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The following is a list of the costliest tornadoes in the Americas including Canada and the United States. It includes all tornadoes that, when damage totals are adjusted for inflation, have cost at least $100 million in damages (in 2024 dollars).
As of September 18, 2024, there are 165 entries on this list with several of those entries including multiple tornadoes. This is dependent on how damages are assessed by certain agencies as well as the significance of certain events (e.g. 1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak when seven tornadoes struck the city of Grand Island, Nebraska in the same night; and the Dunrobin—Ottawa, Ontario—Gatineau, Quebec, Canada tornadoes in 2018 — of which there were seven — since monetary damages in Canada are often reported by province and not by individual tornado).
Affected Communities [lower-alpha 1] | Year | Month & Day | Original Cost [lower-alpha 2] | Adjusted Cost [USD] (March 1, 2024) [lower-alpha 3] | F or EF [lower-alpha 4] | References & Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joplin—Duquesne, Missouri | 2011 | May 22 | $2,800,000,000 | $3,839,119,050 | EF5 | 2011 Joplin tornado T |
Tuscaloosa—Holt—Alberta City—Concord—Pleasant Grove—Birmingham (Pratt City)—Fultondale, Alabama | 2011 | April 27 | $2,450,000,000 | $3,359,229,169 | EF4 | 2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado |
Newcastle—Moore, Oklahoma | 2013 | May 20 | $2,000,000,000 | $2,647,844,881 | EF5 | 2013 Moore tornado |
Nashville—Mount Juliet, Tennessee | 2020 | March 3 | $1,600,000,000 | $1,906,665,207 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2020, (Grazulis 2023, p. 590) Damage estimates range from $1.5 - $1.6 billion |
North Dallas—Richardson, Texas | 2019 | October 20 | $1,550,000,000 | $1,869,870,237 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of October 20–22, 2019 |
Bridge Creek—Moore, Oklahoma | 1999 | May 3 | $1,000,000,000 | $1,851,242,497 | F5 | 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado |
Poquonock/Windsor Locks, Connecticut—Feeding Hills, Massachusetts | 1979 | October 3 | $420,000,000 | $1,784,230,579 | F4 | Windsor Locks, Connecticut, tornado Grazulis reported that damages totaled $214,000,000 or $909,107,961, adjusted. (Grazulis, p. 1,216) |
Hackleburg—Phil Campbell—Tanner—Harvest—Athens, Alabama | 2011 | April 27 | $1,290,000,000 | $1,768,736,991 | EF5 | 2011 Hackleburg-Phil Campbell tornado |
Wichita Falls, Texas | 1979 | April 10 | $400,000,000 | $1,699,267,217 | F4 | 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,209) |
Omaha, Nebraska | 1975 | May 6 | $250,000,000 | $1,433,164,498 | F4 | 1975 Omaha tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,174) (Total damages may have been greater than this.) |
East Peoria—Washington—Long Point, Illinois | 2013 | November 17 | $935,000,000 | $1,237,867,482 | EF4 | 2013 Washington, Illinois tornado |
Grand Island, Nebraska | 1980 | June 3 | $300,000,000 | $1,122,877,427 | F4 (max) | 1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak: "The Night of the Twisters" This includes all seven tornadoes. (Grazulis, p. 1,223) |
Lubbock, Texas | 1970 | May 11 | $135,000,000 | $2,199,201,632 | F5 | Lubbock tornado, (Grazulis, p. 1,113) |
Topeka, Kansas | 1966 | June 8 | $100,000,000 | $2,298,062,133 | F5 | Tornado outbreak sequence of June 1966, (Grazulis, p. 1,081) (Total damages may have been greater than this.) |
St. Louis, Missouri | 1927 | September 29 | $53,000,000 | $3,655,074,146 | F3 | Tornado outbreak of September 29, 1927, (Grazulis, p. 814) |
Grand Island, Nebraska (#5) | 1980 | June 3 | $200,000,000 | $748,584,951 | F4 | 1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak: This was the strongest and costliest of the seven tornadoes that touched down on "The Night of the Twisters" |
Jackson, Mississippi | 1966 | March 3 | $75,500,000 | $718,687,762 | F5 | 1966 Candlestick Park tornado outbreak |
Fort Worth, Texas | 2000 | March 28 | $400,000,000 | $716,415,796 | F3 | 2000 Fort Worth tornado outbreak [1] |
Andover—Wichita, Kansas | 1991 | April 26 | $300,000,000 | $679,332,599 | F5 | 1991 Andover tornado outbreak [2] |
Xenia, Ohio | 1974 | April 3 | $107,500,000 | $672,511,714 | F5 | 1974 Xenia tornado, (Grazulis, p. 1,154) |
Monticello, Indiana (tornado family) | 1974 | April 3 | $100,000,000 | $625,592,292 | F4 | List of tornadoes in the 1974 Super Outbreak [3] (Total damages may have been greater than this.) |
Conyers, Stockbridge, Georgia | 1973 | March 31 | $90,000,000 | $625,169,594 | F4 | (Grazulis, p. 1,135) |
Moore—Oklahoma City—Choctaw, Oklahoma | 2003 | May 8 | $370,500,000 | $621,024,448 | F3 | Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2003 |
Brookville—Trotwood—Dayton—Riverside, Ohio | 2019 | May 27 | $500,000,000 | $603,183,947 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019 |
Petersham—Barre—Rutland—Holden—Worcester—Shrewsbury—Westborough—Southborough, Massachusetts | 1953 | June 9 | $52,193,000 | $2,319,210,704 | F4+ | 1953 Worcester tornado (includes crop damage of ~$50,000) |
Fort Smith—Van Buren, Arkansas | 1996 | April 21 | $300,000,000 | $589,707,456 | F3 | Tornado outbreak sequence of April 1996 |
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 1987 | July 31 | $332,270,000 CAD | $572,485,510 | F4 | Edmonton tornado $770,565,549 CAD, adjusted (average exchange rate for 2024, 1 CAD = 0.742942 USD) |
Conestogo Lake—Fergus—Tavistock, Ontario, Canada | 2005 | August 19 | $500,000,000 CAD | $551,433,463 | F2-F1 | Southern Ontario tornado outbreak of 2005 $742,229,492 CAD, adjusted (Total damages may have been greater than this.) (average exchange rate for 2024, 1 CAD = 0.742942 USD) |
Oak Leaf—Lancaster—Dallas, Texas | 2012 | April 3 | $400,000,000 | $537,325,888 | EF2 | Tornado outbreak of April 3, 2012 |
Tallulah, Louisiana—Yazoo City/Durant, Mississippi | 2010 | April 24 | $364,000,000 | $514,839,252 | EF4 | 2010 Yazoo City tornado Grazulis reported $400 million (or $565,757,420, adjusted) in damages. (Grazulis 2023, p. 438) |
Margaret/Ragland/Shoal Creek Valley/Ohatchee/Piedmont, Alabama—Cave Spring/Kingston, Georgia | 2011 | April 27 | $366,755,000 | $502,862,895 | EF4 | 2011 Shoal Creek Valley-Ohatchee tornado |
Fayetteville, Tennessee | 1952 | February 29 | $43,000,000 | $500,450,226 | F3 | Tornado outbreak of Leap Day 1952, (Grazulis, p. 962) |
Golden Valley—Mounds View—Centerville, Minnesota | 1965 | May 6 | $51,000,000 | $499,341,810 | F4 | Early May 1965 tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,074) |
Altus—Altus AFB, Oklahoma | 1982 | May 11 | $150,000,000 | $479,404,663 | F3 | Grazulis reported $200 million in damages including hail, estimated $150 million from the tornado alone (Grazulis, p. 1,239) |
Waco, Texas | 1953 | May 11 | $41,150,000 | $1,826,623,536 | F5 | 1953 Waco tornado outbreak |
Shreveport—Bossier City, Louisiana | 1978 | December 3 | $100,000,000 | $473,032,209 | F4 | 1978 Bossier City tornado outbreak (Total damages may have been greater than this.) |
Enterprise, Alabama | 2007 | March 1 | $307,000,000 | $456,656,244 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak of February 28 – March 2, 2007 |
Albany—Ashburn—Rochelle, Georgia | 2017 | January 22 | $310,000,000 | $390,050,873 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of January 21–23, 2017 |
Plainfield, Illinois | 1990 | August 28 | $165,000,000 | $389,355,815 | F5 | 1990 Plainfield tornado |
Birmingham, Alabama | 1998 | April 8 | $202,830,000 | $383,780,491 | F5 | Tornado outbreak of April 6–9, 1998 |
Oak Lawn—Evergreen Park—Chicago Illinois | 1967 | April 21 | $40,000,000 | $369,361,677 | F4 | 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak [4] (Total damages may have been greater than this.) |
St. Louis—East St. Louis, Illinois | 1896 | May 27 | $10,000,000 | $5,922,975,990 | F4 | 1896 St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado |
Atlanta, Georgia | 2008 | March 14 | $250,000,000 | $358,119,720 | EF2 | 2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak |
Jonesboro, Arkansas | 2020 | March 28 | $300,000,000 | $357,499,726 | EF3 | (Grazulis 2023, p. 590) |
St. Louis, Missouri—Granite City, Illinois | 2011 | April 22 | $250,000,000 | $342,778,487 | EF4 | 2011 St. Louis tornado |
Atlanta, Georgia | 1975 | March 24 | $56,500,000 | $323,895,177 | F3 | "The Governor's Tornado" as it caused damage to the Governor's mansion among many other buildings (Grazulis, p. 1,173) |
Haysville—McConnell AFB—Andover, Kansas | 2012 | April 14 | $238,000,000 | $319,708,904 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of April 13–16, 2012 (Grazulis 2023, p. 495) Other reports claim upwards of $500 million in damage, but this was proven inaccurate. |
Carterville—Crainville—Marion, Illinois | 1982 | May 29 | $100,000,000 | $319,603,109 | F4 | Marion, Illinois, tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,242) |
Salt Lake City, Utah | 1999 | August 11 | $170,000,000 | $314,711,224 | F2 | 1999 Salt Lake City tornado [5] |
Orland, Indiana—East Gilead/Reading/Hillsdale/Manitou Beach, Michigan (two tornadoes) | 1965 | April 11 | $32,000,000 | $313,312,508 | F4 | List of tornadoes in the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak |
Westfield—West Springfield—Springfield—Wilbraham—Monson—Brimfield—Sturbridge—Southbridge—Charlton, Massachusetts | 2011 | June 1 | $227,600,000 | $312,065,534 | EF3 | 2011 New England tornado outbreak "The Springfield tornado" |
Augusta—Tupelo—Otwell—Jonesboro, Arkansas | 1973 | May 26 | $44,110,000 | $306,402,565 | F4 | [6] (Total damages may have been greater than this.) Grazulis reported $37 million in damages or $257,014,167, adjusted (Grazulis, p. 1,141) |
Hamden—North Haven, Connecticut | 1989 | July 10 | $120,000,000 | $298,468,065 | F4 | [7] July 1989 Northeastern United States tornado outbreak |
Brownsville—Monroe, Louisiana | 2020 | April 12 | $250,000,000 | $297,916,439 | EF3 | 2020 Easter tornado outbreak, [8] |
Woodstock, Stratford, Ontario, Canada | 1979 | August 7 | $100,000,000 CAD | $295,070,920 | F4 | 1979 Woodstock, Ontario, tornado $397,165,486 CAD, adjusted (Total damages may have been greater than this.) (average exchange rate for 2024, 1 CAD = 0.742942 USD) |
Mayflower, Vilonia, Arkansas | 2014 | April 27 | $223,450,000 | $291,108,149 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014 |
Ellington, Missouri-Murphysboro/De Soto, Illinois-Griffin/Princeton, Illinois | 1925 | March 18 | $16,500,000 | $2,922,730,672 | F5 | The Tri-State Tornado, (Grazulis, p. 796) |
Vicksburg, Mississippi | 1953 | December 5 | $25,000,000 | $288,779,963 | F5 | 1953 Vicksburg, Mississippi, tornado |
Gainesville, Georgia | 1936 | April 6 | $13,000,000 | $288,447,554 | F4 | 1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 866) |
Barrie, Ontario, Canada | 1985 | May 31 | $150,000,000 CAD | $281,014,346 | F4 | 1985 Barrie tornado: $378,245,335 CAD, adjusted (Total damages may have been greater than this) (average exchange rate for 2024, 1 CAD = 0.742942 USD) |
Charles City, Iowa | 1968 | May 15 | $31,500,000 | $279,170,560 | F5 | Tornado outbreak of May 1968, (Grazulis, p. 1,097) |
Kennedale—Arlington, Texas | 2012 | April 3 | $200,000,000 | $268,662,944 | EF2 | Tornado outbreak of April 3, 2012 |
Haysville—South Wichita, Kansas | 1999 | May 3 | $145,000,000 | $268,430,162 | F4 | List of tornadoes in the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak |
Wildwood—Colfax, Wisconsin | 1958 | June 4 | $25,000,000 | $266,796,713 | F5 | Tornado outbreak of June 3–4, 1958 [9] |
Wilber—Hallam—Norris School District 160—Holland, Nebraska | 2004 | May 22 | $160,220,000 | $261,591,169 | F4 | 2004 Hallam tornado The second-widest tornado on record (~2.5 miles) almost completely destroyed the small town of Hallam. |
Dunrobin—Ottawa, Ontario—Gatineau, Quebec, Canada | 2018 | September 21 | $294,000,000 CAD | $260,046,596 | EF3 max | 2018 United States-Canada tornado outbreak: $350,022,742 CAD, adjusted (Total damages may have been greater than this.) (average exchange rate for 2024, 1 CAD = 0.742942 USD) This includes all seven tornadoes from this event as damages (per event/outbreak) are reported by province, not individual tornado. Damages in Ontario were $192 million+ CAD, and damages in Quebec were $102 million+ CAD. [10] |
Yale—Tulsa, Oklahoma | 1981 | April 19 | $75,000,000 | $254,469,472 | F3 | (Grazulis, p. 1,229) |
Huntsville, Alabama | 1989 | November 15 | $100,000,000 | $248,723,387 | F4 | November 1989 tornado outbreak |
Falmouth/Berlin/Bladeston/Chatham/Dover, Kentucky—Decatur/Otway, Ohio | 1968 | April 23 | $27,775,000 | $246,157,534 | F4 | Tornado outbreak of April 21–24, 1968 (Total damages were estimated.) |
Marshalltown, Iowa | 2018 | July 19 | $200,000,000 | $245,525,614 | EF3 | Iowa tornado outbreak of July 2018 (Grazulis 2023, p. 569) |
Toledo, Ohio—Lost Peninsula (Michigan) | 1965 | April 11 | $25,000,000 | $244,775,397 | F4 | List of tornadoes in the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,071) |
Sanford—Raleigh, North Carolina | 2011 | April 16 | $172,000,000 | $235,831,599 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of April 14–16, 2011 Grazulis reported $132 million (or $180,987,040, adjusted) in damages (Grazulis 2023, p. 458) |
Tulsa/Tulsa County—Catoosa/Rogers County, Oklahoma | 1993 | April 24 | $110,000,000 | $234,781,107 | F4 | (Grazulis, p. 1,348) |
Carrollton—Reform—Cordova—Sipsey—Blountsville, Alabama | 2011 | April 27 | $170,344,000 | $233,561,034 | EF4 | List of tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak Grazulis estimated $150 million (or $205,667,092, adjusted) in damages (Grazulis 2023, p. 467) |
Macksburg—Winterset—Norwalk—Newton, Iowa | 2022 | March 5 | $220,000,000 | $231,848,240 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak of March 5–7, 2022 Grazulis reported $200 million (or $210,771,127, adjusted) in damages (Grazulis 2023, p. 619) |
Mount Vernon/De Kalb, Texas—Mineral Springs, Arkansas | 1999 | May 4 | $125,000,000 | $231,405,312 | F3 | List of tornadoes in the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak |
Wetumpka—LaFayette, Alabama | 2011 | April 27 | $167,000,000 | $228,976,029 | EF4 | List of tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak |
Largo—Clearwater—Carrollwood—Temple Terrace—Galloway—Gibsonia—Loughman, Florida | 1966 | April 4 | $24,000,000 | $228,457,037 | F4 | Tornado outbreak of April 4–5, 1966, (Grazulis, p. 1,079) |
Hennepin County, Minnesota | 2011 | May 22 | $166,620,000 | $228,455,006 | EF1 | List of tornadoes in the tornado outbreak sequence of May 21–26, 2011 |
Greensburg, Kansas | 2007 | May 4 | $153,000,000 | $227,584,382 | EF5 | List of tornadoes in the tornado outbreak of May 4–6, 2007 [11] |
St. Peter, Minnesota | 1998 | March 29 | $120,000,000 | $227,055,460 | F3 | 1998 Comfrey-St. Peter tornado outbreak |
Sandusky—Lorain, Ohio | 1924 | June 28 | $12,500,000 | $225,451,023 | F4 | 1924 Lorain–Sandusky tornado, (Grazulis, p. 790) |
Flint—Beecher, Michigan | 1953 | June 8 | $19,000,000 | $219,472,772 | F5 | 1953 Flint-Beecher tornado, (Grazulis, p. 974) |
Windsor, Colorado | 2008 | May 22 | $147,000,000 | $210,574,395 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of May 22–27, 2008 |
Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma | 1948 | 20/25, March | $16,400,000 | $209,877,129 | F3 | 1948 Tinker Air Force Base tornadoes: Three tornadoes affected Tinker AFB in the span of six days: two on March 20 led to successful prediction of the third on March 25. These tornadoes significantly contributed to the process of predicting severe weather events. (Grazulis, p. 935) |
Jefferson City, Missouri | 2019 | May 22 | $174,000,000 | $209,908,014 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019 |
Sarasota, Florida | 1978 | May 4 | $43,000,000 | $203,403,850 | F3 | (Grazulis, p. 1,202) |
Belvidere, Illinois | 1967 | April 21 | $22,000,000 | $203,148,922 | F4 | 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,088) |
Raleigh, North Carolina | 1988 | November 28 | $77,000,000 | $200,744,793 | F4 | 1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak |
Southern Louisville suburbs, including Pioneer Village, Hillview, and Mount Washington, Kentucky | 1996 | May 28 | $101,000,000 | $198,534,843 | F4 | May 1996 Kentucky tornado outbreak [12] |
La Plata, Maryland | 2002 | April 28 | $115,000,000 | $197,153,724 | F4 | 2002 La Plata tornado |
Fayetteville, North Carolina | 2011 | April 16 | $141,100,000 | $193,464,178 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of April 14–16, 2011 Grazulis reported $136 million (or $186,471,497, adjusted) in damages (Grazulis 2023, p. 458) |
Nashville—East Nashville—Donelson—The Hermitage—Mt. Juliet, Tennessee | 1998 | April 16 | $101,000,000 | $191,105,012 | F3 | Tornado outbreak of April 15–16, 1998 (1998 Nashville tornado outbreak) |
Granbury, Texas | 2013 | May 15 | $143,000,000 | $189,320,909 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak of May 15–17, 2013 (Grazulis 2023, p. 500) |
Austin, Texas | 1980 | August 10 | $50,000,000 | $187,146,237 | F2 | (Grazulis, p. 1,226) |
Kalamazoo, Michigan | 1980 | May 13 | $50,000,000 | $187,146,237 | F3 | 1980 Kalamazoo tornado, (Grazulis, p. 1,221) |
Mena, Arkansas | 2009 | April 9 | $130,000,000 | $186,887,157 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of April 9–11, 2009 |
Oelwein—Maynard, Iowa | 1968 | May 15 | $21,000,000 | $186,113,707 | F5 | Tornado outbreak of May 1968, (Grazulis, p. 1,098) |
Southaven, Mississippi—Memphis, Tennessee | 2008 | February 5 | $128,400,000 | $183,930,288 | EF2 | List of tornadoes in the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak |
Newton Falls/Niles/Hubbard, Ohio—Wheatland/Hermitage/Greenfield, Pennsylvania | 1985 | May 31 | $63,800,000++ | $182,871,790++ | F5 | List of tornadoes in the 1985 United States–Canada tornado outbreak: "Niles-Wheatland Tornado" Grazulis reported $60 million in damages in Ohio alone. He also mentions a total of $3.8 million in damages in Pennsylvania but only with regard to trucks and other vehicles at a few different locations. He makes no mention of total damages in Pennsylvania and there are no resources available that provide that information. (Grazulis, p. 1,268) Considering the intensity of this violent tornado and the destruction of much of Wheatland's industry as well as the number of houses in and around Wheatland, we can safely surmise that the damage total is actually much higher. |
Cordell, Oklahoma | 2001 | October 9 | $100,000,000 | $174,148,504 | F3 | Tornadoes of 2001 [13] |
Center Point, Alabama | 1973 | May 27 | $25,000,000 | $173,658,220 | F3 | [14] (Grazulis, p. 1,142) |
Brent, Alabama | 1973 | May 27 | $25,000,000 | $173,658,220 | F4 | 1973 Central Alabama tornado [15] (Grazulis, p. 1,142) |
Warner Robins—Robins Air Force Base—Jeffersonville, Georgia | 1953 | April 30 | $15,000,000 | $173,267,978 | F4 | Tornado outbreak sequence of April 28 – May 2, 1953, (Grazulis, p. 968) |
Highland Park—Detroit, Michigan | 1997 | July 2 | $90,000,000 | $172,944,112 | F2 | Tornado outbreak of July 1–3, 1997 [16] |
Little Rock Air Force Base—Jacksonville, Arkansas | 2011 | April 25 | $125,000,000 | $171,389,243 | EF2 | List of tornadoes in the 2011 Super Outbreak |
Atkins—Clinton—Mountain View—Highland, Arkansas | 2008 | February 5 | $119,310,000 | $170,909,055 | EF4 | List of tornadoes in the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak |
Wildwood—Lady Lake, Florida | 2007 | February 2 | $114,000,000 | $169,572,677 | EF3 | 2007 Groundhog Day tornado outbreak |
Monroe—Athens, Georgia | 1973 | March 31 | $24,000,000 | $166,711,892 | F4 | (Grazulis, p. 1,136) |
Lake Pat Cleburne—Cleburne, Texas | 2013 | May 15 | $124,000,000 | $164,166,383 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of May 15–17, 2013 (Grazulis 2023, p. 500) |
Americus, Georgia | 2007 | March 1 | $111,000,000 | $165,110,238 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak of February 28 – March 2, 2007 |
Louisville, Mississippi | 2014 | April 28 | $126,150,000 | $164,346,802 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014 Grazulis reported $117 million (or $152,426,284, adjusted) in damages (Grazulis 2023, p. 516) |
Paris—Reno—Blossom, Texas | 1982 | April 2 | $50,000,000 | $159,801,554 | F4 | Tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1982, (Grazulis, p. 1,236) |
Minneapolis—Roseville, Minnesota | 1981 | June 14 | $47,000,000 | $159,467,536 | F3 | (Grazulis, p. 1,232) |
Whiteface—Whitharral—Anton, Texas | 1970 | April 17 | $20,000,000 | $158,977,835 | F4 | Tornado outbreak sequence of April 17–19, 1970 |
Arabi, Louisiana | 2022 | December 14 | $150,000,000 | $158,078,356 | EF2 | Tornado outbreak of December 12–15, 2022 (Grazulis 2023, p. 633) |
Jackson, Tennessee | 2008 | February 5 | $110,300,000 | $158,002,420 | EF4 | List of tornadoes in the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak |
Omaha, Nebraska | 1913 | March 23 | $5,000,000 | $155,766,162 | F3 | Tornado outbreak sequence of March 1913, (Grazulis, p. 737) |
Port Huron, Michigan, United States—Sarnia, Ontario, Canada | 1953 | May 21 | $2,600,000 (US, USD) + $15,000,000 (CA, USD) | $153,066,781 | F4 | 1953 Sarnia tornado outbreak CA: $15 million USD = $14,617,170 CAD (average exchange rate for 1953: 1 USD = 0.974478 CAD), $165,603,324 CAD adjusted = $123,033,665 USD adjusted (average exchange rate for 2024, 1 CAD = 0.742942 USD).US: $2.6 million USD = $30,033,116 USD adjusted |
Ardmore, Oklahoma | 1995 | May 7 | $75,000,000 | $151,780,020 | F3 | List of tornadoes in the May 1995 tornado outbreak sequence. Grazulis reported at least $100 million (or $202,373,359, adjusted) in damages. (Grazulis, p. 1,373) |
Wichita Falls, Texas | 1964 | April 3 | $15,000,000 | $149,234,032 | F5 | (Grazulis, p. 1,050) |
Tampa—Pinellas County, Florida | 1979 | May 8 | $35,000,000 | $148,685,882 | F2 | (Grazulis, p. 1,213) |
Pella—Peoria, Iowa | 2018 | July 19 | $120,000,000 | $147,315,368 | EF3 | Iowa tornado outbreak of July 2018 (Grazulis 2023, p. 569) |
Comstock Park—Alpine—Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1965 | April 11 | $15,000,000 | $146,865,238 | F4 | List of tornadoes in the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,065) |
Millbury—Lake Township, Ohio | 2010 | June 5 | $102,400,000 | $144,833,900 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak of June 5–6, 2010 |
Delhi, Louisiana—Moorhead, Mississippi + Cary—Oxford, Mississippi + Vicksburg—Lexington, Mississippi (three tornadoes) | 1971 | February 21 | $19,000,000 | $144,689,457 | F5 | Tornado outbreak of February 21–22, 1971 [17] |
Bauxite—Vimy Ridge—Shannon Hills—North Little Rock, Arkansas | 1997 | March 1 | $75,000,000 | $144,120,093 | F4 | March 1997 tornado outbreak [18] |
Murfreesboro, Tennessee | 2009 | April 10 | $100,000,000 | $143,759,352 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak of April 9–11, 2009 [19] |
Jeffers—Comfrey—Hanska, Minnesota | 1998 | March 29 | $75,050,000 | $142,004,269 | F4 | 1998 Comfrey-St. Peter tornado outbreak |
Dunwoody, Georgia | 1998 | April 8 | $75,000,000 | $141,909,663 | F2 | Tornado outbreak of April 6–9, 1998 |
Chesterfield—Maryland Heights—St. Ann—Lambert Field, St. Louis—Spanish Lake, Missouri | 1967 | January 24 | $15,000,000 | $138,510,629 | F4 | 1967 St. Louis tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,087) |
Smith Mills, Kentucky—Evansville/Paradise/Gentryville, Indiana | 2005 | November 6 | $87,260,000 | $137,800,652 | F3 | Evansville tornado outbreak of November 2005 |
Oologah, Oklahoma | 1991 | April 26 | $60,000,000 | $135,866,520 | F4 | 1991 Andover tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,412) |
Cedar Park, Texas | 1997 | May 27 | $70,110,000 | $134,723,463 | F3 | 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak |
Forney, Texas | 2012 | April 3 | $100,000,000 | $134,331,472 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of April 3, 2012 |
Mechanicville/Stillwater, New York—Bennington, Vermont | 1998 | May 31 | $70,630,000 | $133,641,060 | F3 | Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho |
Marmaduke, Arkansas—Caruthersville, Missouri | 2006 | April 2 | $86,500,000 | $132,331,699 | F3 | Tornado outbreak of April 2, 2006 |
Tinker AFB, Oklahoma | 1948 | March 20 | $10,250,000 | $131,173,205 | F3 | 1948 Tinker Air Force Base tornadoes (Grazulis, p. 935) |
Goderich, Ontario, Canada | 2011 | August 21 | $130,000,000 CAD | $127,961,855 | F3 | 2011 Goderich, Ontario, tornado $172,236,668 CAD, adjusted (average exchange rate for 2024, 1 CAD = 0.742942 USD) |
Bloodland—Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri | 2010 | December 31 | $90,000,000 | $127,295,420 | EF3 | 2010 New Year's Eve tornado outbreak |
College Park—Beltsville—Laurel, Maryland | 2001 | September 24 | $73,000,000 | $127,128,408 | F3 | Tornado outbreak of September 24, 2001 |
Cincinnati—Williamsburg, Ohio | 1969 | August 9 | $15,000,000 | $126,055,995 | F3 | (Grazulis, p. 1,107) |
Emporia, Kansas | 1974 | June 8 | $20,000,000 | $125,118,458 | F4 | Tornado outbreak of June 8, 1974, (Grazulis, p. 1,166) |
Camden—Hermitage, Arkansas | 1979 | April 8 | $28,800,000 | $122,347,240 | F3 | (Grazulis, p. 1,207) |
Windsor—Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada | 1946 | June 17 | $9,663,000 CAD | $120,851,545 | F4 | 1946 Windsor-Tecumseh tornado $162,666,191 CAD, adjusted (average exchange rate for 2024, 1 CAD = 0.742942 USD) |
Goodlettsville—Gallatin, Tennessee | 2006 | April 7 | $79,000,000 | $120,857,852 | F3 | Tornado outbreak of April 6–8, 2006 [20] |
Cookeville—Putnam County, Tennessee | 2020 | March 3 | $100,000,000 | $119,166,575 | EF4 | Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2020 |
Seneca—Clemson, South Carolina | 2020 | April 13 | $100,000,000 | $119,166,575 | EF3 | List of tornadoes in the 2020 Easter tornado outbreak |
Eagle Pass, Texas | 2007 | April 24 | $80,000,000 | $118,998,370 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak sequence of April 20–27, 2007 |
Barneveld—Black Earth, Wisconsin | 1984 | June 7 | $40,000,000 | $118,736,092 | F5 | Tornado outbreak of June 7–8, 1984 (Grazulis, p. 1,259) |
Lockett/Vernon, Texas—Davidson, Oklahoma | 1979 | April 10 | $27,000,000 | $114,700,537 | F4 | 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak, (Grazulis, p. 1,207) |
Fiatt—Canton, Illinois | 1975 | July 23 | $20,000,000 | $114,653,160 | F3 | 1975 Canton, Illinois, tornado |
Clarion—Belmond, Iowa | 1966 | October 14 | $12,000,000 | $114,228,518 | F4 | (Grazulis, p. 1,084) |
Saugatuck—Hudsonville—Standale—Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1956 | April 3 | $10,000,000 | $113,388,603 | F5 | Tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1956, (Grazulis, p. 995) |
Atlanta Motor Speedway; Hampton, Georgia | 2005 | July 6 | $71,500,000 | $112,912,522 | F2 | Hurricane Cindy (2005) |
Chandler—Lake Wilson, Minnesota | 1992 | June 16 | $50,000,000 | $109,913,400 | F5 | Tornado outbreak of June 14–18, 1992 Grazulis reported $45 million or $98,922,060 adjusted. (Grazulis, p. 1,331) |
Parkersburg—New Hartford, Iowa | 2008 | May 25 | $75,000,000 | $107,435,916 | EF5 | Tornado outbreak of May 22–27, 2008 |
St. Louis, Missouri | 1959 | February 10 | $10,000,000 | $105,985,223 | F4 | St. Louis tornado outbreak of February 1959: Total damages may have been greater than this. (Grazulis, p. 1,018) |
Canton—Hazlehurst—Newton—Meridian, Mississippi | 1976 | March 29 | $19,550,000 | $105,967,528 | F4 | (Grazulis, p. 1,183) |
Ragland—Piedmont—Rock Run, Alabama | 1994 | March 27 | $50,500,000 | $105,094,862 | F4 | 1994 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak |
Campbell—Poinciana—Kissimmee—Buenaventura Lakes—Lake Hart—Lake Mary Jane, Florida | 1998 | February 22 | $55,000,000 | $104,067,086 | F3 | 1998 Kissimmee tornado outbreak |
Dallas—De Soto, Texas | 1994 | April 25 | $50,000,000 | $104,054,318 | F2 | Tornado outbreak of April 25–27, 1994 |
Louisville—Jefferson County, Kentucky | 1890 | March 27 | $3,000,000 | $101,675,934 | F4 | Tornado outbreak of March 27, 1890, (Grazulis, p. 651) |
Rolling Fork, Mississippi—Silver City, Mississippi | 2023 | March 24 | $100,000,000 | $101,219,168 | EF4 | 2023 Rolling Fork–Silver City tornado Total damages may have been greater than this. |
Adairsville—Blackwood, Georgia | 2013 | January 30 | $75,000,000 | $99,294,183 | EF3 | Tornado outbreak of January 29–30, 2013 (Grazulis 2023, p. 499) |
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) and longest duration at about 3+1⁄2 hours, and 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 second costliest tornado in history at the time, and when costs are normalized for wealth and inflation, it still ranks third today.
An extremely rare wintertime tornado outbreak affected the Midwestern United States on January 24, 1967. Of the 30 confirmed tornadoes, 13 occurred in Iowa, nine in Missouri, seven in Illinois, and one in Wisconsin. The outbreak produced, at the time, the northernmost tornado to hit the United States in winter, in Wisconsin, until January 7, 2008. The tornadoes formed ahead of a deep storm system in which several temperature records were broken. The deadliest and most damaging tornado of the outbreak struck Greater St. Louis at F4 intensity, killing three people and injuring 216.
Thomas P. Grazulis is an American meteorologist who has written extensively about tornadoes and produced documentaries as head of The Tornado Project.
On August 6, 1969, a destructive tornado outbreak affected portions of the Upper Midwest—principally north-central Minnesota. The severe weather event generated 14 confirmed tornadoes, killed 15 people, and caused 109 injuries. To date, the outbreak remains the deadliest on record in the North Woods region of Minnesota. It is also known as the 1969 Minnesota tornado outbreak and the 1969 North Woods tornado outbreak. The most destructive tornado of the outbreak was a 33-mile-long (53 km) violent F4 that leveled miles of timberland and farmland across portions of Crow Wing, Cass, and Aitkin counties in Minnesota, killing at least 12 people and injuring 70 others.
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 Monday, April 8, 1957, a widespread tornado outbreak struck the Southeastern United States, particularly the Carolinas, and was responsible for seven deaths and 203 injuries across the region. Most of the activity occurred on either side of the Piedmont, including portions of the Cumberland Plateau. At least 18 tornadoes occurred, including several long-tracked tornado families, one of which included a violent tornado that was retrospectively rated F4 on the Fujita scale. Besides tornadoes, the outbreak also generated other severe weather phenomena such as large hail.
On May 24–25, 1957, a tornado outbreak primarily affected the Western High Plains, Central Great Plains, and Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains of the United States. 45 tornadoes touched down over the area, most of which took place across northern and western Texas, in addition to southern Oklahoma. Overall activity initiated over eastern New Mexico and spread northeastward as far as southwestern Wisconsin. The strongest tornado, which occurred in southern Oklahoma on May 24, was assigned a rating of F4 near Lawton. Anomalously, some tornadoes touched down during the early morning hours, rather than late afternoon or early evening, when daytime heating typically peaks.
On March 21–22, 1952, a severe tornado outbreak generated eight violent tornadoes across the Southern United States, causing 209 fatalities—50 of which occurred in a single tornado in Arkansas. In addition, this tornado outbreak is the second deadliest on record to ever affect the state of Tennessee, with 66 of the fatalities associated with this outbreak occurring in the state; this is only surpassed by the 90 fatalities from a tornado outbreak in 1909, and in terms of fatalities is well ahead of both the 1974 Super Outbreak and the Super Tuesday tornado outbreak, each of which generated 45 and 31 fatalities, respectively. The severe weather event also resulted in the fourth-largest number of tornado fatalities within a 24-hour period since 1950. To date this was considered the most destructive tornado outbreak in Arkansas on record.
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 April 4–5, 1966, an outbreak of at least three tornadoes affected portions of Florida and North Carolina. It included a deadly pair of tornado families that struck the I-4 corridor in Central Florida from the Tampa Bay Area to Brevard County. At least two long-tracked tornadoes affected the region, each of which featured a path length in excess of 100 mi (160 km). The two tornadoes are officially listed as continuous events, but the tornadoes' damage paths did not cross the entire state, and downbursts may have been responsible for destruction near Lake Juliana and in the Kissimmee–Saint Cloud area. However, tornado and downburst damage combined was continuous from coast to coast.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1989, 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.
A deadly tornado outbreak devastated parts of Louisiana and Tennessee on February 11–13, 1950. The outbreak covered about a day and a half and produced numerous tornadoes, mostly from East Texas to the lower Mississippi Valley, with activity concentrated in Texas and Louisiana. Most of the deaths occurred in Louisiana and Tennessee, where tornadoes killed 25 and 9 people, respectively. Several long-lived tornado families struck the Red River region of northwestern Louisiana, especially the Shreveport–Bossier City area. One of the tornadoes attained violent intensity, F4, on the Fujita scale and caused eight deaths, including six at the Shreveport Holding and Reconsignment Depot near Barksdale Air Force Base. It remains one of the top ten deadliest tornadoes on record in the state of Louisiana, in tenth place. Also in Louisiana, two other destructive tornadoes on parallel paths killed 16. Seven additional deaths occurred across the border in East Texas. Nine people died in a tornado in western Tennessee as well. In all, the entire outbreak killed at least 41 people and left 228 injured. Also, several long-tracked tornadoes recorded in the outbreak likely contained more, shorter-lived tornadoes.
On April 9, 1919, a tornado outbreak occurred in the Southern Great Plains of the US, producing numerous strong tornadoes and killing at least 92 people, mainly in portions of North and East Texas. The entire outbreak occurred overnight and produced at least seven intense, deadly tornadoes, the deadliest of which was a long-tracked, extremely violent F4 in East Texas that killed 24 people and injured 100 others. A separate F4 long-tracker in the same region killed 17 others and injured 60 more. A deadly F3 also claimed nine or more lives in southern Oklahoma, and a long-lived F3 in East Texas crossed into Arkansas, killing eight. Several of the tornadoes in this outbreak may have been families of two or more twisters.
A widespread, destructive, and deadly tornado outbreak sequence affected the Southeastern United States from April 28 to May 2, 1953, producing 24 tornadoes, including five violent F4 tornadoes. The deadliest event of the sequence was an F4 tornado family that ravaged Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia, on April 30, killing at least 18 people and injuring 300 or more others. On May 1, a pair of F4 tornadoes also struck Alabama, causing a combined nine deaths and 15 injuries. Additionally, another violent tornado struck rural Tennessee after midnight on May 2, killing four people and injuring eight. Additionally, two intense tornadoes impacted Greater San Antonio, Texas, on April 28, killing three people and injuring 20 altogether. In all, 36 people were killed, 361 others were injured, and total damages reached $26.713 million (1953 USD). There were additional casualties from non-tornadic events as well, including a washout which caused a train derailment that injured 10.
On November 7–8, 1957, a significant tornado outbreak affected portions of the Southern United States, particularly the Golden Triangle of Southeast Texas and parts of Acadiana in Louisiana. The severe weather event inflicted 12 deaths and more than 200 injuries, especially in the vicinity of Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas. The most intense tornado of the outbreak, retrospectively rated F4 on the Fujita scale, struck the town of Orange, Texas, killing one person, injuring 81 others, and causing $11⁄2 million in losses. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak was an F3 that killed four people northwest of Carencro, Louisiana. The costliest tornado of the outbreak, also rated F3, caused $2.3 million in losses in the town of Groves, Texas, killing a few people there. Other intense tornadoes occurred as far east as Mississippi and North Carolina. In all, at least 28 tornadoes were confirmed, yet others were likely present as well.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1949, 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.
Several destructive tornadoes struck the Southeastern United States, primarily along and east of the Lower Mississippi Valley, on February 13, 1952. Multiple intense tornadoes touched down throughout the day, three of which were killers. The deadliest and most destructive tornado of the outbreak was a violent F4 that touched down in south-central Tennessee, killing three people and injuring 44 others. A similarly destructive tornado—albeit of weaker, F2 intensity—formed from the same storm as the preceding F4 and became the second costliest of the outbreak. Another intense tornado affected the Mississippi embayment near Manila, Arkansas, injuring five people, and a pair of deadly F3s in Alabama claimed a combined two lives. In all, the outbreak killed five people and injured 102 others.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1948, 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. Also, prior to 1950, tornadoes were not officially surveyed by the U.S. Weather Bureau, which would later become the National Weather Service, and thus had no official rating. All documented significant tornadoes were instead given unofficial ratings by tornado experts like Thomas P. Grazulis.
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.