![]() Damage from the St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado. | |
Duration | May 15–28, 1896 |
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Tornadoes confirmed | ≥38 |
Max. rating1 | F5 tornado |
Fatalities | ≥501 fatalities, ≥1914 injuries |
Areas affected | Central and Southern United States |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale |
The tornado outbreak sequence of May 1896 was a series of violent and deadly tornado outbreaks that struck much of the Central and Southern United States from May 15 to 28, 1896. It is considered one of the worst tornado outbreak sequences on record with tornado expert Tom Grazulis stating that the week of May 24–28 was "perhaps the most violent single week of tornado activity in United States history". [1] There were four particularly notable tornado outbreaks during the two-week period. It produced three F5 tornadoes as well as the third deadliest tornado ever in United States history. A total of at least 484 people were killed during the entire outbreak sequence by at least 38 different tornadoes which struck Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. [nb 1] [nb 2]
The ratings for these tornadoes were done by tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis and are not official ratings.
FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
? | ? | ? | 17 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 38+ |
Outbreak death toll | |||
State/Province | Total | County | County total |
---|---|---|---|
Texas | 78 | Denton | 5 |
Grayson | 73 | ||
Oklahoma | 4 | Bryan | 4 |
Kansas | 21 | McPherson | 1 |
Nemaha | 15 [3] | ||
Brown | 5 [3] | ||
Kentucky | 5 | Marshall | 5 |
Nebraska | 4 | Richardson | 4 |
Iowa | 21 | Polk | 7 |
Jasper | 14 | ||
Illinois | 166 | Ogle | 7 |
Madison | 118 | ||
Washington | 14 | ||
Jefferson | ~3 | ||
St. Clair | 10 | ||
Clinton | 14 | ||
Michigan | 50 | Tuscola | 1 |
Macomb | ~1 | ||
St. Clair | ~1 | ||
Oakland | 39 | ||
Genesee | 3 | ||
Unknown | 5 | ||
Missouri | 146 | Montgomery | 1 |
Audrain | 6 | ||
Osage | 2 | ||
St. Louis | 137 | ||
Pennsylvania | 5 | Lancaster | 1 |
Montgomery | 2 | ||
Bucks | 2 | ||
Totals | ~500 | ||
List of confirmed tornadoes – May 15, 1896 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
Texas | ||||||
F3 | SW of Justin to E of Ponder | Denton | 2015 | 13 miles (21 km) | 2 deaths — A total of 22 homes were damaged in Justin, with five destroyed, and two swept away. Every business in town received some degree of damage. There were 25 injuries, including 17 that were serious. [4] | |
F2 | W of Denton | Denton, Cooke | 2045 | 17 miles (27 km) | 3 deaths — Struck the town of Gribble Springs, where seven houses were destroyed and three people were killed. Two homes and numerous barns were also destroyed in Cooke County. [4] | |
F5 | E of Pilot Point to Sherman | Denton, Grayson | 2230 | 28 miles (45 km) | 73 deaths — See section on this tornado — One of the most intense tornadoes ever recorded. [4] | |
F2 | SE of Sherman to SE of Hendrix, OK | Grayson, Bryan(OK) | 2245 | 18 miles (29 km) | Tornado formed after the Sherman tornado lifted. A total of 20 homes were damaged along the Choctaw Creek (then called Choctaw Bayou) and a trading post was destroyed. There were 35 injuries, of which, at least 20 were serious. [4] | |
Oklahoma | ||||||
F2 | Blue area | Bryan | 2330 | unknown | 4 deaths — A family of four was killed in their home. [4] | |
Kansas | ||||||
F2 | NE of Moundridge | McPherson | 1000 | unknown | 1 death — Brief, early-morning touchdown leveled a house. An elderly man was killed and his wife was injured. [4] | |
Sources: Grazulis (1993) [4] |
List of confirmed tornadoes – May 17, 1896 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
Kentucky | ||||||
F2 | N of Symsonia | Graves, Marshall | 0645 | 8 miles (13 km) | 5 deaths — South of Elva, a small two-room home was obliterated, killing a family of five. [4] | |
Kansas | ||||||
F3 | NW of Clay Center to S of Frankfort | Clay, Marshall, Riley | 2230 | 45 miles (72 km) | Probably a long-lived tornado family. Seven farms were destroyed and 60 injuries were reported, 58 of which occurred when a church in Riley County was destroyed during services. [4] | |
F5 | SW of Palmer to S of Falls City, NE | Washington, Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Richardson(NE) | 2300 | 100 miles (160 km) | 25 deaths — See section on this tornado — Was more than 2 miles (3.2 km) wide. [4] | |
Sources: Grazulis (1993) [4] |
List of confirmed tornadoes – May 18, 1896 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
Iowa | ||||||
F2 | SW of Lamoni | Decatur | 0200 | unknown | A cottage on the southwest side of Lamoni was leveled and scattered. Four people were injured. [5] | |
Sources: Grazulis (1993) [5] |
List of confirmed tornadoes – May 19, 1896 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
Kansas | ||||||
F3 | SW of Rock | Cowley, Butler | 2200 | 10 miles (16 km) | Buildings were destroyed on 15 farms, including seven homes. A total of 50 head of livestock were killed on one farm, and two people were injured. [5] | |
Sources: Grazulis (1993) [5] |
List of confirmed tornadoes – May 20, 1896 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
Oklahoma | ||||||
F3 | E of Newkirk to E of Maitland, KS | Kay, Cowley(KS) | 1700 | 15 miles (24 km) | An entire farm was swept away near the beginning of the path. [5] | |
F2 | N of Kildare | Kay | 1730 | unknown | A barn was destroyed. One of six small tornadoes reported in the area. [5] | |
Kansas | ||||||
F2 | N of Hoyt | Jackson | 2230 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | One person was injured as a house was destroyed. [5] | |
F2 | S of Emporia | Lyon | 0200 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A house was shifted from its foundation and unroofed. A barn was destroyed, and two men hiding inside were injured. [5] | |
Sources: Grazulis (1993) [5] |
List of confirmed tornadoes – May 24, 1896 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
Iowa | ||||||
F2 | S of Manchester | Delaware | 0300 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | One house and several barns were destroyed. A fatality may have occurred. [6] | |
F4 | SW of Polk City to Mingo | Polk, Jasper | 0430 | 28 miles (45 km) | 21 deaths — A violent tornado began near Polk City, and moved east-southeast north of Des Moines. Several homes were leveled on the north sides of Bondurant and Valeria, resulting in fatalities. Other homes were destroyed and fatalities occurred in the communities of Santiago and Mingo. A steel railroad rail was driven 15 feet (4.6 m) into the ground at one location. At least 60 people were injured. [6] | |
Sources: Grazulis (1993) [6] |
List of confirmed tornadoes – May 25, 1896 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
Illinois | ||||||
F4 | NW of Forreston to S of Egan | Ogle | 0700 | 10 miles (16 km) | 4 deaths — Homes had their roofs torn off on the northern edge of Adeline. In rural areas, a church and five farm homes were leveled. Four fatalities occurred south of Egan, where a large home was cleanly swept away. [6] | |
F2 | S of Byron | Ogle | 0730 | unknown | All barns and trees were destroyed on a farm. [6] | |
F3 | S of Davis Junction to E of Irene | Ogle, Boone, DeKalb | 0730 | 15 miles (24 km) | 3 deaths — Buildings were destroyed on 11 farms. Six people were injured and three others were killed in a collapsed home. Debris from that home was found five miles away. A barn was destroyed in DeKalb County as well. [6] | |
F3 | Edison Park | Cook | 0750 | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) | Tornado struck the communities of Park Ridge, Edison Park, and Norwood Park. Six homes were destroyed and 30 others were damaged beyond repair. Caused $100,000 in damage and hit within 15 miles (24 km) of Downtown Chicago. [6] | |
Michigan | ||||||
F2 | N of Clio to E of Otter Lake | Genesee, Lapeer | 2300 | 14 miles (23 km) | Businesses and cottages were destroyed at Otter Lake. Three farm homes were destroyed, and the roof of a school was carried for half a mile. Four people were injured. [6] | |
F3 | W of Munger to Fairgrove area | Bay, Tuscola | 2300 | 10 miles (16 km) | 1 death — A school and five homes were destroyed along the path. A total of 30 people were attending a funeral at one of the homes, and the attendants survived by taking shelter in a nearby ditch as the house was lifted and destroyed. One man was killed by flying debris as he watched from his window. [6] | |
F3 | W of Sterling Heights to Harrison Township | Macomb, St. Clair | 0110 | 35 miles (56 km) | 2 deaths — Homes and barns were leveled between Warren and Utica before the tornado tore through Mt. Clemens, where 30 homes were destroyed along a two-block-wide path. Homes were destroyed in other areas before the tornado crossed into Ontario, where $60,000 in damage occurred. [6] | |
F5 | N of Holly to W of Dryden | Oakland, Lapeer | 0200 | 30 miles (48 km) | 47 deaths — See section on this tornado — Extremely intense tornado, [7] second deadliest in Michigan. [6] | |
F2 | Amadore | Sanilac | 0200 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Every building in the village of Amadore was damaged to some degree, and two homes were destroyed at that location. The tornado then moved out over Lake Huron as a waterspout and dissipated. Three people were injured. [6] | |
Sources: Grazulis (1993) [6] |
List of confirmed tornadoes – May 27, 1896 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
Missouri | ||||||
F2 | E of Bellflower | Montgomery, Lincoln | unknown | 7 miles (11 km) | 1 death — A church and a barn were destroyed. A woman was killed and her infant son was injured. [6] | |
F2 | N of Sturgeon to N of Centralia | Audrain | 1935 | 8 miles (13 km) | Barns were leveled and destroyed and four farm homes were "nearly destroyed". [6] | |
F3 | S of Higbee to S of Renick | Randolph | 2030 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | Three homes were destroyed and five others were damaged. Many barns were destroyed as well. Six people were injured. [6] | |
F3 | N of Mexico to W of Vandalia | Audrain | 2115 | 17 miles (27 km) | 6–7 deaths — Three students were killed at the Dye school, and one student (possibly two) was killed at the Bean Creek School. Two others died in farmhouses. A total of 50 people were injured. [6] | |
F4 | SE of Chamois | Osage | 0015 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | 2 deaths — Two farms were destroyed, at one of which every building was completely swept away. Three people were injured. [6] | |
F4 | St. Louis/East St. Louis, IL | St.Louis, Madison (IL) | 0030 | 12 miles (19 km) | 255 deaths — See article on this tornado — Third-deadliest tornado in US history. It caused near-F5 damage in East St. Louis. [6] [7] | |
Illinois | ||||||
F4 | E of New Minden to Irvington | Washington, Jefferson | 0020 | 23 miles (37 km) | 14 deaths — Entire farms were leveled near New Minden, south of Hoyleton, near Richview, and in Boyd and Irvington. A total 50 other people were injured. [6] | |
F4 | E of Imbs to NE of Germantown | St. Clair, Clinton | 0045 | 30 miles (48 km) | 24 deaths — The path of this tornado family may have begun in Dupo. Many homes were leveled along the path, especially in and around New Baden, where 13 people died. Near the beginning of the path, 10 people died near train stations, and another death occurred at a farmhouse near Germantown before the tornado dissipated. 125 people were injured. [8] | |
F3 | NW of Nashville to NE of Mt. Vernon | Washington, Jefferson | 0230 | 28 miles (45 km) | 3 deaths — Many farms were devastated along the path. Damage northeast of Mt. Vernon may have been downburst-related. [8] | |
Oklahoma | ||||||
F3 | E of Hennessey to NE of Marshall | Kingfisher, Logan, Garfield | 0000 | 10 miles (16 km) | A house was blown apart and scattered. One person was injured. [6] | |
Sources: Grazulis (1993) [6] [8] |
List of confirmed tornadoes – May 28, 1896 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
Pennsylvania | ||||||
F2 | E of Gettysburg to NE of Hanover | Adams, York | 1800 | 13 miles (21 km) | Barns were destroyed near Bonneauville and Abbottstown. A house was leveled as well, with the furniture carried over half a mile away. Four people were injured. [8] | |
F2 | Columbia/Wrightsville areas | York, Lancaster | 1830 | 9 miles (14 km) | 1 death — A school and four homes had their roofs torn off in Wrightsville. One person was killed when the tornado struck a rolling mill in Columbia, where three homes were destroyed. 20 people were injured. [8] | |
F3 | S of Ambler to S of Trenton, NJ | Montgomery, Bucks, Mercer(NJ), Monmouth(NJ) | 1955 | 35 miles (56 km) | 4 deaths — A total of 16 barns as well as several stables were destroyed in Pennsylvania, where four people were killed. The tornado crossed into New Jersey and damaged businesses in Allentown and White Horse. 15 people were injured. [8] | |
Maryland | ||||||
F2 | SW of Harney to Littlestown, PA, area | Carroll, Adams(PA) | 2000 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | In Maryland, a house was torn apart and three others had their roofs torn off. Furniture was carried up to half a mile away. Crossed into Pennsylvania and dissipated near Littlestown, where barns were destroyed. [9] | |
Sources: Grazulis (1993) [8] [9] |
F5 tornado | |
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Max. rating1 | F5 tornado |
Fatalities | ≥73 fatalities, ≥200 injuries |
Areas affected | Northern Dallas/Fort Worth metro |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale |
On the first day of the outbreak sequence, most of the fatalities came from a single supercell thunderstorm that traveled from Denton to Sherman. The tornado began in the Pilot Point area, where farm homes were shifted off of their foundations. The tornado widened and strengthened into a very violent F5 and swept away numerous farms west of Farmington and Howe. Later along the path, the tornado narrowed to around 60 yards (180 ft) wide as it tore through Sherman. 50 homes were destroyed in town, 20 of which were obliterated and swept away. An iron-beam bridge was torn from its supports and twisted into pieces, and one of the beams was driven several feet into the ground. [7] [10] Bodies were found up to 400 yards (1,200 ft) from their home sites, and a trunk lid was carried for 35 miles (56 km). Headstones at a cemetery were shattered, and a 500-pound stone was carried for 250 yards. Trees in the area were completely debarked with some reduced to stumps, and grass was scoured from lawns in town. [10] At least 200 people were injured, and bodies of the victims were transported into the courthouse and a vacant building. Several bodies were recovered from a muddy creek. [11] 73 people were killed by this single tornado, one of the worst on record in North Texas and the Red River Valley region, in particular the Texoma region.
Additional killer tornadoes were recorded north of Wichita, Kansas in McPherson County and further south in Bryan County, Oklahoma, also in the Texoma region. [12]
F5 tornado | |
---|---|
Max. rating1 | F5 tornado |
Fatalities | ≥25 fatalities, ≥200 injuries |
Areas affected | Washington (KS), Marshall (KS), Nemaha (KS), Brown (KS), Richardson (NE) Counties |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale |
A powerful F5 tornado, estimated to have been more than 2 miles (3.2 km) wide, tore through the towns of Seneca, Oneida, Reserve and Sabetha, Kansas. [6] In Seneca, the tornado destroyed the courthouse and a new schoolhouse, and the opera house was completely leveled and swept away. Damage in Seneca alone was estimated at $250,000 (1896 USD) where most of the homes, the fairgrounds and other small structures sustained at least heavy damage, if not complete destruction. [12] [13] [14] The damage path was two miles wide at Reserve, and only three buildings were left undamaged at that location. The tornado damaged 50 homes and destroyed 20 others on the north side of Sabetha. Many farms were entirely swept away along the path as well, some of which were reportedly left "as bare as the prairie". [7] The tornado continued into Nebraska, where four people died and damage occurred on the south side of Falls City. At least 200 people were injured.
F5 tornado | |
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Max. rating1 | F5 tornado |
Fatalities | ≥47 fatalities, ≥100 injuries |
Areas affected | Oakland, Lapeer, Livingston Counties |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale |
Late during the evening hours of May 25, an F5 tornado touched down in Eastern Michigan and moved northeast for about 30 miles (48 km). [6] The tornado affected portions of Oakland, Lapeer and Livingston Counties northwest of Detroit. Towns affected included Thomas, Ortonville, Oakwood, and Whigville just after 9:00 pm. Homes were leveled or swept away, and fatalities occurred along the path. Entire farms were leveled, and debris from homes was found up to 12 miles (19 km) away. Trees were completely debarked along the path as well, with even small twigs stripped bare in some cases. Homes were swept away in Thomas, including one that was obliterated with the debris scattered up to 10 miles away. A piano from that residence was found 200 yards away from the foundation, with one end "pounded full of grass". Weather Bureau inspectors reported that grass in the center-most part of the circulation was "pounded down into the earth, as if it had been washed into the earth by a heavy flow of water." [15] At least 100 people were injured. [6] With 47 deaths, this is the second-deadliest tornado ever in Michigan trailing only the Flint Tornado of 1953 which killed 116 in Genesee County just outside Flint. Twenty-two people were killed in Ortonville, ten in Oakwood, three in Thomas, four north of Oxford and three in Whigville with others in rural areas. Nine of the fatalities were in a single home in Ortonville. [16] [17]
Other killer tornadoes on that day touched down in Ogle County, Illinois (two different tornadoes) and Macomb & Tuscola Counties in Michigan. Several homes and farms in the Mount Clemens area were wiped out and others were moved from their foundations. The recently completed Colonial Hotel was leveled. Thirty homes were leveled in total, and two people were killed. [12] [18]
F4 tornado | |
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Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
Fatalities | ≥255 fatalities, ≥1000 injuries |
Damage | $10 million [1896 USD] |
Areas affected | Greater St. Louis |
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale |
The third deadliest tornado in United States history struck the Greater St. Louis area in both Missouri and Illinois. This violent tornado killed at least 255 people (though one estimate placed the death toll at greater than 400), injured at least 1,000 more, and caused more than $10 million in damages. At the time, this was the costliest tornado ever recorded in the United States. It was one of at least 18 tornadoes to occur that day [19]
At least 137 people died as the tornado traversed the core of the downtown area, leaving a continuous, one-mile-wide (1.6 km) swath of destroyed homes, schools, saloons, factories, mills, churches, parks, and railroad yards in its wake. A few of the destroyed homes were all but completely swept away. Numerous trees were downed at the 36-acre (0.15 km2) Lafayette Park, and a barometer recorded a drop to 26.74 inHg (906 hPa) at this location. [20]
After devastating the city of St. Louis, the tornado crossed the Mississippi River and struck the Eads Bridge, where a 2 in × 10 in (51 mm × 254 mm) wooden plank was found driven through a 5⁄16 in (7.9 mm) wrought iron plate. Uncounted others may have died on boats on the river, which could have swept their bodies downriver where they could not be recorded in the official death toll. The tornado continued into East St. Louis, Illinois, where its path was narrower, but its strength became even more intense. Homes and buildings along the river were completely swept away and a quarter of the buildings there were damaged or destroyed. An additional 118 people were killed, 35 of whom were at the Vandalia railroad freight yards.
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.
From April 9–11, 1947, a significant tornado outbreak produced catastrophic effects over portions of the southern Great Plains, in the contiguous United States. The outbreak generated at least 12, and possibly 17 or more, tornadoes, many of which were significant. On Wednesday, April 9, a series of related tornadoes spawned by a single supercell, dubbed the Glazier–Higgins–Woodward tornadoes, swept through the U.S. states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Most of the damage and nearly all of the deaths are still blamed on one large tornado, known as the Glazier–Higgins–Woodward tornado, that traveled 98 mi (158 km) from Texas to Oklahoma, beginning over the South Plains. This event, up to nearly 2 mi (3.2 km) in width, was often compared to the Tri-State tornado, because it was originally thought to have left a 198-to-221-mile-long path, was similarly large and intense for much of its path, and was also retroactively rated F5 on the modern-day Fujita scale, but it is now believed to have been part of a 125-to-170-mile-long family of nine or 10 tornadoes.
The 1985 United States–Canada tornado outbreak, referred to as the Barrie tornado outbreak in Canada, was a major tornado outbreak that occurred in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, on May 31, 1985. In all 44 tornadoes were counted including 14 in Ontario, Canada. It is the largest and most intense tornado outbreak ever to hit this region, and the worst tornado outbreak in Pennsylvania history in terms of deaths and destruction.
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.
From April 2–3, 1956, a large, deadly tornado outbreak affected the Great Plains, parts of the South, and the upper Midwest in the contiguous United States, especially the Great Lakes region. The outbreak produced at least 55 tornadoes, including an F5 that devastated the Grand Rapids metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan on April 3. It was one of three tornadoes to move across southwest Lower Michigan on that day. A fourth tornado struck north of the Manistee area, in the northern part of the peninsula. The Hudsonville–Standale tornado killed 18 and injured 333. It remains the fourth deadliest tornado on record in Michigan and is the most recent F5 on record there. Several other deadly, intense, long-tracked tornadoes also occurred during the outbreak. In addition to the fatalities in Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Berlin, Wisconsin, three people were killed in Tennessee, one person in Kentucky and two more people in Wisconsin. In total, 39 were killed during the entire event.
The May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak sequence was a tornado outbreak sequence that took place across the US Central Plains from May 19 to May 21, 1957. The most destructive tornado of the outbreak was rated at F5, the highest level, and is often called the Ruskin Heights tornado. The worst of the damage occurred in Ruskin Heights, a suburb and housing development in south Kansas City, Missouri. A total of 57 tornadoes were reported from Colorado to the Mississippi Valley and 59 people were killed during the outbreak, including 44 in the Ruskin Heights tornado.
The 1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that struck the southern and central U.S Great Plains States on May 25–26, 1955. It produced at least 47 tornadoes across seven states including two F5 tornadoes in Blackwell, Oklahoma, and Udall, Kansas that caused most of the casualties. The outbreak killed 102 people while injuring hundreds more. Unusual electromagnetic activity was observed, including St. Elmo's fire.
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.
The 1956 McDonald Chapel tornado was a deadly weather event that took place during the afternoon of Sunday April 15, 1956, across the Greater Birmingham area in Jefferson County, Alabama, with damage most severe in McDonald Chapel. The F4 tornado killed 25 people and injured 200 others. While only two known tornadoes touched down across the Southeastern United States on that day, the Birmingham tornado produced major devastation across areas west and north of downtown Birmingham.
On June 3–4, 1958, a destructive tornado outbreak affected the Upper Midwestern United States. It was the deadliest tornado outbreak in the U.S. state of Wisconsin since records began in 1950. The outbreak, which initiated in Central Minnesota, killed at least 28 people, all of whom perished in Northwestern Wisconsin. The outbreak generated a long-lived tornado family that produced four intense tornadoes across the Eau Claire–Chippewa Falls metropolitan area, primarily along and near the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak was a destructive F5 that killed 21 people and injured 110 others in and near Colfax, Wisconsin.
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.
The March 1875 Southeast tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that affected portions of the Southern United States from March 19–20, 1875. At least 19 tornadoes were recorded, including seven that were destructive enough to be rated F4 by Thomas P. Grazulis. The worst damage and most of the deaths occurred in Georgia. Most of the damage appears to have been the result of two tornado families that moved along parallel paths 12 to 15 mi apart through parts of Georgia and South Carolina. These families each consisted of numerous long-tracked, intense tornadoes. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak was an estimated F4 that killed 28–42 people in and near Sparta, Georgia, and Edgefield, South Carolina, on March 20. A separate F4 that followed a similar trajectory may have killed as many as 30. In all, this outbreak killed at least 96 people, injured at least 377, and caused at least $650,000 in losses.
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 1968, 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. Two F5 tornadoes struck Iowa in the Charles City and Maynard areas, combined they claimed 18 lives and this was one of very few cases in history where two F5 or EF5 tornadoes hit the same state, on the same day.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1964, 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 1953, 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 was the first year to record an F5 tornado as well as one of the deadliest tornado seasons in official U.S. records, which go back to 1950.
A deadly and destructive outbreak sequence of 23 tornadoes struck parts of the Great Plains and the Great Lakes in late-June 1957. At least seven significant tornadoes (F2+) touched down during the outbreak sequence. The most devastating storm was a large, violent, and catastrophic 500-yard-wide F5 tornado family that struck Fargo, North Dakota on Thursday, June 20, 1957, killing 10 people and becoming the deadliest tornado ever recorded in North Dakota. The outbreak caused 11 fatalities, 105 injuries, and $25.883 million in damage.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1947, 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.