tracked tornadoes touched down with four of them being rated EF5 and other eleven being rated EF4 tornado. These tornadoes struck eastern Mississippi, north and central Alabama, northwestern Georgia, and eastern Tennessee. There was a total of 71 more tornadoes of significant strength, 55 of which occurred on April 27 alone. There were 31 killer tornadoes during the outbreak, 28 of them on April 27 including 14 of the 15 violent tornadoes. One of the longest-lived tornadoes on record, an EF5 tornado traveled 132 mi (212 km) across northwest Alabama and south-central Tennessee, devastating Hackleburg and Phil Campbell, Alabama, along with many other communities, killing 72 people, making it the deadliest Alabama tornado on record. Another long-tracked EF4 tornado produced damage in both Tuscaloosa and the western and northern suburbs of Birmingham, killing 64. This outbreak is called the 2011 Super Outbreak due to the number of tornadoes in one day (223 on April 27), number of violent tornadoes, and the severity and degree of the outbreak. (86 significant, 15 violent, 31 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 21–26, 2011 | May 21–26 | 2011 | Great Plains, Midwest | 239 | 178 | This was one of the largest and deadliest U.S. outbreaks on record. A catastrophic, multiple-vortex, rain-wrapped EF5 tornado on May 22 killed 158 people in Joplin, Missouri—the deadliest single tornado in the U.S. since the 1947 Glazier–Higgins–Woodward tornados which killed 181, and the seventh-deadliest U.S. tornado event on record. A major outbreak on May 24 produced two high-end EF4 tornadoes near the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and an extremely violent EF5 tornado that killed nine people near El Reno and Piedmont. Another EF4 tornado struck Denning, Arkansas late on May 24, killing four people, and an EF3 tornado struck Reading, Kansas on May 21, killing one. (44 significant, 5 violent, 9 killer) | |
2011 New England tornado outbreak | June 1 | 2011 | New England | 6 | 3 | A long-tracked high-end EF3 tornado struck multiple cities and towns, including Westfield, West Springfield, Downtown Springfield, Wilbraham, Monson, Massachusetts, and Brimfield. It caused three deaths, the first tornado-related deaths in Massachusetts in 16 years. A few other weak tornadoes were also documented. (1 significant killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of June 18–22, 2011 | June 18–22 | 2011 | Midwest | 78 | 0 | A moderate outbreak produced a series of strong tornadoes in Nebraska and Kansas, most of which remained in rural areas. However, some of the tornadoes caused severe damage to homes and farmsteads. A series of five tornadoes also damaged the Louisville area. (14 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of January 22–23, 2012 | January 22–23 | 2012 | Southern United States | 25 | 2 | 2012 Center Point–Clay tornado – This outbreak produced its worst damage during the late overnight and early morning hours. In Alabama, multiple strong tornadoes touched down, including an EF3 tornado that severely impacted the Birmingham metro and killed one person. Maplesville, Alabama, and Fordyce, Arkansas, sustained major damage from EF2 tornadoes as well. (10 significant, 2 killer) | |
2012 Leap Day tornado outbreak | February 28–29 | 2012 | Great Plains, East South Central States, Ohio Valley | 42 | 15 | Several tornadoes formed from February 28-29. The strongest tornado, which was rated EF4, hit Harrisburg, Illinois, killing eight people on February 29. It was just the second F4/EF4 tornado to occur on Leap Day (the other was in Tennessee in 1952). An EF2 tornado also caused extensive damage in Branson, Missouri. Other deadly tornadoes struck Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. (19 significant, 1 violent, 7 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012 | March 2–3 | 2012 | Southern United States, Ohio Valley | 70 | 41 | A major outbreak produced many strong tornadoes from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast just days after the previous one. A long-track EF4 tornado (which may have reached EF5 intensity) devastated multiple towns in southern Indiana, especially Henryville, killing 11 people, and a long-tracked high-end EF3 tornado destroyed downtown West Liberty, Kentucky, killing 10. Another EF4 tornado killed four people near Crittenden, Kentucky, and an EF3 tornado killed three people in Moscow, Ohio, destroying 80% of the town. Other strong tornadoes struck Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. (25 significant, 2 violent, 9 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of March 18–24, 2012 | March 18–24 | 2012 | Great Plains, Southern United States, Ohio Valley | 63 | 1 | A slow-moving system produced 63 tornadoes across the Central and Eastern United States, including an EF2 tornado that killed one person in Illinois. Five tornadoes, four of which were strong, also caused damage in the North Platte, Nebraska, area. (10 significant, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 3, 2012 | April 3 | 2012 | Texas, Louisiana | 21 | 0 | Tornadoes caused severe damage across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, including an EF3 tornado that destroyed many homes in Forney. Arlington and Lancaster also sustained major damage from EF2 tornadoes. (4 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 13–16, 2012 | April 13–16 | 2012 | Great Plains, Great Lakes region | 113 | 6 | EF3 tornadoes caused significant damage in both Wichita, Kansas, and Woodward, Oklahoma, with six people killed in the latter tornado. An EF4 tornado also destroyed structures near Kanopolis Lake, Kansas. (9 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer) | |
2012 Tropical Storm Debby tornado outbreak | June 23–26 | 2012 | Florida | 25 | 1 | This was the second-largest Florida tornado outbreak on record behind only the outbreak caused by Hurricane Agnes on June 18–19, 1972. There were 25 tornadoes and one fatality in Venus, Florida, from an EF2 tornado. Severe damage occurred in or near Winter Haven, Pass-a-Grille in St. Pete Beach and Lake Placid. (2 significant, 1 killer) | |
2012 Hurricane Isaac tornado outbreak | August 27–September 4 | 2012 | Midwest, Southern United States, Mid-Atlantic states | 32 | 0 | Several tornadoes touched down across the Eastern United States, including EF2 tornadoes in Corning, Arkansas, and Pascagoula, Mississippi. (2 significant) | |
Late December 2012 North American storm complex | December 25–26 | 2012 | Southern United States | 31 | 0 | This outbreak produced several significant tornadoes, including an EF3 tornado near Pennington, Texas, and a long-tracked EF3 tornado that struck McNeil, Maxie, and McLain, Mississippi. A large EF2 wedge tornado also struck downtown Mobile, Alabama, which had been struck by a weaker EF1 tornado just five days earlier. (10 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of January 29–30, 2013 | January 29–30 | 2013 | Midwest, Southern United States | 66 | 1 | One of the largest January outbreaks in U.S. history produced tornadoes from Oklahoma to Georgia, including a large EF3 tornado that devastated the town of Adairsville, killing one person, and EF2 tornadoes that hit the towns of Galatia, Coble and Mt. Juliet, causing severe damage. The EF3 tornado was the first tornado to cause fatalities in the United States since June 24, 2012. (11 significant, 1 killer) | |
Tornado Outbreak of February 10, 2013 | February 10 | 2013 | Midwest, Southern United States | 8 | 0 | A violent EF4 tornado struck West Hattiesburg and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, injuring 71 people. It was part of a small outbreak that produce several tornadoes. (2 significant, 1 violent) | |
Tornado outbreak of May 15–17, 2013 | May 15–17 | 2013 | Texas, Louisiana, Alabama | 31 | 6 | This localized outbreak produced two significant tornadoes, one of which was a large EF4 tornado that killed six people and destroyed numerous homes in Granbury, Texas, the first violent tornado to strike Texas since 1999. Additionally, a large EF3 wedge caused significant damage in the town of Cleburne. None of the other tornadoes were stronger than EF1 intensity, although one EF1 tornado caused heavy damage in downtown Ennis. (2 significant, 1 violent killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of May 18–21, 2013 | May 18–21 | 2013 | Midwest, West South Central States, Ontario | 78 | 26 | This outbreak produced several significant tornadoes, especially in Oklahoma, where two violent tornadoes struck on successive days. An EF4 tornado killed two people in the Shawnee area on May 19 and a devastating EF5 wedge tornado devastated Moore on May 20, killing 24 people. Other strong tornadoes struck elsewhere in Oklahoma, particularly in Carney where an EF3 tornado touched down on May 19, and in Kansas, Illinois, and Ontario. An EF4 tornado caused major damage west of Rozel, Kansas, on May 18. (9 significant, 3 violent, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of May 26–31, 2013 | May 26–31 | 2013 | Midwest, West South Central States | 134 | 9 | This outbreak sequence produced the widest tornado on record, a massive, multiple-vortex EF3 tornado (which was initially rated EF5) on May 31 near El Reno, Oklahoma, killing eight people, including Tim and Paul Samaras and Carl Young of the TWISTEX team, and producing Doppler-indicated winds greater than 295 mph (475 km/h) over open fields, among the highest winds measured on Earth.[126][127] Additionally, a large, intense EF3 tornado remained nearly stationary for about an hour on May 28 west of Bennington, Kansas, producing Doppler-measured winds into the EF4-EF5 range above ground level. Other strong tornadoes struck Nebraska, Michigan, New York, Arkansas (one of which—though rated EF1—killed a person), Illinois and Missouri, as well as across Kansas and Oklahoma. (18 significant, 2 killer) | |
June 12–13, 2013, derecho series | June 12–13 | 2013 | Midwest, Southern United States | 26 | 0 | A large severe weather event began with a few strong tornadoes in Iowa and Illinois, including a high-end EF3 tornado that caused major damage in the Belmond area. The storms eventually grew into a large derecho that produced widespread wind damage and numerous embedded weak tornadoes. A second derecho the following day also produced a few embedded tornadoes. (3 significant) | |
October 2013 North American storm complex | October 3–7 | 2013 | Midwest, Great Plains | 22 | 0 | A powerful and dynamic storm system produced a small but intense late-season tornado outbreak, mainly across Nebraska and Iowa. Two of the tornadoes reached EF4 intensity, including one that caused severe damage in Wayne, Nebraska. Other strong tornadoes struck Creighton and Macy. (6 significant, 2 violent) | |
Tornado outbreak of November 17, 2013 | November 17 | 2013 | Midwest | 77 | 8 | Many large and strong to violent tornadoes touched down across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Two EF4 tornadoes struck Illinois, one of which devastated the town of Washington and killed three people. The other impacted the New Minden area, killing 2 others. An EF3 tornado struck Brookport, killing three people. The outbreak produced the only known violent (EF4–EF5) tornadoes to strike Illinois in the month of November. (33 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer) | |
December 2013 North American storm complex | December 20-21 | 2013 | Southeast | 13 | 2 | A small outbreak of tornadoes occurred in association with a larger system on December 20-21. One EF2 tornado in St. Francis County, Arkansas, caused a fatality while another death occurred from an EF2 tornado in Coahoma County, Mississippi, the two states most affected by the outbreak. Another long tracked EF2 tornado crossed between the state, injuring two people. (3 significant, 2 killer) | |
North Carolina tornado outbreak of April 2014 | April 25 | 2014 | North Carolina | 11 | 1 | A localized but intense outbreak produced an EF3 tornado that caused major damage near the town of Washington and an EF2 tornado that resulted in a fatality in Edenton. (4 significant, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014 | April 27–30 | 2014 | Midwest, Southern United States | 82 | 35 | This deadly outbreak affected mainly Dixie Alley. A high-end EF4 tornado (which may have reached EF5 intensity) devastated the towns of Mayflower and Vilonia, Arkansas, killing 16. Another EF4 tornado killed ten people and caused major damage in Louisville, Mississippi. An EF3 tornado killed two when a trailer park was destroyed in Coxey, Alabama, while another EF3 tornado struck Tupelo, Mississippi, killing one and causing severe damage. Many other strong tornadoes also occurred. (27 significant, 2 violent, 8 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of June 16–18, 2014 | June 16–18 | 2014 | Midwest | 76 | 2 | Outbreak spawned a cyclic supercell in Nebraska that produced four consecutive EF4 tornadoes, including two twin tornadoes that devastated the town of Pilger and surrounding areas, killing 2. Three nighttime tornadoes (including an EF3 tornado) struck Madison, Wisconsin, and its suburbs. A large and slow-moving EF3 toradno clipped the town of Coleridge, Nebraska, an EF2 tornado caused major damage in Wessington Springs, South Dakota, and a violent EF4 tornado obliterated a farm outside of Alpena. (20 significant, 5 violent, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 8–9, 2015 | April 8–9 | 2015 | Midwestern United States | 27 | 2 | A long-tracked, very high-end EF4 tornado moved across several counties in northern Illinois, causing major damage near Rochelle and devastating the small town of Fairdale, where two people were killed. Was part of a relatively small outbreak of mostly weak tornadoes, though an EF2 tornado caused considerable damage near Mount Selman, Texas. (2 significant, 1 violent killer) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 5–10, 2015 | May 5–10 | 2015 | Great Plains | 127 | 5 | EF3 tornadoes caused major damage in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma City. A large EF3 tornado also caused significant damage and killed one person near Cisco, Texas, and a high-end EF2 tornado severely damaged the town of Delmont, South Dakota. A nighttime EF3 tornado killed two people and caused major damage in Van, Texas, while another EF2 tornado killed two more at a mobile home park in Nashville, Arkansas. (14 significant, 3 killer) | |
2015 Texas–Oklahoma flood and tornado outbreak | May 23–25 | 2015 | Great Plains | 75 | 16 | This outbreak produced a destructive early-morning F3 tornado (which may have reached F4 intensity) that devastated the Mexican border city of Ciudad Acuña, killing 14 people. An EF2 tornado killed one person near Cameron, Texas, while an EF3 tornado killed another near Blue, Oklahoma. This was the deadliest North American tornado outbreak of 2015 and was accompanied by catastrophic flooding. (9 significant, 3 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of November 16–18, 2015 | November 16–18 | 2015 | Great Plains | 61 | 0 | An unusual nocturnal late-season tornado outbreak spawned multiple strong tornadoes across the lower Great Plains states. Two EF3 tornadoes caused major damage near Pampa, Texas, one of which destroyed a large chemical plant complex. Another long-tracked EF3 tornado began near Liberal, Kansas, and dissipated near Montezuma, causing significant damage in rural areas. (8 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of December 23–25, 2015 | December 23–25 | 2015 | Southern United States, Midwestern United States | 38 | 13 | This outbreak produced multiple strong to violent long-track tornadoes on December 23 across Mississippi and Tennessee, including an EF4 tornado that tracked through parts of both states, causing major damage in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and killing 9 people along its path. A high-end EF3 tornado caused major damage near Clarksdale as well, killing two. Another EF3 tornado destroyed many structures in the small community of Lutts, Tennessee, and an EF2 tornado killed two people near Linden. A high-end EF2 tornado also caused considerable damage in the southwestern part of Birmingham, Alabama, on December 25. (8 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | |
December 2015 North American storm complex | December 26–28 | 2015 | Southern United States | 32 | 13 | An outbreak of 32 tornadoes severely impacted areas from the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex eastward through the Southeastern United States. An EF3 tornado destroyed many homes in Ovilla and Glenn Heights. The same storm produced a large EF4 tornado that devastated parts of Garland and Rowlett, killing 10 people. An EF2 tornado killed two people in Copeville, while an EF1 tornado killed caused a fatality near Blue Ridge as well. (5 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of February 23–24, 2016 | February 23–24 | 2016 | Southern United States, Eastern United States | 61 | 7 | The second largest February tornado outbreak on record produced many significant tornadoes across the Gulf Coast and East Coast states. An EF2 tornado caused major damage in Laplace, Louisiana. An EF3 tornado caused major damage in Paincourtville and Convent, Louisiana, killing two people, while an EF2 tornado killed one person near Purvis, Mississippi. An EF3 tornado caused severe damage in Pensacola, Florida, and an EF1 tornado killed 3 people in Waverly, Virginia. An EF3 tornado also destroyed multiple homes near Tappahannock, Virginia, while another EF3 killed one person in Evergreen. (9 significant, 4 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of May 7–10, 2016 | May 7–10 | 2016 | Western United States, Great Plains, Ohio Valley | 57 | 2 | A four-day outbreak of 57 tornadoes produced a high-end EF2 tornado near Wray, Colorado. A violent EF4 tornado killed one person near Katie, Oklahoma, a damaging EF3 wedge tornado that destroyed numerous homes near Sulphur, and another EF3 tornado that caused another fatality near Bromide. The town of Mayfield, Kentucky, sustained major damage from an EF3 tornado as well. (11 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 22–26, 2016 | May 22–26 | 2016 | Western United States, Great Plains | 98 | 0 | This outbreak sequence produced numerous strong tornadoes across the Great Plains. Numerous significant (EF2-EF3) tornadoes spawned by a cyclic supercell thunderstorm caused heavy damage near Dodge City, Kansas. EF3 tornadoes also caused damage near Big Spring, Turkey and Garden City, Texas. An EF4 wedge tornado (which may have reached EF5 intensity) caused major damage near Abeline and Chapman, Kansas. (18 significant, 1 violent) | |
Tornado outbreak of August 24, 2016 | August 24 | 2016 | Indiana, Ohio, Ontario | 24 | 0 | An unexpected and unusual late-season tornado outbreak produced an EF3 tornado that severely damaged or destroyed many homes and businesses in Kokomo, Indiana. Another EF3 tornad caused major damage to farms near Woodburn, Indiana. EF2 tornadoes inflicted heavy damage near Cecil and Defiance, Ohio, while another EF2 tornadoes severely damaged structures in Windsor, Ontario. (6 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of November 27–30, 2016 | November 27–30 | 2016 | Central United States, Southern United States | 48 | 6 | A four-day outbreak produced several strong nighttime tornadoes in Dixie Alley. An EF3 tornado killed 4 people and caused major damage in Rosalie and near Ider, Alabama. Another EF3 tornado killed two people and severely damaged the town of Ocoee, Tennessee, while a high-end EF2 tornado caused major damage to homes in businesses in Athens. An EF2 tornado caused considerable damage at the eastern fringes of Huntsville, Alabama, and an EF3 tornado destroyed several structures near Neel. (9 significant, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of January 21–23, 2017 | January 21–23 | 2017 | Southeastern United States | 81 | 20 | This was the second-deadliest and second largest January tornado outbreak on since reliable records began in 1950, as well as the largest tornado outbreak on record in the state of Georgia. An early morning EF3 tornado produced major damage in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, killing 4. An EF3 tornado near Adel, Georgia, obliterated a mobile home park and killed 11 people along its path, while a large EF3 wedge tornado struck Albany and killed 5. Many other strong tornadoes caused damage across the Southern United States as well. (14 significant, 3 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of February 7, 2017 | February 7 | 2017 | Southeastern United States | 15 | 1 | An EF3 tornado caused major damage in eastern New Orleans, making it the strongest tornado ever recorded in the city's history. It was part of a localized outbreak of tornadoes that impacted the Southern United States, mainly Louisiana. An EF2 tornado caused damage near Killian, Louisiana, while another EF3 tornado occurred near Watson. An EF1 tornado struck the town of Donaldsonville, killing one person there. (4 significant, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of February 28 – March 1, 2017 | February 28 – March 1 | 2017 | Midwestern United States | 71 | 4 | A major tornado outbreak occurred across portions of the Midwestern United States and Ohio Valley, leading to 71 tornadoes in total. EF3 tornadoes destroyed homes in and around Washburn and Ottawa, Illinois, with two people killed in Ottawa. A long-track EF3 tornado killed one person near Crossville as well. The most significant tornado was a long-track EF4 tornado that caused major damage in the Perryville, Missouri, area and killed one person. (12 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 6–7, 2017 | March 6–7 | 2017 | Midwestern United States | 63 | 0 | Following a significant outbreak just a week prior, a second tornado outbreak affected many of the same areas. Many homes were damaged or destroyed in the town of Oak Grove, Missouri, as a result of an EF3 tornado. An EF1 tornado that struck near Bricelyn, Minnesota, was the earliest in state history. EF2 tornadoes caused heavy damage in the Iowa towns of Seymour, Centerville, and Muscatine. A long-track EF2 tornado also struck Parthenon, Arkansas. (10 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak and floods of April 28 – May 1, 2017 | April 28 – May 1 | 2017 | Southeastern United States, Central United States | 75 | 5 | This outbreak affected the Southeastern United States and portions of Central United States. Two destructive wedge tornadoes, which were rated EF3 and EF4, affected areas outside of Canton, Texas, killing two people each. An EF2 tornado struck the town of Durant, Mississippi, and killed one person as well. The outbreak was accompanied by deadly flooding. (10 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 15–20, 2017 | May 15–20 | 2017 | Central United States, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley | 134 | 2 | Large tornado outbreak sequence produced the longest-tracked tornado in Wisconsin history; an EF3 tornado that caused major damage near Chetek and Conrath. An EF3 tornado caused severe damage in Pawnee Rock and near Great Bend, Kansas. A high-end EF2 tornado destroyed homes and businesses in the southern part of Elk City, Oklahoma, killing one person. Another EF2 tornado struck Muskogee, Oklahoma, and many other weak tornadoes also occurred. (9 significant, 2 killer) | |
Tulsa tornadoes of 2017 | August 6 | 2017 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 4 | 0 | A high-end EF2 tornado caused significant damage in Tulsa, injuring 30 people. This event also produced three EF1 tornadoes. (1 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 19, 2018 | March 19 | 2018 | Southeastern United States | 22 | 0 | This tornado outbreak produced caused seven injuries. A particular destructive long-tracked EF3 tornado hit Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, injuring four people while an EF2 tornado in Southside caused an injury. The system that produced the outbreak later became a nor'easter. (5 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak and blizzard of April 13–15, 2018 | April 13–15 | 2018 | Southern United States, Eastern United States | 73 | 1 | This tornado outbreak produced multiple strong tornadoes throughout the Southern and Eastern United States. A large EF2 tornado caused significant damage in Mountainburg, Arkansas, and another EF2 severely impacted Meridian, Mississippi. An EF1 tornado killed one person in Red Chute, Louisiana, and a high-end EF2 tornado caused major damage in Greensboro, North Carolina. An EF3 tornado destroyed many homes in Elon, Virginia, as well. (11 significant, 1 killer) | |
Iowa tornado outbreak of July 2018 | July 19–20 | 2018 | Midwestern United States, Kentucky | 32 | 0 | An unexpected tornado outbreak erupted across parts of Iowa on July 19. Twin EF2 tornadoes caused damage in Bondurant, while an EF3 tornado occurred struck eastern Pella, damaging a large Vermeer plant complex. Another EF3 tornado moved directly through downtown Marshalltown. The EF3 tornadoes causing $320 million in damage and 36 injuries. Another person in Corydon, Indiana, was indirectly injured the following day by an EF1 tornado. The event also featured the deadly Table Rock Lake duck boat accident near Branson, Missouri. (4 significant) | |
2018 United States–Canada tornado outbreak | September 20–21 | 2018 | Great Lakes, Ontario, Quebec | 38 | 0 | This outbreak produced several strong tornadoes in the Great Lakes region of the United States, and in eastern Canada as well. On September 20, a high-end EF2 tornado destroyed multiple homes in Morristown, Minnesota, and another EF2 tornado impacted Faribault. The next day, a high-end EF3 tornado destroyed numerous homes in Dunrobin, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec, injuring numerous people. A high-end EF2 tornado also caused severe damage in Nepean, Ontario. (8 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of November 30 – December 2, 2018 | November 30 – December 2 | 2018 | Southern United States, Midwestern United States | 49 | 1 | A late-season outbreak produced an EF3 tornado that caused major damage an injured 22 people in Taylorville, Illinois. An EF1 tornado killed one person in Aurora, Missouri, and a long-tracked EF2 tornado caused major damage at Tenkiller Ferry Lake in Oklahoma. Another EF2 tornado caused significant damage in Van Buren, Arkansas, while an EF3 tornado injured four people at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia. This was the largest December tornado outbreak in Illinois state history. (7 significant, 1 killer) | |
2018 Port Orchard tornado | December 18 | 2018 | Port Orchard, Washington | 1 | 0 | A rare EF2 tornado strikes Port Orchard, Washington, becoming the first tornado in Western Washington since 2017, and the first F2 or stronger tornado in the state since 1986. The tornado was unusually strong for a December tornado in Washington. (1 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 3, 2019 | March 3 | 2019 | Southeastern United States | 41 | 23 | Over the course of 6 hours, this tornado outbreak produced a total of 41 tornadoes, which touched down across portions of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. The strongest of these was an EF4 tornado that devastated rural communities from Beauregard, Alabama, to Talbotton, Georgia, killing 23 people and injuring 97 others. Its death toll represented more than twice the number of tornado deaths in the United States in 2018, and it was the deadliest single tornado in the country since the 2013 EF5 Moore tornado. Several other significant tornadoes occurred, including EF2 tornadoes caused severe damage near Eufaula, Alabama, and in Cairo, Georgia. An EF3 tornado destroyed homes near Tallahassee, Florida, as well. (9 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 12–14, 2019 | March 12–14 | 2019 | Southeastern United States, New Mexico | 38 | 0 | As part of a larger blizzard, a tornado outbreak shaped up across the Southern United States. The most significant tornadoes were two EF2 tornadoes in New Mexico. The system then proceeded east for the next 2 days. Kentucky, Michigan, and Alabama also had significant EF2 tornadoes. Overall, the 38 tornadoes caused 8 injuries. (5 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 13–15, 2019 | April 13–15 | 2019 | Southern United States, Northeastern United States | 75 | 3 | An expansive tornado outbreak occurred from Texas to the Northeast, lasting 40 hours. The town of Alto, Texas, was struck by two separate strong tornadoes, including an EF3 tornado that killed 2 people. Another EF3 tornado destroyed many homes in Franklin, Texas A high-end EF2 tornado struck Hamilton, Mississippi, late on April 13, destroying multiple structures causing another fatality. A high-end EF2 tornado struck Starbrick, Pennsylvania, as well. (18 significant, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 17–19, 2019 | April 17–19 | 2019 | Southern United States, Northeastern United States, Carolinas | 97 | 0 | A multi-day tornado outbreak produced tornadoes from Texas to Virginia. A high-end EF2 tornado caused severe damage in Morton, Mississippi. An EF3 tornado caused major structural damage to homes near Rocky Mount, Virginia, and injured two people. Several strong tornadoes also occurred in Pennsylvania and the Carolinas as well. The squall line that spawned several of the event's associated tornadoes caused four non-tornadic fatalities. (12 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019 | May 17–30 | 2019 | Great Plains, Ohio Valley, Northeastern United States | 400 | 8 | This long-lasting outbreak sequence produced many significant tornadoes. An early morning EF2 tornado hit near Adair, Iowa, killing one and injuring another. A large EF3 tornado passed near Golden City, Missouri, killing three and injuring one. A damaging nighttime EF3 stuck Jefferson City, Missouri, just before midnight, and resulted in one death and 32 injuries. On May 25, a small but intense QLCS EF3 tornado hit a mobile home park and a motel in southern El Reno, Oklahoma, causing two fatalities and 19 injuries. Another EF3 tornado destroyed many homes in Celina, Ohio, killing one person and injuring eight others. Dayton, Ohio, and its suburbs were hit by EF4, EF3, and EF2 tornadoes in quick succession, causing widespread destruction and over 166 injuries. An EF4 wedge tornado also struck the outskirts of Lawrence and Linwood, Kansas, destroying many homes and injuring 18 people. (51 significant, 2 violent, 4 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of October 20–22, 2019 | October 20–22 | 2019 | Great Plains, Ohio Valley, Northeastern United States | 36 | 0 | A fall tornado outbreak caused major damage in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, including a destructive low-end EF3 tornado that destroyed many homes and businesses in Dallas, causing $1.55 billion in damages. A high-end EF2 tornado also caused significant damage in Garland, Texas. A large EF2 wedge tornado also struck Siloam Springs, Arkansas. (3 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of December 16–17, 2019 | December 16–17 | 2019 | Deep South | 41 | 3 | A two-day tornado outbreak extending from Louisiana to Georgia produced numerous strong tornadoes. Most of the activity was on December 16, including eight EF2 tornadoes and five EF3 tornadoes. A long-tracked EF3 tornado killed one person near Rosepine, Louisiana, and prompted a tornado emergency for Alexandria, where major damage occurred. An EF2 tornado killed two people near Town Creek, Alabama. Additional EF3 tornadoes caused severe damage in Sumrall and Laurel, Mississippi. December 17 was less intense, producing mostly weak tornadoes, although one EF2 tornado caused significant damage in and near Mystic, Georgia. (14 significant, 2 killer) |
2020s
[edit]List of United States tornado outbreaks – 2020–2024 | |||||||
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Outbreak | Dates | Year | Region | Tornadoes | Fatalities | Map | Event Summary |
Tornado outbreak of January 10–11, 2020 | January 10–11 | 2020 | South Central United States, Southeastern United States | 80 | 7 | An EF1 tornado killed one person near Nacogdoches, Texas. A high-end EF2 tornado obliterated two trailer homes near Haughton, Louisiana, killing three people. Another high-end EF2 tornado caused significant damage near Carrollton, Alabama, killing three people. There were 11 more EF2 tornadoes confirmed from Missouri to South Carolina as well. (13 significant, 3 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of February 5–7, 2020 | February 5–7 | 2020 | South Central United States, Southeastern United States | 37 | 1 | A long-tracked EF2 tornado struck Enterprise, Mississippi, and three other EF2 tornadoes touched down in other parts of the state. An EF1 tornado destroyed mobile homes and killed one person near Demopolis, Alabama. A high-end EF1 tornado caused considerable damage in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and an EF2 tornado caused significant damage near Kannapolis, North Carolina. (7 significant, 1 killer) | |
2020 Nashville tornado outbreak | March 2–3 | 2020 | Southeastern United States | 15 | 25 | This small but devastating outbreak resulted in 25 fatalities from three separate tornadoes in Tennessee, which were all produced by the same supercell that produced all 10 tornadoes in the state from the outbreak. An EF2 tornado killed one person near Camden. A long-tracked EF3 tornado struck Nashville, causing five deaths and becoming the 6th costliest tornado in U.S. history. A violent EF4 tornado also caused catastrophic damage in and around Cookeville, causing an additional 19 deaths. (6 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | |
2020 Easter tornado outbreak | April 12–13 | 2020 | Southeastern United States | 141 | 32 | This major and deadly outbreak produced many strong to violent tornadoes across the Deep South into the Mid-Atlantic states. An EF3 tornado damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in Monroe, Louisiana, on April 12. Two intense supercell thunderstorms developed across southern Mississippi, producing three intense tornadoes, including two EF4 tornadoes near Bassfield, Mississippi, killing 12. The second tornado produced high-end EF4 damage and devastated the small towns of Soso and Moss, reaching a maximum width of 2.25 miles (3.62 km) wide, the widest tornado in the state's history and the third widest in the world. Later that night, an EF2 tornado killed eight in Sumac, Georgia, and an EF3 tornado killed two in the eastern suburbs of Chattanooga. Through the night on April 12 into the morning of April 13, multiple EF3 tornadoes touched down in South Carolina, including one that severely damaged the town of Seneca, killing one person. An EF4 tornado killed five in Hampton County, South Carolina, as well, becoming the first violent tornado ever recorded in the South Carolina Lowcountry. (35 significant, 3 violent, 9 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 21–23, 2020 | April 22–23 | 2020 | Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia | 53 | 6 | Several strong tornadoes touched down across the Great Plains and Deep South. A high-end EF2 tornado struck Madill, Oklahoma, killing two. An EF3 tornado impacted Onalaska, Texas, killing three. An EF2 tornado killed one person and damaged the Louisiana State University of Alexandria campus as well. (11 significant, 3 killer) | |
Hurricane Isaias tornado outbreak | August 3–4 | 2020 | East Coast of the United States | 39 | 2 | This outbreak of tornadoes occurred as a result of the passage of Hurricane Isaias. An EF3 tornado destroyed a mobile home park near Windsor, North Carolina, killing two and injuring 14. It was the first tropical cyclone-spawned tornado rated F3/EF3 since 2005. An EF1 tornado caused considerable damage in downtown Suffolk, Virginia, and an EF2 tornado caused major damage to businesses near Courtland. A high-end EF2 tornado injured five people and caused severe damage to homes near Palmer as well. A low-end EF2 tornado touched down in Dover and tracked 35.5 miles (57.1 km) through Delaware, becoming the longest tracked tornado in the history of the state. Another EF2 tornado also damaged a daycare center and injured six in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia. (8 significant, 1 killer) | |
August 2020 Midwest derecho | August 10 | 2020 | Midwestern United States | 26 | 0 | Numerous weak tornadoes touched down in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, including multiple tornadoes that affected the Chicago metropolitan area. It was part of much larger and damaging derecho event that was the costliest single thunderstorm disaster on record. | |
Tornado outbreak of February 15, 2021 | February 15 | 2021 | Southeast United States | 6 | 3 | This was a localized tornado outbreak as part of a larger winter storm. An EF2 tornado in Damascus, Georgia, caused five injuries while a high-end EF3 tornado near Sunset Beach, North Carolina, caused three deaths and ten injuries. (2 significant, 1 killer) | |
March 2021 North American blizzard | March 13 | 2021 | Southern Plains | 21 | 0 | This was a localized tornado outbreak as part of a larger winter storm. Several large tornadoes touched down, although most stayed over open terrain, and did little to no damage. Most of the tornadoes were likely stronger than the rating they were assigned. (3 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 16–18, 2021 | March 16–18 | 2021 | Southeast United States | 51 | 0 | This outbreak occurred mostly within Alabama and Mississippi on March 17 inside a high risk convective outlook for tornadoes. A majority of the tornadoes that touched down were weak, and while a few strong tornadoes did occur, none exceeded EF2 intensity. Areas in and near Waynesboro, Mississippi; Burnsville, Alabama, Silas, Alabama, and Billingsley, Alabama, received considerable damage from these EF2 tornadoes. (4 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of March 24–28, 2021 | March 24–28 | 2021 | Southeast United States | 43 | 7 | Two consecutive tornado outbreaks occurred with the first one affecting mainly Alabama on March 25. Parts of the state had been placed under a high risk convective outlook for tornadoes on that day, the second high risk issued for this area in just over a week. Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, and Arkansas also saw impactful tornadoes. A low-end EF3 tornado killed six in Ohatchee, Alabama, on March 25 and a violent EF4 tornado Newnan, Georgia, just after midnight on March 26 resulted in an indirect fatality due to a medical issue. Another tornado outbreak affected the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys on March 27, producing several strong EF2 tornadoes, including one that killed a person near Carthage, Texas, on March 27. Along with the tornadic fatalities, eight non-tornadic fatalities also occurred during the outbreak sequence. (15 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of May 2–4, 2021 | May 2–4 | 2021 | Southeastern United States, Central Plains, Mississippi Valley, and Mid-Atlantic | 97 | 0 | A large tornado outbreak produced many tornadoes across various regions of the United States, most of which were weak. A few strong tornadoes did touch down, but none exceeded EF2 in intensity. An EF1 tornado caused considerable damage in Tupelo, Mississippi, and a high-end EF1 tornado struck Yazoo City. A high-end EF2 tornado destroyed a house near Blum, Texas, while another EF2 tornado caused major damage to homes and tossed vehicles near Waxahachie, injuring eight people. An EF2 tornado also damaged or destroyed homes near Callao, Virginia. (6 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of June 18, 2021 | June 18 | 2021 | Midwestern United States | 7 | 0 | This was a localized tornado outbreak as part of a larger flooding event. The tornadoes mostly moved over farmland, damaging barns, outbuildings, and farming equipment. No tornadic casualties were reported, although one flooding death occurred in Bloomington, Indiana. (2 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of July 28–29, 2021 | July 28–29 | 2021 | Midwestern United States, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States | 46 | 0 | This outbreak began in Wisconsin, with numerous weak tornadoes that formed within a line of severe thunderstorms that moved across the state. Farther east, an EF2 tornado struck New Athens, Ohio, and caused considerable damage, while other EF2 tornadoes caused major tree damage near New Hope, Pennsylvania, and Carrollton, Ohio. A low-end EF3 tornado caused major damage to structures and vehicles in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, suburbs of Trevose and Bensalem, injuring five people. An EF2 tornado also struck High Bar Harbor, New Jersey, injuring eight people. (5 significant) | |
Hurricane Ida tornado outbreak | August 29–September 2 | 2021 | Southern United States, Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States | 36 | 1 | This outbreak started in the Southern United States where Hurricane Ida made landfall. Only weak tornadoes touched down during the first three days of the outbreak, although one high-end EF1 tornado injured three people and damaged structures in Saraland, Alabama. The worst day of the outbreak was September 1, when several strong tornadoes impacted the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, regions that had already been affected by the previous outbreaks in the weeks leading up to this event. In Annapolis, Maryland, an EF2 tornado caused significant damage to many homes in businesses. A high-end EF2 tornado moved through the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, suburbs of Fort Washington and Upper Dublin, killing one person and injuring two others. Another EF2 tornado struck Oxford, Pennsylvania, and an EF3 tornado caused major damage and destroyed multiple homes in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. Historic flooding also occurred throughout the region as well. (4 significant, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021 | December 10–11 | 2021 | Southern United States, Midwestern United States, Ohio Valley | 71 | 89 | This major, destructive, and deadly nighttime tornado outbreak caused catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across the Ohio Valley and Southern United States. Several powerful tornadoes caused heavy to catastrophic damage to many towns and cities across Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and especially Kentucky. One supercell tracked over 250 miles (400 km) throughout the four states, spawning a family of 11 tornadoes, including two violent EF4 tornadoes. The first one killed eight people across three states while the second one killed 57 people in Kentucky along a track of over 160 miles (260 km). The city of Mayfield was devastated by the tornado, along with several other small towns. A second supercell produced a very long-track EF3 tornado across Tennessee and Kentucky, along with three EF3 tornadoes and four EF2 tornadoes in Kentucky, including a deadly EF3 tornado in Bowling Green, Kentucky. (24 significant, 2 violent, 6 killer) | |
December 2021 Midwest derecho and tornado outbreak | December 15 | 2021 | Midwestern United States | 120 | 0 | A powerful, fast-moving derecho led to hundreds of damaging wind reports across the Midwest, along with 120 embedded tornadoes confirmed in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Several of these tornadoes were strong and long-tracked, including 33 that were rated EF2. This eclipsed the event five days prior for the largest December outbreak on record and subsequently became one of the largest single-day tornado outbreaks in recorded history. (33 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 5–7, 2022 | March 5–7 | 2022 | Midwestern United States, Mississippi Valley | 32 | 7 | Several intense tornadoes struck areas mainly across southeastern Iowa on March 5. A long-tracked, violent low-end EF4 tornado struck near Winterset, killing six people and injuring five others. Meanwhile, an EF3 tornado struck near Chariton, killing one and injuring another. Other tornadoes touched down the next day across mostly Arkansas and Missouri, including a low-end EF2 tornado that injured six people in Sage, Arkansas. (7 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 21–23, 2022 | March 21–23 | 2022 | Southern United States, Eastern United States | 85 | 2 | Numerous tornadoes occurred across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama from March 21–22, with the most severe damage occurring in Jacksboro, Texas, De Kalb, Mississippi, and Arabi, Louisiana, coming from three separate EF3 tornadoes. One person was killed by an EF2 tornado in Sherwood Shores, Texas, while a second fatality occurred in Crockett, Texas, from another EF2 tornado as well. A fatality also occurred in Arabi just outside of New Orleans from one of the EF3 tornadoes as well. EF2 tornadoes were also confirmed near Pickens, South Carolina, and Gladesboro, Virginia, respectively on March 23. (16 significant, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 29–31, 2022 | March 29–31 | 2022 | Southern United States, Midwestern United States, Eastern United States | 90 | 2 | Another tornado outbreak struck the same areas affected by the previous outbreak a week prior. The first significant tornado of the outbreak occurred early on March 30, when an EF3 tornado struck Springdale, Arkansas, causing seven injuries. Later that afternoon, an EF1 tornado caused an injury in Pope, Mississippi. Another EF1 tornado moved through downtown Jackson, Mississippi, injuring one person. Other tornadoes occurred in Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and Louisiana, while numerous tornadoes struck Mississippi and Alabama. A long-tracked EF3 tornado moved through a portion of the Talladega National Forest and struck Montevallo, Alabama, injuring two people. Another EF3 tornado near Alford, Florida, early on March 31 resulted in two deaths and three injuries. Scattered tornado activity occurred later that day across areas of the Eastern United States, which included EF2 tornadoes in Wayne Township, Pennsylvania, and near Norwood, North Carolina. (12 significant, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 4–7, 2022 | April 4–7 | 2022 | Southern United States | 89 | 1 | For the third straight week another tornado outbreak affected the same areas affected by the previous two outbreaks. Several tornadoes touched down mostly in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex on April 4, before a much more significant outbreak occurred in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina the next day. Several tornadoes touched down from a mesoscale convective system that swept eastward on March 5, while numerous large, long-tracked, intense tornadoes were spawned by supercells that formed ahead of the squall line. One person was killed by a large, violent EF4 tornado in Black Creek, Georgia, while three separate EF3 tornadoes impacted Allendale, South Carolina; Ulmer, South Carolina; and Bonaire, Georgia. A second wave of weak tornadoes also struck Georgia and Florida on April 6–7. (14 significant, 1 violent killer) | |
April 2022 North American storm complex | April 11–13 | 2022 | Southern United States, Midwestern United States | 74 | 0 | Isolated severe weather over Arkansas on April 11 gave way to a more significant severe weather event in Texas and the Upper Midwest on April 12 followed by a large severe weather outbreak on April 13. Four weak tornadoes were confirmed in Arkansas on April 11. More significant tornadoes occurred on April 12, including a high-end EF3 tornado in Bell County, Texas, that resulted in 23 injuries and several strong tornadoes over northern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota. More tornadoes occurred across primarily Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky on April 13, accompanied by a widespread damaging wind event. (6 significant) | |
May 2022 Midwest derecho | May 12 | 2022 | Midwestern United States | 32 | 0 | A derecho produced an outbreak of tornadoes across the Dakotas and Minnesota. An EF1 tornado quickly spun up near Thomas, South Dakota, forcing the residents of homes who were outside to seek shelter under a tractor, resulting in an injury. A strong EF2 rope tornado struck Castlewood, causing heavy damage and also injuring one person. A high-end EF2 tornado near Gary struck a farm, heavily damaging the house and damaging a number of other farm buildings and vehicles, injuring another person. Although none of the tornadoes were fatal, the event as a whole caused five deaths and at least 13 injuries. (5 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of November 4–5, 2022 | November 4–5 | 2022 | Southern United States, Midwestern United States | 31 | 2 | An intense late-season tornado outbreak affected northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, northwestern Louisiana, and western Arkansas on November 4. Numerous large, intense, long-tracked tornadoes touched down and two tornado emergencies were issued for Idabel, Oklahoma, and New Boston, Texas, respectively. One death each was recorded in Pickens, Oklahoma, and Cason, Texas, respectively, as well as numerous injuries. (11 significant, 2 violent, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of November 29–30, 2022 | November 29–30 | 2022 | Southern United States | 27 | 2 | An overnight tornado outbreak affected Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Two EF3 tornadoes affected areas near Clarks, Louisiana, and Fruitdale, Alabama, respectively, while an EF2 tornado north of Montgomery, Alabama, killed two people inside a mobile home. (6 significant, 1 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of December 12–15, 2022 | December 12–15 | 2022 | Southern United States | 77 | 3 | A widespread tornado outbreak produced numerous strong tornadoes across portions of the southern United States. An EF3 tornado caused significant damage near Farmerville, Louisiana, while an EF2 tornado struck near Keatchie, Louisiana, killing two people. Another EF2 tornado struck near Killona, Louisiana, killing one and a damaging EF2 tornado impacted the New Orleans metro, following a path similar to a high-end EF3 tornado from March 22, 2022. Numerous other weak tornadoes also touched down. (21 significant, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of January 12, 2023 | January 12 | 2023 | Southeastern United States | 44 | 8 | A significant tornado outbreak took place primarily across Alabama and Georgia during the morning and afternoon of January 12. One supercell produced 10 tornadoes that produced moderate to severe damage from south-central Alabama to west-central Georgia, especially in Selma, Alabama, and Autauga County, Alabama, and as well as LaGrange, Griffin, Experiment, and the Jackson Lake area in Georgia. An EF3 tornado in Autauga County, Alabama resulted in seven fatalities before moving through several counties to the northeast, while an EF2 tornado in the Jackson Lake area in Georgia killed one person (the tornado was also responsible for an indirect death the next day). Elsewhere, other tornadoes caused damage in Sumter and Mobile counties in Alabama, as well as parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and the Carolinas. (13 significant, 2 killer) | |
2023 Pasadena–Deer Park tornado | January 24–25 | 2023 | Texas, Louisiana, Florida | 15 | 0 | A rare low-end EF3 tornado struck Pasadena and Deer Park, Texas, injuring three and causing $6.6 million in damage. The tornado was so powerful that it knocked down three large metal transmission towers. Strongest cold-season tornado to hit the Houston area since 1992. The tornado was part of a small outbreak that produced 14 other tornadoes. (4 significant) | |
February 2023 North American storm complex | February 26–27 | 2023 | South Central United States, Midwestern United States | 32 | 1 | Several tornadoes occurred across the Great Plains and Midwestern United States. On February 26, three EF2 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma. The first one caused a fatality and significant damage near the town of Cheyenne, while the other two struck Norman and Shawnee respectively. (3 significant, 1 killer) | |
Early-March 2023 North American storm complex | March 1–3 | 2023 | Southern United States, Midwestern United States | 35 | 0 | Numerous tornadoes touched down across the Southern United States to the Great Lakes region. On March 2, an EF2 tornado caused significant damage near Kirby, Arkansas. The next day, an EF2 tornado caused significant damage near Fremont, Kentucky. (2 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 24–27, 2023 | March 24–27 | 2023 | Southeastern United States | 35 | 23 | A slow-moving system sparked a small, but destructive four-day outbreak of tornadoes. One supercell in Mississippi on March 24 produced three large long-tracked tornadoes, the first of which was a violent, very high-end EF4 tornado that struck Rolling Fork, Midnight, and Silver City, killing 17 people. The storm then produced an EF3 tornado that struck Black Hawk and Winona, killing three people. A subsequent EF3 tornado from the storm killed two people as it passed near or moved directly through Egypt, New Wren, Amory, and Smithville. An early-morning EF2 tornado also killed a person on the north side of Hartselle, Alabama. Scattered tornado activity continued throughout the rest of the outbreak and a few strong tornadoes touched down, including another EF3 tornado that caused major damage in North West Point, Georgia, injuring five people. (10 significant, 1 violent, 4 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023 | March 31 – April 1 | 2023 | Midwestern United States, Southern United States, Eastern United States | 146 | 26 | A catastrophic, historic, and deadly tornado outbreak produced widespread tornadic activity across large portions of the Midwestern, Southern and Eastern United States. On March 31, the SPC issued two tornado-driven high risk areas; the first was in southeastern Iowa, northwestern Illinois, and far northeastern Missouri, while the second included eastern Arkansas, southwestern Tennessee, and northern Mississippi. That afternoon, numerous tornadic supercells developed over the northern high-risk area, producing numerous tornadoes, including an EF3 tornado near Martinsburg, Iowa, and a low-end EF4 tornado that swept away a home near Keota. Over a dozen EF2 tornadoes also touched down and one EF1 tornado collapsed the roof of Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, Illinois, during a sold-out concert, killing one person and injuring over three dozen people. Other tornadoes also touched down in Indiana that evening, including multiple EF3 tornadoes, one of which struck Robinson, Illinois, and Sullivan, Indiana, killing six people while another one killed two people near Spencer, Indiana. To the south, supercell development was much more isolated, but the storms that did form were discrete and produced very large, long-tracked, intense tornadoes. This included a long-tracked high-end EF3 tornado that moved through the Little Rock, Arkansas metropolitan injuring dozens of people (one indirect fatality also occurred). Other deadly, intense, long-tracked tornadoes caused fatalities in or near Wynne, Arkansas, Covington, Tennessee, Adamsville, Tennessee, Pontotoc, Mississippi, and Hazel Green, Alabama. Later that afternoon on April 1, a localized, but intense outbreak of 10 tornadoes struck the Delaware Valley along with Central and South Jersey. An extremely rare EF3 tornado killed a person in Sussex County, Delaware, while three EF2 tornadoes touched down in New Jersey. Along with the tornadoes, hundreds of damaging wind, large hail, and flooding reports were received while areas on the back side of the system had either wildfires or a blizzard. (44 significant, 1 violent, 9 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 14–19, 2023 | June 14–19 | 2023 | Midwestern United States, Southern United States, Eastern United States | 93 | 4 | A multi-day outbreak sequence of significant tornado and severe weather activity occurred across the south central and southeastern United States, as well as the Ohio Valley. On June 15, an EF3 tornado struck the city of Perryton, Texas, resulting in major damage and three fatalities, along with up to 100 injuries. A cluster of supercells also produced 13 tornadoes in southeastern Michigan and northern Ohio, including three that were rated EF2 (one of which struck northern Toledo) and another EF2 tornado struck Pensacola Beach, Florida that night. Three days later on June 18 an outbreak of 22 tornadoes struck mainly the southeastern United States (a rarity for that region during that time of year). An EF3 tornado produced significant damage near the town of Louin, Mississippi, killing one and injuring 25. Three other EF2 tornadoes also touched down. (14 significant, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 20–26, 2023 | June 20–26 | 2023 | South Central United States, Midwestern United States, Eastern United States, Manitoba, Ontario | 117 | 5 | Another wave of significant tornado and severe weather activity occurred immediately after the previous one across mostly the northern United States and Ohio Valley, as well as Manitoba and Ontario in Canada, although many of the tornadoes moved over open terrain and were unratable. June 21 featured 43 mostly brief, unratable tornadoes, but 36 of them touched down in Colorado, making it the largest single-day outbreak in the state's history. All but three of these tornadoes touched down in Washington County, including 27 tornadoes alone near Akron, and three of them were rated EF2. Further to the south, a destructive high-end EF3 tornado struck the west side of Matador, Texas, killing four people. Several strong tornadoes touched down on June 23, including an EF3 tornado southwest of Granada, Colorado, the first tornado of such strength in the state since 2015, and an EF2 tornado that struck North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Wyoming, injuring eight people. Nine tornadoes touched down across three states and Ontario on June 25, including an EF2 tornado that killed a person in Rusk, Indiana. (12 significant, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of August 4–8, 2023 | August 4–8 | 2023 | Great Plains, Midwestern, and Eastern United States | 53 | 0 | This outbreak sequence produced strong tornadoes in Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, New York, and Colorado. No tornadic fatalities occurred, but two non-tornadic deaths were recorded. (6 significant) | |
December 2023 Tennessee tornado outbreak | December 9–10 | 2023 | Southern United States | 18 | 7 | A small but intense outbreak of tornadoes occurred across the southern United States, most severely affecting Tennessee. On December 9, a large EF3 tornado caused major damage in Clarksville, Tennessee, killing four people. Later that evening, an EF2 tornado produced significant damage in Madison, Hendersonville and Gallatin, Tennessee, killing three people and prompting a tornado emergency. (5 significant, 2 killer) | |
January 8–10, 2024 North American storm complex | January 8–10 | 2024 | Southern United States | 38 | 2 | An outbreak of tornadoes affected several areas across the southern United States. The strongest of which was an intense waterspout that produced EF3 damage after moving ashore in Panama City Beach, Florida in the early morning hours of January 9. Later that day, an EF2 tornado killed a person near Cottonwood, Alabama, and an EF1 tornado killed a person near Claremont, North Carolina. (7 significant, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of March 13–15, 2024 | March 13–15 | 2024 | Midwestern United States, Southern United States | 34 | 4 | Numerous tornadoes affected areas across the midwestern and southern United States. On March 13, two EF2 tornadoes touched down in Kansas, near the communities of Alta Vista and Rossville. The following day on March 14, more significant severe weather activity took place across the Ohio Valley, with a large EF3 tornado causing major damage in Wapakoneta, Lakeview, and Russells Point, Ohio, killing three and injuring 27. Shortly after, an EF3 tornado struck Winchester, Indiana, killing one and injuring 39. That same day, five separate EF2 tornadoes also produced damage near Milton, Kentucky, Selma, Indiana, Plymouth and West Mansfield, Ohio, as well as Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. (9 significant, 2 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak and derecho of April 1–3, 2024 | April 1–3 | 2024 | Midwestern United States, Southeastern United States | 86 | 0 | Numerous, mostly weak tornadoes occurred over a 3-day period, largely in the Ohio River Valley. A majority of the tornadoes were associated with a derecho that tracked from Missouri to West Virginia on the morning of April 2, which included four EF2 tornadoes and four EF1 tornadoes that moved through areas just north of Evansville, Indiana. That afternoon, a supercell spawned an EF2 tornado that injured 22 people in the northern suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. That night, another EF2 tornado injured two people in Conyers, Georgia. The severe weather outbreak caused no tornadic deaths, but five people were killed in non-tornadic events. (14 significant) | |
Tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2024 | April 25–28 | 2024 | Midwestern United States, South Central United States | 164 | 6 | A significant multi-day outbreak affected multiple areas across the south-central and midwestern United States. The outbreak started with five weak EFU tornadoes on April 25. On April 26, several strong to intense tornadoes touched down across the Central Plains. This included multiple destructive tornadoes that touched down in the Omaha metropolitan area. An EF3 tornado caused damage near Lincoln, Nebraska, while a violent EF4 tornado caused heavy damage in Elkhorn and near Blair. Another EF3 tornado struck Eppley Airfield in Omaha before causing major damage near Crescent, Iowa, and another EF3 tornado killed a person in Minden, Iowa. The following day on April 27, activity shifted further south across Oklahoma, where a powerful EF3 tornado struck Sulphur, killing one person. That same night, another EF3 tornado passed near Spaulding, Holdenville, and Bearden killing two people, and a violent EF4 tornado caused major damage and killed a person near the community of Marietta. Only weak tornadoes occurred on April 28, but one high-end EF1 tornado killed a person near Trinity, Texas. (25 significant, 2 violent, 5 killer) | |
Tornado outbreak of May 6–10, 2024 | May 6–10 | 2024 | Midwestern United States, Southern United States | 179 | 5 | A widespread tornado outbreak produced tornadoes across the southern and midwestern United States. On May 6, a rare tornado-driven high risk outlook was issued for portions of Kansas and Oklahoma. That night, a violent EF4 tornado struck Barnsdall and Bartlesville, Oklahoma, killing two people and prompting the issuance of a tornado emergency. The following day on May 7, another outbreak occurred in the Great Lakes region. This included four EF2 tornadoes that caused significant damage across Michigan and Ohio, one of which prompted a tornado emergency for areas near Sherwood, Michigan, which was the first time such an alert had ever been issued in the state, and another that injured 16 people in Portage, Michigan. The next day on May 8, another outbreak occurred across the Tennessee Valley. A powerful EF3 tornado caused major damage near Columbia, Tennessee, killing one and prompting the issuance of another tornado emergency. Later that evening, another EF3 tornado caused severe damage near Rogersville, Alabama, an EF2 tornado damaged several neighborhoods in Huntsville, Alabama, and another EF3 tornado that led to the issuance of another tornado emergency and injured seven people near Henagar, Alabama. Only weak tornadoes occurred on May 9, but a squall line that formed that night spawned multiple tornadoes and produced widespread wind damage as it moved through the Florida Panhandle on the morning of May 10. This included three tornadoes (one rated EF1 and the other two rated EF2) and destructive straight-line winds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) that caused widespread severe damage in and around Tallahassee, Florida. The second of the EF2 tornadoes killed two people as well. (17 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | |
2024 Houston derecho | May 16 | 2024 | Gulf Coast of the United States | 4 | 0 | A deadly derecho impacted the Gulf Coast, causing widespread damage, particularly in the city of Houston and the surrounding metropolitan area. Three people were killed by the derecho. Four EF1 tornadoes also touched down, including two that occurred near the Houston suburb of Cypress. | |
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 19–27, 2024 | May 19–27 | 2024 | Midwestern, Southern, and Eastern United States | 247 | 21 | A series of tornado outbreaks and two derechos struck a very large area from the Great Plains to the East Coast with strong to violent tornadoes impacting 11 states. The first derecho, which formed on May 19, produced widespread wind damage and weak tornadoes across Kansas and into Missouri through the overnight hours into the morning of May 20. An isolated supercell formed in the Texas panhandle and moved eastward into Oklahoma, producing multiple tornadoes west of Oklahoma City, including a large EF2 tornado that prompted the issuance of a tornado emergency for Custer City, Oklahoma and another EF2 tornado that damaged homes near Yukon. On May 21, a violent EF4 tornado killed five people as it passed near Corning and through Greenfield, Iowa. On May 22, an EF2 tornado injured 30 people on the western side of Temple, Texas. Another derecho formed in southwestern Nebraska late on May 23 and moved eastward, producing widespread wind damage and weak tornadoes through Nebraska and Iowa and northwestern Illinois into the morning hours of May 24. A large tornado outbreak started late on May 25 with the resulting storms contributing to May 26 being the most active day for tornadic weather. An isolated supercell in Texas spawned an EF3 tornado that killed seven people near Valley View. To the north, a cluster of supercells that formed along the Kansas-Oklahoma border between Wichita, Kansas and Oklahoma City spawned numerous significant tornadoes and generated destructive straight-line winds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) as it moved eastward through southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. An EF3 tornado killed two people as it passed through Claremore and moved through areas northwest of Pryor, Oklahoma. Another EF3 tornado near Decatur, Arkansas became the largest tornado ever recorded in the state. Additional EF3 tornadoes killed four people near Pyatt, Arkansas, one person near Briarcliff, and another person near Sikeston, Missouri. Several other supercells that formed that afternoon produced additional tornadoes, including an EF3 tornado that passed through areas previously impacted by the 2021 Western Kentucky tornado, killing one person. In addition to the 21 tornadic fatalities, 10 other people died in other non-tornadic events as well. (34 significant, 1 violent, 7 killer) | |
Hurricane Beryl tornado outbreak | July 8–10 | 2024 | Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ontario | 68 | 1 | Hurricane Beryl spawned a three-day tornado outbreak that broke several records. A large, very long-tracked low-end EF2 tornado killed a woman east of Benton, Louisiana on July 8, an intense low-end EF3 tornado caused major damage on the east side of Mt. Vernon, Indiana on July 9, and a low-end EF2 tornado destroyed farm buildings southeast of Eden, New York on July 10. (10 significant, 1 killer) | |
Severe weather sequence of July 13–16, 2024 | July 13-16 | 2024 | North Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and New York (state) | 90 | 1 | A deadly Derecho impacted the Midwestern United States, specifically Illinois. The derecho produced 49 tornadoes, with 32 being in NWS Chicago's forecast area, which broke the previous record of 22 from the March 31-April 1 2023 Tornado Outbreak.[128](3 significant, 1 killer) |
Canada
[edit]Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, and other areas
[edit]Event | Date | Area | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tenochtitlan-Tlatelolco tornado | 13 August 1521 (Julian Calendar) | Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco | – | – | First recorded tornado in Americas[130] |
Hondo Coal Mine tornado | 10 May 1899 | Coahuila, Mexico | – | ≥22 fatalities | Deadliest Mexican tornado, also struck the city of Sabinas.[131] |
1940 Bejucal tornado | 26 December 1940 | Cuba | – | 12 fatalities | Reportedly spawned during hurricane |
Easter tornadoes of 1953 | 5 April 1953 | Bermuda | 4 | 1 fatality, 9 injuries | Four separate tornadoes |
1992 Panama City tornado | 15 July 1992 | Panama City, Panama | – | 12 fatalities, >50 injuries | Perhaps deadliest Panamanian tornado[132] |
1999 Cruces and Pedroso F4 tornadoes. | May, 1999 | Cruces and Pedroso | 2 | 2 and injuries | Two ef4 tornadoes form in Cruces, and Pedroso. |
2007 Piedras Negras tornado | 24 April 2007 | Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico | 1 | 3 | Violent rain-wrapped F4 tornado destroyed over 300 homes and multiple businesses in Piedras Negras. |
2008 Dominican Republic tornadoes | 20 April 2008 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | – | ≥2 fatalities | At least 700 people were forced to seek temporary shelter when tornadoes damaged houses |
2015 Ciudad Acuña tornado | 25 May 2015 | Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico | 1 | 14 | Early morning tornado damaged or destroyed over 750 homes and businesses in Ciudad Acuña. |
2019 Havana tornado | 28 January 2019 | eastern Havana, Cuba | 1 | 6 fatalities, 193 injuries | Late-night EF4 tornado affected the neighborhoods of Regla and 10 de Octubre as well as the town of San Miguel de Padron |
2020 Apodaca tornado | 8 May 2020 | Apodaca, Nuevo León, México | - | 2 fatalities | EF2 Tornado |
2022 San Jose de las Lajas Tornado | 15 April 2022 | San José de las Lajas | 1 | "Several" injuries | A tornado struck the western part of Mayabeque Province, hitting the provincial capital of San José de Las Lajas. The storm caused moderate damage to roofs of homes and buildings and injured several people.[133] |
2023 Los Arabos, Matanzas tornado | 2023 | Los Arabos | 0 | A rare Supercell Tornado forms in Los Arabos, Matanzas. |
See also
[edit]- Lists of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of Connecticut tornadoes
- List of tornadoes in Washington, D.C.
- List of Rhode Island tornadoes
- Tornado records
- Tornadoes in Bermuda
- Tornadoes in the United States
- List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
- List of tornadoes in Cleveland County, Oklahoma
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Not-So-Famous Firsts: Tornado Edition". Mentalfloss.com. June 2, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
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- ^ Tornado of 1851, Charles Brooks ©1852
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- ^ Center, National Weather Service Chicago, Illinois | Des Plaines History (October 21, 2022). "Des Plaines Tornado of May 22, 1855". ArcGIS StoryMaps. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
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References
[edit]- Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991, A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1
- --- (1997). Significant Tornadoes Update, 1992–1995. ISBN 1-879362-04-X
- --- (2001). The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-3258-2
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climatic Data Center / Storm Prediction Center. Storm Data.
- National Weather Service (April–June 1954). Storm Data Publication (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information – via Storm Events Database.
- National Weather Service (April 1957). Storm Data Publication (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved November 18, 2021 – via Storm Events Database.
- National Weather Service (October 1964). Storm Data Publication (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information – via Storm Events Database.
- National Weather Service (February 1965). Storm Data Publication (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information – via Storm Events Database.
- National Weather Service (April 1966). Storm Data Publication (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information – via Storm Events Database.