These are some notabletornadoes,tornado outbreaks, andtornado outbreak sequences that have occurred inNorth America.
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.
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 severalBritish 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 inNew Hampshire. | ||
| 1835 Middlesex County 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-dayDes Plaines, Illinois. Erroneously thought for a long time to have taken place inJefferson Township, before research corrected the tornado's location.[5] | ||
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1860s | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ortornado family that struckCamanche, Iowa. (7 violent, 6 killer) | ||
| 1865 Viroqua tornado | June 28, 1865 | Viroqua, Wisconsin | >1 | ≥22 fatalities | One of Wisconsin's first killer tornadoes. Also one of the first documentations of amultiple-vortex tornado. | ||
| Rock Island, Illinois tornado | March 16, 1868 | Rock Island, Illinois | – | 1 fatality, 3 injuries | An apparent tornado severely damaged a bridge on theMississippi River.[6][dubious –discuss] | ||
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 inGeorgia. (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) | ||
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outbreak | Dates | Region | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 1880 | April 18, 1880 | Mississippi Valley –Great Plains | ≥ 27 | ≥167 fatalities, ≥516 injuries | 99 people killed in and nearSpringfield andMarshfield, Missouri. Three long-tracked F4s in Missouri. (24 significant, 5 violent, 16 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. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of June 1881 | June 12, 1881 | Great Plains –Midwest | 7 | 15 fatalities, 112 injuries | Produced five violent tornadoes across three states, one of which was an F4 that destroyed the community ofFloral, Kansas. Another F4 that hit nearHopkins, Missouri, may have been an F5. (7 significant, 5 violent, 4 killer) | ||
| 1881 Minnesota tornado outbreak | July 15–16, 1881 | Minnesota | ≥ 6 | 24 fatalities, ≥123 injuries | Produced a destructive F4 (possibly F5) tornado inNew 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. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 21–23, 1883 | April 21–23, 1883 | Southeastern United States | ≥ 29 | ≥122 fatalities, ≥771 injuries | Produced several killer F3+ tornadoes in Iowa, Mississippi, and Georgia. (20 significant, 4 violent, 17 killer) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of May 1883 | 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 theMayo Clinic.[7] | ||
| 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 throughAlabama andGeorgia, killing 30 people. Another F4—the deadliest in North Carolina history—hitRockingham, North Carolina, and killed 23. (≥37 significant, 4 violent, ≥27 killer) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of March 1884 | 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. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of August 28, 1884 | August 28, 1884 | Dakota Territory (nowSouth Dakota) | ≥ 6 | ≥7 fatalities ≥2 injuries | One of the oldest known tornado photographs.[1][8] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 1885 | April 1885 | Texas | - | 60 fatalities 4 injuries | One tornado struckWaco. | ||
| 1885 Philadelphia/Camden tornado | August 3, 1885 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania –Camden, New Jersey | - | ≥7 fatalities ≥8-10 injuries | An estimated F3 tornado devastated Philadelphia and itsNew Jersey suburb of Camden. A ferry boat and steamboat on theDelaware 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 St. Cloud–Sauk Rapids tornado outbreak | April 14, 1886 | Central Minnesota | ≥ 18 | ≥87 fatalities, ≥324 injuries | The St. Cloud-Sauk Rapids tornado remains the deadliest tornado in Minnesota history. Estimated to have been an F4. Other tornadoes were reported in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. | ||
| 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] | |||
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ofNanticoke 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] | ||
| 1891 Missouri tornado | May 20, 1891 | Missouri | 1 | 3-12 fatalities | The tornado was first reported touching down nearSturgeon before moving eastward where it struck several homes. One house was completely leveled with no survivors.[12][13] The storm continued on where it struck another house killing all of its occupants and then later struck a jail and several farms resulting in eleven more fatalities before continuing eastward before dissipating.[13] During its 35 miles (56 km) path, the storm left up to twelve fatalities and $15,000 (1891 USD) in damage.[12] | ||
| Southern Minnesota tornadoes of June 15, 1892 | June 15, 1892 | Minnesota | 3 | 12 fatalities, 76 injuries | Yielded an estimated F5 tornado that obliterated entire farms. (3 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer) | ||
| 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 inIreton-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 ofWoodhaven,Union Course, andOzone Park.[14] | ||
| Tornado outbreak sequence of May 1896 | May 24–28, 1896 | Central and Eastern United States, Canada (Ontario) | ≥ 26 | ≥ 388 fatalities, ≥ 1,490 injuries | The deadliest tornado outbreak sequence in American history. Killer tornadoes touched down fromIowa toPennsylvania. Produced an F5 and several F4s, including an F4 that killed at least 255 people and injured 1,000 in Greater St. Louis. (25 significant, 7 violent, 15 killer) | ||
| Fort Smith, Arkansas, tornadoes of January 11, 1898 | January 11, 1898 | Lower Mississippi Valley | ≥ 5 | ≥56 fatalities, ≥119 injuries | Devastating F4 tornado struckFort Smith. (3 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
| May 1898 Mississippi Valley tornado outbreaks | May 17–18, 1898 | Middle-Upper Mississippi Valley | – | 55 fatalities, ≥380 injuries | InSalix, Iowa, on June 11, an estimated F5 tornado struck and impacted several farms. InMarathon 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 ofNew Richmond, Wisconsin. Deadliest Wisconsin tornado on record, ninth deadliest in US history. | ||
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1900–1909 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of November 20–21, 1900 | November 20–21, 1900 | Southeastern United States | – | ≥97 fatalities, >388 injuries | The deadliest November tornado outbreak to date in United States history killed at least 97 people across the Southeastern United States. A long-lived family of tornadoes, the strongest of which was rated F4, killed at least 42 people inMississippi andTennessee, including 11 nearStrayhorn, Mississippi, and 15 on plantations inTunica County, Mississippi. Another F4 tornado devastated the west side ofColumbia, Tennessee, killing 27 people. (12 significant, 2 violent, 7 killer) | ||
| 1902 Goliad, Texas tornado | May 18, 1902 | South Central U.S. | – | 114 fatalities, ≥279 injuries | Tied with theWaco 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 throughTrenton, 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."[15][16] | ||
| 1904 Moundville, Alabama tornado | January 22, 1904 | Hale/Tuscaloosa Counties, Alabama | 1 | 36 fatalities, 150 injuries | A violent F4 tornado struckMoundville, 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.[17] | ||
| 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 destroyedSnyder, Oklahoma. | ||
| 1908 Dixie tornado outbreak | April 23–25, 1908 | Southeastern United States | – | 324 fatalities, ≥1,720 injuries | Tied with the2011 Super Outbreak for fourth-deadliest US tornado outbreak. Produced numerous violent tornadoes in theSouthern United States andGreat Plains, including an F5 tornado in Nebraska. One long-track tornado killed 143 people alone inLouisiana andMississippi. 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 theSouthern United States. Two tornadoes inMississippi andAlabama killed 29 each. (≥35 significant, ≥4 violent, ≥23 killer) | ||
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1910–1919 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 struckJanesville, Wisconsin, and killed nine people. Other killer tornadoes occurred inIllinois andMichigan. (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 inNorth Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, including what is now theDallas–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) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of March 13–14, 1913 | March 13–14, 1913 | Southeastern United States –Middle Mississippi Valley | ≥ 23 | ≥ 76 fatalities, ≥ 501 injuries | Produced deadly, long-tracked F3+ tornadoes in Tennessee. (21 significant, 3 violent, 17 killer) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of March 20–21, 1913 | March 20–21, 1913 | Southeastern United States | ≥ 16 | 56 fatalities, ≥ 156 injuries | Generated a violent F4 tornado that killed 27 people in Alabama. (14 significant, 1 violent, 10 killer) | ||
| 1913 Easter tornado outbreak | March 23, 1913 | Central Great Plains | ≥ 15 | ≥ 192 fatalities, ≥ 853 injuries | Produced the devastating Omaha tornado (103 deaths), among several other violent and deadly tornadoes in Nebraska. Violent tornadoes also killed numerous people in Missouri and Indiana. (14 significant, 6 violent, 7 killer) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of June 5–6, 1916 | June 5–6, 1916 | Mississippi Valley –Southern U.S. | ≥ 35 | ≥ 143 fatalities, ≥ 756 injuries | Produced numerous killer tornadoes in Arkansas, including one that killed 25 people. An F3 killed 13 people in the northern suburbs ofJackson, Mississippi. (34 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 inEast 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. | ||
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1920–1929 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 theGreat Lakes andOhio Valley, including parts of theChicago 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 andAlabama 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 inAustin 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 inHorrell Hill, South Carolina. Multiple violent killer tornadoes struck theCarolinas andGeorgia. (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) | ||
| 1925 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 ofMissouri,Illinois, andIndiana, 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 onApril 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 struckRocksprings, 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 devastatedPoplar 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 struckSt. 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 hitRockford, 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 inRye Cove, Virginia. (17 significant, 10 killer) | ||
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1930–1939 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 inFrost, 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 inBethany, 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 theSouthern 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 downtownNashville, killing 11 people. Other tornadoes touched down across theOhio 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 struckTompkinsville, Kentucky, and killed 36 people. Another F4 struck rural Tennessee and killed 35. Numerous other killer tornadoes touched down across theSouthern 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 inGeorgia and theCarolinas. An F4 tornado inCordele, 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 Rodessa, Louisiana tornado | February 17, 1938 | Mississippi Valley | 1 | 21 fatalities, (27)? injuries | An F4 tornado that destroyed a large portion of the town and left many of its victims violently dismembered. It is thought that the high death toll was caused by the rural town's lack of suitable infrastructure and use of corrugated metal. | ||
| 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 inSouth 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) | ||
| 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 inMississippi that killed 63 people. An F5 struckLacon, Illinois, killing eight people. A long-tracked F4 killed 15 people inTennessee. (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 ofWilmot, 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)[18] | ||
| 1944 Appalachians tornado outbreak | June 22–23, 1944 | Great Lakes –Mid-Atlantic | >7 | 163 fatalities, ≥1044 injuries | 100 died in a single tornado inWest Virginia, the deadliest in the state's history. Other deadly tornadoes were observed inPennsylvania andMaryland. First of two violent outbreaks in Pennsylvania, the other occurring onMay 31, 1985, with an F5 tornado hittingWheatland, Pennsylvania. (≥7 significant, 3 violent, ≥6 killers) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of February 12, 1945 | February 12, 1945 | Alabama andMississippi | 8 | 43 fatalities, 417 injuries | Included a devastating tornado that struckMontgomery, Alabama, killing 26 people. The U.S. Weather Bureau would describe this tornado as "the most officially observed one in history".[19] (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 struckAntlers, 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 ($87 million in 2024 dollars).[20] | ||
| 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 inRiver 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 tornado outbreak | 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. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of January 3, 1949 | January 3, 1949 | South-Central United States | ≥ 14 | 60+ fatalities, 504 injuries | An F4 tornado killed 55 people in and nearWarren, Arkansas. (12 significant, 1 violent, 5 killer) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 30 – May 1, 1949 | April 30 – May 1, 1949 | Central and Southern United States | ≥ 24 | 10 fatalities, 103 injuries | An F4 tornado hit the site of the futureNational Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) inNorman, Oklahoma. (18 significant, 1 violent, 6 killer) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of May 20–22, 1949 | May 20–22, 1949 | Great Plains and Midwest | ≥ 66 | 57 fatalities, 558 injuries | A massive outbreak struck the Great Plains and Midwest. (51 significant, 6 violent, 13 killer) | ||
| 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 inLouisiana,Texas,Mississippi, andArkansas. (14 significant, 1 violent, 8 killer)[21] | ||
| 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 inArkansas and a fatal F2 tornado inMississippi. An F2 tornado also struckDowntown Little Rock, Arkansas, while twin F2 tornadoes damagedDowntown Jackson, Mississippi. (12 significant, 1 killer)[22] | ||
| 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)[23] | ||
| 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 inMinnesota with all casualties coming from this storm. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[24] | ||
| 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 inWaKeeney, Kansas, while F3 tornadoes killed one and injured 50 inIllinois. (7 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer)[25] | ||
| 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)[26] | ||
| 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 inAlabama andTennessee. (8 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer)[27] | ||
| 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 inBelfast, Tennessee, an F4 tornado killed two and injured 150 inFayetteville, Tennessee, and an F3 tornado injured 12 inFort Payne, Alabama. (7 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer)[28] | ||
| 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 inArkansas. F4 tornadoes that struckJudsonia andCotton Plant killed a total of 79 people. Other F4 tornadoes struckTennessee andNorthern 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][29] | ||
| 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 ofKansas City, inflicting major damage. Some tornado experts say the tornado may have reached F5 intensity. (6 significant, 1 violent)[30] | ||
| 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 inIowa and a fatal F3 tornado inWisconsin. TheMinneapolis metro was struck by long-tracked F2 tornadoes on both outbreak days with the second one moving directly throughDowntown. (5 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer)[31] | ||
| 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 WesternNorth Texas as well as multiple strong tornadoes inArkansas. (18 significant, 1 violent, 4 killer)[32] | ||
| 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 onRobins Air Force Base. (15 significant, 5 violent, 7 killer)[33] | ||
| 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 inWaco, Texas, killing 114 people. It is tied for deadliest tornado in Texas history and the eleventh deadliest in United States. Other deadly tornadoes struckHebron, Nebraska, andSan Angelo, Texas. (17 significant, 5 violent, 6 killer)[34][35] | ||
| 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)[36] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of May 29, 1953 | May 29, 1953 | Great Plains | 9 | 2 fatalities, 22 injuries | An F5 tornado caused catastrophic damage inFort Rice,North Dakota, although the rating is disputed. It was part of a small outbreak that affected five states. (6 significant, 1 violent killer)[37] | ||
| 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 theGreat Plains andMidwestern United States. TheFlint-Beecher F5 tornado produced the last 100+ death toll for a single tornado in US history until the2011 Joplin tornado. An F4 tornado that struckWorcester, Massachusetts, killed 94 people and may have reached F5 status as well. (26 significant, 6 violent, 7 killer)[38][39] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of June 27, 1953 | June 27, 1953 | North Dakota,Iowa | 5 | 1 fatality, 5 injures | A violent F5 tornado obliterated farms east ofAnita, Iowa. It was part of small outbreak that affected two states. (3 significant, 1 violent killer)[40] | ||
| 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 struckDowntown 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 nearFort Polk andAlexandria, Louisiana. (15 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer)[41] | ||
| 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 inBentonville, Missouri, and an F4 tornado in ruralTexas County, Missouri, that killed two people. (12 significant, 1 violent killer)[42] | ||
| 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 nearWestboro, Missouri, to nearNorthboro, Iowa, injuring two people, while an F3 tornado destroyed most ofIndian Oaks, Illinois, killing one person and injuring 13 others.[43] | ||
| 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 inTexas,Arkansas, andIowa and violent tornadoes touched down in Iowa, Texas,Oklahoma. (50 significant, 3 violent, 2 killer)[44] | ||
| 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 inKalamazoo, Nebraska, killing six, and injuring 23. F3 tornadoes also caused casualties in theWichita Falls, Texas, metropolitan area. (22 significant, 1 violent, 4 killer)[45] | ||
| 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 theAtlanta metro. (10 significant, 2 killer)[46] | ||
| 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 nearCommerce, Mississippi, most of them at a plantation school, and destroyed 45 homes. An F2 tornado destroyed another school betweenLewisberg andOlive 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.[47] 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)[48][47] | ||
| 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 struckBlackwell, Oklahoma, killing 20 people. Another F5 tornado from the same storm struckUdall, Kansas, killing 80. (17 significant, 3 violent killer)[49] | ||
| 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 inArkansas and a destructive F2 tornado inDowntown Indianapolis. (10 significant, 1 killer)[50] | ||
| 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)[51] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of February 24–25, 1956 | February 24–25, 1956 | Central United States | 23 | 6 fatalities, 47 injuries | TheSt. Louis metro was hit by a violent and deadly F4 tornado. An F2 tornado also hit theCincinnati metro. (14 significant, 1 violent killers)[52] | ||
| 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 ofGrand 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)[53] | ||
| 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 theBirmingham suburbs on April 15, killing 25 people. It was part of a very small outbreak of tornadoes. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[54] | ||
| 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 inFlint, Michigan, and theSouthern suburbs of Detroit. (11 significant, 2 violent, 2 killer)[55] | ||
| 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 ofDallas, killing 10 people. Other deadly tornadoes struckOklahoma,Arkansas, andGeorgia. (33 significant, 2 violent, 8 killer)[56] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 8, 1957 | April 8, 1957 | Alabama –Georgia –North Carolina –South Carolina –Tennessee –Nebraska –Virginia | 19 | 7 fatalities, 223 injuries | The outbreak produced several destructive tornadoes across theSouth. The town ofJefferson, 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 hitLubbock, 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 struckSilverton, 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 theGreat Plains states, including an F5 tornado that ripped through severalKansas City suburbs and killed 44 people. Other deadly tornadoes touched down inMissouri. (29 significant, 4 violent, 3 killer) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of May 24–25, 1957 | May 24–25, 1957 | New Mexico and southernGreat Plains | 45 | 4 fatalities, 10 injuries | Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down across the southernGreat Plains, including, an F3 tornado caused severe damage inOlton, Texas, and an F4 tornado killed four people nearLawton, 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 inFargo, North Dakota. An additional fatality occurred inSouth 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 inOrange, 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 inMississippi. (15 significant, 2 violent, 4 killer)[57] | ||
| 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 theContiguous United States and the most intenseIllinois tornado outbreak in any month. An F4 tornado struckMt. Vernon, Illinois, an F5 tornado obliteratedSunfield, Illinois, and a long-tracked F4 struck several towns hit by the1925 Tri-State tornado. An additional F4 tornado hitArkansas. (29 significant, 4 violent, 6 killer) | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 15, 1958 | April 15, 1958 | Florida andGeorgia | 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 affectedWisconsin, including an F5 tornado that devastated the town ofColfax, 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)[48] | ||
| 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 northwesternDowntown St. Louis while an F3 tornado heavily damaged an occupied school in SouthernHighland County, Ohio. (7 significant, 1 violent killer)[58] | ||
| 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 inTexas and an F2 tornado killed one inFlorida. (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 inOklahoma andIowa. Tornadoes also struck theSt. Louis suburbs as well as bothNortheast Austin and DowntownGreen 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 inWayne 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 inIdaho. Tornadoes also struck the suburbs of bothChicago andMilwaukee. (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 inVirginia 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 theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex, causing heavy damage. (2 significant) | ||
| 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 throughOklahoma City metropolitan area including one F3 tornado that tore thecity, injuring 57. The three deaths came from a separate F2 tornado. (13 significant, 1 killer)[59] | ||
| 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 nearPrague andIron Post. An F4 tornado struckWilburton and killed 16. (41 significant, 5 violent, 8 killer)[60] | ||
| 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)[61] | ||
| 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 inIowa, an F4 tornado injured seven inIndiana andOhio, and an F2 tornado killed two in Ohio. Strong F2 and F3 tornadoes also impactedDelaware,Corpus Christi, and theNorthwestern Oklahoma City suburbs during the other outbreak days. (18 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer)[62] | ||
| 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 inSt. Petersburg, Florida, and an F4 tornado that killed 16 inLe Flore County, Oklahoma. (40 significant, 2 violent, 5 killer)[63] | ||
| 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 hitGalveston, Texas. (15 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer)[64] | ||
| 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 ofMilton, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 100. Five other injuries occurred from other tornadoes as well. (4 significant, 1 killer)[65] | ||
| 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 struckMitchell, South Dakota, and the northern suburbs ofWaterbury, 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)[66] | ||
| 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)[67] | ||
| 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 hitBourbonnais, Illinois. (4 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer)[68] | ||
| 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 inFlorida had a track of 61 miles (98 km). (24 significant, 1 violent, 5 killer)[57][69] | ||
| Tornado outbreak sequence April 2–8, 1964 | April 2–8, 1964 | Great Plains -Southern United States -Midwest | 33 | 7 fatalities, 119 injuries | TheWichita 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 onApril 10, 1979. (13 significant, 1 violent killer)[70] | ||
| Tornado outbreak sequence April 12–14, 1964 | April 12–14, 1964 | Midwest -Ozarks | 23 | 7 fatalities, 75 injuries | Killer outbreak of tornadoes hit theKansas City metropolitan area as well as areas to the north and south. Both F4 tornadoes were killers. (11 significant, 2 violent, 5 killer)[70] | ||
| 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 inNebraska and an F4 tornado that struckMetro Detroit inMacomb County, before continuing intoLambton County inOntario, killing 11. (45 significant, 3 violent, 2 killer)[71] | ||
| 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 inLarose, Louisiana. (8 significant, 1 violent killer)[72] | ||
| 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)[73] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of Christmas 1964 | December 24–26, 1964 | Southeastern United States | 14 | 2 fatalities, 28 injuries | Destructive tornado outbreak occurred during theChristmas holiday. One long-tracked F3 tornado killed two and injured 16 inGeorgia. (8 significant, 1 killer)[74] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of February 23, 1965 | February 23, 1965 | South Florida | 4 | 8 injuries | Four destructive tornadoes hit South Florida, including an F2 tornado inFort Myers as well as an F3 tornado that hitFort Lauderdale. (2 significant)[75] | ||
| 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) throughOklahoma andKansas while a deadly F3 tornado killed two and injured 85 inNorth Carolina. (11 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer)[76] | ||
| 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 the1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak.(11 significant)[76] | ||
| 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 inConway, 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 theGreat Lakes states, killing hundreds of people. Two violent F4 tornadoes hitDunlap, Indiana, killing 51 people there. Two F4 tornadoes with parallel paths inMichigan killed 44 people. Deadly tornadoes also impacted theCleveland andToledo areas. National Weather Service adopts standard broadcast language oftornado watch andtornado warning to use for public warnings of tornadoes following the aftermath of this storm. (38 significant, 18 violent, 22 killer)[1][77][78][79] | ||
| Early May 1965 tornado outbreak | May 5–8, 1965 | Great Plains -Midwestern United States | 77 | 17 fatalities, 772 injuries | Included the1965 Twin Cities tornado outbreak, in which a series of violent tornadoes struck theTwin Cities metro area on May 6, devastatingFridley andGolden Valley. A violent outbreak occurred on May 8 inNebraska andSouth Dakota, including a massive F5 tornado inTripp County and two long-tracked F4 tornadoes, one of which almost obliteratedPrimrose, killing four people. (37 significant, 9 violent, 5 killer)[80] | ||
| 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 nearPratt, Kansas. (9 significant)[57][81] | ||
| 1966 Candlestick Park tornado outbreak | March 3–4, 1966 | Louisiana –Mississippi –Alabama –North Carolina | 4 | 58 fatalities, 521 injuries | Outbreak produced theCandlestick 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)[82] | ||
| 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 ofFebruary 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 andGreater Orlando, but crossed the entire state as well. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[83] | ||
| 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 theGreat Plains states. An F5 tornado devastated downtownTopeka, Kansas, killing 16 people and disprovingmyths about the city's being protected. A large F3 tornado also hitManhattan, Kansas. (23 significant, 3 violent, 3 killer)[84] | ||
| 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 inBelmond, Iowa, although the rating is disputed. (15 significant, 1 violent killer)[85] | ||
| 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 strikingLos Angeles.(3 significant)[86] | ||
| 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 asWisconsin. An F4 tornado killed three in theSt. Louis suburbs, paralleling the paths of earlier tornadoes in 1896 and 1927. Two students were killed at a high school inOrrick, Missouri. (23 significant, 2 violent, 4 killer)[87] | ||
| 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak | April 21, 1967 | Midwest | 45 | 58 fatalities, 1,118 injuries | One of the most intense outbreaks to hit theChicago metropolitan area. An F4 tornado devastatedBelvidere, Illinois, killing 13 people in a school (one of the highest such tolls in US history). Another very destructive F4 hitOak Lawn, killing 33 people in rush-hour traffic. Other violent tornadoes touched down inMissouri andMichigan. (25 significant, 5 violent, 3 killer)[57][88] | ||
| 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 ofAlbert Lea andWaseca 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)[89] | ||
| Hurricane Beulah tornado outbreak | September 18–24, 1967 | Texas | 120 | 5 fatalities, 41 injuries | One of the largesttropical 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)[90] | ||
| 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 inMississippi. (6 significant, 1 violent killer)[91] | ||
| 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 inFlorida both killed one and injured 50. (12 significant, 2 killer)[57][92] | ||
| 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 inAlabama, an F4 tornado killed three inMissouri and another F2 tornado killed one inMississippi. (19 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer)[93] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 21–24, 1968 | April 21–24, 1968 | Ohio Valley | 14 | 14 fatalities | Outbreak produced several violent and killer tornadoes across theOhio Valley, including two F4 tornadoes—one possibly reaching F5 intentsiy. An F5 tornado struckWheelersburg andGallipolis as well. The F5 rating is, however, disputed by some sources. (9 significant, 3 violent killer)[94] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of May 1968 | May 15–16, 1968 | Mississippi Valley | 46 | 74 fatalities | Two F5 tornadoes struckIowa on the same day, killing 18 people. Two deadly F4 tornadoes struck Arkansas, including one that killed 35 people inJonesboro. (21 significant, 4 violent, 8 killer)[95] | ||
| 1968 Tracy tornado | June 13, 1968 | Midwest | 11 | 9 fatalities, 167 injuries | Narrow, but powerful F5 tornado killed nine people and injured 150 inTracy, Minnesota. Other strong tornadoes also touched down, including an F2 tornado that injured 17 people inArnolds Park, Iowa. (4 significant, 1 violent killer)[96] | ||
| 1969 Hazlehurst, Mississippi tornadoes | January 23, 1969 | Southeastern United States | 3 | 32 fatalities | Devastating pre-dawn F4 tornado hitHazlehurst and other towns, killing 32 people on a long path across southern Mississippi. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[97] | ||
| 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 inSalina, Kansas, injuring 60 people. Two F4 tornadoes struck westernMissouri, killing 6 people and injuring 77. (24 significant, 3 violent, 3 killer)[98] | ||
| 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 nearOuting. (11 significant, 1 violent, 3 killer)[99] | ||
| Tornado outbreak sequence of August 8–10, 1969 | August 8–10, 1969 | Indiana –Ohio | 21 | 4 fatalities, 257 injuries | F3 tornado killed 4 in theCincinnati suburbs. Other strong tornadoes occurred in Indiana andVirginia. (8 significant, 1 killer)[100] | ||
| 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 theLlano Estacado and theTexas Panhandle. (17 significant, 5 violent, 4 killer)[101] | ||
| Lubbock tornado | May 11, 1970 | West Texas | 5 | 26 fatalities, 500 injuries | A violent F5 tornado struck DowntownLubbock, killing 26 people. Studies of this tornado led to the formation of theFujita scale. Four other weak tornadoes also formed before the F5 tornado. (1 violent killer)[102] | ||
| 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 theGreat Plains andMidwest. The outbreak sequence featured a long–tracked F3 tornado that struckSpringdale, Arkansas, and an F4 tornado nearBynumville, Missouri. One tornado nearMacon, 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, acrossMississippi 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 inInverness, 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)[103] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of December 14–15, 1971 | December 14–15, 1971 | Great Plains -Midwest -Mississippi Valley | 40 | 2 fatalities, 119 injuries | Multiple tornadoes pummeledDallas–Fort Worth andSpringfield, Missouri metropolitan areas during the massive outbreak. One long-tracked F2 tornado on December 14 passed through the Western suburbs ofSpringfield, Missouri, killing one and injuring 22. (19 significant, 2 killer)[57][104] | ||
| 1972 Portland–Vancouver tornadoes | April 5, 1972 | Oregon -Washington | 4 | 6 fatalities, 301 injuries | The most intense outbreak ever recorded in thePacific Northwest. An F3 tornado struckPortland, Oregon, andVancouver, Washington, becoming the deadliest West Coast tornado event ever documented. (4 significant, 1 killer)[105][106] | ||
| Hurricane Agnes tornado outbreak | June 18–19, 1972 | Florida andGeorgia | 19 | 7 fatalities, ≥ 135 injuries | This was the third-deadliesttropical 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)[107] | ||
| 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)[108][109] | ||
| 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 inArkansas and an F4 tornado killed another inMissouri. (38 significant, 3 violent, 2 killer)[110][111] | ||
| 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 inTexas, a damaging F3 tornado inMissouri, and a deadly F2 tornado inAlabama. (23 significant, 1 violent, 1 killer)[112][113] | ||
| 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 inUnion City, Oklahoma andanother 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)[114][115] | ||
| 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 theSuper Outbreak began in the same areas. (10 significant, 3 violent, 4 killer)[116] | ||
| 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 fromAlabama to Indiana, affecting major population areas includingLouisville,Cincinnati, andHuntsville. A violent F5 tornado destroyedBrandenburg, Kentucky, and killed 31, and another F5 tornado destroyed a large section ofXenia, 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 ofGuin, killing 28 people, 20 of them in Guin alone. Additionally, two other powerful F5 tornadoes devastated the town ofTanner 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 asOntario (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)[117] | ||
| Tornado outbreak of June 8, 1974 | June 8, 1974 | SouthernGreat 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 struckDrumright in Oklahoma, killing 14 people, while the other killed six in and nearEmporia, Kansas. Other strong, F3 tornadoes affected theOklahoma City andTulsa metropolitan areas. (22 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer)[118] | ||
| 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 inMcComb, Mississippi. An F3 tornado east ofBirmingham, Alabama, destroyed numerous homes and killed one person. (16 significant, 1 violent, 4 killer)[119] | ||
| 1975 Omaha tornado outbreak | May 6–7, 1975 | NorthernGreat Plains | 36 | 3 fatalities, 137+ injured | A violent F4 tornado struckOmaha, Nebraska, killed three people and was one of the costliest tornado disasters in US history. Another F4 tornado destroyed the town ofMagnet, Nebraska. (19 significant, 2 violent, 1 killer)[120] | ||
| 1975 Canton, Illinois, tornado | July 23, 1975 | Illinois | 3 | 2+ fatalities, 69 injuries | A high-end F3 tornado destroyed downtownCanton, Illinois. (2 significant, 1 killer)[121] | ||
| 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 inIllinois,Indiana, andMichigan. This included aviolent F4 tornado in the suburbs ofDetroit. (18 significant, 3 violent, 3 killer)[122] | ||
| 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 inOklahoma with a killer F3 tornado inMissouri. Other damaging tornadoes also touched down as well. (9 significant, 2 violent, 3 killer)[123] | ||
| 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 northernBirmingham, 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 ofSouthern Airways Flight 242, which killed 72 and injured 22. (5 significant, 2 violent, 5 killer)[124] | ||
| 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 inClearwater, Florida, killing three students and an F2 tornado struckGainesville, Florida. (2 significant, 1 killer)[125] | ||
| 1978 Bossier City tornado outbreak | December 3, 1978 | Southeastern United States | 11 | 5 fatalities, 277 injuries | An F4 tornado struckBossier 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 southernGreat Plains states, including a famous, devastating, F4 wedge tornado that killed 42 people inWichita Falls, Texas. Another deadly F4 tornado occurred inVernon, Texas. (31 significant, 2 violent, 5 killer)[126] | ||
| 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 OctoberF4 tornado, one of the costliest tornadoes in US history, struckWindsor Locks, Connecticut. Six other tornadoes touched down prior to the violent tornado, including an F1 tornado that injured one person west ofMartinsburg, West Virginia. (2 significant, 1 violent killer)[127] | ||
| 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 struckRound Rock, Texas, killing 1. (31 significant, 2 killer) | ||
| 1980 Kalamazoo tornado | May 13, 1980 | Michigan | 1 | 5 fatalities | F3 struck downtownKalamazoo, 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 asPennsylvania. (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 theAustin 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 theCordell andBinger, 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 nearBroken Bow, Oklahoma, though the rating is disputed. An F4 tornado also struckParis, 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 inMarion, 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 | SouthernFlorida | 2 | 0 fatalities | Produced an unusually long-lived tornado across theEverglades and urbanBroward County, Florida. An F1 tornado also hitCollier 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 andBennettsville, South Carolina, along withRed Springs andGreenville, 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 struckWater 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 inOklahoma andWisconsin, 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 inBarneveld, Wisconsin. Long-track F4 killed three inMissouri. (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 inOhio,Pennsylvania,New York, andOntario. Long-track tornado produced F5 damage in Ohio and Pennsylvania, killing 18. Two F4s occurred in Canada, including one that killed eight people inBarrie, Ontario. (28 significant, 9 violent, 12 killer) | ||
| Hurricane Danny | August 1985 | Southeastern United States | 39 | 1 fatalities | Produced an F3 that struckEva, 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 struckLexington, Kentucky. (24 significant, 1 violent, 5 killer) | ||
| July 1986 tornado outbreak | July 1986 | Minnesota | 36 | 2 fatalities | Produced F4 tornado struckMinnesota. An F2 which hit the Twin Cities suburbs ofBrooklyn Park andFridley on July 18, 1986, was carried live onKARE-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 ofYellowstone 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 struckRaleigh, 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 theCarolinas. TheCharlotte,Winston-Salem, andDurham, 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 theNew England region. Destructive tornadoes touched down inNew York andConnecticut, including a violent F4 that devastatedHamden, Connecticut. (6 significant, 2 violent) | ||
| November 1989 tornado outbreak | November 15–16, 1989 | Southeastern United States andMid-Atlantic States | 40 | 21 fatalities | Produced a deadly F4 that struckHuntsville, Alabama, at rush hour. Strong tornadoes touched down as far north asQuebec. (10 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | ||
| 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 nearHesston andGoessel, Kansas. A long-tracked F4 tornado, possibly a family of tornadoes, occurred nearRed 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 devastatedPetersburg, Indiana, killing six people. Another very long lived F4 tornado was on the ground for 106 miles acrossIllinois andIndiana. A late night F4 tornado impacted the northern sections of theCincinnati metro as well. (27 significant, 7 violent, 4 killer) | ||
| 1990 East Idaho outbreak. | August 17, 1990 | East Idaho | 3 | 0 fatalities | A largethunderstorm ripped through eastern Idaho on the 17th producing threetornadoes. The first tornado formed inRockland, Idaho only briefly touching down, having a width of 300 feet and being ranked F0. The second tornado was the strongest forming nearAmerican Falls. It had a path length of four miles continuing for four more miles. The tornado embedded straws in posts and was ultimately ranked F2 causing $250,000 in damage. The final tornado formed on the west side ofPocatello and was ranked only as an F0. | ||
| 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 inPlainfield, Illinois, killing 29 people. Was part of a small outbreak that also produced strong tornadoes inOntario andNew 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 theWichita metropolitan area atAndover, Kansas, destroying an entire mobile-home park. A long-tracked F4 tornado nearRed 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 ofChandler, 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 impactedBrandon, Mississippi, and killed 12 people. A series of destructive tornadoes (including one rated F4) devastated theHouston 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 struckTampa andJacksonville. (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 ofTulsa, 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 downtownPetersburg, 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 inMinnesota. (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 nearPiedmont, 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 ofLancaster, Texas, killing 3 people there. Another F4 tornado that struckWest 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 struckHarvest, Alabama, and killed one person, and another F4 tornado struckEthridge, Tennessee, and killed three. A tornado rated F3 killed three people and caused major damage in theArdmore, Oklahoma, area. The outbreak sequence produced an F0 tornado that downed several trees at the National Arboretum inWashington 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 nearGreat 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 thePampa, 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 inOgden. An F3-rated tornado devastated downtownFort 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 nearLouisville. (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 inMarytown, 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 inMinnesota,South Dakota, andNebraska. Homes were destroyed near Lobster Lake, Minnesota andAlbany, 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 theSouthern United States. An F4 destroyed homes in and nearMurfreesboro, Tennessee. An F2 tornado killed one person inTuscaloosa, 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 inArkansas. Produced a devastating F4 tornado that began near Benton and struckShannon Hills, Arkansas, killing 15 people along the path. An F4 tornado struckArkadelphia, killing six. (16 significant, 3 violent, 5 killer) | ||
| 1997 Miami tornado | May 12, 1997 | Miami, Florida | 1 | 0 fatalities | Widely photographed F1 tornado struck downtownMiami, Florida. | ||
| 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak | May 27, 1997 | Texas | 20 | 28 fatalities | Produceda remarkably violent, deadly F5 tornado inJarrell, 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 nearLake Travis, and an F3 tornado caused major damage inCedar Park. (8 significant, 2 violent killer) | ||
| 1997 NorthIdahotornado outbreak | May 31, 1997 | NorthWashington - NorthIdaho | 4 | 0 | A largestorm rolled over north Washington and Idaho, producing 80.5 mph winds, two-inchhail, and fourtornadoes. The first tornado formed south ofWilbur and ended nearCreston; the tornado was ranked F1 and caused $300,000 in damage. The second tornado formed nearSuncrest and ended nearDeer Park; it was ranked F1 and caused $350,000 in damage. The third tornado was easily the weakest only being ranked F0; it formed east ofLewiston and ended around the same area. The final tornado was the strongest of all four being ranked F2 and causing $50,000 in damage; the tornado formed nearAthol and had a path length of 5 miles. The storm ended up causing $751,000 in damage. | ||
| 1997 Southeast Michigan tornado outbreak | July 1–3, 1997 | SoutheastMichigan –Southwestern Ontario | 52 | 2 fatalities (+5 non-tornadic) | An F2 tornado passed through some Detroit neighborhoods, the suburbs ofHamtramck, andHighland Park. One also touched down nearWindsor, Ontario, site of an F3 tornado in the 1974 Super Outbreak. F3 tornadoes caused major damage nearClio andThetford Center, with a fatality occurring at the latter of the two locations. Other strong tornadoes touched down inMinnesota andNew 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 nearKissimmee 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 toVirginia | 12 | 14 fatalities | An early-morning F3 tornado passed nearGainesville, Georgia, and killed 12 people. Another F3 tornado struckMayodan andStoneville, North Carolina, killing two. (4 significant, 2 killer) | ||
| 1998 Comfrey–St. Peter tornado outbreak | March 29, 1998 | SouthernMinnesota | 16 | 2 fatalities, 36 injuries | Earliest tornado outbreak inMinnesota history. A long-track F4-rated wedge struckComfrey, Minnesota, killing one person. An F3 tornado struckSt. 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 ofBirmingham, Alabama; alsoGeorgia,Louisiana,Tennessee | 62 | 41 fatalities | Produced a violent nighttime F5 tornado that moved through several suburbs ofBirmingham, 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 downtownNashville, killing one person. Numerous other strong tornadoes occurred across the South, including an extremely violent one rated F5 nearLawrenceburg, Tennessee. An F4 tornado devastated the town ofManila, 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 devastatedSpencer, 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 toSouth 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 struckFrostburg, 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 downtownSabetha, Kansas, and a series of tornadoes struck the NorthOklahoma 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 F3Door 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 theLabor 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 theLive 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 inOklahoma 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 struckJackson, 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 downtownLittle Rock, Arkansas, killing three. A tornado rated F3 devastatedBeebe, 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 devastatedBenton, Louisiana, killing seven. The town ofLogansport, 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 theCincinnati suburbs, killing 4. Two F4 tornadoes also touched down inIowa. (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 theOklahoma City metropolitan area with Doppler winds remotely sensed at 321 mph (517 km/h) nearBridge 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 nearMulhall, Oklahoma, andWichita, 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. | ||
| 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 aroundCamilla,Meigs, andOmega, Georgia. Weaker tornadoes impacted other states. | ||
| 2000 Fort Worth tornado outbreak | March 28, 2000 | Texas | 10 | 2 | Small outbreak produced an F3 that hit downtownFort Worth, Texas, severely damaging skyscrapers and killing two. Another F3 caused major damage inArlington andGrand 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 nearBrady, 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 struckTuscaloosa, Alabama, killing 11. An F3 devastatedCoats Bend, Alabama, and an F2 caused major damage and 1 fatality inGeneva, 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 nearReed, Arkansas, and another long-tracked F3 devastated multiple towns in Mississippi and killed 6 people inPontotoc. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 10–11, 2001 | April 10–11, 2001 | Great PlainsMidwest | 79 | 4 | Widespread outbreak produced numerous tornadoes, some strong. F2 caused major damage in the town ofAgency, Iowa, and killed two people. Other tornado-related fatalities occurred inMissouri andOklahoma. 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 nearParkers Prairie, Minnesota, and a large F2 occurred nearBrainerd. An F4 completely destroyed a farmstead nearRuby, Nebraska. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of June 18, 2001 | June 18, 2001 | Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin | 5 | 3 | An F3 tornado killed three people inSiren, 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 theUniversity of Maryland campus and multiple DC suburbs, killing two people. An F4 also occurred nearRixeyville, Virginia. Other weaker tornadoes were observed as well, including an F1 that struckWashington, 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 inNebraska andOklahoma. A large F3 devastated the town ofCordell, 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 hitCrumstown, Indiana, killing one. An F2 nearLaPorte, Indiana, caused a fatality as well. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of November 23–24, 2001 | November 23–24, 2001 | Southeast U.S. | 68 | 13 | One of the strongest November outbreaks ever recorded. Produced three F4s, including one that struckMadison, Mississippi, killing 2. An F3 struckWilmot, 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 inDongola, Illinois, and killed one person. Also produced a few strong tornadoes inMaryland, including an F4 that devastated the town ofLa 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 nearEllettsville, Indiana, destroying many homes and businesses in the town ofMartinsville, causing 127 injuries. An F2 struckWashington, Indiana and injured 2 people, and another F2 caused one injury nearWadesville, 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 hitVan Wert, Ohio, killing four people. Deadly F3 also hitMossy Grove, Tennessee, killing seven. Two long-track F3s moved across northernAlabama, 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 nearBridgeboro, 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 theKansas City metropolitan area, including one that killed two. In Missouri, the towns ofPierce City,Stockton, andCarl Junction were devastated by killer tornadoes. An F4 destroyedFranklin, Kansas, killing four, and another F4 struck downtownJackson, 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 wipedManchester, South Dakota, off the map. In Nebraska, an F4 killed one person nearColeridge, and an F2 caused another fatality inDeshler. An F2 also caused major damage inBuffalo 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 nearEllisburg, 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 ofGranville andUtica, 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% ofHallam, Nebraska, killing 1. An F3 killed 1 person and destroyed 80% ofMarengo, Indiana. An F4 nearWeatherby, 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 inSouth Carolina, the towns ofGadsden andMillwood sustained considerable damage from F2s. An F3 also touched down nearCamden. | ||
| Hurricane Ivan tornado outbreak | September 2004 | Eastern United States | 120 | 7 | Largest hurricane-related tornado outbreak ever recorded. An F2 struckMacedonia, Florida, and killed 4. Many strong tornadoes touched down inVirginia, including an F3 that struckRemington. | ||
| 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 struckOlla andStandard, Louisiana, killing 1. An F2 severely damaged theTalladega Superspeedway and struckBynum, resulting in another fatality. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of March 21–22, 2005 | March 21–22, 2005 | Southern United States | 26 | 1 | An F3 nearDonalsonville, Georgia, killed one person, and an F2 struckScreven, 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 struckMize, Mississippi. Another F3 caused major damage nearMonterey, and an F2 struckPort Fourchon, Louisiana. | ||
| 2005 Hurricane Cindy tornado outbreak | July 6–8, 2005 | Southeastern – Eastern United States | 44 | 0 | Produced an F2 that severely damaged theAtlanta 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 inStoughton and killed 1. An F2 also caused severe damage inViola. | ||
| Hurricane Katrina tornado outbreak | August 26–31, 2005 | Southeastern – Eastern United States | 54 | 1 | Widespread outbreak produced mostly weak tornadoes. Worst damage occurred inGeorgia, including an F2 that caused major damage and one fatality nearRoopville. The towns ofHelen andFort 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 nearClayton, Louisiana. An F1 killed one person in a mobile home nearIsola, Mississippi. | ||
| Evansville tornado outbreak of November 2005 | November 6, 2005 | Middle Mississippi –Ohio Valley | 8 | 25 | Nighttime F3 struck theEvansville, Indiana, area, killing 25 people. Was part of a small outbreak that also produced strong tornadoes that struckMunfordville andWheatcroft, Kentucky. | ||
| Iowa tornado outbreak of November 2005 | November 12, 2005 | Iowa –Missouri | 14 | 1 | Rare November outbreak in the Great Plains. Strong tornadoes struckAmes,Woodward, andStratford. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of November 15, 2005 | November 15, 2005 | Central – Southeastern United States | 49 | 1 | F3 devastated a campground nearBenton, Kentucky, and killed one person. A multiple-vortex F4 also hitMadisonville andEarlington, Kentucky, causing major damage. An F2 caused severe damage inParis, Tennessee. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of November 27–28, 2005 | November 27–28, 2005 | Central – Southeastern United States | 55 | 2 | F3 nearPlumerville, Arkansas, tossed multiple cars on a highway, killing one person. An F2 nearBriar, Missouri, killed another. Another F3 caused major damage nearCherry 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 theMidwestern United States. Two separate F2s struckSpringfield, Illinois, resulting in major damage. An F3 nearRenick, Missouri, killed 4 people, and a double F4 occurred nearMonroe City. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 2, 2006 | April 2, 2006 | Central United States | 66 | 28 | Long-tracked F3 devastated the towns ofMarmaduke, Arkansas, andCaruthersville, Missouri, killing 2. A deadly F3 killed 16 people inNewbern, Tennessee, while another F3 killed 6 inBradford. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of April 6–8, 2006 | April 6–8, 2006 | Central – Southeastern United States | 73 | 10 | Worst damage and all fatalities occurred inTennessee. An F3 caused major damage nearCharlotte, and another F3 devastated the town ofGallatin, killing 7. Two F1s killed 3 people in theMcMinnville 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 downtownIowa City, resulting in major damage. An F1 killed one person in a mobile home nearNichols, 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 inChildress, Texas. An F3 nearWestminster, Texas, killed 3 people. Other strong tornadoes occurred inLouisiana andMississippi. | ||
| 2006 Westchester County tornado | July 12, 2006 | Southern New York andFairfield, Connecticut | 1 | 0 | Rare F2 tornado inWestchester 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 struckNicollet andKasota, Minnesota, killing one person. Two other F3s caused major damage in rural areas nearEureka andWolsey, 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 struckCrosstown, Missouri, and an F3 struck the north edge ofMetropolis, 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 inRiegelwood, North Carolina, and an F2 caused major damage inMontgomery, Alabama. Two F3s also affected rural areas inMississippi. | ||
| 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 ofFebruary 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 inNew Orleans, Louisiana. Another EF2 also caused major damage near the town ofBreaux Bridge. | ||
| Tornado outbreak of February 23–24, 2007 | February 23–24, 2007 | Southern United States | 20 | 0 | Produced several strong tornadoes, especially inArkansas. The town ofDumas was devastated by an EF3. Another EF3 occurred nearStrong. | ||
| 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 inEnterprise, Alabama, that killed nine people, eight of which were students at a local high school that was destroyed. Another EF4 struckMillers Ferry, killing one, and a nighttime EF3 devastatedAmericus, Georgia, killing two. An EF2 destroyed a mobile home park nearNewton, 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 ofHolly, Colorado, killing two people. Other strong tornadoes hit the rural portions of theGreat 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 inFort Worth, Texas. An EF3 caused major damage and caused another fatality nearMayesville, South Carolina. | ||
| Tornado outbreak sequence of April 20–27, 2007 | April 20–27, 2007 | United States,Mexico | 92 | 10 | An F4 struckPiedras Negras, Coahuila, killing 3 people. The parent supercell produced an EF3 that struckEagle Pass, Texas, killing 7 people. The towns ofTulia andCactus, 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% ofGreensburg, Kansas, killing 11. Other strong tornadoes occurred in Oklahoma and elsewhere in Kansas. | ||
| 2007 Greensburg tornado | May 4, 2007 | Greensburg, Kansas | 11 (including tensatellite tornadoes) | 11 | A large and devastating EF5 tornado destroyed 95% ofGreensburg, Kansas, killing 11 and injuring 63 more. The tornado was the first to be rated EF5 on theEnhanced 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 ofNorthwood, North Dakota, killing 1. An EF3 caused damage nearRugh Lake, and an EF2 occurred nearReynolds. | ||
| 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 inOwensboro, Kentucky, andNappanee, Indiana. Another EF3 affected rural areas near Vesta, Indiana. EF2s caused fatalities in parts of Missouri and Michigan, including one that struckWilliamston, 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 ofWheatland. Another EF3 tornado caused severe damage in and aroundLawrence, Illinois, as well. An EF3 tornado killed three people nearStrafford, Missouri, and an EF2 tornado killed one nearAppleton, Arkansas. Several EF3 tornadoes impactedMississippi andAlabama, including one that caused major damage in the town ofCaledonia, Mississippi. An unrelated EF1 tornado also caused moderate damage in the northern suburbs ofVancouver, Washington. | ||
| 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak | February 5–6, 2008 | Southern United States | 87 | 57 | One of the deadliest modern outbreaks to hitDixie 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 ofClinton,Mountain View, andHighland. One long-track EF3 tornado caused 22 deaths alone in Tennessee, mainly inCastalian Springs andLafayette. A pair of EF3 and EF4 tornadoes also struck areas in and aroundJackson, Tennessee, killing three in the area, and an EF2 tornado moved throughMemphis, killing 3. | ||
| 2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak | March 14–15, 2008 | Alabama,Georgia,North Carolina,South Carolina | 45 | 3 | Strong tornado hit downtown Atlanta for thesecond 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 hitDamascus, 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 inPicher, Oklahoma, andNeosho, 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 struckWindsor, Colorado, killing one and causing severe damage. An EF5 tornado caused extreme damage inParkersburg andNew Hartford, Iowa, killing 9. A nighttime EF3 tornado killed two people in a vehicle nearCairo, Kansas. Another EF3 tornado also killed one inHugo, 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 the third of a series of widespread tornado outbreaks. Tornadoes hit theOmaha-Council Bluffs area and theChicago area. An EF3 tornado inLittle Sioux, Iowa, struck theBoy Scouts of America'sLittle Sioux Scout Ranch, killing four people. Additionally, a violent EF4 tornado hitManhattan, 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 nearWellington, 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 hitLone Grove, killing eight people. Other tornadoes caused damage in theOklahoma 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 bothMagee, Mississippi, andCorydon, 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 theMena, Arkansas, area, killing three people, and an EF4 tornado that hitMurfreesboro, 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 events and tornado outbreaks occurred over a period of six days, withMay 8 being the most of destructive day for tornadoes. An EF3 tornado killed two people inKentucky, 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 inLufkin, Texas. EF2 tornadoes also touched down in both Texas and Louisiana. (6 significant) | ||
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – 2010–2019 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 thePiedmont Triad area of North Carolina while a rare tornado in the Bahamas killed three people. A damaging EF3 tornado struckHigh 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 | Anextremely large, long-tracked EF4 tornado traveled 149.25 mi (240.19 km) fromTallulah, Louisiana, to north ofWest Point, Mississippi, becoming the fourth-longest such path in Mississippi history, killing 10 people, four of them inYazoo 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 damagedScotland, Arkansas. An overnight EF3 tornado killed two people in a mobile home nearAshland, Mississippi, before crossing into Tennessee, killing one more nearPocahontas. The same storm also produced an EF2 tornado with one death nearAbbeville, 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 inOklahoma. A violent EF4 tornado near Moore andChoctaw killed two people, destroying many homes, businesses, and automobiles in the area. A separate EF4 tornado also badly damaged areas nearNorman andLittle 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 affected theGreat 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 nearBowdle, 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 hitMillbury andLake 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 were also 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 inthe 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 theRocky 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 inUtah 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 widespreadderecho 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, 2010 – January 1, 2011 | 2010, 2011 | Oklahoma,Arkansas,Missouri,Illinois | 36 | 9 |  | An early morning EF3 tornado struckCincinnati, Arkansas, killing four people. Another EF3 tornado struckFort Leonard Wood in southeasternPulaski County, Missouri, and another killed two elderly women nearRolla. Additionally, an EF1 tornado killed two women nearLecoma and a high-end EF3 tornado caused extensive damage inSunset 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 nearEastman, 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 ofMapleton,Early andVarina sustained major damage. In Wisconsin,Merrill,Cottonville andKaukauna 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 ofTushka, Oklahoma,Leakesville, Mississippi,De Kalb, Mississippi, andGeiger, Alabama, among other places. The final day of the outbreak produced the largest North Carolina tornado outbreak on record. An EF3 tornado struck downtownRaleigh (albeit at EF1 strength), killing six people, and another EF3 wedge tornado killed 12 in the small town ofAskewville. (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 adestructive EF4 tornado that struck theSt. 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 | 368 | 324 | The largest continuous, fourth-deadliest, and costliest outbreak in United States history caused the most tornado-related deaths since1936. April 27 was also the deadliest tornado day in the U.S. sinceMarch 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 the1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak (18) and the1974 Super Outbreak (30). Numerous, violent, long-tracked tornadoes touched down with four of them being rated EF5 and eleven being rated EF4. These tornadoes struck easternMississippi, north and centralAlabama, northwesternGeorgia, and easternTennessee. 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. AnEF5 tornado traveled 102 mi (164 km) across northwest Alabama, devastatingHackleburg andPhil Campbell, Alabama, along with many other communities, killing 71 people, making it the deadliest Alabama tornado on record. Anotherlong-tracked EF4 tornado produced damage in bothTuscaloosa and the western and northernsuburbs of Birmingham, killing 64. This outbreak is called the 2011 Super Outbreak due to the number of tornadoes in one day (224 on April 27), number of violent tornadoes, and the severity and degree of the outbreak. (87 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-wrappedEF5 tornado on May 22 killed 158 people inJoplin, Missouri—the deadliest single tornado in the U.S. since the1947 Glazier–Higgins–Woodward tornadoes 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 theOklahoma City metropolitan area and anextremely violent EF5 tornado that killed nine people nearEl Reno andPiedmont. Another EF4 tornado struckDenning, Arkansas late on May 24, killing four people, and an EF3 tornado struckReading, 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, includingWestfield,West Springfield, DowntownSpringfield,Wilbraham,Monson, Massachusetts, andBrimfield. 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 inNebraska andKansas, 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 theLouisville area. (14 significant) | |
| Tornado outbreak of January 22–23, 2012 | January 22–23 | 2012 | Southern United States | 25 | 2 | 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 theBirmingham metro and killed one person.Maplesville, Alabama, andFordyce, 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, hitHarrisburg, 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 in1952). An EF2 tornado also caused extensive damage inBranson, 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 southernIndiana, especiallyHenryville, killing 11 people, and a long-tracked high-end EF3 tornado destroyed downtownWest Liberty, Kentucky, killing 10. Another EF4 tornado killed four people nearCrittenden, Kentucky, and an EF3 tornado killed three people inMoscow, Ohio, destroying 80% of the town. Other strong tornadoes struckGeorgia,Alabama, andTennessee. (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 andEastern United States, including an EF2 tornado that killed one person in Illinois. Five tornadoes, four of which were strong, also caused damage in theNorth 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 theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex, including an EF3 tornado that destroyed many homes inForney.Arlington andLancaster 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 bothWichita, Kansas, andWoodward, Oklahoma, with six people killed in the latter tornado. An EF4 tornado also destroyed structures nearKanopolis 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 byHurricane Agnes onJune 18–19, 1972. There were 25 tornadoes. One fatality occurred inVenus, Florida, from an EF2 tornado. Severe damage occurred in or nearWinter Haven,Pass-a-Grille inSt. Pete Beach andLake 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 theEastern United States, including EF2 tornadoes inCorning, Arkansas, andPascagoula, 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 nearPennington, Texas, and a long-tracked EF3 tornado that struckMcNeil,Maxie, andMcLain, Mississippi. A large EF2 wedge tornado also struck downtownMobile, Alabama, which had been struck by a weakerEF1 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 fromOklahoma toGeorgia, including a large EF3 tornado that devastated the town ofAdairsville, killing one person, and EF2 tornadoes that hit the towns ofGalatia,Coble andMt. Juliet, causing severe damage. The EF3 tornado was the first tornado to cause fatalities in the United States sinceJune 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 struckWest Hattiesburg andHattiesburg, Mississippi, injuring 71 people. It was part of a small outbreak that produced 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 inGranbury, Texas, the first violent tornado to strike Texas since1999. Additionally, a large EF3 wedge caused significant damage in the town ofCleburne. None of the other tornadoes were stronger than EF1 intensity, although one EF1 tornado caused heavy damage in downtownEnnis. (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 theShawnee area on May 19 and a devastatingEF5 wedge tornado devastatedMoore on May 20, killing 24 people. Other strong tornadoes struck elsewhere in Oklahoma, particularly inCarney where an EF3 tornado touched down on May 19, and inKansas,Illinois, andOntario. An EF4 tornado caused major damage west ofRozel, 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 produced the widest tornado on record, a massive,multiple-vortex EF3 tornado (which was initially rated EF5) on May 31 nearEl Reno, Oklahoma, killing eight people, including Tim and Paul Samaras and Carl Young of the TWISTEX team, and producing Doppler-indicated winds greater than 313 mph (504 km/h) over open fields, among the highest winds measured on Earth.[128][129] Additionally, a large, intense EF3 tornado remained nearly stationary for about an hour on May 28 west ofBennington, Kansas, producing Doppler-measured winds into the EF4-EF5 range above ground level. Other strong tornadoes struckNebraska,Michigan,New York,Arkansas (one of which—though rated EF1—killed a person),Illinois andMissouri, 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 inIowa andIllinois, including a high-end EF3 tornado that caused major damage in theBelmond area. The storms eventually grew into a largederecho 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 acrossNebraska andIowa. Two of the tornadoes reached EF4 intensity, including one that caused severe damage inWayne, Nebraska. Other strong tornadoes struckCreighton andMacy. (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 acrossIllinois,Indiana,Ohio, andKentucky. Two EF4 tornadoes struck Illinois, one of whichdevastated the town of Washington and killed three people. The other impacted theNew Minden area, killing 2 others. An EF3 tornado struckBrookport, 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 inSt. Francis County, Arkansas, caused a fatality while another death occurred from an EF2 tornado inCoahoma County, Mississippi, the two states most affected by the outbreak. Another long tracked EF2 tornado crossed over 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 ofWashington and an EF2 tornado that resulted in a fatality inEdenton. (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 mainlyDixie Alley. A high-end EF4 tornado (which may have reached EF5 intensity) devastated the towns ofMayflower andVilonia, Arkansas, killing 16. Another EF4 tornado killed ten people and caused major damage inLouisville, Mississippi. An EF3 tornado killed two when a trailer park was destroyed inCoxey, Alabama, while another EF3 tornado struckTupelo, 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 producedfour consecutive EF4 tornadoes, including two twin tornadoes that devastated the town ofPilger and surrounding areas, killing 2. Three nighttime tornadoes (including an EF3 tornado) struckMadison, Wisconsin, and its suburbs. A large and slow-moving EF3 toradno clipped the town ofColeridge, Nebraska, an EF2 tornado caused major damage inWessington Springs, South Dakota, and a violent EF4 tornado obliterated a farm outside ofAlpena. (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 northernIllinois, causing major damage nearRochelle and devastating the small town ofFairdale, where two people were killed. Was part of a relatively small outbreak of mostly weak tornadoes, though an EF2 tornado caused considerable damage nearMount 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 inBridge Creek, Oklahoma, andOklahoma City. A large EF3 tornado also caused significant damage and killed one person nearCisco, Texas, and a high-end EF2 tornado severely damaged the town ofDelmont, South Dakota. A nighttime EF3 tornado killed two people and caused major damage inVan, Texas, while another EF2 tornado killed two more at a mobile home park inNashville, 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 ofCiudad Acuña, killing 14 people. An EF2 tornado killed one person nearCameron, Texas, while an EF3 tornado killed another nearBlue, 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 lowerGreat Plains states. Two EF3 tornadoes caused major damage nearPampa, Texas, one of which destroyed a large chemical plant complex. Another long-tracked EF3 tornado began nearLiberal, Kansas, and dissipated nearMontezuma, 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 acrossMississippi andTennessee, including an EF4 tornado that tracked through parts of both states, causing major damage inHolly Springs, Mississippi, and killing 9 people along its path. A high-end EF3 tornado caused major damage nearClarksdale as well, killing two. Another EF3 tornado destroyed many structures in the small community ofLutts, Tennessee, and an EF2 tornado killed two people nearLinden. A high-end EF2 tornado also caused considerable damage in the southwestern part ofBirmingham, 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 theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex eastward through theSoutheastern United States. An EF3 tornado destroyed many homes inOvilla andGlenn Heights. The same storm produced a large EF4 tornado that devastated parts ofGarland andRowlett, killing 10 people. An EF2 tornado killed two people inCopeville, while an EF1 tornado caused a fatality nearBlue 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 theGulf Coast andEast Coast states. An EF2 tornado caused major damage inLaplace, Louisiana. An EF3 tornado caused major damage inPaincourtville andConvent, Louisiana, killing two people, while an EF2 tornado killed one person nearPurvis, Mississippi. An EF3 tornado caused severe damage inPensacola, Florida, and an EF1 tornado killed 3 people inWaverly, Virginia. An EF3 tornado also destroyed multiple homes nearTappahannock, Virginia, while another EF3 killed one person inEvergreen. (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 nearWray, Colorado. A violent EF4 tornado killed one person nearKatie, Oklahoma, a damaging EF3 wedge tornado destroyed numerous homes nearSulphur, and another EF3 tornado caused another fatality nearBromide. The town ofMayfield, 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 nearDodge City, Kansas. EF3 tornadoes also caused damage nearBig Spring,Turkey andGarden City, Texas. An EF4 wedge tornado (which may have reached EF5 intensity) caused major damage nearAbeline andChapman, 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 inKokomo, Indiana. Another EF3 tornad caused major damage to farms nearWoodburn, Indiana. EF2 tornadoes inflicted heavy damage nearCecil andDefiance, Ohio, while another EF2 tornadoes severely damaged structures inWindsor, 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 inDixie Alley. An EF3 tornado killed 4 people and caused major damage inRosalie and nearIder, Alabama. Another EF3 tornado killed two people and severely damaged the town ofOcoee, Tennessee, while a high-end EF2 tornado caused major damage to homes in businesses inAthens. An EF2 tornado caused considerable damage at the eastern fringes ofHuntsville, Alabama, and an EF3 tornado destroyed several structures nearNeel. (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 inHattiesburg, Mississippi, killing 4. An EF3 tornado nearAdel, Georgia, obliterated a mobile home park and killed 11 people along its path, while a large EF3 wedge tornado struckAlbany 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 nearKillian, Louisiana, while another EF3 tornado occurred nearWatson. An EF1 tornado struck the town ofDonaldsonville, 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 aroundWashburn andOttawa, Illinois, with two people killed in Ottawa. A long-track EF3 tornado killed one person nearCrossville as well. The most significant tornado was a long-track EF4 tornado that caused major damage in thePerryville, 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 ofOak Grove, Missouri, as a result of an EF3 tornado. An EF1 tornado that struck nearBricelyn, Minnesota, was the earliest in state history. EF2 tornadoes caused heavy damage in the Iowa towns ofSeymour,Centerville, andMuscatine. A long-track EF2 tornado also struckParthenon, 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 theSoutheastern United States and portions ofCentral United States. Two destructive wedge tornadoes, which were rated EF3 and EF4, affected areas outside ofCanton, Texas, killing two people each. An EF2 tornado struck the town ofDurant, 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 nearChetek andConrath. An EF3 tornado caused severe damage inPawnee Rock and nearGreat Bend, Kansas. A high-end EF2 tornado destroyed homes and businesses in the southern part ofElk City, Oklahoma, killing one person. Another EF2 tornado struckMuskogee, 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 hitJacksonville State University inJacksonville, Alabama, injuring four people while an EF2 tornado inSouthside 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 inMountainburg, Arkansas, and another EF2 severely impactedMeridian, Mississippi. An EF1 tornado killed one person inRed Chute, Louisiana, and a high-end EF2 tornado caused major damage inGreensboro, North Carolina. An EF3 tornado destroyed many homes inElon, 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 ofIowa on July 19. Twin EF2 tornadoes caused damage inBondurant, while an EF3 tornado occurred struck easternPella, damaging a largeVermeer plant complex. Another EF3 tornado moved directly through downtownMarshalltown. The EF3 tornadoes causing $320 million in damage and 36 injuries. Another person inCorydon, Indiana, was indirectly injured the following day by an EF1 tornado. The event also featured the deadlyTable Rock Lake duck boat accident nearBranson, 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 inMorristown, Minnesota, and another EF2 tornado impactedFaribault. The next day, a high-end EF3 tornado destroyed numerous homes inDunrobin, Ontario, andGatineau, Quebec, injuring numerous people. A high-end EF2 tornado also caused severe damage inNepean, 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 inTaylorville, Illinois. An EF1 tornado killed one person inAurora, Missouri, and a long-tracked EF2 tornado caused major damage atTenkiller Ferry Lake in Oklahoma. Another EF2 tornado caused significant damage inVan Buren, Arkansas, while an EF3 tornado injured four people atNaval Submarine Base Kings Bay inGeorgia. 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 strikesPort Orchard, Washington, becoming the first tornado inWestern 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 ofAlabama,Georgia,Florida, andSouth Carolina. The strongest of these was anEF4 tornado that devastated rural communities fromBeauregard, Alabama, toTalbotton, 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 the2013 EF5 Moore tornado. Several other significant tornadoes occurred, including EF2 tornadoes caused severe damage nearEufaula, Alabama, and inCairo, Georgia. An EF3 tornado destroyed homes nearTallahassee, 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 theSouthern United States. The most significant tornadoes were two EF2 tornadoes inNew Mexico. The system then proceeded east for the next 2 days.Kentucky,Michigan, andAlabama 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 fromTexas to theNortheast, lasting 40 hours. The town ofAlto, Texas, was struck by two separate strong tornadoes, including an EF3 tornado that killed 2 people. Another EF3 tornado destroyed many homes inFranklin, Texas A high-end EF2 tornado struckHamilton, Mississippi, late on April 13, destroying multiple structures causing another fatality. A high-end EF2 tornado struckStarbrick, 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 fromTexas toVirginia. A high-end EF2 tornado caused severe damage inMorton, Mississippi. An EF3 tornado caused major structural damage to homes nearRocky Mount, Virginia, and injured two people. Several strong tornadoes also occurred inPennsylvania and theCarolinas as well. Thesquall 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 nearAdair, Iowa, killing one and injuring another. A large EF3 tornado passed nearGolden City, Missouri, killing three and injuring one. A damaging nighttime EF3 stuckJefferson 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 southernEl Reno, Oklahoma, causing two fatalities and 19 injuries. Another EF3 tornado destroyed many homes inCelina, 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 ofLawrence andLinwood, 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 theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex, including a destructive low-end EF3 tornado that destroyed many homes and businesses inDallas, causing $1.55 billion in damages. A high-end EF2 tornado also caused significant damage inGarland, Texas. A large EF2 wedge tornado also struckSiloam 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 fromLouisiana toGeorgia 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 nearRosepine, Louisiana, and prompted a tornado emergency forAlexandria, where major damage occurred. An EF2 tornado killed two people nearTown Creek, Alabama. Additional EF3 tornadoes caused severe damage inSumrall andLaurel, Mississippi. December 17 was less intense, producing mostly weak tornadoes, although one EF2 tornado caused significant damage in and nearMystic, Georgia. (14 significant, 2 killer) |
| List of United States tornado outbreaks – 2020–2025 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 nearNacogdoches, Texas. A high-end EF2 tornado obliterated two trailer homes nearHaughton, Louisiana, killing three people. Another high-end EF2 tornado caused significant damage nearCarrollton, 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 struckEnterprise, Mississippi, and three other EF2 tornadoes touched down in other parts of the state. An EF1 tornado destroyed mobile homes and killed one person nearDemopolis, Alabama. A high-end EF1 tornado caused considerable damage inSpartanburg, South Carolina, and an EF2 tornado caused significant damage nearKannapolis, 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 nearCamden. A long-tracked EF3 tornado struckNashville, causing five deaths and becoming the 6th costliest tornado in U.S. history. A violent EF4 tornado also caused catastrophic damage in and aroundCookeville, 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 theMid-Atlantic states. An EF3 tornado damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes inMonroe, Louisiana, on April 12. Two intensesupercell thunderstorms developed across southern Mississippi, producing three intense tornadoes, including two EF4 tornadoes nearBassfield, Mississippi, killing 12. The second tornado produced high-end EF4 damage and devastated the small towns ofSoso andMoss, 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 inSumac, Georgia, and an EF3 tornado killed two in the eastern suburbs ofChattanooga. Through the night on April 12 into the morning of April 13, multiple EF3 tornadoes touched down inSouth Carolina, including one that severely damaged the town ofSeneca, killing one person. An EF4 tornado killed five inHampton County, South Carolina, as well, becoming the first violent tornado ever recorded in theSouth 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, andGeorgia | 53 | 6 | Several strong tornadoes touched down across the Great Plains and Deep South. A high-end EF2 tornado struckMadill, Oklahoma, killing two. An EF3 tornado impactedOnalaska, Texas, killing three. An EF2 tornado killed one person and damaged theLouisiana 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 ofHurricane Isaias. An EF3 tornado destroyed a mobile home park nearWindsor, North Carolina, killing two and injuring 14. It was the first tropical cyclone-spawned tornado rated F3/EF3 since2005. An EF1 tornado caused considerable damage in downtownSuffolk, Virginia, and an EF2 tornado caused major damage to businesses nearCourtland. A high-end EF2 tornado injured five people and caused severe damage to homes nearPalmer as well. A low-end EF2 tornado touched down inDover and tracked 35.5 miles (57.1 km) throughDelaware, 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 ofPhiladelphia. (8 significant, 1 killer) |
| August 2020 Midwest derecho | August 10 | 2020 | Midwestern United States | 26 | 0 | Numerous weak tornadoes touched down inIowa,Wisconsin,Illinois, andIndiana, including multiple tornadoes that affected theChicago 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 largerwinter storm. An EF2 tornado inDamascus, Georgia, caused five injuries while a high-end EF3 tornado nearSunset 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 largerwinter 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 withinAlabama andMississippi on March 17 inside ahigh 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 nearWaynesboro, Mississippi;Burnsville, Alabama,Silas, Alabama, andBillingsley, 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 mainlyAlabama on March 25. Parts of the state had been placed under ahigh risk convective outlook for tornadoes on that day, the second high risk issued for this area in just over a week.Tennessee,Georgia,Texas, andArkansas also saw impactful tornadoes. A low-end EF3 tornado killed six inOhatchee, Alabama, on March 25 and a violent EF4 tornadoNewnan, Georgia, just after midnight on March 26 resulted in an indirect fatality due to a medical issue. Another tornado outbreak affected theLower Mississippi andTennessee Valleys on March 27, producing several strong EF2 tornadoes, including one that killed a person nearCarthage, 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, andMid-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 inTupelo, Mississippi, and a high-end EF1 tornado struckYazoo City. A high-end EF2 tornado destroyed a house nearBlum, Texas, while another EF2 tornado caused major damage to homes and tossed vehicles nearWaxahachie, injuring eight people. An EF2 tornado also damaged or destroyed homes nearCallao, 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 largerflooding event. The tornadoes mostly moved over farmland, damaging barns, outbuildings, and farming equipment. No tornadic casualties were reported, although one flooding death occurred inBloomington, 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 inWisconsin, with numerous weak tornadoes that formed within a line of severe thunderstorms that moved across the state. Farther east, an EF2 tornado struckNew Athens, Ohio, and caused considerable damage, while other EF2 tornadoes caused major tree damage nearNew Hope, Pennsylvania, andCarrollton, Ohio. A low-end EF3 tornado caused major damage to structures and vehicles in thePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, suburbs ofTrevose andBensalem, injuring five people. An EF2 tornado also struckHigh 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 whereHurricane 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 inSaraland, Alabama. The worst day of the outbreak was September 1, when several strong tornadoes impacted theMid-Atlantic andNortheastern United States, regions that had already been affected by the previous outbreaks in the weeks leading up to this event. InAnnapolis, Maryland, an EF2 tornado caused significant damage to many homes in businesses. A high-end EF2 tornado moved through thePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, suburbs ofFort Washington andUpper Dublin, killing one person and injuring two others. Another EF2 tornado struckOxford, Pennsylvania, and an EF3 tornado caused major damage and destroyed multiple homes inMullica 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 theOhio Valley andSouthern United States. Several powerful tornadoes caused heavy to catastrophic damage to many towns and cities acrossMissouri,Tennessee,Arkansas, and especiallyKentucky. One supercell tracked over 250 miles (400 km) throughout the four states, spawning a family of 11 tornadoes, including two violent EF4 tornadoes. Thefirst one killed eight people across three states while thesecond one killed 57 people in Kentucky along a track of over 160 miles (260 km). The city ofMayfield was devastated by the tornado, along with several other small towns. A second supercell produced a very long-track EF3 tornado acrossTennessee andKentucky, along with three EF3 tornadoes and four EF2 tornadoes in Kentucky, including a deadly EF3 tornado inBowling 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-movingderecho led to hundreds of damaging wind reports across the Midwest, along with 120 embedded tornadoes confirmed inNebraska,Iowa,Minnesota, andWisconsin. 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 southeasternIowa on March 5. A long-tracked, violent low-end EF4 tornado struck nearWinterset, killing six people and injuring five others. Meanwhile, an EF3 tornado struck nearChariton, killing one and injuring another. Other tornadoes touched down the next day across mostlyArkansas andMissouri, including a low-end EF2 tornado that injured six people inSage, 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 inJacksboro, Texas,De Kalb, Mississippi, andArabi, Louisiana, coming from three separate EF3 tornadoes. One person was killed by an EF2 tornado inSherwood Shores, Texas, while a second fatality occurred inCrockett, Texas, from another EF2 tornado as well. A fatality also occurred in Arabi just outside ofNew Orleans from one of the EF3 tornadoes as well. EF2 tornadoes were also confirmed nearPickens, South Carolina, andGladesboro, 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 | 86 | 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 struckSpringdale, Arkansas, causing seven injuries. Later that afternoon, an EF1 tornado caused an injury inPope, Mississippi. Another EF1 tornado moved through downtownJackson, 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 theTalladega National Forest and struckMontevallo, Alabama, injuring two people. Another EF3 tornado nearAlford, Florida, early on March 31 resulted in two deaths and three injuries. Scattered tornado activity occurred later that day across areas of theEastern United States, which included EF2 tornadoes inWayne Township, Pennsylvania, and nearNorwood, 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 theDallas–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 amesoscale 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 alarge, violent EF4 tornado inBlack Creek, Georgia, while three separate EF3 tornadoes impactedAllendale, South Carolina;Ulmer, South Carolina; andBonaire, 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 overArkansas on April 11 gave way to a more significant severe weather event in Texas and theUpper 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 inBell 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 theDakotas andMinnesota. An EF1 tornado quickly spun up nearThomas, 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 struckCastlewood, causing heavy damage and also injuring one person. A high-end EF2 tornado nearGary 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 forIdabel, Oklahoma, andNew Boston, Texas, respectively. One death each was recorded inPickens, Oklahoma, andCason, Texas, respectively, as well as numerous injuries. (11 significant, 2 violent, 2 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 nearFarmerville, Louisiana, while an EF2 tornado struck nearKeatchie, Louisiana, killing two people. Another EF2 tornado struck nearKillona, Louisiana, killing one and a damaging EF2 tornado impacted theNew Orleans metro, following a path similar to ahigh-end EF3 tornado fromMarch 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 acrossAlabama andGeorgia 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 inSelma, Alabama, andAutauga County, Alabama, and as well asLaGrange,Griffin,Experiment, and theJackson 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 inSumter andMobile counties in Alabama, as well as parts ofTennessee,Kentucky,Illinois, and theCarolinas. (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 theGreat Plains andMidwestern United States. On February 26, three EF2 tornadoes touched down inOklahoma. The first one caused a fatality and significant damage near the town ofCheyenne, while the other two struckNorman andShawnee 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 theSouthern United States to theGreat Lakes region. On March 2, an EF2 tornado caused significant damage nearKirby, Arkansas. The next day, an EF2 tornado caused significant damage nearFremont, 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 inMississippi on March 24 produced three large long-tracked tornadoes, the first of which was aviolent, very high-end EF4 tornado that struckRolling Fork,Midnight, andSilver City, killing 17 people. The storm then produced an EF3 tornado that struckBlack Hawk andWinona, killing three people. A subsequent EF3 tornado from the storm killed two people as it passed near or moved directly throughEgypt,New Wren,Amory, andSmithville. An early-morning EF2 tornado also killed a person on the north side ofHartselle, 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 NorthWest 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 very large and deadly tornado outbreak produced widespread tornadic activity across large portions of the Midwestern, Southern and Eastern United States. On March 31, theSPC issued two tornado-drivenhigh risk areas; the first was in southeasternIowa, northwesternIllinois, and far northeasternMissouri, while the second included easternArkansas, southwesternTennessee, and northernMississippi. That afternoon, numerous tornadic supercells developed over the northern high-risk area, producing numerous tornadoes, including an EF3 tornado nearMartinsburg, Iowa, and a low-end EF4 tornado that swept away a home nearKeota. Over a dozen EF2 tornadoes also touched down and one EF1 tornado collapsed the roof ofApollo Theatre inBelvidere, Illinois, during a sold-out concert, killing one person and injuring over three dozen people. Other tornadoes also touched down inIndiana that evening, including multiple EF3 tornadoes, one of which struckRobinson, Illinois, andSullivan, Indiana, killing six people while another one killed two people nearSpencer, 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 theLittle Rock, Arkansas metropolitan injuring dozens of people (one indirect fatality also occurred). Other deadly, intense, long-tracked tornadoes caused fatalities in or nearWynne, Arkansas,Covington, Tennessee,Adamsville, Tennessee,Pontotoc, Mississippi, andHazel Green, Alabama. Later that afternoon on April 1, a localized, but intense outbreak of 10 tornadoes struck theDelaware Valley along withCentral andSouth Jersey. An extremely rare EF3 tornado killed a person inSussex County, Delaware, while three EF2 tornadoes touched down inNew 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 ofPerryton, Texas, resulting in major damage and three fatalities, along with up to 100 injuries. A cluster of supercells also produced 13 tornadoes in southeasternMichigan and northernOhio, including three that were rated EF2 (one of which struck northernToledo) and another EF2 tornado struckPensacola 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 ofLouin, 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 inColorado, making it the largest single-day outbreak in the state's history. All but three of these tornadoes touched down inWashington County, including 27 tornadoes alone nearAkron, and three of them were rated EF2. Further to the south, a destructive high-end EF3 tornado struck the west side ofMatador, Texas, killing four people. Several strong tornadoes touched down on June 23, including an EF3 tornado southwest ofGranada, Colorado, the first tornado of such strength in the state since 2015, and an EF2 tornado that struckNorth Antelope Rochelle Mine inWyoming, injuring eight people. Nine tornadoes touched down across three states andOntario on June 25, including an EF2 tornado that killed a person inRusk, Indiana. (12 significant, 2 killer) | |
| Tornado outbreak sequence of August 4–8, 2023 | August 4–8 | 2023 | Great Plains,Midwestern, andEastern United States | 53 | 0 | This outbreak sequence produced strong tornadoes inMissouri,Illinois,Tennessee,New York, andColorado. 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 inClarksville, Tennessee, killing four people. Later that evening, an EF2 tornado produced significant damage inMadison,Hendersonville andGallatin, 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 intensewaterspout that produced EF3 damage after moving ashore inPanama City Beach, Florida in the early morning hours of January 9. Later that day, an EF2 tornado killed a person nearCottonwood, Alabama, and an EF1 tornado killed a person nearClaremont, 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 ofAlta Vista andRossville. 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 inWapakoneta,Lakeview, andRussells Point, Ohio, killing three and injuring 27. Shortly after, an EF3 tornado struckWinchester, Indiana, killing one and injuring 39. That same day, five separate EF2 tornadoes also produced damage nearMilton, Kentucky,Selma, Indiana,Plymouth andWest Mansfield, Ohio, as well asHot 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 theOhio River Valley. A majority of the tornadoes were associated with a derecho that tracked fromMissouri toWest Virginia on the morning of April 2, which included four EF2 tornadoes and four EF1 tornadoes that moved through areas just north ofEvansville, Indiana. That afternoon, a supercell spawned an EF2 tornado that injured 22 people in the northern suburbs ofLouisville, Kentucky. That night, another EF2 tornado injured two people inConyers, 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 | 165 | 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 theOmaha metropolitan area. An EF3 tornado caused damage nearLincoln, Nebraska, while a violent EF4 tornado caused heavy damage inElkhorn and nearBlair. Another EF3 tornado struckEppley Airfield inOmaha before causing major damage nearCrescent, Iowa, and another EF3 tornado killed a person inMinden, Iowa. The following day on April 27, activity shifted further south acrossOklahoma, where a powerful EF3 tornado struckSulphur, killing one person. That same night, another EF3 tornado passed nearSpaulding,Holdenville, andBearden killing two people, and a violent EF4 tornado caused major damage and killed a person near the community ofMarietta. Only weak tornadoes occurred on April 28, but one high-end EF1 tornado killed a person nearTrinity, 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-drivenhigh risk outlook was issued for portions ofKansas andOklahoma. That night, a violent EF4 tornado struckBarnsdall andBartlesville, Oklahoma, killing two people and prompting the issuance of atornado emergency. The following day on May 7, another outbreak occurred in theGreat Lakes region. This included four EF2 tornadoes that caused significant damage acrossMichigan andOhio, one of which prompted a tornado emergency for areas nearSherwood, Michigan, which was the first time such an alert had ever been issued in the state, and another that injured 16 people inPortage, Michigan. The next day on May 8, another outbreak occurred across theTennessee Valley. A powerful EF3 tornado caused major damage nearColumbia, Tennessee, killing one and prompting the issuance of another tornado emergency. Later that evening, another EF3 tornado caused severe damage nearRogersville, Alabama, an EF2 tornado damaged several neighborhoods inHuntsville, Alabama, and another EF3 tornado that led to the issuance of another tornado emergency and injured seven people nearHenagar, 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 theFlorida 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 aroundTallahassee, 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 ofHouston and the surroundingmetropolitan area. Three people were killed by the derecho. Four EF1 tornadoes also touched down, including two that occurred near the Houston suburb ofCypress. | |
| Tornado outbreak sequence of May 19–27, 2024 | May 19–27 | 2024 | Midwestern,Southern, andEastern United States | 248 | 20 |  | A series of tornado outbreaks and two derechos struck a very large area from theGreat Plains to theEast Coast with strong to violent tornadoes impacting 11 states. The first derecho, which formed on May 19, produced widespread wind damage and weak tornadoes acrossKansas and intoMissouri through the overnight hours into the morning of May 20. An isolated supercell formed in theTexas panhandle and moved eastward intoOklahoma, producing multiple tornadoes west ofOklahoma City, including a large EF2 tornado that prompted the issuance of atornado emergency forCuster City, Oklahoma. On May 21, a violentEF4 tornado killed five people as it passed nearCorning and throughGreenfield, Iowa. Another derecho formed in southwesternNebraska late on May 23 and moved eastward, producing widespread wind damage and weak tornadoes through Nebraska and Iowa and northwesternIllinois 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 inTexas spawned an EF3 tornado that killed seven people nearValley View. To the north, a cluster of supercells that formed along the Kansas-Oklahoma border betweenWichita, 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 northernArkansas. An EF3 tornado killed two people as it passed throughClaremore and moved through areas northwest ofPryor, Oklahoma. Additional EF3 tornadoes killed four people nearPyatt, Arkansas, one person nearBriarcliff, and two people (albeit indirectly) nearSikeston, Missouri. Several other supercells that formed that afternoon produced additional tornadoes, including an EF3 tornado that passed through areas previously impacted by the2021 Western Kentucky tornado, killing one person. In addition to the 20 (+2 indirect) tornadic fatalities, 10 other people died in other non-tornadic events as well. (34 significant, 1 violent, 6 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 ofBenton, Louisiana on July 8, an intense low-end EF3 tornado caused major damage on the east side ofMt. Vernon, Indiana on July 9, and a low-end EF2 tornado destroyed farm buildings southeast ofEden, 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, andNew York (state) | 90 | 1 |  | A deadlyDerecho impacted theMidwestern United States, specificallyIllinois. The derecho produced 49 tornadoes, with 32 being inNWS Chicago's forecast area, which broke the previous record of 22 from theMarch 31-April 1 2023 Tornado Outbreak.[130](3 significant, 1 killer) |
| Hurricane Milton tornado outbreak | October 8–9 | 2024 | Florida | 45 | 6 |  | Hurricane Milton spawned a significant tornado outbreak acrossFlorida, primarily on October 9. Several strong to intense tornadoes touched down across theFlorida Peninsula, including three separate EF3 tornadoes that affectedLakeport,Wellington, andFort Pierce, the last of which having killed six people. (9 significant, 1 killer) |
| Tornado outbreak of November 2–5, 2024 | November 2–5 | 2024 | West South Central states | 44 | 0 | Several tornadoes touched down across the central and southern United States. The most intense activity occurred on November 3, with three separate EF3 tornadoes touching down acrossOklahoma, causing major damage inOklahoma City,Comanche, andHarrah. That same day, an EF2 tornado caused significant damage nearPurdy, Oklahoma. The following day on November 4, two EF2 tornadoes struck the communities ofTenkiller, Oklahoma andLittle Flock, Arkansas respectively. (6 significant) | |
| Tornado outbreak of December 28–29, 2024 | December 28–29 | 2024 | Deep South,Southeastern United States,Ohio Valley | 109 | 1 |  | A tornado outbreak affected multiple areas across the southern United States. Activity began on December 28 in southeastTexas, where an EF3 tornado caused major damage inPorter Heights. Shortly after, an EF2 tornado caused significant damage and killed a person inHillcrest, and a long-tracked EF3 tornado struck primarily rural areas nearPort Arthur. Additional tornadoes would touch down as activity spread further eastward that night and into the following day, with an EF3 tornado strikingMcCall Creek, Mississippi, as well as two separate EF2 tornadoes strikingLake Como, andWayne County, Mississippi respectively. (6 significant, 1 killer) |
| Tornado outbreak of March 13–16, 2025 | March 13–16 | 2025 | Midwestern United States,Southern United States,Eastern United States | 118 | 23 |  | A devastating multi-day tornado outbreak, the largest on record for the month of March, affected areas across the United States, particularly in central and eastern regions of the country. It began with a brief and minor EF0 tornado nearLos Angeles, California on March 13, while more intense activity would begin on March 14 across parts of theMississippi Valley and theOzarks, where two separate EF4 tornadoes caused major damage inFranklin andDiaz, Arkansas. Eight EF3 tornadoes would also touch down across the area that same night, with one prompting atornado emergency inVan Buren andFremont, Missouri. In total, six of these tornadoes resulted in a combined 13 deaths. A tornado-drivenhigh risk outlook would ultimately be issued for the following day on March 15 across parts ofAlabama andMississippi, with multiple strong to violent tornadoes touching down for the second day in a row. That afternoon, an EF4 tornado destroyed numerous homes and killed five people nearTylertown andBassfield, Mississippi, prompting a tornado emergency for the latter community. Shortly after, an EF3 tornado affected many of the same areas after taking a highly similar path, killing one. Later on, three more fatal tornadoes would touch down, including an EF3 tornado that killed two people inPlantersville, Alabama, as well as two EF2 tornadoes that struckSeminary, Mississippi andWinterboro, Alabama, both resulting in one death each. Activity slowed down the following day on March 16, largely producing only weak tornadoes along theEastern Seaboard before the system exited the country on March 17. (44 significant, 3 violent, 11 killer) |
| Tornado outbreak and floods of April 2–7, 2025 | April 2–7 | 2025 | Midwestern United States,Southern United States | 157 | 8 | A large and long-lasting tornado outbreak affected central and eastern regions of the United States, beginning with a tornado-drivenhigh risk across parts of the lowerMississippi Valley on April 2. An EF3 tornado would go on to strike nearLatty, Missouri that afternoon, with another EF3 tornado causing major damage nearLake City andMonette, Arkansas shortly after, and an EF2 tornado indirectly killing a person inDelta, Missouri that same evening. Continuing into the early morning hours of April 3, four separate EF3 tornadoes struck the communities ofJeffersontown, Kentucky,Senatobia andSlayden, Mississippi, as well asSelmer, Tennessee, with the latter two resulting in a combined seven deaths. Activity became milder starting the following day on April 4 and beyond, with several weak to strong tornadoes occurring across several areas of thesouth as the slow-moving weather system passed through the country, including an EF2 tornado that killed a person inStringer, Mississippi on April 6. (39 significant, 3 killer) | |
| Tornado outbreak of May 15–16, 2025 | May 15–16 | 2025 | Midwestern United States,Ohio Valley | 60 | 27 | A devastating tornado outbreak struck multiple areas of the United States. Beginning on May 15, four separate EF2 tornadoes caused significant damage inWisconsin, with several other weaker tornadoes affecting theGreat Lakes region. More intense activity would occur on May 16, with an EF3 tornado causing major damage near downtownSt. Louis, Missouri that afternoon, killing five people. Quickly after, another EF3 tornado would result in two deaths nearBlodgett, Missouri, while an EF2 tornado killed a person nearLinton, Indiana. Later that evening, a high-end EF4 tornado affected areas nearMarion, Illinois, while an EF3 tornado struck nearMorganfield, Kentucky. Further southeast, a long-lived supercell produced another EF4 tornado that killed 19 people and resulted in catastrophic damage inSomerset andLondon, Kentucky. (16 significant, 2 violent, 4 killer) | |
| Tornado outbreak of May 18–21, 2025 | May 18–21 | 2025 | Central United States,Great Plains | 133 | 0 | A major outbreak produced numerous large, long-tracked tornadoes, especially overKansas on May 18. An EF3 tornado struckGrinnell, injuring two people. That night, a cyclic supercell produced eight tornadoes, including five that were rated EF3, across south-central Kansas from theGreensburg area toPlevna. Both cities were placed undertornado emergencies with the latter city being hit. The next day, another massive EF3 tornado passed nearBlanco, Oklahoma, injuring one person. On May 20, several tornadoes impactedNorth Alabama, including an EF2 tornado that prompted a tornado emergency forHuntsville. (22 significant) | |
| Tornado outbreak and derecho of June 19–22, 2025 | June 19–22 | 2025 | Saskatchewan,Minnesota,North Dakota,New York | 41 | 6 | A multi-day outbreak produced several strong tornadoes across theUpper Midwest, most severely affectingNorth Dakota. First beginning on June 19, two EF2 tornadoes occurred inSaskatchewan. The next day in North Dakota, aderecho would track through the state while two supercells in front of it dropped multiple significant to intense tornadoes. This included an EF3 tornado nearSpiritwood, as well as an extremely violentEF5 tornado nearEnderlin that killed three people. The latter tornado was the first to be rated EF5 since2013. Later, there would be a lull in activity on June 21 before an EF1 tornado embedded within a squall line killed three people in the early morning hours of June 22 inClark Mills, New York. (8 significant, 1 violent, 2 killer) | |
| Event | Date | Area | Tornadoes | Casualties | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenochtitlan-Tlatelolco tornado | 13 August 1521 (Julian Calendar) | Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco | – | – | First recorded tornado in Americas[132] |
| Hondo Coal Mine tornado | 10 May 1899 | Coahuila, Mexico | – | ≥22 fatalities | Deadliest Mexican tornado, also struck the city ofSabinas.[133] |
| 1940 Bejucal tornado | 26 December 1940 | Cuba | – | 12 fatalities | |
| 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. Possibly an F2 or F3.[134] |
| 1999 Cruces and Pedroso F4 tornadoes | May, 1999 | Cruces and Pedroso | 2 | 2 and injuries | Two destructive F4 tornadoes in the localities of 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 F3 tornado damaged or destroyed over 750 homes and businesses in Ciudad Acuña. |
| 2019 Havana tornado | 28 January 2019 | easternHavana, 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 | F2 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.[135] |
| 2023 Los Arabos, Matanzas tornado | 2023 | Los Arabos | 0 | A rare Supercell Tornado forms in Los Arabos, Matanzas. |
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