Brent is a city in Bibb County,Alabama,United States. At the 2020 census,the population was 2,972.
On March 18,1925,one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in recorded history generated at least twelve significant tornadoes and spanned a large portion of the midwestern and southern United States. In all,at least 751 people were killed and more than 2,298 were injured,making the outbreak the deadliest tornado outbreak,March 18 the deadliest tornado day,and 1925 the deadliest tornado year in U.S. history. The outbreak generated several destructive tornadoes in Missouri,Illinois,and Indiana on the same day,as well as significant tornadoes in Alabama and Kansas. In addition to confirmed tornadoes,there were undoubtedly others with lesser impacts,the occurrences of which have been lost to history.
On April 10–12,1965,a historic severe weather event affected the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. The tornado outbreak produced 55 confirmed tornadoes in one day and 16 hours. The worst part of the outbreak occurred during the afternoon hours of April 11 into the overnight hours going into April 12. The second-largest tornado outbreak on record at the time,this deadly series of tornadoes,which became known as the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak,inflicted a swath of destruction from Cedar County,Iowa,to Cuyahoga County,Ohio,and a swath 450 miles long (724 km) from Kent County,Michigan,to Montgomery County,Indiana. The main part of the outbreak lasted 16 hours and 35 minutes and is among the most intense outbreaks,in terms of tornado strength,ever recorded,including at least four "double/twin funnel" tornadoes. In all,the outbreak killed 266 people,injured 3,662 others,and caused $1.217 billion in damage. In 2023,tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis created the outbreak intensity score (OIS) as a way to rank various tornado outbreaks. The 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak received an OIS of 238,making it the third worst tornado outbreak in recorded history.
This article lists various tornado records. The most "extreme" tornado in recorded history was the Tri-State tornado,which spread through parts of Missouri,Illinois,and Indiana on March 18,1925. It is considered an F5 on the Fujita Scale,holds records for longest path length at 219 miles (352 km),longest duration at about 3+1⁄2 hours,and it held the fastest forward speed for a significant tornado at 73 mph (117 km/h) anywhere on Earth until 2021. In addition,it is the deadliest single tornado in United States history with 695 fatalities. It was also the third most costly tornado in history at the time,when costs are normalized for wealth and inflation,it still ranks third today.
A deadly series of at least 33 tornadoes hit at least 10 different U.S. states on May 9–11,1953. Tornadoes appeared daily from Minnesota in the north to Texas in the south. The strongest and deadliest tornado was a powerful F5 tornado that struck Waco,Texas on May 11,causing 114 of the 144 deaths in the outbreak. Alongside the 1902 Goliad tornado,it was the deadliest tornado in Texas history and is the 11th deadliest tornado in U.S. history. The tornado's winds demolished more than 600 houses,1,000 other structures,and over 2,000 vehicles. 597 injuries occurred,and many survivors had to wait more than 14 hours for rescue. The destruction dispelled a myth that the geography of the region spared Waco from tornadoes,and along with other deadly tornadoes in 1953,the Waco disaster was a catalyst for advances in understanding the link between tornadoes and radar-detected hook echoes. It also generated support for improved civil defense systems,the formation of weather radar networks,and improved communications between stakeholders such as meteorologists,local officials,and the public.
Portions of Lubbock,Texas,were struck by a powerful multiple-vortex tornado after nightfall on May 11,1970,resulting in 26 fatalities and an estimated $250 million in damage. It was in its time the costliest tornado in U.S. history,damaging nearly 9,000 homes and inflicting widespread damage to businesses,high-rise buildings,and public infrastructure. The tornado's damage was surveyed by meteorologist Ted Fujita in what researcher Thomas P. Grazulis described as "the most detailed mapping ever done,up to that time,of the path of a single tornado." Originally,the most severe damage was assigned an F6 rating on the Fujita scale,making it one of only two tornadoes to receive the rating. Later,it was downgraded to an F5 rating after Fujita declared F6 damage was "inconceivable". The extremity of the damage and the force required to displace heavy objects as much as was observed indicated that winds produced by vortices within the tornado may have reached as high as 290 mph (470 km/h).
The 1994 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak was the third notable US tornado outbreak to occur on Palm Sunday and the second to take place in the Southeastern United States. The outbreak produced 29 tornadoes from Texas to North Carolina,killing 40 people and injuring 491,and causing $140 million in damage. The deadliest storm of the outbreak,as well as in the US in 1994,was an F4 tornado that devastated Piedmont,Alabama. It struck the Goshen United Methodist Church right in the middle of the Palm Sunday service,collapsing the roof on the congregation and killing 20 people inside,including the Rev. Kelly Clem's 4-year-old daughter Hannah. Two other houses of worship were also destroyed mid-service. The supercell that formed this tornado tracked for 200 miles (322 km) to South Carolina.
On May 5–8,1965,a significant tornado outbreak affected much of the Central United States. For four consecutive days,tornado outbreaks produced at least three significant (F2+) tornadoes each day,and at least two violent (F4–F5) tornadoes on three of the four days. The entire sequence generated 37 significant tornadoes,including at least nine violent tornadoes,one of which was rated F5. On May 5,two F4s struck Iowa,including a long-tracked tornado family that injured 11 people. On May 6,an outbreak of six strong tornadoes,four of them violent F4s,affected Minneapolis and St. Paul,Minnesota,and has been nicknamed "The Longest Night",killing 13 people and causing major damages—at the time the most damaging single weather event in Minnesota history. Three of the six tornadoes occurred on the ground simultaneously,and two of them hit the section of Minnesota State Highway 100 and University Avenue in the city of Fridley. Both Fridley tornadoes damaged 1,100 homes and destroyed about 425;total losses reached $14.5 million,$5 million of which was to the Fridley school system.
A violent severe weather outbreak struck the Southeast on April 4–5,1977. A total of 22 tornadoes touched down with the strongest ones occurring in Mississippi,Alabama,and Georgia. The strongest was a catastrophic F5 tornado that struck the northern Birmingham,Alabama,suburbs during the afternoon of Monday,April 4. In addition to this tornado,several other tornadoes were reported from the same system in the Midwest,Alabama,Georgia,Mississippi and North Carolina. One tornado in Floyd County,Georgia,killed one person,and another fatality was reported east of Birmingham in St. Clair County. In the end,the entire outbreak directly caused 24 deaths and 158 injuries. The storm system also caused the crash of Southern Airways Flight 242,which killed 72 and injured 22.
On February 19–20,1884,one of the largest and most widespread tornado outbreaks in American history occurred over the Southeastern United States,known as the Enigma tornado outbreak due to the uncertain number of total tornadoes and fatalities. Nonetheless,an inspection of newspaper reports and governmental studies published in the aftermath reveals successive,long-tracked tornado families striking Alabama,Georgia,Illinois,Indiana,Kentucky,Mississippi,North Carolina,South Carolina,Tennessee and Virginia,with an estimation of at least 51—and possibly 60 or more—tornadoes.
On February 21–22,1971,a devastating tornado outbreak,colloquially known as the Mississippi Delta outbreak,struck portions of the Lower Mississippi and Ohio River valleys in the Southern and Midwestern United States. The outbreak generated strong tornadoes from Texas to Ohio and North Carolina. The two-day severe weather episode produced at least 19 tornadoes,and probably several more,mostly brief events in rural areas;killed 123 people across three states;and wrecked entire communities in the state of Mississippi. The strongest tornado of the outbreak was an F5 that developed in Louisiana and crossed into Mississippi,killing 48 people,while the deadliest was an F4 that tracked across Mississippi and entered Tennessee,causing 58 fatalities in the former state. The former tornado remains the only F5 on record in Louisiana,while the latter is the deadliest on record in Mississippi since 1950. A deadly F4 also affected other parts of Mississippi,causing 13 more deaths. Other deadly tornadoes included a pair of F3s—one each in Mississippi and North Carolina,respectively—that collectively killed five people.
On March 21–22,1932,a deadly tornado outbreak struck the Midwestern and Southern United States. At least 38 tornadoes—including 27 deadly tornadoes and several long-lived tornado families—struck the Deep South,killing more than 330 people and injuring 2,141. Tornadoes affected areas from Mississippi north to Illinois and east to South Carolina,but Alabama was hardest hit,with 268 fatalities;the outbreak is considered to be the deadliest ever in Alabama,and among the worst ever in the United States,trailing only the Tri-State tornado outbreak in 1925,with 751 fatalities,and the Tupelo–Gainesville outbreak in 1936,with 454 fatalities. The 1932 outbreak is believed to have produced 10 violent tornadoes,eight of which occurred in Alabama alone.
On March 16–17,1942,a deadly late-winter tornado outbreak struck a large area of the Central and Southern United States,killing 149 people and injuring at least 1,312. At least five states reported violent tornadoes,from Illinois and Indiana south to Mississippi,beginning with an F4 tornado in the morning in Illinois. Intense activity spread south to the Gulf Coast and north to the Michigan–Indiana border as the day went on. Seven violent tornadoes were reported,one of which was a powerful F5 in Illinois. A long-tracked F4 tornado family in Mississippi claimed 63 lives as well,becoming the deadliest event of the outbreak. Another long-lived F4 in Tennessee killed 15 more people,and a series of intense tornadoes caused 24 other deaths in Kentucky. The outbreak also produced 18 tornadoes that caused at least one death—ranking eighth on a list of similar events since 1880 by tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis.
This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 1973,but mostly features events in the United States. According to tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis,documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive,owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and,in some cases,to internal political controls on public information. Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life. Consequently,available documentation in 1973 mainly covered the United States. On average,most recorded tornadoes,including the vast majority of significant—F2 or stronger—tornadoes,form in the U.S.,although as many as 500 may take place internationally. Some locations,like Bangladesh,are as prone to violent tornadoes as the U.S.,meaning F4 or greater events on the Fujita scale.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1954,primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S.,although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1946,primarily in the United States. Most recorded tornadoes form in the U.S.,although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes.
On February 12,1945,a devastating tornado outbreak occurred across the Southeastern United States. The storms killed 45 people and injured 427 others.
