![]() | Parts of this article (those related to Confirmed tornadoes) need to be updated.(September 2020) |
![]() | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(April 2012) |
![]() A photograph of the F5 Topeka, Kansas tornado. | |
Type | Tornado outbreak |
---|---|
Duration | June 3–12 |
Tornadoes confirmed | 57 |
Max. rating1 | F5 tornado |
Duration of tornado outbreak2 | ~11 days |
Fatalities | 18 fatalities, 543 injuries |
Damage | $250 million (1966 USD) $2,348 million (2023 USD) [1] |
Areas affected | Southern and Midwestern United States, Great Plains |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 1966 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado |
The Tornado outbreak sequence of June 1966 [nb 1] [nb 2] was a series of tornado outbreaks which occurred between June 2 and June 12. The nearly two week event of severe weather was mainly concentrated in the Midwestern (Great Plains) region of the United States, but was widely spread out to areas as far south as Texas and Florida, and as far east as New York.
The most destructive tornado of this event occurred on the early evening of Wednesday, June 8, 1966, when Topeka, Kansas was struck by an F5 rated tornado. It started on the southwest side of town, moving northeast, passing through several subdivisions and over a local landmark named Burnett's Mound. 57 tornadoes were confirmed during the 11-day span, which left 18 people dead and 543 injured (16 of the 18 deaths and 450 of the injuries were attributed to the Topeka tornado).
FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 57 |
List of reported tornadoes - Friday, June 3, 1966 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
South Dakota | ||||||
F? | Aurora | 43°54′N98°54′W / 43.9°N 98.9°W | 2300 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. Tornado was confirmed but was not given a rating. | |
F0 | Yankton | 42°54′N97°24′W / 42.9°N 97.4°W | 0200 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
Sources: , [3] |
List of reported tornadoes - Saturday, June 4, 1966 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Colorado | |||||
F0 | Logan | 40°56′N103°11′W / 40.93°N 103.18°W | 2300 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
Wisconsin | |||||
F2 | Oconto | 45°01′N88°23′W / 45.02°N 88.38°W | 0100 | 5.4 miles (8.7 km) | First of the F2 triplet tornadoes in Oconto County. Barns were destroyed. |
F2 | Oconto | 44°57′N88°20′W / 44.95°N 88.33°W | 0100 | 4.9 miles (7.9 km) | Second of the F2 triplet tornadoes in Oconto County. |
F2 | Oconto | 44°53′N88°18′W / 44.88°N 88.3°W | 0100 | 4.7 miles (7.6 km) | Last of the F2 triplet tornadoes in Oconto County. |
Nebraska | |||||
F? | Morrill | 41°44′N102°52′W / 41.73°N 102.87°W | 0148 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
South Dakota | |||||
F2 | Gregory | 43°14′N99°26′W / 43.23°N 99.43°W | 330 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | 1.5 mile wide tornado caused severe damage. |
List of reported tornadoes - Sunday, June 5, 1966 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Nebraska | |||||
F2 | Boone | 41°42′N98°10′W / 41.7°N 98.17°W | 0608 | 0.7 miles (1.1 km) | 1 Injury – Brief touchdown injured one person. |
F? | Madison | 41°00′N97°36′W / 41°N 97.6°W | 0612 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. Tornado was confirmed but was not given an F-Scale intensity. |
Minnesota | |||||
F0 | Pipestone | 43°58′N96°05′W / 43.97°N 96.08°W | 1200 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
Oklahoma | |||||
F0 | Baine | 35°51′N98°28′W / 35.85°N 98.47°W | 2300 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
F2 | Kay | 36°50′N97°24′W / 36.83°N 97.4°W | 2350 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | 1 Injury – A house was pushed 12 feet off of its foundation and another was badly damaged. Barns were destroyed as well. |
F0 | Garfield | 36°29′N97°53′W / 36.48°N 97.88°W | 0030 | 4.3 miles (6.9 km) | No damage reported. First of four tornadoes to hit Garfield County in only 30 minutes. |
F1 | Grant | 36°40′N97°37′W / 36.67°N 97.62°W | 0030 | 1.4 miles (2.3 km) | Quarter-mile-wide tornado caused damage to structures. |
F2 | Garfield | 36°28′N97°53′W / 36.47°N 97.88°W | 0035 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | 6 Injuries – Tornado struck Enid and caused $250,000 in damages. 3 trailers were destroyed and 3 others were damaged. 11 homes had their roofs torn off and 112 others were damaged. Boxcars were overturned and a truck garage was destroyed. Second of four tornadoes to hit Garfield County in only 30 minutes. |
F0 | Garfield | 36°18′N98°06′W / 36.3°N 98.1°W | 0055 | 3.8 miles (6.1 km) | Third of four tornadoes to hit Garfield County in only 30 minutes. |
F1 | Garfield | 36°22′N97°54′W / 36.37°N 97.9°W | 0100 | 5.7 miles (9.2 km) | Last of four tornadoes to hit Garfield County in only 30 minutes. |
Missouri | |||||
F1 | Gentry | 40°14′N94°17′W / 40.23°N 94.28°W | 0000 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
Iowa | |||||
F2 | Linn | 42°17′N91°30′W / 42.28°N 91.5°W | 0430 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) |
List of reported tornadoes - Monday, June 6, 1966 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Kentucky | |||||
F2 | McCracken, Madison | 36°58′N88°37′W / 36.97°N 88.62°W | 1800 | 18.5 miles (29.8 km) | Strong tornado injured two. Grazulis did not list this event, impling that the damage was actually caused by straight-line winds. [4] |
Florida | |||||
F1 | Pinellas | 27°55′N82°45′W / 27.92°N 82.75°W | 2030 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | Brief touchdown injured one. |
List of reported tornadoes - Tuesday, June 7, 1966 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Kansas | |||||
F? | Wallace | 38°51′N101°42′W / 38.85°N 101.7°W | 2310 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. Tornado was confirmed but was not given an F-Scale intensity. |
F0 | McPherson | 38°12′N97°31′W / 38.2°N 97.52°W | 2330 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
F? | Ellis | 38°47′N99°29′W / 38.78°N 99.48°W | 0100 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. Tornado was confirmed but was not given an F-Scale intensity. |
Missouri | |||||
F0 | Stoddard | 37°06′N89°55′W / 37.1°N 89.92°W | 2330 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
Oklahoma | |||||
F0 | Ellis | 37°06′N89°55′W / 37.1°N 89.92°W | 0000 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
List of reported tornadoes - Wednesday, June 8, 1966 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Florida | |||||
F0 | Miami-Dade | 25°45′N80°15′W / 25.75°N 80.25°W | 1200 | 4.9 miles (7.9 km) | No damage reported. |
F1 | Miami-Dade | 25°36′N80°18′W / 25.6°N 80.3°W | 1700 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
Kansas | |||||
F0 | Rice | 38°15′N98°24′W / 38.25°N 98.4°W | 2118 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
F2 | Clay | 39°08′N97°09′W / 39.13°N 97.15°W | 2337 | 8.9 miles (14.3 km) | Caused damage to farms. |
F3 | Riley | 39°04′N96°46′W / 39.07°N 96.77°W | 0000 | 13.8 miles (22.2 km) | At least 65 Injuries – Enormous 1.2 mile wide tornado, caused $5 million in damage in Manhattan. KSU campus sustained $1,850,000 in damage alone. 11 homes were destroyed and others were unroofed. An apartment building and 66 trailers were destroyed as well. [5] |
F5 | Shawnee | 38°55′N95°55′W / 38.92°N 95.92°W | 0100 | 21.1 miles (34.0 km) | 16 Deaths450 Injuries – See section on this tornado |
F2 | Leavenworth | 39°14′N95°02′W / 39.23°N 95.03°W | 0115 | 8.2 miles (13.2 km) | Trailers were destroyed and a home was unroofed. First of two tornadoes to hit Leavenworth County. |
F4 | Leavenworth | 39°10′N95°11′W / 39.17°N 95.18°W | 0200 | 19.9 miles (32.0 km) | 1 Death2 Injuries – One home was leveled and a car was thrown and destroyed. Second of two tornadoes to hit Leavenworth County. |
Oklahoma | |||||
F1 | Caddo | 35°29′N98°24′W / 35.48°N 98.4°W | 2330 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
F0 | Washita | 35°18′N98°48′W / 35.3°N 98.8°W | 0000 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
F0 | Caddo | 35°10′N98°12′W / 35.17°N 98.2°W | 0120 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
List of reported tornadoes - Thursday, June 9, 1966 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Illinois | |||||
F0 | Cook | 42°06′N88°01′W / 42.1°N 88.02°W | 1110 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
F2 | Cook | 42°06′N88°01′W / 42.1°N 88.02°W | 1115 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown. |
F2 | Cook | 42°06′N87°56′W / 42.1°N 87.93°W | 1120 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | 1 Death30 Injuries – Tornado unroofed homes and apartment buildings in the area. A trailer was destroyed as well. |
Florida | |||||
F1 | Jackson | 30°48′N85°14′W / 30.8°N 85.23°W | 1200 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
F? | Jackson | 30°48′N85°14′W / 30.8°N 85.23°W | 1605 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. Tornado was confirmed but was not given an F-Scale intensity. |
Michigan | |||||
F2 | Barry | 42°15′N85°23′W / 42.25°N 85.38°W | 1400 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Tornado caused moderate damage in the area. |
New York | |||||
F0 | Erie | 42°38′N78°33′W / 42.63°N 78.55°W | 2200 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
List of reported tornadoes - Friday, June 10, 1966 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Texas | |||||
F2 | Swisher | 34°21′N101°44′W / 34.35°N 101.73°W | 0130 | 36.9 miles (59.4 km) | Long track tornado. |
F1 | Swisher | 34°21′N101°44′W / 34.35°N 101.73°W | 0130 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
F0 | Swisher | 34°39′N101°30′W / 34.65°N 101.5°W | 0130 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
List of reported tornadoes - Saturday, June 11, 1966 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Minnesota | |||||
F1 | Minnesota | 47°11′N95°55′W / 47.18°N 95.92°W | 2115 | 1.9 miles (3.1 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
F4 | Crow Wing, Cass | 46°38′N94°22′W / 46.63°N 94.37°W | 2300 | 72.8 miles (117.2 km) | Very long track half-mile-wide tornado completely leveled several farms, and damaged at least 20 others. Two homes sustained near F5-damage with only clean slabs remaining. Thousands of trees were snapped and 3 people were injured. |
Iowa | |||||
F2 | Polk | 41°34′N93°33′W / 41.57°N 93.55°W | 2345 | 12.2 miles (19.6 km) | |
F2 | Mitchell | 43°23′N92°54′W / 43.38°N 92.9°W | 0100 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | |
F1 | Marshall | 41°50′N92°58′W / 41.83°N 92.97°W | 0145 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
F2 | Boone | 42°05′N93°52′W / 42.08°N 93.87°W | 0230 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | |
F1 | Story | 42°12′N93°24′W / 42.2°N 93.4°W | 0300 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
List of reported tornadoes - Sunday, June 12, 1966 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | County | Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage |
Kansas | |||||
F1 | Douglas | 39°03′N95°27′W / 39.05°N 95.45°W | 2201 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
Missouri | |||||
F0 | Clay | 39°18′N94°31′W / 39.3°N 94.52°W | 2245 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. |
F1 | Monroe | 39°31′N92°10′W / 39.52°N 92.17°W | 2330 | 0.2 miles (0.3 km) | Brief touchdown caused minor damage. |
Texas | |||||
F3 | Denton | 33°18′N97°00′W / 33.3°N 97.0°W | 0045 | 3.6 miles (5.8 km) |
F5 tornado | |
---|---|
![]() Damage in downtown Topeka. | |
Max. rating1 | F5 tornado |
Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 36 minutes |
Fatalities | 16 fatalities, 450 injuries |
Damage | $250 million (1966 USD) [6] |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado |
A violent tornado began developing at 6:55 p.m. Central Time on June 8, touching down 8 miles (13 km) west of the city. The National Weather Service could not detect the developing tornado on radar as the Topeka forecast office used a modified military radar that was donated by the U.S. government after World War II. While it was state-of-the-art for the time, it had limited ability to detect tornadic activity compared to Doppler weather radar. Around 7:30 p.m., a 1/4 to 1/2-mile (400–800 m) wide tornado tracked into the southwest side of town, moving northeast, and passed over Burnett's Mound. Bill Kurtis, then a fill-in reporter at WIBW-TV (channel 13; then a hybrid CBS/ABC/NBC affiliate, now CBS) delivered the message to take shelter from the devastating storm by telling viewers calmly but sternly, "for God's sake, take cover!" [7] [8]
After broadcasting a take-cover report on the air while driving down the winding road on Burnett's Mound with the tornado approaching his direction, Rick Douglass, a reporter for radio station WREN (1250 AM, now KYYS), attempted to take shelter under an overpass, while trying to do a second live report on the storm. Douglass was carried by the tornado, becoming airborne for a few seconds, and was dropped over one block away. Douglass, whose clothes were ripped from his body, was pushed by the strong winds along the ground until the tornado passed on to make a six-block swath across Topeka. Douglass was found with dirt and debris covering his body. When he arrived at an area hospital, a nurse placed a cover over Douglass's face – believing he had perished. In an interview with The History Channel's Wrath of God, Douglass stated that he then pulled off the cover, resulting in the attending nurse wincing in reaction, Douglass found shards of debris in his skin for several years after the tornado and was left with a smell he described in the interview as "a mix of blood, guts, wood and metal" for several weeks. [9]
The tornado first struck residential areas, cleanly sweeping away entire rows of homes and hurling vehicles hundreds of yards through the air. Grass was scoured from the ground according to eyewitnesses. [10] Washburn University took a direct hit, and many large stone buildings on campus were badly damaged or destroyed. [10] A 300-pound section of stone wall was torn from one building and thrown two miles away. [11] One vehicle on campus was reportedly lofted over the top of the university's ROTC building, before coming to rest on the 50-yard line of the football field. [12] The tornado ripped through the central part of the city, hitting the downtown area. Buses were crushed when the transportation barn was collapsed by the tornado, and trains on the Santa Fe Railway were overturned. Most of the downtown buildings were badly damaged or had windows blown out. Cars were flipped and tossed, and streets were blocked with debris. Many workers at the AT&T building downtown took shelter after a co-worker warned them of the approaching tornado, which could not be heard through the soundproof operator's room. The building incurred only light damage. The Kansas State Capitol building was also damaged when debris struck the dome removing one of the copper panels.
As the storm raged through the downtown area, meteorologists at the National Weather Service Topeka forecast office, located at Philip Billard Municipal Airport, took shelter as the tornado tracked through the airport, flipping over several airplanes. At 7:29 p.m., 34 minutes after it touched down, the tornado dissipated after ripping through the airport. By this time, the tornado had traversed 22 miles (35 km) of the city, with a damage path width of 1⁄2 mile (800 m). The most intense damage occurred in residential areas on the east side of town, due to the closely spaced housing units. Homes and other buildings along the tornado's path were obliterated, and the National Weather Service Topeka forecast office years later rated the tornado at F5 on the Fujita scale.
Then-mayor Chuck Wright later issued a decree that those caught looting would be shot on sight. The Kansas National Guard was called in. Streets in devastated areas of the city were filled with sightseers checking out the ruins of homes and businesses, which hampered efforts from first responders to find those missing under rubble. Families of victims also came to the scene to try to find them.
A total of 820 homes were destroyed and 3,000 others were damaged. 250 businesses were destroyed and 2,390 were damaged including a major shopping center. 330 of the damaged homes and businesses suffered major damage and the other 5,000 received lesser degrees of damage. Hundreds of apartments were destroyed. Many government buildings, public buildings, other structures and much other property were damaged or destroyed.
Overall, 16 people were killed, and many others were injured. However, it is believed that had the tornado hit during school and work hours or during the night, that as many as 5,000 people would have been killed. Bill Kurtis was credited for saving many lives with his urgent message to take cover. [13] [8]
According to a local Native American legend, Burnett's Mound (a local landmark that was named after Potawatomi Indian chief Abram Burnett, and also believed to be an ancient Native American burial ground) was thought to protect the city from tornadoes, suggesting that the 250 feet (76 m) hill would cause a tornado that was approaching Topeka to disintegrate. A few years earlier, a water tower had been built directly on the mound, which sparked controversy among Topeka residents who felt it could impede the mound's reputed protective effect.[ citation needed ] Ten other tornadoes had struck the city since state records began in 1889, but the 1966 tornado was worse than any of the others. [14] [ failed verification ]
State | Total | County | County total |
---|---|---|---|
Kansas | 17 | Leavenworth | 1 |
Shawnee | 16 | ||
Illinois | 1 | Cook | 1 |
Totals | 18 | ||
All deaths were tornado-related |
A tornado warning is a public warning that is issued by weather forecasting agencies to an area in the direct path of a tornado, or a thunderstorm capable of producing one, and advises individuals in that area to take cover. Modern weather surveillance technology such as Doppler weather radar can detect rotation in a thunderstorm, allowing for early warning before a tornado develops. They are also commonly issued based on reported visual sighting of a tornado, funnel cloud, or wall cloud, typically from weather spotters or the public, but also law enforcement or local emergency management. When radar is unavailable or insufficient, such ground truth is crucial. In particular, a tornado can develop in a gap of radar coverage, of which there are several known in the United States.
The 1974 Super Outbreak was the second-largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the 2011 Super Outbreak. It was also the most violent tornado outbreak ever recorded, with 30 F4/F5 tornadoes confirmed. From April 3–4, 1974, there were 148 tornadoes confirmed in 13 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario. In the United States, tornadoes struck Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and New York. The outbreak caused roughly $843 million USD in damage, with more than $600 million occurring in the United States. The outbreak extensively damaged approximately 900 sq mi (2,331 km2) along a total combined path length of 2,600 mi (4,184 km). At one point, as many as 15 separate tornadoes were occurring simultaneously.
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.
From May 2 to 8, 1999, a large tornado outbreak took place across much of the Central and parts of the Eastern United States, as well as southern Canada. During this week-long event, 152 tornadoes touched down in these areas. The most dramatic events unfolded during the afternoon of May 3 through the early morning hours of May 4 when more than half of these storms occurred. Oklahoma experienced its largest tornado outbreak on record, with 70 confirmed. The most notable of these was the F5 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado which devastated Oklahoma City and suburban communities. The tornado killed 36 people and injured 583 others; losses amounted to $1 billion, making it the first billion-dollar tornado in history. Overall, 50 people lost their lives during the outbreak and damage amounted to $1.4 billion. For these reasons, the outbreak is known in Oklahoma as the May 3rd outbreak or the Oklahoma tornado outbreak of 1999.
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.
Tornado myths are incorrect beliefs about tornadoes, which can be attributed to many factors, including stories and news reports told by people unfamiliar with tornadoes, sensationalism by news media, and the presentation of incorrect information in popular entertainment. Common myths cover various aspects of the tornado, and include ideas about tornado safety, the minimization of tornado damage, and false assumptions about the size, shape, power, and path of the tornado itself.
This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2001. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail.
On April 2–5, 1957, a deadly tornado outbreak sequence struck most of the Southern United States. The outbreak killed at least 21 people across three states and produced at least 73 tornadoes from Texas to Virginia. The outbreak was most notable due to a tornado that hit a densely populated area of the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, killing 10 people and injuring 200 or more. The tornado, highly visible for most of its path, was at the time the most observed and best-documented tornado in recorded history; hundreds of people photographed or filmed the F3 tornado as it moved just west of Downtown Dallas. The film of this tornado is still known for its unusually high quality and sharpness, considering the photography techniques and technology of the 1950s. Damage from the Dallas tornado reached as high as $4 million. Besides the famous Dallas tornado, other deadly tornadoes struck portions of Mississippi, Texas, and Oklahoma. Two F4 tornadoes struck southern Oklahoma on April 2, killing five people. Three other significant, F2-rated tornadoes that day killed two people in Texas and one more in Oklahoma. An F3 tornado struck rural Mississippi on April 4, killing one more person.
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The 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado was a large, long-lived and exceptionally powerful F5 tornado in which the highest wind speeds ever measured globally were recorded at 135 metres per second by a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar. Considered the strongest tornado ever recorded to have affected the metropolitan area, the tornado devastated southern portions of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States while near peak intensity, along with surrounding suburbs and towns to the south and southwest of the city during the early evening of Monday, May 3, 1999. Parts of Bridge Creek were rendered unrecognizable. The tornado covered 38 miles (61 km) during its 85-minute existence, destroying thousands of homes, killing 36 people, and leaving US$1 billion in damage, ranking it as the fifth-costliest on record not accounting for inflation. Its severity prompted the first-ever use of the tornado emergency statement by the National Weather Service.
From April 14–16, 2011, a tornado outbreak, among the largest recorded tornado outbreaks in U.S. history, produced 178 confirmed tornadoes across 16 states, resulting in severe destruction on all three days of the outbreak. A total of 38 people were killed from tornadoes and an additional five people were killed as a result of straight-line winds associated with the storm system. The outbreak of severe weather and tornadoes led to 43 deaths in the Southern United States. This was the largest number of fatalities in an outbreak in the United States since the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak. It is locally referred to as the "Forgotten Outbreak" in Alabama as it was vastly overshadowed by the 2011 Super Outbreak less than two weeks later.
From May 21 to May 26, 2011, one of the largest tornado outbreaks on record affected the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States. A six-day tornado outbreak sequence, most of the tornadoes developed in a corridor from Lake Superior southwest to central Texas, while isolated tornadoes occurred in other areas. An especially destructive EF5 tornado destroyed one-third of Joplin, Missouri, resulting in 158 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. The Joplin tornado was the deadliest in the United States since April 9, 1947, when an intense tornado killed 181 in the Woodward, Oklahoma, area. Tornado-related deaths also occurred in Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. Overall, the tornado outbreak resulted in 186 deaths, 8 of those non-tornadic, making it second only to the 2011 Super Outbreak as the deadliest since 1974. It was the second costliest tornado outbreak in United States history behind that same April 2011 outbreak, with insured damage estimated at $4–7 billion.
On March 2 and 3, 2012, a deadly tornado outbreak occurred over a large section of the Southern United States into the Ohio Valley region. The storms resulted in 41 tornado-related fatalities, 22 of which occurred in Kentucky. Tornado-related deaths also occurred in Alabama, Indiana, and Ohio. The outbreak was the second deadliest in early March for the U.S. since official records began in 1950; only the 1966 Candlestick Park tornado had a higher death toll for a tornadic system in early March.
From April 13 to 16, 2012, a major tornado outbreak occurred across a large portion of the Great Plains. The storms resulted in six tornado-related fatalities, all of which occurred as a result of a nighttime EF3 tornado that caused major damage in and around Woodward, Oklahoma. Numerous other tornadoes occurred, including a violent EF4 tornado that passed near Marquette, Kansas, and an EF3 that caused major damage in Wichita.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1966, 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.
An extended period of significant tornado activity affected the Central United States in late May 2016. This outbreak sequence came less than two weeks after another damaging tornado outbreak that affected similar areas. The most prolific day was May 24 when 44 tornadoes touched down with at least 12 of them spawned by an intense, long-tracked supercell near Dodge City, Kansas. The strongest tornado from this outbreak was a violent EF4 tornado on May 25 that caused severe damage near Solomon, Abilene, and Chapman, Kansas, injuring eight. Overall, 98 tornadoes were confirmed.
The tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019 was a prolonged series of destructive tornadoes and tornado outbreaks affecting the United States over the course of nearly two weeks, producing a total of 400 tornadoes, including 53 significant events (EF2+). Eighteen of these were EF3 tornadoes, spanning over multiple states, including Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio, with additional tornadoes confirmed across a region extending from California to New Jersey. Two EF4 tornadoes occurred, one in Dayton, Ohio, and the other in Linwood, Kansas. Four tornadoes during this outbreak were fatal, causing a total of eight fatalities. The deadliest of these occurred on May 22 near Golden City, Missouri, where an EF3 tornado took three lives, including an elderly couple in their eighties. The damaging series of tornadoes that occurred in Indiana and Ohio on the evening of May 27 during this event is sometimes locally referred to as the Memorial Day tornado outbreak of 2019, which became the fourth costliest weather event in Ohio history. The near continuous stream of systems also produced to widespread flash and river flooding, along with damaging winds and large hail.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1951, 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 notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2022. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Tornadic events are often accompanied by other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail. Worldwide, 32 tornado-related deaths were confirmed: 23 in the United States, three in China, two each in Poland and Russia, and one each in the Netherlands and Ukraine.