A HISTORY OF TORNADOES IN THE U.S.A. |
DATE LOCATION(S) DEATHS 1 3/18/1925 Tri-State (MO/IL/IN) 689 2 05/06/1840 Natchez MS 317 3 05/27/1896 St. Louis MO 255 4 04/05/1936 Tupelo MS 216 5 04/06/1936 Gainesville GA 203 6 04/09/1947 Woodward OK 181 7 04/24/1908 Amite LA, Purvis MS 143 8 06/12/1899 New Richmond WI 117 9 06/08/1953 Flint MI 115 10 05/11/1953 Waco TX 114 10 05/18/1902 Goliad TX 114 12 03/23/1913 Omaha NE 103 13 05/26/1917 Mattoon IL 101 14 06/23/1944 Shinnston WV 100 15 04/18/1880 Marshfield MO 99 16 06/01/1903 Gainesville, Holland GA 98 16 05/09/1927 Poplar Bluff MO 98 18 05/10/1905 Snyder OK 97 19 04/24/1908 Natchez MS 91 20 06/09/1953 Worcester MA 90 21 04/20/1920 Starkville MS, Waco AL 88 22 06/28/1924 Lorain, Sandusky OH 85 23 05/25/1955 Udall KS 80 24 09/29/1927 St. Louis MO 79 25 05/27/1890 Louisville KY 76 |
25 WORST TORNADOES |
NOAA |
BIGGEST, COSTLIEST OUTBREAKS |
The April 3-4, 1974 Super Outbreak was the largest known outbreak, with 148 tornadoes in 11 states, killing 315 people, injuring more than 5,300 and causing $600 million in damages. Alabama, Kentucky and Ohio were the states hardest hit. Perhaps the most notable tornado of the outbreak was one which touched down southwest of Xenia, Ohio. The violent tornado destroyed half the town, killing 34 and causing property damages of more than $100 million. The second most devastating outbreak of tornadoes of modern record was the 1965 Palm Sunday outbreak. Severe thunderstorms in the Upper Midwest spawned a total of 51 tornadoes within twelve hours. Indiana, Ohio and Michigan were hardest hit. The tornadoes killed 256 people and caused more than $200 million in damages. Two powerful tornadoes, about 30 minutes apart in time, traveled nearly identical paths across Branch, Hilsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties in extreme south central and southeastern Lower Michigan. The tornadoes killed 44, and caused more than $32 million in damages to those areas. In Lenawee County, the damage path was up to four miles in width. |
NOAA |
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