Tornadoes of 1973

Tracks of all US tornadoes in 1973.
Timespan	January 10–December 31, 1973
Maximum rated tornado	F5 tornado San Justo, Santa Fe,Argentina on January 10 Valley Mills, Texas on May 6
Tornadoes in U.S.	1,102
Damage (U.S.)	Unknown
Fatalities (U.S.)	89
Fatalities (worldwide)	>833
1971 1972 1973 1974 1975

This page documents notabletornadoes andtornado outbreaks worldwide in1973, but mostly features events in theUnited States. According to tornado researcherThomas P. Grazulis, documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.^[1] Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.^[2] Consequently, available documentation in 1973 mainly covered the United States. On average, most recorded tornadoes, including the vast majority of significant—F2^{[nb 1]} or stronger—tornadoes, form in the U.S., although as many as 500 may take place internationally.^[1] Some locations, likeBangladesh, are as prone to violent tornadoes as the U.S., meaning F4 or greater events on the Fujita scale.^[7]

Historically, the number of tornadoes globally^[1] and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded.^[8] Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advancedNEXRAD was first installed and theNational Weather Service began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.^[9] Owing to increases instorm spotters, the number of tornadoes in the U.S. reached new heights in the early 1970s.^[8] 1973 was the first year in which more than 1,000 tornadoes were verified in the United States.^[10] The long-term annual mean for the U.S. is roughly 1,300 tornadoes each year,^[2] though Grazulis estimates that the real total may be close to 1,800.^[11] Despite having the highest annual total in the nation to date, 1973 failed to establish records in terms of significant or killer tornadoes—several earlier years had already done so.^[12]

Notable scientific milestones toward understanding thelife cycle of tornadoes occurred inOklahoma on May 24, 1973, when researchers exploited primitiveDoppler weather radar, then under development by theNational Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), to examine atornado vortex signature, or TVS, for the first time in history.^[10][13] The scientists, in one of the earliest successful cases ofstorm chasing, were able to study the evolution of a violent tornado nearUnion City, and to generate clear visual photography of its entire life cycle, from birth to decay. The successful deployment ofDoppler weather radar to detect tornado formation also pointed the way to the development of a nationwide Doppler radar system, and helped precipitate funding for studies ontornadogenesis.^[10][13]

Fatal United States tornadoes in 1973

class=notpageimage| Approximate touchdown location of killer tornadoes in 1973

Summary of tornadoes[14] January 18 –Louisiana (1 death) March 10 –Texas (1 death) March 10 –Texas (6 deaths) March 15 –Tennessee (1 death) March 31 –Georgia (2 deaths) March 31 –South Carolina (7 deaths) April 15 – Texas (2 deaths) April 15 – Texas (5 deaths) April 20 –Arkansas (1 death) April 20 –Missouri (1 death) April 27 – North Carolina (1 death) May 1 – Missouri (2 deaths) May 8 – Alabama (2 deaths) May 9 – Minnesota (1 death) May 10 – Ohio (6 deaths) May 24 – Oklahoma (2 deaths) May 26 – Florida (1 death) May 26 – Kansas (3 deaths) May 26 – Oklahoma (5 deaths) May 26 – Arkansas (3 deaths) May 27 – Mississippi (1 death) May 27 –Alabama (7 deaths) May 27 – Alabama (1 death) May 28 – Georgia (1 death) June 18 – Iowa (2 deaths) June 24 – South Dakota (1 death) July 1 – South Dakota (1 death) August 28 – New York, Massachusetts (4 deaths) September 25 – Kansas, Nebraska (3 deaths) November 19 – Oklahoma (5 deaths) November 24 – Missouri (3 deaths) November 24 – Arkansas (1 death) November 24 – Missouri (2 deaths) November 27 – Mississippi (1 death) December 13 – South Carolina (2 deaths) December 13 – South Carolina (1 death) Total fatalities: 89

At the beginning of the year, one of the strongestEl Niño episodes since 1950, as defined bysea surface temperatures, was in progress but gradually diminishing, according to the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI). Peak trimonthly anomalies, measured inmoving averages, were +1.7 °C above normal for the period December–February 1972 – 1973.^[15] The month of January featured clusters of tornado activity along theGulf Coast, primarily inTexas andLouisiana, as well as part of theFlorida peninsula—a pattern not inconsistent with that of El Niño winters in general.^[16][17] The deadliest and strongest tornado of the month was an F3 that struckCaldwell Parish, Louisiana, on January 18, killing one person and injuring two others. It was part of a larger outbreak on the same date that spawned five other significant tornadoes near the Gulf Coast, with 20 total injuries. A smaller outbreak affectedCentral Florida ten days later, causing damaging F2 tornadoes in theCampbell–Orlando area, with 24 injuries.^[16] February featured much less activity, with 10 confirmed tornadoes compared to 33 in January, and no destructive or deadly tornadoes occurred. Outside the U.S., a catastrophic tornado, believed to be an F5, ravaged a small town in Argentina on January 10, causing more than 50 deaths.^[18]

Intense tornado activity increased significantly across the U.S. in March, when the nation's first violent tornadoes of the year touched down inTexas andSouth Carolina. There were 17 deaths and 300 injuries by the end of the month, largely due to two major tornado outbreaks, and tornadoes occurred as far north asKansas andMichigan.^[16] On March 10, an overnight outbreak concentrated in Texas produced a killer F4 tornado that devastated the small town ofHubbard, killing six people and injuring 77.^[16][19] On March 31, another outbreak spawned a long-livedsupercell that tracked through northernGeorgia, causing what was officially^{[nb 2]} that state's costliest natural disaster at the time, with prolific losses from a tornado centered in and nearConyers–Athens; damages reportedly reached $113 million in 1973 dollars.^[22][23] Despite the damage, the tornado was of only F2 intensity,^{[nb 3]} and just two deaths were attributed to the tornado, with about 100 injuries. On the same date, a separate tornado in western South Carolina attained F4 strength,^{[nb 4]} killing seven people and injuring 30.^[16] In all, 80 tornadoes struck the U.S. in the month of March, 39 of which were F2 or greater.^[16]

The month of April was even more active, with 150 tornadoes and 73 F2+ events. The highest concentration of significant tornadoes was inMissouri, where 17 F2+ events occurred.^[16] The deadliest tornado of the month was a massive F4 on April 15 that produced intense damage to vehicles and an airport nearPearsall, Texas, killing five people and injuring 12.^[16][24] All of the dead were riding in vehicles, one of which contained eight occupants, mostlyMexicans.^[22] The tornado struck two cars traveling onInterstate 35 and lofted them into fields, where they were mangled so badly as to be unidentifiable as vehicles.^[24] On the same day, an F3 tornado nearPlainview affectedInterstate 27 and killed two people, one of whom was yet again inside a car: a monitor working forREACT was positioning himself when the tornado hurled his vehicle hundreds of yards.^[22] The latter part of April was extremely active, with a majortornado outbreak sequence on April 19–21 and smaller outbreaks on several other days. The period April 17–28 featured tornadoes on 11 consecutive days.^[16] The state of Missouri was hardest hit, with three F4 tornadoes each on April 19–21. There were two deaths during this period, one each in Missouri andArkansas.^[16]

The following month, May, was the deadliest month of the year in the U.S., with 35 fatalities from tornadoes—22 of which took place in a three-day span on May 26–29.^[16] The nation's onlyF5 tornado of the year struck nearValley Mills, Texas, on May 6, where it swept away a few barns, leaving little debris on the foundations. Engineers assigned an F5 rating to the tornado because it lofted apickup truck for a considerable distance.^[25] An outbreak overOhio on May 10 included an F3 tornado that flattenedmobile homes in three trailer courts nearWillard, inflicting six deaths and 100 injuries.^[16][26] Deadly F4 tornadoes killed a combined seven people in Oklahoma on May 24 and 26, respectively, with significant impacts to the community ofKeefton.^[16][27] An outbreak sequence produced continuous tornado activity from May 26–29, with no gap between tornadoes exceeding six hours. A destructive nighttime tornado, or series of tornadoes, ravagedJonesboro, Arkansas, on May 26, injuring nearly 300 people, but surprisingly with only three deaths.^[16][28] The next day, a long-tracked, violent tornado crossed almost 140 mi (230 km) of centralAlabama, obliterating most of the town ofBrent, injuring about 200 people, and killing seven.^[28]

The remainder of the year featured arare F4 tornado inNew England that struck along theNew York/Massachusetts state line on August 28, killing four people, injuring 36, and devastating a large truck stop inWest Stockbridge, Massachusetts.^[29] An outbreak sequence consisting of several tornado families hit mainly Kansas andNebraska on September 24–26, with three deaths and almost 60 injuries.^[16][29] At the end of the year, on December 20,Dade County, Florida, experienced one of its most damaging tornadoes to date when an F2 tornado passed through farmland nearHomestead, with $800,000 in contemporary losses.^[30] In the United States, 1973 was the most active tornado year up to that time, with over 1,100 confirmed tornadoes.^[10][16] Tornadoes killed 89 people nationwide, which exceeded the annual average of about 60,^[2] and there were almost 2,400 injuries.^[16] Greg Carbin of the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), upon examining data maintained, concluded that strong El Niño events—as measured by themultivariate ENSO index—may foster better conditions for more tornadoes.^[31]

33 tornadoes were confirmed in January in the United States.

A large and violent but short-livedtornado caused at least 63 direct deaths and 350 injuries as it devastated the town ofSan Justo inSanta Fe Province,Argentina.^[18] The tornado, which traversed the west side of the town, headed south-southwest for about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) before dissipating, produced peak winds in excess of 261 mph (420 km/h), and attained a peak width of over 300 m (330 yd), leaving over 2000 people homeless.^[32] The tornado affected 500 homes in its path,^[18] many of which were leveled or severely damaged, along with a hotel and a car dealership.^[32] A press report indicated that numerous homes were swept clean from their concrete foundations. Reportedly, the tornado hurled dozens of vehicles like "ping-pong balls,"^[32] including an occupied car that flew 30 ft (9.1 m) through the air, with four fatalities from single family being later found hanged on trees.^[18] Several vehicles were thrown for at least 200 m (220 yd) and mangled beyond recognition. One vehicle was lofted 50 m (55 yd) above the ground and "disintegrated"; its motor was later found embedded in a concrete wall about 100 m (110 yd) away.^[32] Additionally, a 10 t (22,000 lb) tractor was found in a wooded area 500 m (550 yd) from its origin,^[32] and immense trees were torn from the ground and thrown.^[18] Furthermore, grass was reportedly ripped from the ground and a pond outside of town was sucked dry. The tornado, which was officially rated F5 in 2017,^[33] was the most violent ever reported in Argentina and Southern Hemisphere, and caused great economic loss. The economic cost of this disaster was about $60,000.^[34]

An outbreak of 10 tornadoes largely affected the Mississippi Valley on January 18, though scattered activity occurred as far west as the town ofSeminole in Oklahoma,^[16] where an F2 tornado damaged several structures, vehicles, and electrical wires, injuring four people mildly, as well as toppling trees.^[35][36] There was one deadly tornado in the outbreak: an F3 that touched down nearCorey, Louisiana, inCaldwell Parish, and lofted a poorly built tenant home for 100yards (91 m), causing the death of a young woman and injuring her child and another person.^[35] The parentsupercell later continued intoRichland Parish,^[37] with a path length totaling 38miles (61.2 km).^[16] Another tornado, an F2, struckTallulah, wrecking aself-service laundry and causing roof damage to five homes, resulting in four minor injuries.^[37] The largest number of injuries in a single tornado on January 18 occurred inMississippi, where an F2 nearStallo flipped trailers and a business, both of which shattered, injuring eight people. Two of the injured were hurled from the structure in which they were standing.^[38] In all, the entire outbreak spawned tornadoes as far north as southernIllinois, injured 20 people, and killed one.^[16]

A localized outbreak of mostly weak tornadoes affected parts ofCentral andNortheast Texas on January 20–21.^[16] Around mid-afternoon on January 20, an F2 tornado developed nearBullard inSmith County, injuring one person and damaging crops.^[39] Early on January 21, shortly after midnight CST, another F2 tornado struck the community ofJames inShelby County, badly damaging several homes, with three injuries.^[38] On January 21–22, the storm system that produced the outbreak headed east, generating additional tornadoes over theFlorida Panhandle and Central Florida.^[16] On January 21, an F0 tornado nearPensacola caused slight damage to an awning on a mobile home. The next day, an F1 tornado that struckLithia wrecked several trailers, causing eight injuries.^[40] In all, the entire outbreak produced 17 tornadoes and 12 injuries.^[16]

Central Florida experienced a small but significant tornado outbreak^{[nb 5]} on January 28.^[16] The most destructive of the four tornadoes on this day struck theKissimmee andOrlando areas.^[38][43] An F2 tornado affected Campbell and the Idora Park section of Kissimmee, causing significant damage to about 300 homes, with seven injuries.^[38] Another F2 tornado struck the southwestern side of Orlando, where it removed the roof and wrecked several units of a multi-story apartment complex. The tornado damaged almost 230 homes and businesses, along with numerous vehicles, leaving hundreds of residents homeless and 16^[16] (possibly 25) injured.^[38] An F1 tornado damaged mobile homes nearDade City, injuring one person, and an F2 tornado snapped anairway beacon at theTitusville–Cocoa Airport, where it also damaged anairport terminal.^[43] The entire outbreak injured 24 people.^[16]

10 tornadoes were reported in February in the United States.^[16]

80 tornadoes were reported in March in the United States.^[16]

A relatively small but deadly tornado outbreak mainly affectedTexas during the overnight period of March 9–10, though other tornadoes from the same storm system struckMississippi,Arkansas, andWisconsin on March 10–11.^[16] Shortly before daybreak on March 10, the deadliest tornado of the outbreak, a violent F4, caused six deaths and 77 injuries in and nearHubbard, Texas, with severe destruction in the town itself, which lost about half of itsbusiness district and one-third of the remainder of town.^[38] Also in Texas, an F2 tornado killed one person and injured seven nearGrape Creek, where it wrecked mobile homes.^[38] Another tornado in Texas, an F3, affected about 200 homes and businesses, many of which were razed, in the town ofBurnet, with 40 injuries.^[38] Yet another F3 tornado in the state injured three people as it leveled barns and farmhouses nearPottsboro, where it also moved objects for distances ranging from 100 yd (91 m) to a mile.^[38] Altogether, the tornadoes from the entire severe weather event killed seven people and injured 132.^[16]

A minor tornado outbreak produced several significant tornadoes acrossOklahoma,Kansas,Texas, andMissouri.^[16] An F2 tornado that formed nearGeronimo, Oklahoma, was responsible for most of the injuries on this day as it damaged mobile homes and roofs, injuring five people.^[44] Another F2 tornado developed nearPonca City and lifted nearAtlanta, Kansas, causing severe damage to many barns and homes.Downbursts accompanied the tornado, and the combined effects caused $1 million in losses.^[38] Yet a third F2 tornado touched down nearBranson in Missouri and leveled several trailers adjourningTable Rock Lake, with four injuries. It also submerged many boats near the shoreline.^[45] The large-scale weather system that spawned the outbreak headed east, producing a brief but damaging F2 tornado on March 15 nearTaft, Tennessee, that damaged trees, a manufacturer, and several homes, with three injuries. One person died at the manufacturer as its roof was lifted off, crushing a security guard.^[46] During the severe weather event, 17 tornadoes touched down, one person died, and 14 people were injured.^[16]

A progressive outbreak sequence affected theSoutheastern U.S. on March 16–17. On March 16, activity occurred in Alabama andGeorgia.^[16] An F2 tornado affectedHelena in Alabama, with extensive damage to several mobile homes and a commercial center. Five injuries, none of which was life-threatening, occurred.^[47] In Georgia, another F2 tornado hit theResaca area, where severe damage was reported to structures and a vehicle was overturned. Five people were injured there as well.^[48] On March 17, five tornadoes struck Central Florida, including two F2 events, with one injury. The entire outbreak sequence caused 12 injuries but no fatalities.^[16]

A minor tornado outbreak commenced on March 23, with additional tornadoes the following day. It affectedTexas,Louisiana, andOklahoma, but did not produce any deaths or injuries.^[16] The most significant tornado was an F2 that tracked for about 25 mi (40.2 km) across northern Texas, nearRoaring Springs.^[49]

A small but significant tornado outbreak on March 31 produced its most severe damage in Georgia and South Carolina, though other tornadoes struckMissouri andIllinois. An extremely destructive, long-tracked tornado caused the costliest natural disaster inGeorgia history up to that time,^[22] though officially it only produced F2 damage.^[16] A survey by Ted Fujita concluded that the tornado produced F4 damage and was two distinct events in a family, not a single tornado.^[24] At least two people died and 100 were injured in Georgia, mainly nearConyers andAthens, though Grazulis mentioned a third death that is not officially documented.^[50] An F4 tornado killed seven people, mostly in a motel, in theCalhoun Falls–Abbeville area of South Carolina, where it affected well over 100 homes and injured 30 people.^[22] At the time, Fujita assigned an F5 rating to the tornado in South Carolina, but it was later downgraded to F4.^[24]

150 tornadoes were reported in April in the United States.^[16]

Two F3 tornadoes touched down in theLake Charles area, injuring one person.^[51]

One of the deadliest tornadoes to strikeBangladesh leveled large swaths ofBalur Char and other locations in theManikganj District. At least 681 fatalities occurred, though unverifiable estimates exceeded 1,000.^[52] Reportedly, observers witnessed twin funnels that combined to form a single, large tornado. At least eight villages were nearly obliterated as the tornado tracked near theKaliganga River.^[52] The tornado is believed to have been "violent" (at least F4 in intensity).^[52]

An expansive, major tornado outbreak sequence spawned 68 tornadoes, including 38 significant events, on April 19–21. Tornadoes affected the states ofArkansas,Tennessee,Kansas,Missouri,Kentucky,South Dakota,Iowa,Illinois,North Dakota, andOklahoma.^[16] On April 19, an F3 tornado struckBatesville in Arkansas, where structures were dislodged from their foundations or sustained collapse of their walls. 18 injuries occurred in town.^[22] Early on April 20, another F3 tornado struck theAda area in Oklahoma, damaging about 500 structures and several aircraft. Numerous homes and a trailer park were razed, leaving 21 people injured.^[53] Later that morning, yet another F3 tornado hit nearHarrison, Arkansas, where one fatality occurred and many homes disintegrated, with 19 injuries.^[53] An F2 tornado flattened barns and trailers nearSedalia, Missouri, dispersing debris for a few miles and injuring eight^[16] (possibly 13) people.^[54] Six injuries^[16] (possibly 12) occurred in an F3 tornado nearLockwood that leveled some homes and lofted debris for up to 35 mi (56.3 km).^[54] The strongest tornado of the day attained F4 intensity nearLa Plata, where one home disintegrated and was swept from its foundation, causing one death. Three injuries occurred as well.^[53] Two other F4 tornadoes struck Missouri on April 19 and 21, respectively.^[16] On the latter date, an F2 tornado in theParnell–Holbrook area in Iowa struck 25 farms in its path, tearing off roofs, leveling several barns, and causing one home to slide and buckle.^[25] The tornado injured six^[16] (possibly only one) people.^[25] In all, the entire outbreak sequence killed two people and injured 106.^[16]

A small outbreak of tornadoes mainly impacted Texas and Arkansas on April 23–24, with additional tornadoes farther east on April 25.^[16] On April 23, a brief tornado traveled 2.5 mi (4.0 km) throughCleburne, Texas, producing F3-level damage as roofs were removed. Three people were injured in Cleburne.^[25] Just before dawn on April 24, another F2 tornado caused extensive damage to parts ofTexarkana, injuring eight people and producing losses of nearly $2 million in 1973 U.S. dollars.^[25] Later that morning, a third F2 tornado struck a school inSumner, Mississippi, leveling temporary structures and injuring 42 people.^[25] Minor tornadoes struck Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia on April 25. The entire severe weather event injured 59 people.^[16]

Another small outbreak on April 26–27 spawned tornadoes mostly along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida, with isolated tornadoes elsewhere.^[16] On April 26, an F3 tornado struck a lumberyard nearBaton Rouge, Louisiana, producing extensive damage to the area.^[55] An F1 tornado injured six people nearPanama City Beach, Florida.^[16] A deadly F2 tornado struck theBurbage Crossroads area inNorth Carolina on April 27, killing one person and injuring another.^[25] The entire severe weather event caused one fatality and nine injuries.^[16]

A localized outbreak sequence—concentrated over Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas—occurred on April 30–May 1.^[16] An F2 tornado struck the outskirts ofWhite Deer, Texas, tearing roofs from homes and flattening many trailers, with three injuries.^[25] A separate F2 tornado damaged several structures, including acafé, as it passed over part of theGreat Salt Plains Lake and tracked nearMedford in Oklahoma, inflicting six injuries.^[25] On May 1, a low-end F2 tornado hitSiloam Springs, Arkansas, toppling several structures, including abroiler facility, and causing four injuries in the area.^[25] Later that day, the strongest tornado of the outbreak sequence produced F3 damage nearKahoka, Missouri, where it removed most walls from a home, killed two people in mobile homes, and injured 20.^[25] The outbreak sequence injured 33 people.^[16]

250 tornadoes were reported in May in the United States.^[56]

An extensive tornado outbreak sequence on May 6–8 produced tornadoes from theHigh Plains to theSoutheast.^[16] On May 6, an F2 tornado in easternColorado caused five injuries, one of which was severe, as it wrecked and tossed a mobile home for 150 yd (140 m).^[25] Later that day, the only F5 tornado of the year in the U.S. touched down nearValley Mills, Texas, leveling a few barns, with only scant debris left on the foundations. Engineers assigned an F5 rating, however, based on the lofting of a pickup truck for .5 mi (0.8 km). There were no casualties, making this the only F5/EF5 tornado in the US to not cause any casualties.^[25] The next day, May 7, an F3 tornado affected the vicinity ofPoplar Bluff, Missouri, where it tipped over boxcars, flattened a barn, and turned a home that stayed on its foundation. Seven injuries occurred.^[25] On May 8, a long-tracked F2 tornado traveled almost 30 mi (48.3 km) through theGuntersville–Rainsville area inAlabama, damaging or destroying numerous structures, killing two people, and injuring 12.^[25] The entire outbreak sequence produced 47 tornadoes, killing two, and injuring 41.^[16][57]

A deadly tornado outbreak affected the state ofOhio on May 10, though tornado activity began as early as May 9 inMinnesota.^[16]

A massive outbreak sequence produced 145 tornadoes, including four violent tornadoes. On May 24, a well-documented F4 tornado killed two and injured four inUnion City, Oklahoma. On May 26, a tornado was captured on time-lapse as it spun on the southwest edge of the storm west ofWichita, Kansas. The tornado would cause F3 damage to three homes north of Goddard. Three people were killed when a F1 tornado picked up a 19-foot boat and threw it back in the water before uprooting trees at shore in Cheney Reservoir. A F4 tornado damaged 75% of Keefeton, Oklahoma and tossed a pickup truck where all four occupants died. That same day, another long-tracked F4 tornado inNortheastern Arkansas killed three and injured 289. One more disastrous, long-tracked F4 tornado occurred the next day inCentral Alabama south ofBirmingham, Alabama, killing seven and injuring 199 (208 according to Grazulis). A F3 tornado (part of the tornado family originating from Walton County) struck northern Athens, Georgia with one fatality and 65 injuries. In the end, the tornadoes caused 24 fatalities and 820 injuries.^[58]

224 tornadoes were reported in June in the United States.^[59]

80 tornadoes were reported in July in the United States.^[60]

51 tornadoes were reported in August in the United States.^[61]

At approximately 1 p.m. (EDT), an F4 tornado touched down inCanaan, New York and moved in a south-southeast direction across theMassachusetts state line into the town ofWest Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It caused significant damage to the Berkshire Farm for Boys in Canaan then “obliterated” nearly every house in its path in West Stockbridge. Finally, it leveled the Berkshire Truck Stop onMassachusetts Route 102 near theMassachusetts Turnpike, overturning and throwing trucks and cars and ripping gas pumps out of their stands. When it was over, four people had been killed (including three at the truck stop), 36 were injured, and approximately $25 million ($148 million, 2021 USD) in damage had been done.

69 tornadoes were reported in September in the United States.^[62]

The outbreak starts with a high end F3 tornado that hitFredonia, Kansas where six homes were destroyed while 36 others were damaged, a near-F4 damage was recorded in a farm house, six were injured by this tornado. A F3 tornado struckVinita, Oklahoma where eight farms sustained damage, seven homes were unroofed or destroyed while other homes were damaged and a car was thrown and rolled 150 yards, 14 were injured by this tornado. A F2 tornado destroyed three homes and outbuildings on five farms nearXenia, Kansas. The next day features a complex tornado family that causes minor to significant damage in Bennington, Kansas (two injuries) and Hanover, Kansas before moving to Nebraska and tore apart many farms with one of them sustaining high end F4 (near-F5) damage, 10 were injured by this tornado family and the tornado family left 2 million dollar losses in damage. A widely visible intense (F3) tornado destroyed dozens of barns in Saline County, Kansas before moving through the south edge ofSalina where it destroyed two homes and destroying many trailers in a trailer park before moving to New Cambria where homes were torn apart or unroofed with two injuries, the tornado left no deaths and six injuries (four in a trailer park while two others in New Cambria). The first deadly tornado on that day was a F3 tornado (officially listed as single tornado although Grazulis listed it as separate event which was related to the previous event) that struckNiles, Kansas where eight homes were torn apart with three destroyed at F3 intensity, most of the damage done by this tornado were from the huge steel grain bins that were hurled to the town. One was killed and two others were injured. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak was what was officially listed as two long tracked tornadoes (listed as a family of eight or more tornadoes by Grazulis) that hitClay Center, Kansas where many homes suffered significant damage with some destroyed at F3 intensity while damaging hospital, 22 were injured in Clay Center before the tornado moved toGreenleaf where every homes and businesses were either damaged or destroyed, two were killed and. This tornado or another related tornado struck Hanover about two hours after the earlier tornado. The outbreak ends with a F2 tornado that destroyed a barn inUnion, Nebraska. In the end, the outbreak spawned eight tornadoes while leaving three deaths and 66 injuries

25 tornadoes were reported in October in the United States.^[63]

81 tornadoes were reported in November in the United States.^[64]

49 tornadoes were reported in December in the United States.^[65]

An F4 tornado killed two people inGreenwood, South Carolina. Three F3s and two F2s were also associated with the outbreak.^[66]

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