Tornadoes of 2004

A house that was destroyed bythe largest tornado of the year inHallam, Nebraska on May 22.
Timespan	January 17 – December 22, 2004
Maximum rated tornado	F4 tornado Harper, Kansas on May 12 Hallam, Nebraska on May 22 Bethany, Missouri on May 29 Roanoke, Illinois on July 13 Marion, North Dakota on July 18
Tornadoes in U.S.	1,817[1] (Record highest)
Damage (U.S.)	$552.3 million
Fatalities (U.S.)	35[2]
Fatalities (worldwide)	≥212
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

This page documents notabletornadoes andtornado outbreaks worldwide in2004. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in theUnited States,Bangladesh, andEastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southernCanada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year acrossEurope,Asia, andAustralia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms ofsevere weather, including strongthunderstorms, strong winds, andhail.

The United States recorded more tornadoes during this year than any other year on record, with 1,817 touching down across the country.

Fatal United States tornadoes in 2004

class=notpageimage| Approximate touchdown location of killer tornadoes in 2004

Summary of tornadoes[3] April 20 –Illinois (8 deaths) May 22 –Nebraska (1 death) May 24 –Illinois (1 death) May 29 –Missouri (3 deaths) May 30 –Indiana (1 death) May 30 –Missouri (1 death) June 23 – Wisconsin (1 death) June 26 – Texas (1 death) August 13 – North Carolina (3 deaths) September 15 –Florida (1 death) September 15 –Florida (1 death) September 15 –Florida (4 deaths) September 16 –Georgia (1 death) September 27 – South Carolina (1 death) October 18 – Missouri (3 deaths) November 23 –Texas (1 death) November 23 –Louisiana (1 death) November 24 – Mississippi (1 death) November 24 – Alabama (1 death) Total fatalities: 35

3 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.

9 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.

6 tornadoes touched down on February 5, with the strongest being an F2, with a well-constructed home having visible damages on its roof. Hundreds of trees were uprooted or snapped, including 12" pine and cedar trees, with a large tree falling on a house. A fence was flattened and a small barn was demolished. Other tornadoes include 2 tornadoes that produced no damage, and 2 F1 tornadoes that uprooted several trees, causing minor roof damage, and destroyed a utility shed. One tornado produced minor tree damage inMeadville toGeorgetown, Mississippi.^[4]

46 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.

On March 4, a large storm system produced 29 tornadoes acrossTexas into parts ofOklahoma. In addition to the tornadoes, heavy rain caused flooding in the Plains and an unusual derecho produced heavy damage, primarily in Texas.

125 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.

A strong F2 (possibly F3) tornado struck the towns of Velikaya Kostromka and Pervoye-Maya inUkraine on April 7, killing one person and damaging or destroying 130 homes.^[5]

A powerful tornado struck portions of North-CentralBangladesh, killing 111 and injuring nearly 1,500 others, making it the deadliest tornado worldwide of the year.^[6]

A powerful tornado struck the town ofUtica, Illinois. It was part of an outbreak of 30 tornadoes that formed in easternIowa, northernIllinois, and northernIndiana in a short period of time. The Utica tornado caused the only fatalities. Another tornado struck the city ofJoliet, Illinois, causingUS$5 million in damage to the historic district in town.

Seven people were killed and 207 injured by a tornado that appeared on the evening of April 21 inHengyang, Hunan, China.^[7][8] 700 farmers were left homeless by the tornado, according toChina Daily.^[8]

509 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.

Two people were killed by a tornado inHuilai County,China.^[9] The tornado appeared shortly after noon, with wind speeds reaching up 49.4 m/s (110.5 mi/hr) and causing serious damage to several hundred homes.^[10]

The same storm system responsible for a small tornado outbreak and notable F2 tornado nearAttica,^[11][12] was also responsible for a nighttime high-end F4 tornado that passed near the town ofHarper.^{[13][14][15][16]} The rating, however, is a source of controversy.^[17][18][19] At peak intensity, it completely erased a well-built, two-story farmhouse and scoured away top of basement walls in the process.^[20] Complete tree and shrub debarking, as well as deep ground scouring occurred within this tornado. Vehicles and farm equipment were mangled beyond recognition or torn apart and thrown long distances. Five barns adjacent to the farmhouse were also cleanly swept away. The reason for the F4 rating was that the tornado was very slow-moving, which may have added to the extent of the damage, despite the home was anchor-bolted to its foundation.^[21] A family survived the tornado underground in their basement, the family dog however was killed.^[22]

TheHallam, Nebraska, tornado on May 22 was the widest tornado ever recorded at the time at 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in diameter. The F4 tornado caused one death and 37 injuries in the city of Hallam. It was later surpassed by amassive 2.6 mile (4.2 km) wide twister that occurred nearEl Reno, Oklahoma, on May 31, 2013. That tornado killed 8 people, including 4 storm chasers.

Beginning on May 29, after theStorm Prediction Center issued ahigh risk for severe weather, 149 tornadoes were confirmed in 32 hours, killing five people. The Memorial Day Weekend outbreak is considered to be one of the most prolific in US history in terms of the number of tornadoes.

268 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.

One June 1, at least 11 tornadoes touched down in Russia, including a high-end F3 that damaged or destroyed 342 homes.^[5]

Several tornadoes touched down across northern Germany, the Czech Republic, and Hungary on June 9. At 14:30 UTC, an F3 tornado struckLitovel, injuring five people. A T4/F2 tornado injured one person inLower Saxony, and another F2 tornado struckBudapest.^[5]

The first day of the three-day tornado outbreak saw several weak tornadoes across Illinois, South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. One of these tornadoes are well documented by several chasers and this tornado damaged a farmstead, destroying two trailers while leaving one slightly damaged, injuring two in an overturned vehicle pulling an U-haul trailer, overturning a center pivot irrigation and unroofing couple of outbuildings inChappell, Nebraska.^[23][24]

A small tornado outbreak began across theMidwestern United States on June 11, mainly inIowa andWisconsin. Most of the tornadoes that occurred this day were weak, being rated F0 or F1. However, a few strong tornadoes did touch down, the most significant being an F3 tornado that caused deep ground scouring and destroyed a home nearLe Roy, Minnesota. Another F3 tornado touched down from Buena Vista County, Iowa before moving towards Clay County, Iowa where it destroyed an iron bridge while damaging many crops as it raised a large debris cloud.^[25][26] A strong tornado developed in rural area of Mitchell County, Texas after sunset where it rolled a Ford Expedition at a considerable distance and destroyed eight trailers near the end of its life cycle, three motorists would be injured by this tornado.^[27] The next day would bring more tornadoes, this time mostly toKansas. The first tornado was reported nearBelle Plaine, which was rated F0. After the first tornado lifted, the same supercell produced another tornado, which would go on to impact structures nearMulvane. This F3 tornado directly hit an anchor-bolted frame house and completely swept it away. Cars from the garage were thrown over1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) and mangled beyond recognition or crumpled into balls. Two inhabitants survived this tornado under the staircase in the basement.^[28][29][30] After the Mulvane tornado dissipated, another photogenic tornado touched down nearRock and was rated F0. This supercell would go on to produce several more tornadoes, all of which were rated F0.^[29]

The last day of the outbreak brought several weak tornadoes across Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio and Tennessee. A large supercell spawned five weak tornadoes with twin F0 tornadoes that occurred in Lancaster County where both tornadoes would did some damage to trees and outbuildings.^[31][32] Overall, 46 tornadoes touched down during this outbreak.^[33][34]

On June 18, another F3 tornado touched down inRussia, injuring seven people.^[5]

A severe F3 tornado hit the Saxony-Anhaltian villages of Micheln and Trebbichau. Both villages have suffered from damages.^[35]

On June 23, two large F3 tornadoes hit the county ofGreen Lake.

124 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.^[36]

InPoland, a tornado touched down inWiktorów andBorzęcin nearWarsaw. 21 houses were damaged. One 36-year-old man lost his life after he was lifted off the ground by the tornado.^[37] An F2 tornado struckJelonka andKleszczele nearDubicze Cerkiewne, Podlaskie Voivodeship. 200 buildings were damaged.Skywarn Polska

On July 13, a large, violent F4 tornado struckRoanoke, Illinois, destroying the Parsons Manufacturing Plant and some civilian residences. Despite the extensive damage along its 9.6 miles (15.4 km) path of destruction, well advanced warning of the storm's approach led to only a few minor injuries and no fatalities. Three other F0 tornadoes were confirmed on this day as well.^[36]

On July 14, a large storm system passed over theNortheastern United States. It produced several severe storms, and numerous tornadoes. The worst destruction was inCampbelltown, Pennsylvania, where 272 properties were damaged or destroyed by an F3 tornado that struck the town around 3:00 PM.^[36]

On July 18, a small tornado outbreak struck North Dakota. The most powerful tornado was a high-end F4 that struck the town of Marion. Though there were no fatalities or injuries, this tornado is considered to be one of the strongest tornadoes of the 2000s.^[36] The rating is a source of controversy.

179 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S., setting a new record high for August.

On August 11, a waterspout moved onshore inHouat,France, damaging the harbor and village. One person was killed after being lifted off the ground by the tornado and falling on rocks while twelve others were injured.^[5]

The second storm of the2004 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Bonnie caused minor damage while spawning several tornadoes when it made landfall several hours beforeHurricane Charley. It spawned a tornado inPender County,North Carolina, killing 3 and causing $1.27 million in damage. An F0 tornado also moved through NorthwesternJacksonville.

Hurricane Charley caused major damage along theFlorida coast and the Mid-Atlantic while spawning several tornadoes including an F2 tornado.

A destructive and deadly early-morning tornado struck Motunui, near the town ofWaitara, in theTaranaki region ofNew Zealand. A farmhouse along Epiha Road was demolished. The four sleeping occupants were tossed from the property into nearby fields, with debris scattered up to 400 m away. Two of the occupants were killed, while the two others suffered serious injuries. 70 head of livestock were also killed. The roof of another farmhouse and a glass house were damaged by the tornado. Several power lines were taken out, with roughly 1,200 homes losing power. The tornado traveled for roughly 10 km and was 20 m wide. It was assessed as F3 on the Fujita scale, and remains the strongest on record in New Zealand.^[38]

Exceptional tornado activity took place in September, with 297 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. This set a monthly record for September, and more than doubled the previous record of139 set in 1967. This mainly had to do with three very large outbreaks directly tied to tropical cyclones during the2004 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Hurricane Frances produced the third-highest number of tornadoes spawned by a single tropical cyclone. At the time of the outbreak, it was the second highest but was surpassed byHurricane Ivan later that month.

Hurricane Ivan produced the highest number of tornadoes from a single tropical cyclone on record. During the storm's 3.5-day outbreak, 120 tornadoes touched down over eight states. The outbreak killed nine people, six of which were inFlorida and four were from a single tornado.

Hurricane Jeanne was the final hurricane to strike the U.S. during the2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It spawned several tornadoes upon and after its landfall. An F2 tornado killed one person and injured thirteen north ofRidgeway, South Carolina on September 27.^[39]

79 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.

For these two days, a series of 49 tornadoes struck 28 counties in the U.S. across 6 states (Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois). One F2 tornado in Saline County, Arkansas resulted in 11 injuries and another F2 tornado in Pemiscot County, Missouri resulted in 3 deaths and 7 injuries. A total of 3 deaths and 30 injuries were reported for this two-day outbreak.^[40]

150 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.

Several powerful tornadoes struck southernSicily and northernTunisia on November 12 and 13. The strongest was a high-end F3multiple-vortex tornado that touched down nearScicli on November 12 which inflicted roughly €25 million (US$32.4 million) in damage. Another tornado, rated F2, began just offshoreDonnalucata before moving inland. The following day, a long-tracked F2 tornado struck several towns in northern Tunisia, most notablyKelibia,El Haouaria, andHammamet, killing 9–12 people and injuring 60–73 others.^[5][41] Three homes were completely destroyed by the tornado while many others sustained varying degrees of damage. Significant agricultural damage as well as loss of livestock also resulted from the storm.^[42] A third F2 touched down nearRakkada and injured 21 people.^[5] In light of the damage in Tunisia, theTunisian Red Crescent society assisted approximately 200 affected persons with recovery funds and supplies.^[42]

In late November, a significant three-day outbreak of tornadoes took place across theSouthern United States. The outbreak began on the 22nd, producing six F0 tornadoes inLouisiana andTexas, three of which occurred in theHouston area. The tornadoes caused minimal damage and no injuries.^[43]

Tornado activity continued in the same general area on the 23rd. Early on, most of the touchdowns were weak, though an F2 tornado nearKountze, Texas damaged between 10 and 20 houses and killed a woman when trees crushed her mobile home.^[44] Several other tornadoes occurred in Texas throughout the afternoon, and soon began touch down in Louisiana as well. An F2 tornado struck the town ofHutton, damaging about 15 houses and injuring three people. Further north, an F3 tornado touched down and ripped directly through the town ofOlla, where major damage occurred. A high school in town sustained significant damage, along with 106 homes. Some of the homes only had interior rooms left. A pickup truck outside of town was thrown 200 feet, and in the nearby town ofStandard, four homes and a store were destroyed. Overall, the tornado killed one person and injured 20 others.^[45] Another F3 touched down nearFayette, Mississippi, destroying a steel-frame shed, damaging several homes, and flattening large swaths of trees.^[46]

Vigorous tornado activity continued on the 24th, mainly acrossMississippi andAlabama. However, an F2 tornado tore through the northwest side ofSlidell, Louisiana, damaging 152 homes in a single subdivision and injuring four people. Numerous tornadoes touched down inMississippi, with the strongest being an F3 tornado that passed nearNoxapater. The tornado downed hundreds of trees, tossed vehicles, and destroyed chicken houses. A house was completely destroyed, resulting in a fatality and two injuries.^[47] In Alabama, a large F2 tracked acrossAutauga,Chilton, andCoosa Counties. The tornado struck theCooper community, resulting in major structural damage.^[48] Another F2 tornado touched down and struck theTalladega Superspeedway, where two concession stands within the infield area of the race track had their roofs blown off. The Bush Garage area received building damage and the garage doors were bowed out. Debris was scattered between the garage area and Victory Lane. One digital leaderboard was completely destroyed and another one sustained major damage. The tornado continued east throughEastaboga, where two homes suffered major roof damage, two porches were destroyed, and many trees were blown down. The tornado then struckBynum where downed trees heavily damaged two mobile homes, with a 75-year-old woman being killed in one of them. The tornado then caused roof and structural damage inSouthern Anniston before dissipating.^[49] Overall, the outbreak produced 104 tornadoes and killed four people.^[50]

26 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.

A small tornado outbreak took place in the Deep South on the evening of December 6 and early on the December 7.

This was the last tornado outbreak of 2004, with 16 tornadoes reported.

Three tornadoes were reported in California.

• Weather of 2004
• Tornado
  • Tornadoes by year
  • Tornado records
  • Tornado climatology
  • Tornado myths
• List of tornado outbreaks
  • List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
  • List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes
  • List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of 21st-century Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks in Asia
  • List of Southern Hemisphere tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
  • List of tornadoes with confirmed satellite tornadoes
• Tornado intensity
  • Fujita scale
  • Enhanced Fujita scale
  • International Fujita scale
  • TORRO scale

General

• Coppola, Damon P. (2011).Introduction to International Disaster Management (2 ed.). Burlington, Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heinemann.ISBN 978-0-12-382174-4.

Specific

• Monthly Tornado Stats (SPC)
• Annual Severe Weather Report Summary 2004 (SPC)
• Tornado project tornadoes of 2004
• Storm Data "2004 Annual Summaries" (NCDC)

• Tornadoes of 2004
• 2004 meteorology
• Tornado-related lists by year
• 2004-related lists

• CS1 Chinese-language sources (zh)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles using infobox templates with no data rows