Timespan | January–December 1991 |
---|---|
Maximum rated tornado | F5 tornado
|
Tornadoes in U.S. | 1,132 [1] |
Damage (U.S.) | unknown |
Fatalities (U.S.) | 39 [2] |
Fatalities (worldwide) | >134 |
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1991, 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, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.
The tornado season of 1991 looks generally very average on paper. The spring months of March, April, May and June all saw very large numbers of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks. The fall, sometimes referred to as a "second season", was very quiet. The Andover, Kansas outbreak of April 26, 1991 was famous for its violent tornadoes, incredible video and is the signature event of this tornado season. 1991 saw one F5 tornado touch down in Kansas.
Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1991 in the United States.
FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 688 | 295 | 103 | 39 | 6 | 1 | 1132 |
There were 29 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.
There were 11 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.
There were 157 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March.
An outbreak produced 23 tornadoes, with six fatalities being confirmed in Kentucky and Tennessee. An 11-year-old boy was killed in Olmstead in Logan County, Kentucky when an F2 tornado picked up a mobile home and slammed it against a tree. [4]
An outbreak produced 50 tornadoes over a two day span. An F4 tornado passed near Hutchinson, Kansas on March 26, while two people were killed by tornadoes in Wisconsin and Indiana on March 27. After only two weak F0 tornadoes touched down on March 28, another outbreak of 21 tornadoes struck the Southeastern United States on March 29. [5] An F1 tornado struck Munford, Alabama, where it destroyed several trailer homes, killing five people, four of them in one family. [6] An F3 tornado moved through Clarkdale, Georgia, destroying 15 townhouses, damaging 120 others, and injuring 25 people. [7] An F2 tornado destroyed 16 homes and heavily damaged 39 others in Ladonia, Alabama, injuring 16 people. [8] In all, 73 tornadoes touched down during the outbreak sequence.
There were 204 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.
FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
This violent tornado outbreak of 53 tornadoes took place on April 26, 1991, killing 24 people and injuring hundreds more. The killer Andover tornado was rated F5, while four others were rated F4, including the monstrous Red Rock tornado. At the time, the Red Rock tornado generated the highest wind speeds, detected by mobile doppler radar, until the May 3, 1999, Bridge Creek-Moore F5 tornado. This is also the outbreak from which the infamous video was shot by a news crew hiding under an overpass in Kansas. This early viral video spread the myth that sheltering underneath an overpass was safer during a tornado. The television crew was hit by a F2 tornado.
There were 335 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.
Three tornadoes formed in Lazbuddie, Texas.
An outbreak of five tornadoes struck Western and Northwestern Oklahoma. The strongest was an 800–900 yard wide F3 tornado that tracked 11.5 miles near Laverne, injuring three people. The same cell also dropped hail up to the size of grapefruits. [9]
There were 216 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.
An F0 tornadic waterspout (starts as a tornado) reported near Lake Okeechobee, Florida created a surreal nighttime sight of a tornado and lightning while only doing minor damage. A famous photo of the event, which includes a mixture of brown and black color of the tornado accompanied with a lightning strike, was taken by Fred Smith, who was photographing the tornado from his backyard. [10] [11]
There were 64 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July, including one in Cass County, Minnesota, on July 5, 1991. This particular tornado started as a waterspout, came ashore and destroyed a dock, uprooted trees and overturned a boat. This tornado was also featured on some tornado-themed documentaries.
There were 46 tornadoes confirmed in the US in August.
There were 26 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.
There were 21 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.
There were 20 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November.
An F4 tornado tore through areas near Springfield, Missouri, killing two people.
There were 3 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.
From April 26 to 27, 1991, multiple supercells across Oklahoma and Kansas led to a regional tornado outbreak. Forced by a potent trough and focused along a dryline, these distinct thunderstorms moved northeast through a moist and highly unstable environment. A total of 55 tornadoes were confirmed, many of which were strong, F2 or greater on the Fujita scale. A widely documented F5 tornado tore through Andover, Kansas, killing 17 people. Additional fatalities occurred from significant tornadoes in other portions of Kansas and Oklahoma, with 21 deaths recorded in total. An F4 tornado was detected by a mobile doppler weather radar team which observed winds up to 270 mph (430 km/h) at the top of the funnel, the first time winds of F5 intensity were measured by radar, and the highest winds recorded by radar at the time. A news team filming an F2 tornado sought shelter under a Kansas Turnpike overpass, causing a misconception that overpasses can provide adequate shelter during a tornado. This outbreak occurred within a transition period for the National Weather Service and proved the value of NEXRAD radars, which were utilized in Oklahoma to provide advanced warning to residents.
This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2004. 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.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2002, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. The year had several large outbreaks that included the Veterans Day Weekend tornado outbreak and the Midwest to Mid-Atlantic United States tornado outbreak.
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.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1999, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally, particularly in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer season, as well as Europe. One particular event, the Bridge Creek-Moore, Oklahoma F5 tornado, produced the highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth, which was 301 ± 20 mph (484 ± 32 km/h).
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.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1990, 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, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1993, 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, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1998, 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, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1984, 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 1983, 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 1982, 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 1962, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although tornadoes events can 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 1960, 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 1958, 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 1955, 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.
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1952, 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 1950, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally.
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.