Searchable Tornado Database
(F5s on record and F4s from 1950-1952)
Welcome to our new Tornado Talk Searchable Database! This is a multi-year project to capture the details about as many tornadoes as possible using the best available data (SPC, Storm Data, Thomas Grazulis, Tornado Talk summaries and more). We have a data team that is working to quality control the information in this table. Right now, we have completed the F5 tornadoes on record from 1950 until present AND have just added the F4s from 1950-1952! We are working on more F4s and will add those in increments once the QC is complete.
Below, you will find some instructions on how to use the table and search examples. This is a work in progress, and we will continue to improve upon it and add more features as time goes on. Click the “+” to reveal details about the event, additional information and links to summaries. Look for more summaries from the Tornado Talk team to help detail as many tornadoes as possible!
We would love to hear from you! If you have any feedback on the table, please send us an email! Do you have a tornado story, photos, or video to share about an event? We would love to add that to a new or existing summary. Here is our contact us page!
Instructions:
- Hit + to reveal more information.
- Hit dropdown arrow next to the search bar to select/deselect columns you wish to search in.
- After searching, an “x” will appear near the Search bar. Click that to reset your search.
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County (Ex. Marion)
Areas Impacted (Ex. Waco)
| Year | Month | Day | Time (CST) | State(s) | WFO | Rating | # of Fatalities | # of Injuries | Length (miles) | Width (yards) | Counties | Areas Impacted | Details (Sources: Storm Data, Thomas Grazulis, Tornado Talk Summaries) | Explore More | Additional Information | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | May | 11 | 5/11/1953 | 16:10:00 | TX | FWD | F5 | 114 | 597 | 25 | 600 | McLennan | Axtell, Bellmead, Hewitt, Lorena, Waco | This tornado leveled a home 3 miles NNW of Lorena. It passed near Hewitt and then devastated Waco. It lifted 5 miles east of Axtell. At Waco, approximately 200 business buildings were destroyed and 400 were damaged. 1550 homes were destroyed and 700 were damaged to some degree. Over 2000 cars were damaged or destroyed. | Waco, TX | https://www.tornadotalk.com/the-waco-tornado-may-11-1953/ | The death toll is tied with the number of dead in the Goliad tornado of 1902. This is the first official F5 tornado listed in the SPC Database, since records began in 1950. | Raymond C Anderson 39, Melad Abraham 78/79, Jack Downman Adams 24, Mildred Jean Boswank Bailey 22, Charles Cecil Berry 49, Laban Edward Berry 45, Rush Halbert Berry 68, William Edward "Billy" Betros 15, Bertha Fischer Blume 48, SMN Robert William Boerner 27, Beveridge C Boyd 47, Cynthia Joyce Britt 8, Edward Mitchell Britt Jr. 39, Foy Carl Brown 45, George W Brown, Cecil Walter Buhl 55, Thomas Arthur Busby 31, John Wesley Byrd 47, Marie Jones Carter, Jerry Davis Childress 29, John William Coates Jr. 29, Elijah Elihugh Coffelt 75, Mary Opal Boothe Colley 40, Ray Laurence Comer 29, Esteven Perez Cortez 33, Bertha Jones Cotton 48/49, Tom Courtney 49/50, Clee Degrate 40, William James Dobrovolny 49, Autie Mae Duncan 58, Christian John Eschenberg 64, David Franklin "Frank" Farquhar 68, Irving Ginsburg 42, Minnie Ola Graves 38, Walter Vernon Hardin 43, Earl Harris 66/67, Samuel Haynes 50, Steve Heath 60, Archie Henderson 45/46, Willis "Willie" Hightower 59/60, PFC Edward T Hoare 53, Susie Ruth Lewis Hoare 50, Samuel "Sam" Horne 58, William Thomas Hurst 61, Mary Helen Culbreth James 25, Keith Warren James 32, Virginia Lee Tillman Jenkins 31, Barbara Ellen Johnson 17, Jessie Ruth "Ruby Lee" McGill Jones 45, MSGT Johnny/Johnnie Burtcher King 30, Olga Anna "W.A." Hinze Kunze 33, Edward "Ed" Lewis 49, Ola Mae Calvary Lloyd 52, William Henry Lytle Jr. 64, Billy/Bill N "Nick" Mahares 60, Harry M Mahoney 65, Oliver Edmond "Ollie" Mann 63, Irene Reed Mathis/Matthews 41, Gussie Elizabeth Mayfield 58, Vera Audrean McCarver 21, Albert Wesley McCrary 22, Jim McCuinn ~83, Eugene Mendoza 61, Joyce Marie Miers/Mires 18, Lonnie James Motten 38, Charles B Mullen/Mullins 64, John Porter Neal Jr. 28, Joe Cleatus Neely 44, Lucy Bee Dick Neely 40, Frances Gladys Harris Nemmer 38, Garfield Nemmer 46, George Bob Pappas 52, Charlie Parker Jr. ~42, Rev Cecil Marion Parten 29, Earl Pattilo, Bobbie Jean Peoples, Dennis Peoples 44, Clarence Lyman Potter 65, Vernon Powell 31, Vada Elizabeth Prather 32, Cristino Casarez Romo 36, Willie James Rocquemore 32, Arthur Lee Ross ~39, George Conrad Roth 54, Reymundo/Raymond S "Ramon" Ruiz 18, Daniel Rodriquez "Danny" Sanchez 43, Evaggelos A "Angelo" Sermas 54, Victor A Sermas 64, Roger Kay Sharbutt 18, Hal Eugene Shelton 50, Eugene Cooper Sherrod 55, Guy Sims 72, Stanton "Stan" Skyles 16, Joe Smith 45, Lillian Smith 21, David/Dave Spero 75, Vernon Dee Starks 31, Betty Lou Stewart 20, William Roy Stewart 69/70, Annie Mae Taylor 27, Billy Vernon Taylor 23, Mabel Thaxton 53, Lloyd Hunt Hernandez Torres 27, Knox Todd 57, Eluterio/Luther Tristan 66, Billie M "S.B." Kirkpatrick Turner 39, Jerry Utley 31/32, Walter Van Hook 66, Felix Esteves Villarreal 19, Sammy/Sammie Ray Warren 18, William Frank Watkins 33, Edward Homer Wiley 76, Arthur Woodson 37/38, Louis W "Lou" Younes 42. Additional names found: Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Dennis 21, Charles Prather Ferguson 74, Cloice Jean Ott 43 (indirect) |
| 1953 | May | 29 | 5/29/1953 | 17:00:00 | ND | BIS | F5 | 2 | 20 | 20 | 600 | Morton, Emmons | Emmons, Fort Rice, Solen | This tornado tracked from 8 miles north of Solen to Fort Rice, 25 miles south of Mandan, and northwest of Emmons. One person was killed at Fort Rice and another fatality occurred 9 miles north of Solen. At Fort Rice, a large church was leveled and its pews were jammed four feet into the ground. Sixteen homes were destroyed. Parts of a car were carried for a half-mile. | Fort Rice, ND | https://www.tornadotalk.com/fort-rice-nd-f5-tornado-may-29-1953/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes lists an F4 rating for this tornado. | Lorraine Reilly "John" Kuntz 23, Theresa Balkowitsch "John" Rebenitsch 76 |
| 1953 | June | 8 | 6/8/1953 | 19:30:00 | MI | DTX | F5 | 115 | 844 | 27 | 800 | Genesee, Lapeer | Beecher, Columbiaville, Flint, Flushing, Genesee, Lapeer, Mount Morris | The tornado moved east-northeast then east from 2 miles north of Flushing and right into the northern part of Flint. It ended 2 miles north of Lapeer. Per Thomas Grazulis, "the tornado virtually obliterated all homes on both sides of Coldwater Road for about a mile." The damage swath was over a half-mile wide in this area. 113 of the fatalities occurred in a 4-mile stretch of Coldwater Road from 2500W to 1500E (Clio Road to Dort Highway). At least 20 families had multiple deaths occur within them. | Flint-Beecher, MI | https://www.tornadotalk.com/flint-beecher-mi-f5-tornado-june-8-1953/ | The official record lists 116 fatalities. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes denotes that one of the deaths should be attributed to an F4 tornado that was in the same family as the Flint tornado. That F4 moved through Lapeer and St. Clair Counties and the death occurred in a home 4 miles SSE of Brown City in Lapeer County. This fatality is often added to the Flint total. This tornado ranks as #10 in the top 25 of deadliest US Tornadoes per The Storm Prediction Center. | James H Ballantyne 54, Rose Agnes Tanner Bean 24, Sharon Katherine Berdan 10, Wesley J Blight 58, Alecicea C Bolin 8, Terry Lee Bolin 4, Verna Nancy Andrews Bonneville 67, Daniel Roy Boone 6 months, Jessie Irene Boone 2, Carl Levern Brink 23, Carl T Brooks 47, Linda Joy Burgess 5, David Allen Clifford 3, Jean Bernice Gagnon Coons 24, Harry Edwin Cooper 67, Cherlyn Elaine Cramer 4, Dorothy May Cramer 25, Dale Anthony Crawford 6 months, Henry Clegg Deese 23, William H De Forest 73, Marjorie L Gorton Deneen 31, James Patrick Dipzinski 18, Jerome W Dunning 62, Walter Eckert 52, Patricia Sue Fender 17, William Dean France 6, Celia Gatica 20, John Robert Gatica 2, Mary Ann "Maryanne" Gatica 3, Sally Ann Gatica 4, Sherley May Gauthier 12, Judith Anne Gensel 6, Kathleen Loise Gensel 4, Kenneth Robert Gensel 5 months, Thomas Richard Gensel 2, Vanessa O Dobosh Gensel 26, Raymond/Rayford P Ginter 14, Andrew Alexander Goodhand 39, Frederick Walter Goodhand 15, Walter J Goss Jr. 11, Lovell J Hamlin 48, Jo Ann "Joan" Rose Hammond 19, Joseph Earl Hammond 10 months, Lorraine Carol Harger 10 months, Shirley Jean Harger 22, Clyde Dennis Harmon 62, Jessie Vivian Judy Harvey 49, Alice Fish Hedger 40, Charlotte Hedger 3, Katherine A Hedger 5, Carmen Hernandez 9, Kathryn Ila Woodard Hill 23, Eliza Jane "Jennie" McLouth Hipkins 69, Elsie M Holdorph 35, Phyllis Holdorph 7, Frances L Hill Hutson 30, Michael R Hutson 7, Patricia D Hutson 8, Diana Jimmenez 7, Carol Ann Johnson 11, Elinora Kathleen "Nora" DeSeura/Sears Kane 60, John Edward Kane 29, Andrea Jean Kilgore 18 months, Dale Wesley Kilgore 11, Danny Elmer Kilgore 5, Helen Irene Kilgore 31, Diane Carol Kreh 2, Helen V Kroska 40, Frances Manych 44, Donald E Mathews 36, Ellen Marie "Ella" Miles 11, Roy Lee Miles Jr. 7, Roy L Miles Sr. 40, Florence A Pease Morse 59, George Morse 62, Vern Roy Morse 25, Myrtle E Payne Nighswander 65, Myrtle M Oaks 59, Barbara L Parr 12, Robert Parr 10, Robert W Parr 34, Carol Lee Pendergrass 5, Harry Allison Pendergrass 29, Cheryl Ann Pfeiffer 4, Charles John Platt 56, Leona F Hipkins Powell 25, Carol L Quinn 17, Donna G Quinn 13, Joseph Leroy Quinn 49, Loretta/Lauretta Mary Tice Quinn 44, Bernice Baker Rhodes 46, Barbara Lynn Robinson 4, Lorne Marlow Robinson 39, Angus Ross 65, Thomas H Ross 60, Paul Sekelsky 38, Diane Marie Shreve 1, Wayne Edward Sommers 28, Glen Edward Stoops 33, Carol Ann Sunday 16, Barbara June Tuttle 20, Deanne/Diane L Tuttle 2, Herschel C Tuttle 43, Marjorie Tuttle 10, Martha Elizabeth Renick Tuttle 42, Jeanne W Vaughn 9, Muriel L Vaughn 29, Patricia J Vaughn 8, Ronald John Walters 15, Dudley Elmer Willey 80, Mary Agnes Lewis Willey 69, Clara E Worges 57, Alma E Yazanko 25, Dottie Jo Yazanko 5, Garry D Yazanko 2, Loren W Irish 37 |
| 1953 | June | 27 | 6/27/1953 | 15:45:00 | IA | DMX | F5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 200 | Cass, Adair | Adair | The tornado moved to the east-northeast from 5 miles SW of Adair and passed four miles south of town. Four farms were demolished and there was heavy loss to livestock. Near the county border, there was virtually nothing left on the site of a farm. Heavy machinery was thrown over 100 yards and boards were driven into trees. | Cass-Adair County, IA | https://www.tornadotalk.com/cass-adair-county-ia-f5-tornado-june-27-1953/ | The SPC lists a path length of 0.10 miles. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes shows a 10-mile path length. | "Mrs. Walter McMurphy" 56 |
| 1953 | December | 5 | 12/5/1953 | 17:45:00 | LA, MS | JAN | F5 | 38 | 270 | 9 | 500 | Madison (LA), Warren (MS) | De Soto Island, Vicksburg, Waltersville | At least 26 businesses were destroyed, and 200 were damaged as this devastating twister moved across the south side of Vicksburg. The path of greatest destruction was about 1 city block in width. The Saenger Theater, full of children was severely damaged and several were killed there. 275 homes were destroyed, and 300 were damaged. | Vicksburg, MS | https://www.tornadotalk.com/vicksburg-ms-f5-tornado-december-5-1953/ | Thomas Grazulis gives this tornado an F4 rating. He also noted in a tweet in 2018 that the rating on the Original NSSFC sheet was F4, and that he doesn't have a clue how the SPC ever got an F5 rating for it. | Harlan Louis Fried 3, Robert Stanley Glatt 9, Brenda Kay Thornell 7, Joyce Lee Barfield 7, Lawrence Paul Paine 30, Nicholas Francis "Nick" Cassino Sr. 59, Callie Townsend Tingle 76, Ples Glaston Hester Sr. 34, Silver/Sylvia Powell (Jr.?) 7, Abraham "Abe" Smith 77, Rosa/Rosie Lee Bentley 54, Nathaniel Brown 23, Claudia Mae Lewis Varnado 55, Squire Harris 64, Nellie Nelson, David Ford, 35, Jack Tohill Sr. 57, Roosevelt Brown 35, Grady E Lowery 53, Lindsey Groves 2, Alvin Edward Harwood 9, Carolyn Lorraine Thornell 5, John Louis "Jack" Palermo 18, L.M. Langran 48, Garnet Mae "W.L." Tingle Ingle 51, Kay Warren 17, Exo C Evans 39, Susie Hebron 80, Harry Dillard 74, Agnes Martin 23, Alonzo Wright 56, Joseph "Joe" Winn 22, Emma Pearl Johnson 6, Louis/Lewis Williams 72, Herbert Bauer Bloch 79, Regine Jacob 88, Letitia Walls 66, David Martin 53 |
| 1955 | May | 25 | 5/25/1955 | 21:26:00 | OK, KS | OUN, ICT | F5 | 20 | 280 | 28 | 500 | Kay (OK), Sumner (KS) | Blackwell, Braman, South Haven, Tonkawa | This twister moved from 2 miles NE of Tonkawa, OK right through Blackwell. 400 homes were destroyed with many swept away. 500 other homes were damaged. 60 businesses were damaged or destroyed. The funnel dissipated just over the Kansas border, as the Udall tornado was forming to the east. | Blackwell, OK | https://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19550525 | Grazulis denotes that this tornado was accompanied by remarkable electrical activity. There were up to 25 discharges/second on sferics equipment. The tornado was described as having a glow and having "arcs" of glowing light. | Annie D Ballinger 84, J.H. Bartles, Charles H Benson 82, Jessie Ellen Moyer Bird 55, Josie Myrtle "E.C." Mitchell Bouton 66, Kathryn "Wiley" Bradford Burris 51, Frank Alexander "Alex" Butler 52, Terry Ray Denton 11 months, James Ellington 67, Ella "Hugh" Brown Embry 42, Franklin A "Ed" Hartman 97, David Arthur "D.A." Kling 86, J.B. Larson, May/Mae Whitmarsh McGrew 69, Clarence Lee Overholt 46/47, Ray Leon Riley 26, Sherry L Riley 1, Rosa Lee "Eugene" McClary Stiles 21, William Clay Stewart 66, Dora Lee Cox Stewart 56 |
| 1955 | May | 25 | 5/25/1955 | 22:15:00 | OK, KS | OUN, ICT | F5 | 80 | 273 | 56 | 1320 | Kay (OK), Sumner, Cowley (KS) | Atlanta, Geuda Springs, Oxford, Rock, Udall | The tornado developed just south of the Oklahoma/Kansas border in Kay County. There were 80 people killed along the path; this included five children in one home, 3 miles NE of Oxford. Over half of the population of Udall (which at the time was 500) was killed or injured as the twister devastated a large part of town. | Udall, KS | https://www.weather.gov/ict/udall | This is the deadliest tornado in Kansas history. Grazulis notes that the damage east of Udall may have been from microbursts. | Yuton Delores Pierson Allison 22, William Henry Atkins 46, Jennie Mae Calcote Atkins 70, Nina A Atkinson 35, Gary Dean Atkinson 12, Stanley Joe Atkinson 4, Nona Crenshaw Bailey 80, Malinda Caroline "Linnie" Beall 69/74, Mary Binkey 85/86, Florence Myrtle Lawson Boyd 55, Patricia Kay Boyd 9, Richard Leon "Dickie" Braddy 11, Nolan Wilmer Butcher 45, Oran Paul Butcher 6, Wilmer Edward Butcher 16, Anna Otellia Karlson Carlson 73, Clara Belle Davenport Clay 60/61, Ora Solomon Clodfelter 80, Mary Ellen Cone Clodfelter 77, Clara Marie Richey Costlow 19, Robert Leroy Costlow 2, David F Council 26, Emma Rosille Faulk 79, Ida May Kern Hart 72, Anna Rudolphina Schwenke Harvey 59, Mary Florence Boyd Horn 6, Minnie M Iry 85/86, Frances Jeffries 28, Katherine Jeffries 4, George Leroy Karnes 37, Wreatha Virginia Shahan Karnes 30, Gerald Kent Karnes 9, Maxine Faye Karnes 11, John William Kastle 79, Stella Beaver Kennedy 73, Billy Ray Kennedy 6, Lester Lee Kennedy 5, Lea Ann Kennedy 8, Harvey Ray Kennedy 4, Mary Kinkey 80, Drucilla/Drusilla J Wiseman Lane 81/84, Sarah E Purcell LeForce 86, Alpha Julene Johnson Lawson 23/28, Ila LaVone Oakes Mangrum 25, Michael Ray Mangrum 3/4, Sylvia Ann Mangrum 6 months, Augusta Miller 86, Leroy Nowell Nash 50, Ada Inez Monroe Nash 52, Loran/Loren Milton Nash 53, Jennie Paddock 80, James A "Jim" Reeves 72, Mary E Reeves 72, Benjamin Franklin "Ben" Rudd 85/86, Lutie Sargent 80, Joseph Jennings "J.J." Satterthwaite 80, Richard Louis Selbe 69/70, John F Serrot 74, Opal Fern Lenover Sherman 57, Arthur Clarence Sherman 60, Mary Ellen Fountain Simons 67/68, Hazel Johnson Standridge 33, Don Glen "Donnie" Standridge 4, Harold Tiffen "Dick" Stone 63, Mary Jane Brown Stone 60, Henry Francis Storey 67, Sadie Seaman Story 62/64, Mary Ellen Shockey Taylor 62/63, James Edward Taylor 39, Truman Turner 16, Clinton Wayne Turner 9, Cynthia Walker 79, Gertie McAlister Ward 80, Zachariah Taylor "Zack" West 71/72, Gertie Estelle Williams 75, Michael Woods 6, Rickey Joe Wyckoff 4 |
| 1956 | April | 3 | 4/3/1956 | 16:40:00 | MI | GRR | F5 | 18 | 292 | 58.8 | 400 | Allegan, Ottawa, Kent, Montcalm | Comstock Park, Grand Rapids, Holland, Hudsonville, Rockford, Saugatuck, Standale, Trufant, Zeeland | This twister developed near Saugatuck and moved to the northeast. It passed south of Holland and Zeeland and intensified in the town of Hudsonville. 14 people were killed here and 200 were injured. West of Grand Rapids, the tornado struck the community of Standale. Four were killed in this area. A large trailer park was demolished in "Comstock Park." A total of 332 homes were destroyed or badly damaged. | Hudsonville, MI | https://www.weather.gov/grr/1956TornadoOutbreakVrieslandTrufant | Thomas Grazulis assigns an F4 rating to this tornado but does mention it "probably produced F5 damage." | Louise Brower 42, William John Oostendorp 32, Steven James Oostendorp 1, Greg Alan Ensing 5, Lena Miedema 75, Haven Hamming 81, Martha Van Dyke 63, Frances Pearl Van Dyke De Kleine 27, Lavonne Kay De Kleine 4, Gerald J Berghorst 16, Bert Morsink 55, Douwe Leegstra 86, Shirley De Windt 3, Anna R Tyler Hart 89, Alfred D Payne 45, Catherine Peplau 53, Agnes Ykema 45 |
| 1957 | May | 20 | 5/20/1957 | 18:15:00 | KS, MO | TOP, EAX | F5 | 44 | 531 | 71 | 700 | Franklin, Miami, Johnson (KS), Jackson (MO) | Hickman Mills, Homewood, Kansas City, Knobtown, Martin City, North Windy, Ocheltree, Ottawa, Rantoul, Ruskin Heights, Spring Hill, Wellsville, Williamsburg | This massive tornado moved from 2 miles SW of Williamsburg, KS to 2 miles NE of Knobtown, MO. In Kansas, seven people were killed. Many homes were leveled and there were reports of multiple vortices. The remaining fatalities occurred in Missouri. Four people in one family died when trying to flee their home in Spring Hill. F5 damage was determined to occur to housing developments and to 15 stores at a shopping center near Ruskin Heights. A canceled check from Hickman Mills was found at Ottumwa, IA, 165 miles away. Pilots reported debris at an altitude of 30,000 feet. | Ruskin Heights, MO | https://www.tornadotalk.com/ruskin-heights-f5-tornado-may-20-1957/ | There are numerous discrepancies on record for this event. Explore them in more detail on our summary of the event. | Katherine/Catherine Mae Fitzgibbons Armon 31, Lowell W Atkinson Sr. 43, Diane Boyd, Linda Boyd 7, Barbara L Loxley Davis 28/31, Cornelia Snodgrass Davis 25, Isham/Isam I Davis 34/48, Kathryn Sue Davis 7, Pamela Davis 6/7, Tamara Davis 4/5, Jeannette Nelson Cain Dorris 79, Minnie Gladys Chapman Erwin 54, Arthur J Frechette 80, Harry Courtney Gabbert 68/71, May Belle "Maybelle" McCullough Gabbart 7376, Alta D Coe Guyll 41/46, Edward Sloop Henton 50, Marjorie/Margery Dee Wackernagle Hower 31, Oral Glen/Glenn Hower 34/35, John Richard Hower 9, Charles C Johnson 50, Charles L Johnston 36, George L Kildow 45, Dorothy LaVonne Lubsen Leopold 31, Harold Keith Leopold Jr. 11, Amma R Marsh 77/78, James A "Bert" Marsh 84/85, Randall Eugene McGill 3 months, Maxine McAlpine Nehring 30, Dianne Marie Rossi 7, Garold Ray Rucker 41, Lena Dora Brecht Rucker 38/39, Bessie Marie Knorpp Smith 49/50, Lena Elizabeth Riedesel Smith 57, Margaret Erelene/Erlene/Erline Smith 24, Linda Sue Stewart 3 months, Goldie Marie Friesz Taylor 39/49, Carolyn Kay Taylor 3, Charles C Thompson 50, Hester Marie Fulk Timm 38, Leopold Joseph Vinckier 78, Carolyn Denise Woodling 3, Robert W Yost Jr. 9 |
| 1957 | June | 20 | 6/20/1957 | 18:28:00 | ND, MN | FGF | F5 | 10 | 103 | 9 | 400 | Cass (ND), Clay (MN) | Fargo, Moorhead | Ted Fujita did an in-depth study on this tornado event. He determined there was a family of five tornadoes. This F5 was the third. It developed 3 miles west of Fargo and moved in an erratic path to the east and northeast. A newer section in the NW part of the city was hit. All property in an area five city blocks wide and 20 blocks long was destroyed. 1300+ homes were damaged/destroyed, some were leveled and swept away. There were 10 fatalities including six children in one family. Debris from the tornado was found north of Detroit Lakes (near Rochert, MN), which is approximately 54 miles from Fargo. | Fargo, ND | https://www.tornadotalk.com/fargo-nd-f5-tornado-june-20-1957/ | This tornado was erroneously entered as one long-track tornado in the SPC database. However, Dr. Fujita's survey found five separate tornadoes. | Bradley Munson 10, Darwin Munson 12, Jeanette Irene Munson 5, Lois/Louis Ann Munson 2, Mary Munson 1, Phyllis Munson 16, Laura Adelaide Krueger Schoenherr 69, Betty Lou Olson Titgen 23, Donald ElRoy Titgen 26, Mary Jean Udahl 8, Theodore Udahl 50, Clara Theresa Gran Udahl 40 |
| 1957 | December | 18 | 12/18/1957 | 16:35:00 | IL | PAH | F5 | 1 | 6 | 5.4 | 200 | Perry | Sunfield | The Sunfield community was wiped out at the intersection of US-51 and IL-154. A man was caught out in the open and killed. | Sunfield, IL | https://www.duquoin.com/article/20121218/news/701251135/ | After being destroyed, the town was rebuilt 1.30 miles south of where it originally was. | James H Carter 70 |
| 1958 | June | 4 | 6/4/1958 | 17:30:00 | WI | MPX | F5 | 20 | 110 | 32 | 880 | St. Croix, Dunn | Cedar Falls, Colfax, Knapp, Menomonie, Nuller Hill, Wildwood, Wilson, Woodville | This tornado was the first in a family of four intense tornadoes in the northwestern part of Wisconsin. It moved from 4 miles SW of Woodville, passing 1 mile south of Knapp, and then along the northern part of Menomonie. It made a turn to the east-northeast into the south and east part of Colfax where dozens of homes were leveled. At least 20 people were killed along the path. | Colfax, WI | https://www.tornadotalk.com/colfax-wi-f5-tornado-june-4-1958/ | Thomas Grazulis lists an F4 rating. | Spencer E Fjelstad 45, Lanny R Fjelsted 15/16, Harry Ford 52/53, George House 82/83, George Nilsen 75/76 |
| 1960 | May | 5 | 5/5/1960 | 17:00:00 | OK | OUN, TSA | F5 | 5 | 81 | 72 | 800 | Pottawatomie, Lincoln, Okfuskee, Creek | Bristow, Eoontuohka, Iron Post, Oakhurst, Paden, Prague, Sapulpa, Shawnee, Tecumseh, Tulsa | Moved northeast from south of Shawnee to NE of Sapulpa. Several farms were destroyed near Shawnee, and at least 14 more were destroyed between Prague and Paden. An oil refinery northeast of Prague was ripped apart. Two people were killed in the Iron Post area, where homes were swept completely away. In the northern part of Sapulpa, 100 homes were destroyed, and 200 others were damaged. | Prague-Sapulpa, OK | https://www.tornadotalk.com/prague-sapulpa-ok-f5-tornado-may-5-1960/ | The tornado was described as a huge, white, barrel-shaped cloud that stayed completely on the ground. | Lillie Wright 62, Lee Bermingham/Birmingham 54 |
| 1964 | April | 3 | 4/3/1964 | 14:35:00 | TX | OUN | F5 | 7 | 111 | 5.6 | 500 | Wichita | Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls | A very large tornado struck the northwest section of Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base, killing seven persons and injuring 111. Property damage was estimated at $15 million. The tornado developed near the intersection of Farm Road 369 and Seymour Highway. It moved northeastward across Highway 287 into the Sunset Terrace addition, then across the Red River Expressway into the Lincoln Heights addition and Sheppard Air Force Base. The awesome freight train-like sound was audible from the Weather Bureau Airport Station. Property damage included 225 homes destroyed, 50 suffered major damage, 200 suffered minor damage, and 16 other buildings received major damage. Along the tornado path, the area of total destruction was 100 to 200 yards wide with lesser damage up to 500 yards. The tornado lifted before reaching the SAC area of Sheppard AFB. | Wichita Falls, TX | https://www.weatheringtexas.com/wichita-falls-tornadoes/ | Another deadlier F4 tornado would strike the city of Wichita Falls only 15 years later. | Albert Miller 75, Audrey Ann Wiley Minear 43, Mrs. Carl E Hoeffuer 58, Robert Ernest "Ernie" Caswell 38/55, Rene Bennett Caswell 45, Hazel Rea Marlow Collins 35, Mrs. Hartley |
| 1964 | May | 5 | 5/5/1964 | 18:30:00 | NE | GID, OAX | F5 | 2 | 50 | 70 | 880 | Polk, Antelope, Adams, Clay, Hamilton, York | Bellwood, Benedict, Bradshaw, Giltner, Hampton, Harvard, Hastings, Rising City, Shelby, Stromsburg | This tornado moved to the northeast from 4 miles NW of Harvard, 3 miles west of Bradshaw, to south of Bellwood. At least a dozen farms were demolished during the first 30 miles of its path. Two people were killed on a farm near Bradshaw. | Bradshaw, NE | https://www.weather.gov/gid/May51964F5Tor | Thomas Grazulis states that this seemed to be made up of a family of shorter track tornadoes. | Clessen/Ciasson Brown Turner 83/4, Amy Lucille Turner Reed 59 |
| 1965 | May | 8 | 5/8/1965 | 17:15:00 | SD | UNR | F5 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 1500 | Tripp | Colome, Hamill | This tornado traveled from 10 miles south of Colome to near Hamill. Approximately 25 homes were damaged/destroyed. At least three farms were completely swept away east of Colome. | Tripp County, SD | https://www.tornadotalk.com/tripp-county-sd-f5-tornado-may-8-1965/ | Since modern record keeping began (1950), this is South Dakota's only F5/EF5 tornado. | |
| 1966 | March | 3 | 3/3/1966 | 18:30:00 | MS, AL | JAN, BMX | F5 | 58 | 518 | 202.5 | 900 | Hinds, Rankin, Scott, Leake, Neshoba, Kemper, Noxubee (MS), Pickens, Tuscaloosa (AL) | Benevola, Branch, Buhl, Candlestick Park, Coker, Dowdville, Flowood, Forkville, Jackson, Learned, Leesburg, Madden, Vienna, Walnut Grove | This massive tornado developed south of Learned, MS and moved into the city of Jackson where dozens of homes were leveled along with The Candlestick Park Shopping Center. Wide swaths of concrete blocks stretched across the parking lot and into neighboring lots. Eyewitnesses reported cars thrown over a half mile. In Scott County, houses were destroyed to the foundation and large areas of trees were totally annihilated. Road pavement was scoured out by the twister's force. Over 40 homes were destroyed in Leake County. A 100-year-old church in Neshoba County was flattened. | Candlestick Park | https://www.tornadotalk.com/the-candlestick-park-f5-tornado-march-3-1966/ | The Tornado Talk summary breaks down the discrepancies with the counties to be included in the path. Officially, this tornado is listed with a continuous path of 202.5 miles from Hinds County, MS to Tuscaloosa County, AL. Reports indicated the tornado weakened and may have lifted through Kemper and Noxubee Counties in MS and that a separate tornado caused F2 damage in Pickens and Tuscaloosa Counties in AL. 57 people were killed in MS and 1 person died in AL. | Marilyn A Armon 7, Theophylus Armon 14, LTC Joe Bullock 46, Gilbert Thomas Burkes 27, George Lee Carroll 39, George Chambers 6, Maggie Jean Chambers 13, Frank Kincaid, Mrs. Kincaid, Milton Kincaid, Rev James Denver Ferrell 55, Ronald Thomas "Ronny" Hannis 17, Bernice Boyd Lyles 45, Moses "Mose" Lyles 47, Shirley Mae Lyles 19, Celia Macklin, Mallie Maranada Ivy McCraw 58, Robert Lee McDonald 28, Lily Parnell, Betty Lucille Alford Pruitt 32, Johnny Marshall Pruitt 7, Mark Anthony Pruitt 3, Rev Marvin Pruitt 38, Rebecca Kaye Pruitt 6, John M Snelson 49, Ausby Joshua Stowers 59, Rosemary Wright 13 |
| 1966 | June | 8 | 6/8/1966 | 19:00:00 | KS | TOP | F5 | 17 | 550 | 22 | 880 | Shawnee | Dover, Topeka, Washburn University | Moved northeast from SSE of Dover, passing directly through and devastating a large part of Topeka. About 820 homes were destroyed as entire neighborhoods were leveled. Washburn University was ripped apart. | Topeka, KS | https://www.weather.gov/top/1966TopekaTornado | The tornado passed over Burnett's Mound, shattering the myth that the hill protected Topeka from tornadoes. The 55th Anniversary Summary from NWS Topeka written in 2021 lists 17 fatalities and 550 injuries. The SPC lists 16 fatalities and 450 injuries. Thomas Grazulis, in Significant Tornadoes, lists 16 fatalities and 406 injuries. We have used the stats from the NWS Summary. | Lisle Sigmund George Grauer 66, Mary I Beasley 91-92, Craig Allen Beymer 5, Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Wolfe, George Anthony Sklenicka 61, John T Wells 59, John E Scheibe 19, William Robert Crouch 44, Gareford Lee Jr. 63, Oliver Jacob Milton 70, Bertha Miller Whitney 81, John Delancy Culver 59, Sterling Price Taylor 62, Edward J Lyons 72, Hattie Louise Pierce Anderson 91 |
| 1966 | October | 14 | 10/14/1966 | 13:55:00 | IA | DMX | F5 | 6 | 172 | 12 | 1000 | Wright | Belmond, Clarion | Moved north-northeast from one mile north of Clarion to Belmond, where a large section of town was devastated. About 109 homes were destroyed, and 468 were damaged. 27 farms were hit, and several farm homes were leveled between Clarion and Belmond. 75 businesses in Belmond were damaged or destroyed. | Belmond, IA | https://www.tornadotalk.com/belmond-ia-f5-tornado-october-14-1966/ | The tornado was rated F5 based on one small home that was swept away. Surrounding homes sustained F0 to low-end F1 damage. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes rates the tornado F4. | Samuel Gilbert Crabtree 82, Edwin L Chapman (Deloris M Dempsey Chapman 59?), Mike Kurtz 66, Emma Sorenson, Ella Mae Smith Pierce 69/70, John Greenlander |
| 1968 | April | 23 | 4/23/1968 | 15:05:00 | KY, OH | ILN, RLX | F5 | 7 | 107 | 42 | 400 | Greenup (KY), Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia (OH) | Gallipolis, Gallipolis State Institute, Lyra, Portsmouth, South Shore, Wheelersburg | Moved east-northeast from five miles SW of Portsmouth, OH in South Shore, KY damaging or destroying 100 homes in Kentucky and injuring 15 people. It crossed the Ohio River into Ohio, flipping several train cars, then moved into Wheelersburg. 550 homes were damaged or destroyed. The worst damage was four miles ENE of town in the Dogwood Ridge Road area. It skipped through rural areas to Gallipolis. Near Lyra, a home was leveled. In Gallipolis, six trailers and eight houses were destroyed. At the Gallipolis State Institute, 15 buildings were damaged or destroyed. | Wheelersburg, OH | https://www.tornadotalk.com/wheelersburg-oh-f5-tornado-april-23-1968/ | The SPC lists this event as two tornadoes; an F3 in Kentucky, and an F5 in Ohio, Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes lists it as one F4-rated tornado. | Mary Adkins 67, Anna Lou Litteral Armstrong 34, Clyde Calvin Avery 54, Joseph Kennard Chatfield 59, George W Lambert 84, Walter Pearl Ockerman 67, Linda Louise Underwood 15 |
| 1968 | May | 15 | 5/15/1968 | 15:10:00 | IA | DMX, ARX | F5 | 13 | 462 | 65 | 600 | Howard, Franklin, Butler, Floyd, Chickasaw | Aredale, Charles City, Chester, Elma, Green, Hansell, Marble Rock | Moved northeast from Hansell, passing east of Aredale, west of Green, east of Marble Rock and devastating Charles City, then hit Elma, dissipating south of Chester, four miles from the Minnesota Border. 2000 homes were damaged or destroyed. In Charles City, the funnel passed directly through town, destroying 337 homes. | Charles City, IA | https://www.tornadotalk.com/charles-city-ia-f5-tornado-may-15-1968/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes shows a photo of a tornado roping out near Marble Rock, 10 miles southeast of Charles City. He notes, "This tornado and the tornado in Charles City are officially listed as a single event. However, the man who took this photograph, whose farmhouse was destroyed, insists that they were not the same tornado. He watched this one dissipate a few minutes after taking the picture." | Sarah Oline "Sadie" Weston Chambers 77/78, Anna Ruth "Mrs. Virval" Dawson N/A, Harry Joseph Hall 64, Marie N Nickles Greenlees 82-83, May Louisa Ash Gault 84, Arthur Hermann Jacobs 82, Minnie Kneisel 82-83, John Kneisel 89-90, Florine Frances Medlin Leach 54-55, Murray Clinton Loomer 94-95, August H Merten 67, Robert Dale Stotts 22, Lela F Haller Wolff 77 |
| 1968 | May | 15 | 5/15/1968 | 15:57:00 | IA | ARX | F5 | 5 | 156 | 15 | 500 | Fayette | Maynard, Oelwein, Randalia | Moved north-northeast from SW of Oelwein to Maynard, and Randalia. Homes were leveled in both Oelwein and Maynard, with some completely swept away. Nearly 100 homes were damaged or destoryed. | Oelwein, IA | https://www.tornadotalk.com/oelwein-ia-f5-tornado-may-15-1968/ | The tornado sirens in Oelwein only sounded for 15 seconds before the power failed. | Grace Evelyn Morrison Damon 55, Albert E Heaton 89, Glenda Kelly 4, Mrs. Louis Ponsor 77 |
| 1968 | June | 13 | 6/13/1968 | 17:50:00 | MN | FSD, MPX | F5 | 9 | 150 | 13 | 600 | Murray, Lyon, Redwood | Lake Sarah, Tracy | Moved northeast from one mile NE of Lake Sarah, passing through downtown Tracy, destroying 11 homes and 10 businesses. Over 200 other homes were damaged. A few houses were swept away. | Tracy, MN | https://www.tornadotalk.com/tracy-mn-f5-tornado-june-13-1968/ | This was the first F5 on record for Minnesota, since official record keeping began in 1950. It remains one of only two in the state since that year. | Nancy Ann Vlahos 2, Frederick James Pilatus 70, Otelia P Werner 75, Ellen Marie Morgan 75, Barbara Holbrook 50, Walter Swanson 47, Ella Lavina Maria Haney 84, Mildred Harden 75, Paul Alfred Swanson 60 |
| 1970 | May | 11 | 5/11/1970 | 20:35:00 | TX | LUB | F5 | 26 | 500 | 8 | 1500 | Lubbock | Lubbock, Texas Tech University | Touched down over the southwestern section of Lubbock, skirted past the Texas Tech Campus, and plowed into downtown and leveled homes northeast of downtown. 430 houses were destroyed, and 250 businesses were damaged or destroyed. Expensive homes near the country club were "turned into shambles." | Lubbock, TX | https://www.tornadotalk.com/lubbock-tx-f5-tornado-may-11-1970/ | This tornado was thoroughly surveyed by Dr. Fujita; he used the damage in Lubbock to create the Fujita Scale. Dr. Fujita also found a second tornado that hit Lubbock on this day. The second tornado is not listed in any official databases. | Jose Aguilar 74, Helen Machado Valdez Alafa 30, Johnnye Hobbs Butts 54, Frank Moreno Canales Jr. 34, Thomas Andrew Cook 29, John Stephen Cox 26, Joseph Glenn "Joe" Garrett 29, Shelby Curtis Glenn 52, Otilia Gonzales 46, Dora Bertie Graves 50, Ola Belle Hatch 77, Ruth Dobbs Knight 63, Jose Luz Leyva 13, Pedro Lopez 56, Salvadore "Jack" Lopez 57, Luther Dale McClintock 39, Alan Raye Medlin 3, Dustin Lance Medlin 9 mo, Kenneth Raye Medlin 23, Mary June Davis Medlin 22, Angela Marie Mora 8, Estefana Guajardo Paez 65, Frances Elvira Hale Rogers 88, Aurora Juarez Salazar 68, Lillie Amanda Fuallinger Short 72, Pauline Ortega Zarazua 39. |
| 1971 | February | 21 | 2/21/1971 | 14:50:00 | LA, MS | JAN | F5 | 46 | 400 | 110 | 600 | Madison, East Carroll, Issaquena (MS), Sharkey, Washington, Humphreys, Sunflower, Leflore (MS) | Cameta, Crowville, Delhi, Delta City, Hollandale, Inverness, Isola, Melbourne, Moorhead, Rolling Fork, Schlater, Sunflower, Tallula, Transylvania, Waverly | Touched down in extreme western Madison Parish, LA, and moved northeast for 110 miles. Several small homes were leveled near Waverly and Delhi, LA. Ten people in one family were killed, and five of the bodies were blown in swamps and bayous and were not found for several weeks. The tornado weakened in Issaquena County, MS, and it may have dissipated and reformed as a new tornado; it moved into Delta City, MS causing significant damage. At Inverness, MS, 21 people were killed, and over 200 were injured as 125 homes and 40 buildings were destroyed. | Mississippi Delta | https://www.tornadotalk.com/the-mississippi-delta-tornadoes/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes rates this tornado as an F4. | Kate Switzer Adair 74, Ella B. Ames 44/45, Jesse J Ausborn 59, Ruby Tyler Ausborn 49, Richard Banks, Sam Crawford 58, Leborn Crawford 54, Ollie Daniel 14, Mrs. Dukes 50, Jessie/Josie Goodman ~60, Patsy Henley 78, Doris Ann Herring 17, Romie/Romea Hayes Herring 47, Leroy/Larry Herring 15, Charlie Hogan, Lessie Hyde 45/50, Billy Charles Jones 13, Ethel Jones 56, Berry/Billy Dale Langston 7, Dennis Lenore 10, Doris Lenore 13, Ella Lenore 42, Orlando Carter Lenore 22 days, Patricia Lenore 8, Patrick Lenore 8, Phyllis Lenore 3, Reginald Evans Lenore 3, Terry Lenore 9, Verda Lenore 18, Sharon/Michelle Pasco 9 months, Thomas Newell Pepper 36, Mary Virginia Pepper 7, Carrie Johnson Perryman 50/78, Phillip Pillow, Euna Iona Tucker Price 68, Mrs. Swift 20s |
| 1973 | May | 6 | 5/6/1973 | 19:25:00 | TX | FWD | F5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 100 | McLennan, Bosque | Valley Mills | Moved due north from five miles south of Valley Mills. Two barns were destroyed leaving only a tiny piece of tin in the area. The F5 rating was applied by wind engineers based on a report of a pickup truck being carried through the air for a half-mile. | Valley Mills, TX | https://www.tornadotalk.com/valley-mills-tx-f5-tornado-may-6-1973/ | This tornado was probably not an F5. We reached out to Thomas Grazulis about it, and he said: "Remember, the book is based on 1991 info. The basis for much of the book was based on my 1980-1983 research which was partly based on 1973-75 inexperienced work by student summer job work and NSSFC: METEOROLOGISTS" who didn't care about the idea and resented Fujita's entry in their world. F5 was tossed around without much input except from Ted. There will be a new book eventually, and that F5 will be F3 or F4 with a note about it possibly being F5. You decide!" In fact, this tornado was so insignificant that local news only reported that a tornado was seen in the area, but gave no further details. | |
| 1974 | April | 3 | 4/3/1974 | 13:20:00 | IN | LMK | F5 | 6 | 86 | 76 | 1900 | Clark, Scott, Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Washington | Branchville, Bunker Hill, Curby, Daisy Hill, DePauw, Henryville, Huffman, Lexington, Martinsburg, New Liberty, Palmyra, Pilot Knob, Sulphur, Sulphur Springs | Moved east-northeast and northeast from three miles south of Huffman, passing SE of Branchville, north of Sulphur Springs and Point Knob, south of Sulphur and Curby, across the southeastern part of DePauw, hitting two miles east of Palmyra, passing through Martinsburg, crossing the southeast half of Daisy Hill, passing between Bunker Hill and New Liberty, ending NE of Henryville. A woman was killed as the tornado destroyed her mobile home near Huffman. Two people in a school bus saw the tornado approaching and took cover in a ditch; the bus was thrown into the ditch crushing the couple and killing the woman. As it moved across Crawford County, the twister leveled several farms as it widened to over one mile. The tornado destroyed 38 out of the 48 homes in Martinsburg, and homes were swept away at Daisy Hill. | Depauw, IN | https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Depauw,_Indiana | Photographs of the tornado show that there was not a fully formed condensation funnel. Instead, the tornado appeared as a hazy mass under the wall cloud. | Julia Virginia Sprinkle Flamion 81, Joyce J Lincoln 47, Harvey Lee Peace 72, Lillie Quiggins 78, Ada La Vaughn Galey Sprinkle 45 |
| 1974 | April | 3 | 4/3/1974 | 13:30:00 | OH | ILN | F5 | 34 | 1150 | 43 | 500 | Greene, Clark | Cedarville, Cedarville University, Central State University, South Charleston, Wilberforce, Xenia | Moved northeast from 9 miles SW of Xenia, passing through and devastating a large part of the town. The Arrowhead sub-division was the hardest hit with F5 damage to many homes. Most of the downtown business section was heavily damaged or destroyed, including an A1 Root Beer stand that was leveled. 300 homes were destroyed, and over 2,100 others were damaged. Per Thomas Grazulis: "Large areas of both new and old homes were turned into a patchwork of F1 to F5 damage." Further northeast the tornado ripped apart Central State University in Wilberforce, and Cedarville University at Cedarville. | Xenia, OH | https://www.tornadotalk.com/the-xenia-oh-f5-tornado-april-3-1974/ | At the time, this was the most well-studied tornado from a wind-engineering perspective. It was also the deadliest tornado of the 1974 Super Outbreak. The SPC lists 36 Fatalities; the tornado killed 34 people. Two of those fatalities were National Guardsmen who were killed during the cleanup process, therefore shouldn't be included as fatalities from the tornado. | Richard Ray Adams 28, William Kent Armstrong 7, Joyce Darlene Marlin Behnken 22, Brian Keith Blakely 7, Gloria E West Armstrong Chambers 26, Eric Michael Crabtree 28 days, Teresa Rene Cross 2, Prabhakbhaker Dixit 14, Michael Johnnes DeJarnette-Ehret 16, Sabina Dorothea DeJarnette-Ehret 12, Billy Lee Graham 5, David Wayne Graham 8, Sherry Sue Graham 4, Olisen "Ollie" Hilderbrandt Grooms 82, Diana Marie Hall 23, Laura Lee Baver Hull 19, Clyde Hershel Hyatt 48, Linda L Wright McKibbon 21, Marilyn L. Ullmer Miller 32, Robert E "Robbie" Miller 6, Johnnie Pearl James Mott 52, Clara Irene Peterson Pagett 62, Ruth Ann Palmer 81, Oscar T Robinson 44, Evelyn V Howard Rockhold 49, Dorothy E Pratt Rowland 47, Ralph E. Smith 51, Ivra Stafford Taylor 33, Virginia Luckadoo Walls 33, Amy Elizabeth Wisecup 16 months, Paul Rodney Wisecup 25, Sue Ann Halberstadt Wisecup 19. Indirect: Sergeant Walter A. Radewonuk 24, Sergeant Terry Lynn Regula 22 |
| 1974 | April | 3 | 4/3/1974 | 14:20:00 | KY, IN | LMK | F5 | 31 | 270 | 32 | 800 | Breckinridge, Meade (KY), Harrison (IN) | Brandenburg, Hardinsburg, Irvington, Mauckport | Touched down 5 miles SW of Hardinsburg and moved along the northern edge of town, causing F3 damage. 13 people were injured, and 35 homes were destroyed as it moved across rural Breckenridge County into Meade County. It Intensified as it approached Brandenburg. At Brandenburg, 128 homes were destroyed, and many were swept away. It crossed the Ohio River into Indiana, dissipating northeast of Mauckport. Per Thomas Grazulis, the F5 damage was from north of Irvington, KY, into Indiana. | Brandenburg, KY | https://www.weather.gov/lmk/april31974_in_the_path | This is the most intense tornado ever to strike the state of Kentucky. The SPC and Grazulis only list two F5s to affect the state; both occurred on April 3, 1974. However, the "Sayler Park" F5 tornado did not produce F5 damage in Kentucky, but rather in Ohio. The Brandenburg Tornado is the only tornado since 1880 that produced clear F5/EF5 damage in Kentucky. | Calvin Glenn Adair Jr. 15, Sue Elizabeth Bircher 84, Lynn Morrison Chitwood 67, Emma Eleanor Ashcraft Craycroft 54, Addie Mosley Ditto 72, Robert J Dresel 45, Alta Marie Dugan 57, William Luther Gilliland 73, Lena Azoline Harper Goins 59, Larry Edward Jupin 10, Carrie Lynn Lucas 3, Robert Dale Manning 18 months, Ada Ann Chancellor Mercer 83, Martine Elizabeth Payne O'Bryan 82, Louis Henry O'Bryan Sr. 93, Dessie Sipes Shumate 64, Barbara Ann Skillman 28, Columbus Skillman 55, Florence Owens Skillman 61, William Terry Son 11, James Russell Son 13, Larry Franklin Son 12, Martha Gilbert Polston Son 39, Catherine Emily Allen Thomas 44, Angela Maria Wallace 3 months, Patti Maria Wallace 16, Richard Russell Wallace 13, Peggy Yvonne Williams 14, Winifred Diane Wemes Williams 20, Emma C Foote Wilson 79, Regina Ann Yates 16 |
| 1974 | April | 3 | 4/3/1974 | 15:20:00 | IN, KY, OH | ILN | F5 | 3 | 210 | 21 | 600 | Ohio (IN), Boone (KY), Hamilton (OH) | Belleview, Cincinnati, Dent, Mack, Rising Sun, Sayler Park | Moved northeast from 2 miles north of Rising Sun, IN, passing near Belleview, KY, and ending north of Dent, OH, northwest of Cincinnati. 75 homes and 100 barns were damaged or destroyed in Kentucky. In Ohio, numerous homes were destroyed near Dent, Mack, and west of Cincinnati, with F5 damage occurring at Sayler Park. | Sayler Park, OH | https://www.weather.gov/iln/19740403 | This was the only tornado to cross three states during the outbreak. | |
| 1974 | April | 3 | 4/3/1974 | 17:15:00 | AL | HUN | F5 | 28 | 267 | 51 | 1320 | Lawrence, Morgan, Limestone, Madison | Capshaw, Harvest, Huntsville, Moulton, Mt. Moriah, Tanner, Wheeler Lake | Moved northeast from near Mt. Hope, 10 miles WSW of Moulton. The funnel passed 3 miles NW of Moulton, killing 14 people in and near the Mt. Moriah Community, eight of whom were trying to flee the tornado in their cars. Home after home was swept away southwest and west of Moulton, six members in one family were killed, and four members of another as their homes were swept away. The tornado moved across Wheeler Lake as a giant waterspout and crossed a peninsula in Limestone County. There, it leveled a 3/4 mile wide swath of trees and scoured the ground; red soil was plastered to trees. A trailer park near Tanner was ripped apart. The twister dissipated ESE of Harvest. | Tanner, AL | https://www.weather.gov/hun/limestoneal_grounddam_1974aniv | The Moulton/Tanner/Harvest area would be hit hard again by an EF5 tornado on April 27, 2011. | Louise McLin Cain 52, Thomas Lee Cain 19, Helen Carter, Teresa Carter, Willie Alvis Carter 54/55, Lillian Facison Green 30, Master Amos Green 10, Herman Houston Lambert 38, Patsy Gail Patterson Lovell 22, Rosie L McDonald MacLin 87, Hattie/Hetty Ruth Pitts McGlocklin 31, Sandra Ruth McGlocklin 5, Walter James McGlocklin 2, Nobia/Novie L Ruffin 77, Mary Elizabeth Christopher Smith 45 |
| 1974 | April | 3 | 4/3/1974 | 19:50:00 | MS, AL | JAN, BMX, HUN | F5 | 30 | 280 | 102 | 1760 | Monroe (MS), Lamar, Marion, Winston, Lawrence, Morgan (AL) | Columbus, Decatur, Guin, Oakville, Rabbit Town, Sulligent, William B. Bankhead National Forest | Moved northeast from 15 miles NNE of Columbus, MS, passing 4 miles south of Sulligent, AL, through Guin and Delmar, Rabbit Town, and Oakville, lifting at the Tennessee River, 6 miles ESE of Decatur. This was among the most intense tornadoes ever to hit Alabama, with F5 damage at several points in and near Guin. Almost the entire town was devastated, with many homes being completely swept away. A large mobile home manufacture plant at the southwest edge of Guin was leveled, and steel chassis of mobile homes were carried several blocks. In the rural areas northeast of Guin, numerous homes were destroyed. The funnel carved a mile-wide swath through the William B. Bankhead National Forest, wiping out tens of thousands of trees. | Guin, AL | https://www.weather.gov/bmx/event_04031974 | The tornado moved at 75 mph, passing through a city lot in two seconds, sweeping away everything. The SPC does not list Mississippi. However, Dr. Fujita's survey found it touched down in Mississippi (with F0 damage there). Grazulis also lists the tornado starting in Mississippi. | Bertha Caudle/Mae Baird 77, Jennifer Susette Ballard 14, Jimmie Sue Ballard 34, Billy Joe Brown 43, Janet Lynn Brown 16, Virginia Louise Brown 43, Rosie Bell Miller Burleson 83, Howard Monroe Calvert 20, Verginia/Virginia Dale Green Calvert 16, Raymond Rayford Edwards 45, Maggie Lee Miller Fisher 88, Winnie Ellen Gilmore 50, James Lionnel Herron 49, Orville James (Boots) Hess Sr. 64, Eva Florence Westbrooks Hulsey 88/89, Max Knight, Herbert Preston Martin 65, Juanita Hankins Pennington 64, Lois Jesma/Jessma Gilmore Shirey 71, Joseph Emmitt Shirey 80, Troy Vester Stanford 74, Mary Lous Harp Thompson 34, Trevor Kyle Thompson 3, Mark Ronald Todd 12, William Paul Todd 19, |
| 1976 | March | 26 | 3/26/1976 | 15:28:00 | OK | TSA | F5 | 2 | 64 | 12 | 440 | Le Flore | Bokoshe, Murry Spur, Spiro | Moved northeast from 4 miles east of Bokoshe, destroying trailers and businesses. It moved into the southeast edge of Spiro, destroying homes, trailers, and businesses. Seven frame homes were swept away near Murry Spur. | Spiro, OK | https://www.tornadotalk.com/spiro-ok-f5-tornado-march-26-1976/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes rates this tornado as an F4. | Marvin Trout 30, Ray Dean Phillips 42 |
| 1976 | April | 19 | 4/19/1976 | 17:30:00 | TX | SJT | F5 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 440 | Brown | Bangs, Brownwood, Lake Brownwood | Touched down, causing sporadic damage between Bangs and Brownwood. About 5 miles north of Brownwood, it struck a farm, where it leveled a row of four houses and several outbuildings. Several teenagers were thrown about 1000 yards when they were caught in the open after returning from fishing at Lake Brownwood. It ripped through the airport NNE of Brownwood, where a set of hangars and six aircraft were destroyed. | Brownwood, TX | https://twitter.com/weather_history/status/1516430166309806083 | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes rates this tornado as an F4. | |
| 1976 | June | 13 | 6/13/1976 | 14:10:00 | IA | DMX | F5 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 880 | Boone, Story | Jordan, Luther, Story City | Touched down 3 miles SW of Luther, moved northeast, passing 1 mile north of town, and then turned north. The massive twister destroyed the tiny hamlet of Jordan, where F5 damage occurred. It then curved to the northwest, then made a 110-degree turn, and moved due east to Story City; not everyone agrees whether the damage at Story City was from microbursts or tornadoes. 75% of Story City had some kind of damage. Hundreds of animals on nearby farms were killed. | Jordan, IA | https://iowawx.com/2012/06/13/jordan-f5-tornado-of-1976 | The Jordan tornado had three satellite tornadoes, one of which was an anticyclonic F3. | |
| 1977 | April | 4 | 4/4/1977 | 15:00:00 | AL | BMX | F5 | 22 | 130 | 15 | 1320 | Jefferson | Birmingham, Daniel Payne College, North Smithfield Manor, Smithfield, Smithfield Estates, Tarrant | Touched down 4 miles NW of downtown Birmingham and moved to Tarrant. 167 homes were destroyed, and 48 more were heavily damaged. Daniel Payne College sustained major damage. Cars and trucks were "hurdled like matchsticks" from I-65. F5 damage occurred at Smithfield Estates, and North Smithfield Manor. | Smithfield Estates | https://www.tornadotalk.com/smithfield-al-f5-tornado-april-4-1977/ | Smithfield Estates and North Smithfield Manor were both hard hit on April 27, 2011, by an EF-4 tornado. Apartments surrounding the memorial for the 1977 tornado were destroyed in the 2011 twister. | Martha Allen 55, Andrew Cheshier Sr. 76/79, Shellonie Crawford 23 (Shalaine Crawford 6 months?), Emma Dabney 52, Gloria L Gasery 36, John Larry Gasery III 13, Carla Patrice Gasery 7, Herbie Granger, Shirley Buskey Greene 27, Jeremy Jones 1, David Lee Manning, Marilyn G Nabers 25, Grace Sims Parker 80, Kenneth Louis Peasant 17, Lana Pickings 22, Dorey Raynard Smith 3, Tessie Thomas 61 |
| 1982 | April | 2 | 4/2/1982 | 15:50:00 | OK | TSA, SHV | F5 | 0 | 29 | 53 | 2640 | Choctaw, McCurtain | Broken Bow, Eagletown, Golden, Hugo Reservoir, Messer, Speer, Valliant, Wright City | This large tornado moved east-southeast from just south of Speer, to the Hugo Reservoir, north of Valliant, south of Wright City, near Golden, just south of Broken Bow, to 2 miles SE of Eagletown. Ten trailers and 40 homes were destroyed. Seven ranch homes were leveled, and a new but small house near Messer was swept away. The Tri-Night Motel sign from Broken Bow was found 30 miles away in Arkansas. | Choctaw-McCurtain County, OK | https://www.tornadotalk.com/choctaw-mccurtain-county-ok-f5-tornado-april-2-1982/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes rates this tornado as an F4. He notes: "One small house near Messer was completely swept away. Only carpet tack strips remained on the slab. Officially, the NWS accepted an F5 rating for this single home destruction. However, photographs of the empty foundation showed a rather poor anchoring technique. F5 winds would probably not have been needed to sweep away this home (and possibly not even F4 winds). | |
| 1984 | June | 7 | 6/7/1984 | 23:41:00 | WI | MKX | F5 | 9 | 200 | 36 | 450 | Iowa, Dane | Barneveld, Black Earth, Lodi, Ridgeway | Moved northeast from south of Ridgeway through Barneveld to Black Earth and Lodi. About 90% of Barneveld was torn apart. 93 homes were destroyed, and 64 were damaged. 17 out of the 18 businesses and public buildings were destroyed. Another 24 homes were torn apart between Barneveld and Black Earth. | Barneveld, WI | https://www.weather.gov/mkx/060884-barneveld-tor | As of 2009 when NWS Milwaukee published a summary on this tornado, they noted: "To this date, the "Barneveld Tornado" remains the second costliest tornado, based on official damage costs, in Wisconsin history with total damage estimated at $40 million. The "Oakfield Tornado" on July 18, 1996 remains the costliest tornado in state history, with total estimated damage costs at $40.4 million. However, if you adjust for inflation to 2009 dollars, the Barneveld tornado becomes the costliest tornado in Wisconsin history." | Robert Phillip Arneson 52, Matthew Charles Aschliman 2, Ralph F "Rick" Hammerly Jr. 38, Kirk/Keith Holland 40, Bruce Michael Simon 35, Cassandra Marie Simon 8, Jill Marie Brodersen Simon 31, Elaine I Slewitzke 59, James D Slewitzke 56 |
| 1985 | May | 31 | 5/31/1985 | 16:30:00 | OH, PA | CLE, PBZ | F5 | 18 | 310 | 47 | 700 | Portage, Trumbull (OH), Mercer (PA) | Charlestown, Coalburg, Greenfield, Hermitage, Hubbard, Lordstown, Mercer, Newton Falls, Niles, Ravenna, Ravenna Arsenal, Wheatland | A "maxi-tornado" touched down 1.5 mile north of Charlestown in the Ravenna Arsenal in Portage County, OH. It moved east into Trumbull County, devastating the downtown of Newton Falls; it passed through northern Lordstown and Niles, through Coalburg, and across the north part of Hubbard. The "Top of the Strip Mall" was leveled at F5 intensity in Niles. In Ohio, hundreds of homes were leveled, and more than 1000 were damaged. The tornado crossed into Wheatland, PA, producing F5 damage to many homes and businesses. Factories were leveled and swept away in a parking lot, the pavement was scoured, and paper was wedged under the remaining pavement. The three-story Hotel Shenango was leveled to the ground. It continued through Hermitage, where 71 homes were demolished, and the airport was destroyed; the tornado dissipated 2 miles SSW of Mercer. | Niles, PA | https://www.tornadotalk.com/may-31-1985-tornado-outbreak/ | As of this June 15, 2022 database entry, this tornado remains the only F5 tornado to affect the state of Pennsylvania. Dr. Forbes, a Penn State Professor at the time, who received his Ph.D. while studying under Dr. Fujita, surveyed the tornado and estimated a maximum wind speed of 135 m/s (302 mph). | Evan Evans Jr. 69/70, Glayla Gadman, Elaine M Italiano 39, Gladys Jackson 72, Adam Stephen Laverty 6, Rose Mary Leone 75, Stanley David Kostka 36, Michael Thomas Kurpe 35, Denise Mazza 21, Linda McMahon 27, Anna Miller 79, Ernest Miller 87, Margaret Palkovich, Robert White Reynolds 31, Marie Sofranik, Evelyn Simmons 42, Helen Thomas 84, Emma T Yannucci 65 |
| 1990 | March | 13 | 3/13/1990 | 16:34:00 | KS | ICT | F5 | 1 | 60 | 48 | 1320 | Reno, Harvey, McPherson | Burrton, Hesston, Pretty Prairie | Moved northeast from just south of Pretty Prairie, through Burrton, and Hesston, dissipating in McPherson County. At Burrton, a six-year-old boy was killed when a chimney toppled into the basement he was in. In Hesston, 226 homes and 21 businesses were damaged, with 30 being leveled. 20 farms in rural areas were ripped apart. Checks from a plumbing and heating supply store in Hesston were found in Manhattan, 85 miles away, and a personal check was carried 115 to the NE of Blaine. | Hesston, KS | https://www.tornadotalk.com/hesston-goessel-ks-f5-tornadoes-march-13-1990/ | As this tornado was roping out, it was absorbed by another tornado, which, too, was rated F5. This led to one continuous damage path caused by two tornadoes. | Lucas Lee Fisher 6 |
| 1990 | March | 13 | 3/13/1990 | 17:30:00 | KS | ICT | F5 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 1320 | Harvey, McPherson, Marion | Goessel, Hesston, Hillsboro, Marion Reservoir | Moved northeast from 1 mile north of Hesston and traveled along a parallel path to the previous tornado. This tornado absorbed the Hesston Tornado in southeast McPherson County as it roped out. The tornado then plowed into Goessel, where it leveled an army barracks building that was turned into a home, and a woman inside was killed. Other houses were damaged or destroyed. Trees were debarked, and the tornado left incredible cycloid ground scouring marks. The twister dissipated near the Marion Reservoir after passing SE of Hillsboro. | Goessel, KS | https://www.tornadotalk.com/hesston-goessel-ks-f5-tornadoes-march-13-1990/ | This tornado absorbed the Hesston F5 tornado as the Hesston tornado was roping it. This led to one continuous damage path by two tornadoes. | Ruth Friesen Voth 67 |
| 1990 | August | 28 | 8/28/1990 | 14:30:00 | IL | LOT | F5 | 29 | 350 | 16.4 | 880 | Kendall, Will | Joliet, Oswego, Plainfield, Wheatland Plains | Moved southeast from near Oswego to the west side of Joliet, passing through and devastating Plainfield. At Wheatland Plains, 12 homes were destroyed, and 50 were damaged; Plainfield incurred F5 damage with deaths in at least seven different subdivisions; Three schools were destroyed. Shopping malls, apartments, and other businesses were damaged. The Crest Hill Lakes apartments were obliterated. Some people were thrown to their death from these apartments into cornfields. Over 300 homes were destroyed, and over 900 others were damaged. Remarkable corn scouring occurred in the 10-yard-wide core just outside of Plainfield. | Plainfield, IL | https://www.tornadotalk.com/plainfield-il-f5-tornado-august-28-1990/ | Dr. Fujita rated the tornado F5 based on the severity of the corn/ground scouring. Structural damage was rated no higher than F4. | Henry T Bergquist 75/76, Sarah Marie Brower 2/3, Titania S Brown 1 month, Patricia Sue Combs 25, Leslie A Egizio 4, Thomas J Egizio 14, Vicki J Workman Egizio 38, Charles Harold Likes 37, Ryan R Glaser 15, Janis Beth Granat, Howard L Hawes Jr. 47/48, Leticia Y Herrod 17/18, Stephen P "Steve" Hunt 43, Alice Jean Johnson, James E Kachel 68/69, Kent A Keeley Sr. 52, Sister Mary Loretta Keenan 47, Eddie James Lee Jr. 24, Virginia M Lydon, James Lee "Jimmy" Niccum 27, James Mark Pullen Sr. 32, Alida M Riffel 67, Frank Louis Riffel 68, Gloria A Sanchez, Phoumy Senephimmachac 35/36, Patricia A Skoien 55/56, Brian Paul Strohm 12, Thomas William Thayer 40/41, Eric W Wilson 16 |
| 1991 | April | 26 | 4/26/1991 | 16:57:00 | KS | ICT | F5 | 17 | 225 | 45 | 500 | Sedgwick, Butler | Andover, Clearwater, El Dorado, Golden Spur, Haysville, McConnell Air Force Base | Moved northeast from five miles south of Clearwater. It passed across the northern part of Haysville, causing extensive damage, and moved across McConnell Air Force Base, southeast of Wichita. It moved into Andover, causing F5 damage as large, two-story homes were leveled to the ground and swept away; the debris from these homes was granulated and wind-rowed significant distances. The Golden Spur trailer park was annihilated; 233 out of 241 trailers in the park were destroyed. The tornado dissipated north of El Dorado. | Wichita-Andover, KS | https://www.tornadotalk.com/the-wichita-andover-ks-f5-tornado-april-26-1991/ | Over 200 people survived in the Golden Spur's underground storm shelter, as the twister annihilated the trailers above them. However, 13 people who did not seek shelter in the park were killed. | Junia Mathilda Phipps Bebout 67, Joseph Oran Bobbitt 66, Anna Marie Cravens 5, Susan Elizabeth Cravens 2, Ruby Crawford, Ronald Dwaine "Ron" Kanavy Sr. 47, Ronald Dwaine "Ronnie" Kanavy Jr. 23, Elsie Faye Cleghorn Kemper 58, Gladys Elizabeth Whigham Manes 85, Robert Chalmer Manes 89, Joseph Henry "Joe" Marks 68, Robert Meininger 46, Charlene Pearl Jones Montgomery 47, Denise Elaine Peterson 28, Betty Lee Mayhew Sanders 61, Katherine Fayetta "Kathy" Jinks Sargent 41, Bessie K Matson Temple 82 |
| 1992 | June | 16 | 6/16/1992 | 16:00:00 | MN | FSD | F5 | 1 | 38 | 35 | 1320 | Nobles, Murray, Lyon | Chandler, Garvin, Lake Wilson, Leota | A large wedge tornado moved north-northeast from 2 miles south of Leota in Nobles County, into Murray County, where it devastated Chandler and turned north, devastating the Lake Wilson area, then turned northeast, passing through rural Murray County, then crossing into southern Lyon County, dissipating south of Garvin. In Chandler, 40 homes were destroyed; 47 houses, five businesses, and a church were damaged. At Lake Wilson, 32 homes were destroyed, and 43 others were damaged. An 81-year-old woman died two months after being injured by a collapsing wall in her basement. The Minnesota Agricultural Department warned that the tornado-ravaged area might be littered with dangerous pesticide containers that were dropped around the countryside. A check from Chandler was carried 95 miles to Willmar. | Chandler, MN | https://www.tornadotalk.com/chandler-mn-f5-tornado-june-16-1992/ | The SPC lists the Chandler tornado as one F5 and a separate F4 at Lake Wilson. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes also echos this. The NWS Summary states it was one tornado that tracked 35 miles through Chandler, Lake Wilson, and to near Garvin. | |
| 1996 | July | 18 | 7/18/1996 | 18:05:00 | WI | MKX | F5 | 0 | 12 | 13 | 400 | Fond du Lac | Eden, Oakfield | Moved east-southeast from 4 miles WNW of Oakfield, through town, and dissipated one mile NW of Eden. 60 homes, six businesses, and two churches were destroyed. About 130 homes and businesses were damaged. Debris was found on the Lake Michigan shoreline, and a canceled check was found 135 miles away at Muskegon, Michigan. The tornado reached F5 intensity 4 miles east of Oakfield, where four homes were swept away, and cars were thrown about 150 yards. | Oakfield, WI | https://www.tornadotalk.com/oakfield-wi-f5-tornado-july-18-1996/ | In his book "F5-F6 Tornadoes" Thomas Grazulis called this a "questionable F5," and compared the damage this caused to that of the January 7, 1989, Allendale IL F4. | |
| 1997 | May | 27 | 5/27/1997 | 14:40:00 | TX | FWD, EWX | F5 | 27 | 12 | 7.8 | 1320 | Bell, Williamson | Double Creek Estates, Jarrell, Prairie Dell | A small rope tornado (possibly a landspout) touched down near Prairie Dell, TX. It moved south from Bell County into Williamson County, drastically grew into a 3/4 mile wide tornado, and veered toward the southwest where it decimated the Double Creek Estates Subdivision in Jarrell. Double Creek Estates was turned into a barren wasteland. 27 people there lost their lives as large, well-built homes simply vanished. Cars were thrown far distances and shredded; many vehicles were never found. Trees were entirely debarked, and grass at the core of the vortex was removed, leaving a barren landscape. | Jarrell, TX | https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/05696a8e01bc4e91a0a941290a62e86d | This tornado produced arguably the most violent damage ever seen in a tornado. Video evidence, as well as eyewitness accounts, suggest that the tornado may have first formed as a landspout before it linked up with the mesocyclone becoming a full-fledged tornado. | Larry Paul Igo 46, Joan Lanette Topham Igo 45, Andrey Frances Igo 17, John Martin Igo 15, Paul Wesley Igo 15, Keith Alan Moehring 40, Cynthia Ann "Cindy" O'Connor Moehring 40, Erik Alan Moehring 16, Ryan Michael Moehring 15, Ruth Ann Carmona 34, Michael Anthony Carmona Jr. 15, Satyn Maria Carmona 13, Maria Antonieta Corpus Ruiz 50, John Anthony Ruiz 15, Michael John Ruiz 14, Cynthia Layne "Cindie" Smith 36, Brandi Nicole Smith 13, Stacy Rene Smith 10, Bernice Angela Gaswint Gower 37, Brian Allen Gower 11, Emma Jean Mullins 44, Ryan Will Edward Fillmore 5, Vicki Linnea Kehl Taylor 36, Johnathan Lyle Kehl 16, Billy Howard "Buddy" LaFrance Jr. 41, Frederick Jeremiah Ripley 22, Katherine Louise "Kathy" Parish Mayer 30 |
| 1998 | April | 8 | 4/8/1998 | 18:42:00 | AL | BMX | F5 | 32 | 259 | 31 | 1320 | Tuscaloosa, Jefferson | Birmingham, Edgewater, McDonald Chapel, Minor, Oak Grove, Pinedale Estates, Pratt City, Rockwood, Sylvan Springs, West Ensley, Wylam Heights | The tornado moved from 10 miles NNW of Brookwood to 7 miles SW of Oak Grove, ending at Pratt City. Many small communities and neighborhoods in the Birmingham area were nearly wiped out, including Sylvan Springs, Wylam Heights, Edgewater, McDonald Chapel, and Oak Grove. About 600 homes were destroyed, and 1400 were damaged. 5,000 acres of forest were leveled. | Oak Grove, AL | https://www.tornadotalk.com/oak-grove-al-f5-tornado-april-8-1998/ | This tornado was just one of many significant tornadoes to affect this same area in Birmingham. Other major twisters included an F4 in 1956, an F5 in 1977, and an EF4 in 2011. | Nellie Anderson, Arthur Lee Bayles 49, Lannie Bonner, Hazel Victoria Allen Brown 89, John Allison Brown 89, Cheryl Browning, Jimmy Alan Bunn 37, Colette Sanders Coleman 27, Anthony Philip Harley 48, Carson Homer Helms 4, Colby Wayne Helms 7, Debra Lynn Helms 33, Inez Morrow King 72, Lenora McCullers, Mary E "Betty" Cail Parker 72, Wesley Joe Parker Jr. 72, Laverne Tidwell Parsons 83, Kathy Louise Wood Pettit 36, Laura Ann Pettit 16, Terry Dean Pettit 43, Joy Kathryn Allen Bennett Pratt 63, Woodrow Edgar Pratt 61, Elizabeth Salter, Albert Scott, Annie Scott, Nathan Scott Seals 8, Jimmy W Sims 50, Diane Smith, Patricia Markham Sullivan 47, Ernestine King Walker 49, Betty J King Williams 50, Verlene Verna Vines Williams 81 |
| 1998 | April | 16 | 4/16/1998 | 15:50:00 | TN | OHX | F5 | 0 | 21 | 19.3 | 1760 | Wayne, Lawrence | Ethridge, Lawrenceburg | Many "fine homes" were leveled and swept away. A car was hurled 1/2 mile. Trees were debarked, and a 200-yard wide swath of pasture grass was pulled from the ground. | Wayne-Lawrence County, TN | https://www.weather.gov/ohx/19980416 | The Emergency Manager for Lawrence County reported that a pick-up truck was carried 20 miles. This is likely either a false statement or a very severe exaggeration. It was never verified by the NWS, but it is possible that part of the truck, such as a bumper, or a license plate, was carried 20 miles. However, it is impossible for an entire pickup truck to be thrown that far. The farthest verified distance a car was thrown was 1.70 miles at Wren MS from a tornado that was officially rated EF-3 (though some sources suggest the tornado was an EF5). This tornado is listed as having a 69-mile path length through Wayne, Lawrence, Giles, and Maury Counties. However, analysis from the NWS shows that there were three separate tornadoes. | |
| 1999 | May | 3 | 5/3/1999 | 17:26:00 | OK | OUN | F5 | 36 | 583 | 37 | 1430 | Grady, McClain, Cleveland, Oklahoma | Amber, Bridge Creek, Del City, Midwest City, Moore, Newcastle, Oklahoma City, Rose State College, Tinker Air Force Base | A massive tornado touched down 2 miles SSW of Amber and moved east-northeast, destroying the town of Bridge Creek, and devastating large sections of Moore, Del City, Midwest City, and Oklahoma City. At Bridge Creek, 200 homes were destroyed, and many were swept completely away. A dozen cars were carried more than 1/4 mile and shredded. The twister swept through the Moore area devastating home after home. An 18-ton railroad car was carried 3/4 of a mile, leaving gouge marks every 50-100 yards as it bounced. Next to I-40, 800 vehicles were destroyed at a dealership, "some of which rained down on nearby motels." At least 1800 homes were destroyed, and at least 2500 others were damaged. | Bridge Creek-Moore, OK | https://www.tornadotalk.com/bridge-creek-moore-f5-tornado-may-3-1999/ | This tornado is often proclaimed the "strongest tornado ever with 318 mph winds." The Doppler on Wheels (DOW) officially recorded wind speeds of 301 mph (+ or - 20 mph) hundreds of feet off the ground. This is the last official F5 on the Fujita Scale before the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale took over in 2007. | Beverly Ann Arthur 51, Anthony P Battaglia 37, Tram Thu Bui 26, Esther Louella Green Coburn 35, Suzanne Mary Des Marais Cox 55, Catherine Lynn Cook Crago 44, Asheton Brett Coolwater Darnell 23 days, Lucille L Soule Darnell 53, Sergeant James Riley Day 27, Bill/Billy D Doty 54, Noah Kirkpatrick Fish Jr. 67, Naomi R Stottlemyer Greaser 58, John Berry Green Sr. 84, David A Henry 36, Quinton Hindman 66, Linda B Rosendahl Hogan 50, Herbert Franklin "Herb" Imler 25, Charles Russell "Rusty" Keithline IV 24, Leona Mae King Lucas 41, William C "Bill" Lucas III 38, Gustia Arlandous "Gus" Miller 75/76, Patricia Lea "Patsy" Horning Payne 45, Ralph Cleo Payne Sr. 80, Naomi Jean Hutton Rawlings 71, James Arthur Rawlings 73, James Russell Reeves 33, Loretta Maria Richard/Richards 60, Danette Hope Rodgers 30, Herbert Garrison "Jake" Self 86, Robert William "Rob" Siano 28, Glenda/Glynda Kaye Parsons Stanfield 43, Hugh August Underwood 50, Lillie Pauline Underwood 59, Guadalupe Valasco Lucos Urice 60, Cara Lynn Webster 4, Kara Ann Wiese 26, Aletha/Aleatha J "Lee" Wilkerson 69, Jeffrey Lee "J.R." Yonnes Jr. 4 months |
| 2007 | May | 4 | 5/4/2007 | 20:00:00 | KS | DDC | EF5 | 11 | 63 | 28.81 | 3000 | Comanche, Kiowa | Wilmar, Greensburg | Touched down in northern Comanche County, 14 miles west of Wilmar, damaging some trees and tossing oil tanks. Oil was spewed through farmlands and across roads. The massive funnel moved in Kiowa County, and as it was starting to occlude, it veered north and northwest, swallowing the entire town of Greensburg. 961 homes and businesses were destroyed, 216 had major damage, and 307 had minor damage. The EF5 rating was based on seven well-built homes that were swept away on the southern side of town. | Greensburg, KS | https://www.tornadotalk.com/greensburg-ks-ef5-tornado-may-4-2007/ | This was the first tornado to be rated EF5 after the Enhanced Fujita Scale went into effect in February 2007. | Claude Levern Hopkins 79, Larry Edward Hoskins 51, David Lee Lyon 48, Colleen Mae Faris Panzer 77, Ronald Ray "Ron" Rediger 57, Evelyn Mae Mock Kelly 75, Sarah Helen Tackett 72, Beverly Lynn McColm Volz 52, Max Milton McColm 77, Richard J Fry 62, Harold Eugene Schmidt 77 |
| 2008 | May | 25 | 5/25/2008 | 15:48:00 | IA | DMX | EF5 | 9 | 70 | 43 | 2100 | Grundy, Butler, Black Hawk | Aplington, Cedar Falls, Dukerton, New Hartford, Parkersburg, Waterloo | The tornado track was from approximately 2 miles south of Aplington to Parkersburg, then continued to New Hartford and northern Black Hawk County. The average path width ranged from 0.6 to 0.7 miles near Parkersburg to just north of New Hartford. The twister destroyed 627 homes and damaged 186 others. 21 businesses were destroyed. In rural areas, the tornado scoured corn fields and debarked trees. EF5 damage occurred to 17 homes that were leveled and swept away. | Parkersburg-New Hartford, IA | https://www.tornadotalk.com/parkersburg-new-hartford-ia-ef5-tornado-may-25-2008/ | Debris from the EF5-rated homes was granulated into small pieces and wind-rowed away from the buildings. Most of the fatalities in Parkersburg were in basements. | Shirley Augusta Meyer Luhring 71, Raymond Duane "Ray" Meyocks 74, Charles E Horan 72, Norman H Beuthien 48, Richard Henry Mulder 80, Ethel Mae Apieker Mulder 80, Leasa Dell Sells Bleeker 71, Bertha Van Dyk Eckhoff 85, Ruth Lois DeVries Knock 61 |
| 2011 | April | 27 | 4/27/2011 | 13:30:00 | MS | JAN | EF5 | 3 | 13 | 32.16 | 920 | Neshoba, Kemper, Winston, Noxubee | Bogue Chico, Coy, Philadelphia, Shuqualak | The tornado touched down in the northern part of Philadelphia, where it caused mostly minor structural damage. It moved northeast through rural Neshoba County, ripping apart homes and destroying chicken houses northeast of Philadelphia. Near Coy, the twister intensified to an EF5 where it caused the most extreme ground scouring ever documented; a pasture had a two-foot trench dug in it (the deepest ever documented by a tornado). Trees in the vicinity were debarked. Nearby homes were ripped apart. In the northeastern part of Kempter County, north of Bogue Chico and NE of Coy, houses were swept away, more severe ground scouring occurred, and a strapped-down double-wide trailer was vaulted 300 yards before disintegrating. It continued through parts of Winston and Noxubee County, dissipating 6 miles NW of Shuqualak. In all, 32 homes were destroyed, and another 73 were damaged. | Philadelphia, MS | https://www.tornadotalk.com/philadelphia-ms-ef5-tornado-april-27-2011/ | Per the EF-Scale, a tornado has to be rated based on the Damage Indicators (DIs) it hit. The Philadelphia tornado was rated solely based on the severe ground scouring. Maximum structural damage to valid DI's was rated at EF4. | Florrie Green 76, Johnnie Bateman Green 85, Maxine J Green McDonald 78 |
| 2011 | April | 27 | 4/27/2011 | 14:05:00 | AL | BMX, HUN | EF5 | 71 | 551 | 103.19 | 2125 | Marion, Franklin, Lawrence, Morgan, Limestone, Madison | Anderson Hills, Chalybeate Springs, Hackleburg, Hamilton, Hazel Green, Huntland, Langtown, Moulton, Mt. Hope, Oak Grove, Phil Campbell, Tanner | A long-tracked and violent tornado moved northeast from near Hamilton, devastating the towns of Hackleburg, Phil Campbell, Mount Hope, Langtown, Chalybeate Springs, Tanner, and Harvest. Home after home was leveled. The Wrangler factory in Hackleburg (built to withstand 206 mph winds) was destroyed. Large, well-built homes vanished, and extensive ground scouring and tree debarking was noted. Vehicles were thrown far distances and mangled. The twister narrowly missed the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant near Decatur, where several large transmission towers were mangled, cutting power to a large section of northern Alabama. Over 2600 structures were damaged or destroyed, including 1067 homes that were destroyed and 993 others that were damaged. With 71 fatalities, this was the deadliest tornado since 1955, until Joplin EF5 occurred one month later. | Hackleburg, MS | https://www.tornadotalk.com/overview-of-the-hackleburg-harvest-huntland-al-tn-tornadoes-of-april-27-2011-2/ | There are numerous discrepancies with this historic twister, which you can read more about in our extensive summary series on this event. The main discrepancy is the death total; official sources list 72 fatalities; however, the death of one person was double-counted. The tornado is also officially listed as crossing into Tennessee. However, extensive research found that the tornado dissipated near Meridianville, AL. A separate tornado (EF3) formed 18 miles later, near Huntland, TN. Additionally, this is the deadliest tornado in Alabama state history. | Bridget Renee Barnwell Brisbois, 34 Charles Tommy Garner, 75 Christopher "Chris" Dunn, 32 Cledis Inez Sellers McCarley, 69 Donna Leah "Lee" Peak Jokela, 77 Edward Starnes "Ed" "Eddie" Hall, 53 Retha Faye Rea O’Kelley, 70 Freddie Jean Harper Lolley, 81 John Other Lynch, 70 Kaarlo Jokela, 76 Ken Vaughn, 24 Linda Faye Morgan Knight, 57 Mae Surovich Garner, 79 Robbie Dean "Peachie" Whitehead Cox, 68 Teresa Gay Harris Hall, 50 Tina Rose Donais, 36 Vickie/Vicki Lynn Lolley, 55 Vicky L Parris McKee, 47 Donna Renee Baccus Berry, 52 Nila Jo Bolton Black, 66/68 Zan Reese Black, 45 Jack Cox, 78 Donnie L Gentry, 63 Patricia Ann Pinkard Gentry, 50 Lester William Hood, 81 James Robert Keller Jr., 33/53 Ricky/Rickey Ethan Knox, 10 Amy Strecker LeClere, 33 Jay W LeClere, 45 Dagmar Lenz Leyden, 56 Claudia I Mojica, 38 Edgar Mojica, 9 Edna Lucille Bradley Nix, 89 Martha Lou Nix Pace, 64 Georgia Mae Bankston Scribner, 83 Jack E Tenhaeff, 67 Sonya Collette Black Trapp, 47 Carroll Dean "C.D." Waller, 74/76 Geraldine "Gerri" Williams Waller, 64 Jeffrey Dewight Cotham, 35 Charlene Denise Crochet, 41 Donald Ray Heaps, 48/49 Kelli Throne Morgan, 24 Michael Morgan, 32 Chase "Hermie" Adams, 21 Earl Crosby Sr., 63 Helen Martin Smith, 84 Horace Grady Smith, 83 J.W. Parker, 78 Allen Oneal Terry, 49 Herman Oneal Terry, 80 Lyndon Lee "Doby" Mayes, 74 Mary C Basden Mayes, 76 Mike Dunn, 58 Aurelia Guzman, 12 Donald Dixon "Duck" Ray, 73 Edward John Vuknic, 65/66 Zora Lee Jones Hale, 80 Carol Jan Turner McElyea, 47 Roger Glen Riddle, 55 Janice Montgomery Riddle, 54 Shannon Gail Sampson, 39 Bobby Joe "B.J." Moore, 61 Frederick Arthur "Fred" Post, 72 Harold Melvin "Butch" Fitzgerald, 65 Katelyn Delaney "Katie" Cornwell, 15 Milinia Nicole "Nikki" Hammonds, 32 Racheal/Rachel Renee Pruitt Tabor, 37 Ronnie Lee McGaha Jr., 42 Gregory Braden, 58 Philomena Muotoe, 79 |
| 2011 | April | 27 | 4/27/2011 | 14:42:00 | MS, AL | MEG, BMX, HUN | EF5 | 23 | 137 | 40.49 | 1260 | Monroe, Itawamba (MS), Marion, Franklin (AL) | Bexar, Hodges, Shottsville, Smithville | An extraordinarily violent tornado touched down SW of Smithville, MS, moved northeast and dug a trench just southwest of town. Continuing into town, homes vanished, granulated into tiny pieces, and spread out along the tornado's path. Vehicles were turned into unrecognized masses of metal. Trees were turned into debarked stumps. A Ford Explorer SUV was thrown nearly one mile; it struck the Smithville Water Tower roughly halfway through its voyage, leaving a large dent in the tower. The tornado crossed into Alabama, causing severe tree damage and destroying a mobile home and outbuildings; a house was decimated near Shottsville. The funnel dissipated near Hodges. | Smithville, MS | https://www.tornadotalk.com/overview-of-the-smithville-hodges-ms-al-ef5-tornado-of-april-27-2011/ | This was one of the most violent tornadoes to ever occur, the numerous extraordinary feats are highlighted in our summary. | Betty Lou James Newkirk 78, Celia Fay Dabbs Jackson 92, Courtney Danielle Easter 21, Elvin Ray Patterson 80, Mavis Jean Manley 70, Hazel Levean Sullivan Sheffield Noe 80, Jesse Collins "Grandy" Cox 84, Jessica Leigh Pace 18, Carla Jones 37, Mary Laverne Patterson 77, Lucille Everett Parker 86, Mary Maxine Tackett Chism 79/80, Mildred "Granny Mildred" Farrar Elam 79, Roy Lee "Peanut" Estis 63, Nellie Ruth "George" Robinson Estis 61, Allen Scott "Scotty" Morris 41, Rodney Gene Ables 51, Michelle Burleson Brown 43, Tammy LaVeen Johnson 52, Jacob Ralph Ray 5, Virginia Ann Ables Revis 52/53, Allan Mark Wideman 49, Charlotte Jeanette Wideman 52 |
| 2011 | April | 27 | 4/27/2011 | 17:19:00 | AL, GA | HUN, FFC | EF5 | 25 | 200 | 39.1 | 2025 | DeKalb, Dade | Blake, Cartersville, Fyffe, Henagar, Ider, Lakeview, Rainsville, Rising Fawn, Sylvania | An EF5 tornado tracked for 39 miles from near Lakeview, AL causing significant damage in the Fyffe, Rainsville, Sylvania, Henagar, and Ider areas before crossing into Georgia and dissipating in Rising Fawn. 300 homes were destroyed, and nearly 600 others were damaged. Dozens of businesses and countless farm buildings were damaged or destroyed as well. Grass was scoured from the ground, trees were debarked, and vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards and mangled. Surveyors noted that sidewalk pavement was pulled up. | Rainsville, AL | https://www.tornadotalk.com/rainsville-al-rising-fawn-ga-ef5-april-27-2011/ | At one house that was swept away, an 800-pound Liberty Safe was pulled from its anchoring and thrown 200 yards; the door was ripped off. | Eula L Butler Miller 81, Charlotte J Bludsworth 36, Gene Otto Bullock Sr. 65, Marcella Wells Bullock 64, Hannah Goins 3, Harold Ruben Harcrow 74, Patricia Scruggs Harcrow 75, Lethel Dennis Izell 86, Esther Combs Rosson 81, Peggy LWanda Stone Sparks 56, Hubert Wooten 70, Juanita Izell Wooten 70, Jody Lynn Holliday Huizenga 28, Jimmy Mikel Kilgore 48, Courtney Jo McGaha 15, William Daniel Vermillion 42, Jilda Jo Bergeron Vermillion 44, Violet Ruth Deerman Hairston 90, Tawnya Sturgeon Ferguson 32, Jeremy Shane Ferguson 34, Emma Jean Ferguson 6, Linda Martin Graham 62, Kenneth "Buddy" Graham 56, Ida Jessie "Pat" Ott 87, Robert Timothy Ott 53 |
| 2011 | May | 22 | 5/22/2011 | 16:34:00 | MO | SGF | EF5 | 158 | 1150 | 21.62 | 1600 | Newton, Jasper | Diamond, Duquesne, Granby, Joplin | The deadliest tornado in modern-US history touched down on the western side of Joplin; it plowed through town, leveling hundreds of homes. It caused significant damage to St. John's Medical Center, and the hospital's foundation was compromised. Concrete parking curbs in the St. John's parking lot were twisted from their rebar anchoring and thrown. Vehicles were thrown for many blocks and were found wrapped around debarked trees; some cars were never found. Several large shopping centers and stores were annihilated, including a Home Depot and a Walmart. The tornado veered more toward the southeast, dissipating near Granby. Over 7,000 buildings were destroyed. | Joplin, MO | https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d64c8d41c28949bd87478f252ac7e378 | This tornado ranks as the 7th deadliest tornado of all time, and the first tornado to kill over 100 people since the June 8, 1953, Flint, MI F5 Tornado. | Jose Olimpo Alvarez 59, Maria De Lourdes Alvarez-Torres ~43, Barbara Ann Morgan Anderson 76, Sarah Lee Sherfy Anderson 46, William Austin "Bill" Anderson 53, Grace Layug Aquino 46, Dale Lawrence Arsenault 52, Cyrus Edward "Ed" Ash Jr. 87, Bruce M Baillie 56, Robert Wayne Baker 54, Robert Eugene Bateson Jr. 47, Dorothy Lee Calvert Bell 88, Regina Mae "Gina" Bloxham Kirkpatrick Williams 55, Barbara Fuller Boyd, Lathe Edward Bradfield 85, Burnice M Alexander Baesee 91, Ramona Mae Peavey Bridgeford 77, Leo Earl Brown 86, Hugh Odell Buttram 85, Tami Leigh Campbell 28, Arriyinnah Savannah "Arriy" Carmona 8, Moises Carmona 41, Shante Marie Caton 10, Trentan Maurice Steven Caton 6, Rev. Raymond LeRoy Chew Sr. 66, Clyde L Coleman 72, Caroline Jean Burton Collins 62, Lois Ada McKinney Comfort 66, Keenan Krice Conger 49, James Van Cookerly 49, Edmond Andrew Cooper, Vicki Lynn Cooper, Alice L Hudson Cope 79, Teddy Ray Copher 71, Malisa Ann Gaston Crossley 36, Adam DeWayne Darnaby 27, Patricia Elaine "Pat" Sears Dawson 74, Michael Wayne Dennis 52, Nancy Elizabeth Thornberry Douthitt 94, Ellen Jeanette Kennell Doyle 75, Faith Constance Dunn 71, Amonda Sue Brashear Eastwood-Pryor 49, Richard Allen Elmore 70, Randy Edward England 34, Mark Lewis Farmer 56, Ida Mildred Finley 88, Betty Jo Burrington McKinley Fisher 86, Robert Steven Fitzgerald 61, Rick Edward Fox 56, Marsha Ann Winkler Frost 32, Sebastian Charles Frost 10, Charles Kenneth "Charly" Gaudsmith 21, Billie Jo Bellamy Gideon 77, Robert M Griffin 61, Steven Joseph Haack-Stephens 28, Paul Eugene "Gene" Haddock Sr. 62, Johnna Jean Stanbery Hale 49, Leola L McCune Hardin 76, Caley Lantz Hare 16, Dorothy Viola Gray Hartman 91, Dee Ann Kelly Hayward 47, Judy Rae Bryan Head 69, Glenn Wayne Holland 59, Lorie Marie Lippoldt Holland 48, Ronnie D Hollaway 68, Charlotte "Char" Hopwood 83, Harli Jayce Howard 5, Hayze Cole Howard 1, Russell Thomas "Rusty" Howard 29, Iona Lee "Onie" Hinsdale Hull 70, Wendy Ann Wasson Istas 58, Jane E "Grandma McGee" Pierce Jaynes 86, Melisa Renee Johnson 50, Dorothy M Lofton Johnston 91, Cheryl Lynne Jones 39, Kathy Susan Fischgrabe Keling 53, James David Kendrick 63, Abraham "Abe" H Khoury 26, Stanley Dale Kirk 62, Geneva Eutsler Koler 84, Tedra J Kuhn 69, Donald Wayne Lansaw Jr. 31, Bruce Allen Lievens 48, Billie Sue Huff Little 65, Skyular Ignatius Logsdon 1, Christopher Don Lucas 27, Patricia Ann Dobberstine Mann 64, Rachel Kristine Huff Markham 31, Nancy Ann Grinage Martin 52, Janice Kay Yeager McKee 60, Jesse Len McKee 44, James Edward McKeel 69, Mary Lois McKeel 65, Ladonna S Journot McPurdy 68, Randall Elvin "Randy" Mell 49, Angelina Ann Menapace 52, Doris Marie Finley Menusen-Montgomery 83, Ronald Dale Meyer 64, Lorna "Kay" Wildrix Miller 72, Ray Donald "Tripp" Miller III 49, Suzanne M Francione Mock 39, Edith "Edie" Louise Froelich Moore 48, Esterlita M Moore, Sally Ann Harris Moulton 58, Georgia Nadine Morris Mulkey 91, Edmund Vincent Mullaney 82, Sharyl Anyssa San Miguel Nelsen 34, William Richard "Will" Norton 18, Dennis Melvin Osborn 34, Charles E Oster 77, Shirley Ann Stange Parker 68, Nichole Sherie Pearish 23, Mary Joyce Thurman Perry 76, James Benjamin John "Ben" Peterson 27, Anna Pettek 91, John Henry "Jay" Petty Jr. 37, Hallie Marie Agleton Piquard 78, Natalia Marie Puebla 17, Troy Douglas Ramey 39, Shelly Marie Gray Ramsey 42, Loretta Lea Oster Randall 54, Cheryl Elaine Spruce Rantz 62, Darlene Kay Hall Ray 63, Virgil Thomas "Tom" Reid 77, Johnnie Ray Richey 52, Vicki Patrice Scott Robertson 66, Cayla Ann Selsor Robinson 64, Keith Derek Robinson 50, Margaret Ellen Row 50, Virginia Mae Templeton Salmon 80, Grace Marie Dummit Hupperfelt Sanders 82, Thomas B Sarino 76, Tonja Lee "Toni" Goldsby Sawyer 41, Frances Ann Worm Scates 70, Gladys Juanita Stanton Seay 83, Daniel Wayne Shirley 48, Judy Lee Brown Smith 71, Luther Gene Smith 71, Nicholaus Adam Smith 23, Shyrell Lee Cranor Smith 68, Lois Laverne Schnoor Sparks 92, Betty J Toops Stogsdill 83, Ralph Gilbert Stover 85, J.T. Strickland 85, Gregan Douglas Sweet 59, Jefferson G "Jeff" Taylor 31, Kayleigh Savannah "Eugene" Teal 16, Heather Leigh Baum Terry 36, Sandra Kay Thomas 55, John Leewin Thomas Jr. 40, Zachary Delbert "Zach" Treadwell 9, Margaret Ann Unger Tutt 92, Michael Eugene "Mikey" Tyndall 33, Darian Darlene "Dee" Weaver Vanderhoofven 44, Joshua Dean Vanderhoofven 1, Miguel "Mikey" Vazquez-Castillo 28, Miles Dean Wells 59, Tiera Nicole Whitley 20, Douglas Earl Williams 52, Zachary "Zach" Allen Williams 12, Charles William Writer 74 |
| 2011 | May | 24 | 5/24/2011 | 14:50:00 | OK | OUN | EF5 | 9 | 181 | 63.1 | 2040 | Canadian, Kingfisher, Logan | Calumet, Cashion, El Reno, Guthrie, Piedmont | An extremely violent tornado touched down in western Canadian County, generally moving northeast through the Calumet, El Reno, Piedmont, Cashion, and Guthrie areas. Extensive ground scouring and tree debarking occurred. Cars were thrown from I-40 and shredded. Over 500 residences were damaged or destroyed. The 1.9 million pound Cactus 117 drilling rig was lifted and rolled by the tornado; this is the heaviest known object to be lifted by a tornado. The RaXPol Mobile Radar measured a 295.5 mph wind gust just 72 feet above ground level. | El Reno, OK | https://www.tornadotalk.com/overview-of-the-calumet-el-reno-piedmont-guthrie-ef5-tornado-may-24-2011/ | It is often reported online that this tornado was only rated EF5 based on the RaXPol readings. This is not true; the EF5 rating was based on the damage at the Cactus 117 drilling rig, the damage to vehicles, and from the extensive ground scouring and tree debarking. | Austin Lee Hall 22, Don Krug 71, Joan Dianne Lynch Krug 67, Miranda Nycole Bishard 16, Terrance S "Terry" Peoples 50, Ryan Andrew Hamil 3, Cole Brendan "Logan" Hamil 15 months, Billy J Leeper 63/64, Sharon Dodd 58 |
| 2013 | May | 20 | 5/20/2013 | 13:56:00 | OK | OUN | EF5 | 24 | 212 | 13.85 | 1900 | McClain, Cleveland | Moore, Newcastle, Oklahoma City | An EF5 tornado tracked for nearly 14 miles through the Moore, OK area, leveling hundreds of homes. Two elementary schools were destroyed. Vehicles were thrown and shredded. Two 10-ton storage tanks from the Orr Family Farm were lifted and thrown 1/2 mile. Over 300 homes had EF4 or EF5 damage. | Newcastle-Moore, OK | https://www.weather.gov/oun/events-20130520 | This is the most recent officially rated EF5 tornado to occur in the US, and just one of many devastating tornadoes that have affected the Moore, OK area. | Kyle Steven Davis 8, Megan Nicole Billingsley Futrell 29, Case Futrell 4 months, JaNae Lynnesse Hornsby 9, Tawuana Robinson 45, Leslie Darnell Johnson 46, Terri Elizabeth Brewer Long 49, Sydnee Vargyas 6 months, Karrina Vargyas 4, Antonia Lee Candelaria 9, Emily Kate Elise Conatzer 9, Sydney Marie Angle 9, Nicolas Scott McCabe 9, Christopher Andrew Lloyd Legg 9, Deanna Riseley Ward 70, Randy Dewayne Smith 39, Cindy Renae Austin Plumley 45, Hemant Vasudev Bhonde 65, Shannon Marie Soulek Quick 40, Jenny Neely 38, Gina Louise Coon Stromski 51, Richard Lee "Rick" Jones Jr. 54, Richard Charles Brown Jr. 41, William Michael Sass 63 |
| 1950 | February | 12 | 2/12/1950 | 13:00:00 | LA | SHV | F4 | 8 | 70 | 20 | 200 | Caddo, Bossier | Forbing, Haslam, Keatchie, Logansport, Shongaloo, Shreveport, Slack Air Force Base | Moved NNE from north of Stonewall through Slack AFB. Homes were destroyed NW of Forbing. Two people were killed at the southern edge of Shreveport. At Slack Air Force Base, five airmen and a civilian were killed, and many others were injured as several buildings were leveled. | Caddo-Bossier, LA | https://www.tornadotalk.com/ark-la-tex-tornadoes-of-february-12-1950/ | SPC lists this as one long-track tornado with an 82-mile path from Logansport, LA (DeSoto Parish) to near the AR border. Grazulis shows that this tornado only moved through Caddo and Bossier Counties, dissipating just east of Shreveport. | |
| 1950 | April | 28 | 4/28/1950 | 18:00:00 | TX | SJT | F4 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 250 | Callahan | Clyde | Moved northeast from 1 mile north of Clyde. Two homes were swept away. Per Grazulis, "virtually every stick of two homes were swept from their foundations and scattered for over a mile." 11 homes were destroyed, and ten others were damaged. | A refrigerator was carried 1/2 mile and lodged at the top of a telephone pole by the tornado. | |||
| 1950 | April | 28 | 4/28/1950 | 19:05:00 | OK | OUN | F4 | 5 | 32 | 4 | 200 | Hughes | Holdenville | Touched down 2 miles SW of Holdenville and moved northeast through town, turning north and lifting 1 mile north of town. 38 homes were destroyed, and 188 were damaged. | Holdenville, OK | https://www.weather.gov/oun/tornadodata-ok-violent | A couple that was killed was found in wreckage 150 yards away from their house. | |
| 1950 | May | 4 | 5/4/1950 | 23:10:00 | KS | DDC, ICT | F4 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 200 | Pawnee, Barton | Great Bend, Ray, Zook | Moved north-northeast from SW of Zook, passing through the town and continuing to 5 miles NW of Great Bend. 11 homes were destroyed at Zook, major damage occurred to rural homes near Ray. 66 of 100 units at Barton Courts, near Great Bend, were rendered unlivable. | Zook-Great Bend, KS | https://www.tornadotalk.com/zook-great-bend-ks-f4-tornado-may-4-1950/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes this tornado produced "near-F5" damage. | |
| 1950 | June | 8 | 6/8/1950 | 20:10:00 | KS | ICT | F4 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 700 | McPherson | McPherson | Touched down in southwestern McPherson County, moved east-northeast, passing 2 miles south of McPherson, and lifting 4 miles east of town. Three homes were leveled near the end of its path. | The SPC states that this tornado touched down in Rice County. Grazulis does not include Rice County; when the path is plotted, the tornado touched down about 6.5 miles WNW of Inman, which is 2 miles east of the Rice/McPherson County border. | |||
| 1950 | June | 25 | 6/25/1950 | 21:00:00 | WI | GRB | F4 | 2 | 50 | 12 | 880 | Oneida | Bradley, Crescent Lake, Oneida Lake, Rhinelander, Woodboro | Moved east-northeast from 4 miles NE of Bradley, 1 mile west of Woodboro, passing across Oneida Lake, to the southeast of Rhinelander. Vacation homes were leveled west and north of Crescent Lake. A dozen homes were ripped apart in Rhinelander. Blacktop was ripped off of Highway 8. | Woodboro-Rhinelander, WI | https://www.weather.gov/media/grb/climate/severewx/8TORBYCOUNTYONEIDA.pdf | Grazulis notes that the two fatalities were when a boat was overturned on a river and they drowned; however, this may not have been from the tornado. | |
| 1950 | July | 15 | 7/15/1950 | 17:30:00 | NE | OAX | F4 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 440 | Cuming, Burt | Craig, Oakland | Touched down in the extreme southeastern corner of Cuming County and moved east, lifting 8 miles SE of Oakland, near Craig. Four farm homes were destroyed, and 26 other homes were damaged. A school was also destroyed. | Oakland-Craig, NE | https://www.tornadotalk.com/oakland-craig-ne-f4-tornado-july-15-1950/ | There is a discrepancy with the injury total; read our summary for more information on this. | |
| 1951 | May | 18 | 5/18/1951 | 15:45:00 | TX | OUN | F4 | 2 | 100 | 2 | 200 | Young | Olney | Tornado moved southeast from just NW of Olney, through the center of Olney, where an elderly couple was killed in their home. 150 buildings were destroyed, some with little debris remaining on the house lots. 150 additional homes were damaged. A school on the edge of the tornado’s track was destroyed. | Olney, TX | https://www.tornadotalk.com/olney-tx-f4-tornado-may-18-1951/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes this tornado may have produced F5 damage. | John Thomas "Tom" Temple 86, Mary Elizabeth Walser Coats-Temple 73 |
| 1951 | June | 19 | 6/19/1951 | 17:30:00 | MN | MPX | F4 | 1 | 20 | 20 | 330 | Hennepin, Anoka | Brooklyn Center, Fridley, Hamel, Medicine Lake, Minneapolis, Robbinsdale | Moved northeast from the west shore of Medicine Lake to Brooklyn Center and Fridley. 50 homes and a wide variety of other buildings were damaged or destroyed. An elderly woman was killed as her home was leveled near Hamel, about 6 miles west of Robbinsdale. | Medice Lake-Brooklyn Center, MN | The SPC lists one long-tracked F4 tornado through McLeod, Hennepin, and Anoka Counties. Thomas Grazulis lists the McLeod County segment as a separate F3 tornado. | ||
| 1951 | June | 27 | 6/27/1951 | 0:10:00 | KS | DDC | F4 | 5 | 100 | 1 | 300 | Trego | WaKeeney | A brief but violent tornado that was embedded within a wide swath of downburst damage moved through the northern part of WaKeeney. 45 homes were destroyed, and 60 others were damaged. | WaKeeny, KS | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes that this was among the briefest touchdowns of any confirmed F4 tornado. | ||
| 1951 | September | 26 | 9/26/1951 | 15:45:00 | WI | GRB | F4 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 400 | Portage, Waupaca | Amherst, Bear Creek, Lebanon, Manawa, New London, Sugar Bush, Waupaca | Moved east-northeast from 9 miles SSW of Amherst, passing 6 miles SE of that town, then 3 miles north of Waupaca, south of Manawa, to 7 miles north of New London, and dissipating west of Bear Creek. Three farms were swept away north of Waupaca. | Waupaca, WI | https://www.tornadotalk.com/waupaca-wi-f4-tornado-september-26-1951/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes that this tornado produced "near-F5" damage. | Frances Melliet, Betty J Rasmussen 2, Howard A Rasmussen 35, Irene E Rasmussen 27, Robert Rasmussen 4/5, William F Rasmussen 65 |
| 1951 | September | 26 | 9/26/1951 | 16:30:00 | WI | MKX | F4 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 100 | Columbia | Cambria, Randolph | The tornado struck in the Cambria-Randolph area. On one farm, a large home and all farm buildings were destroyed. Hundreds of trees were "stripped," and chickens were "defeathered." | Cambria, WI | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes rates this as an F3. | ||
| 1952 | February | 13 | 2/13/1952 | 22:30:00 | TN | HUN | F4 | 3 | 44 | 19 | 100 | Moore, Franklin | Beech Hill, Decherd, Lois, Marble Hill, Marble Plains | Moved through the Lois, Marble Hill, Beech Hill, Marble Plains, and Decherd areas. 109 farms were destroyed, and over 100 homes were damaged or destroyed. At Beech Hill, a church and a school were destroyed. Two people were killed as their home was swept away at Marble Plains. | Dechard, TN | The path length shown here differs from both the official source and Grazulis. The 19-mile length is based on plotting where the damage occurred along the tornado’s path. | ||
| 1952 | February | 29 | 2/29/1952 | 16:30:00 | TN | HUN | F4 | 2 | 166 | 7 | 300 | Lincoln | Fayetteville | Moved northeast through Fayetteville, causing widespread damage. Per the NWS Huntsville "A complete survey of the damage by Tennessee state officials showed that of the 1,828 buildings in Fayetteville, 932 were damaged or destroyed. The survey was broken down as follows: There were 139 homes destroyed, 152 with major damage, and another 164 with minor damage. 23 farm buildings were destroyed, 15 with major damage, and 11 with minor damage. There were 105 business structures destroyed, 58 with major damage, 37 with minor damage, and 9 with superficial damage." | Fayetteville, TN | https://www.weather.gov/hun/hunsur_1952-02-29_fayetteville | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes rates this tornado an F3. | |
| 1952 | March | 21 | 3/21/1952 | 14:40:00 | AR | SHV | F4 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 800 | Howard | Dierks | Moved northeast across the northwest corner of Dierks. 22 homes, mostly of poor construction, were destroyed. | Dierks, AR | https://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/588795 | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes that "the inside of the funnel appeared to be on fire." | |
| 1952 | March | 21 | 3/21/1952 | 16:50:00 | AR | LZK | F4 | 50 | 325 | 22 | 2640 | White | Bald Knob, Judsonia, Kensett, Russell, Searcy | This large, violent tornado moved northeast from about 2 miles SSW of Searcy, to near Kensett, through Judsonia, passing 5 miles NE of Bald Knob to the west edge of Russell. The city of Judsonia was devastated, and at least 30 people there were killed as 385 homes were destroyed, and 560 more were damaged. | Judsonia, AR | https://www.tornadotalk.com/judsonia-ar-f4-tornado-march-21-1952/ | Like many tornadoes in the "Dixie Alley" area, this was a very large tornado, at times up to 1.5 miles wide. | |
| 1952 | March | 21 | 3/21/1952 | 17:00:00 | AR | LZK | F4 | 8 | 50 | 65 | 880 | Lonoke, Prairie, White, Woodruff, Jackson, Cross, Poinsett | Georgetown, Hickory Plains, Hickory Ridge, McCrory, Patterson, Wattensaw | Moved northeast from SW of Wattensaw, passing along the edge of town, then destroying all or parts of Hickory Plains, Georgetown, Patterson, McCrory, and Hickory Ridge. | Wattensaw-Hickory Ridge, AR | The SPC lists this event as four tornadoes, two rated F4, one rated F3, and one rated F2. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, he lists this as one F4 tornado with a continuous 65-mile path. | ||
| 1952 | March | 21 | 3/21/1952 | 17:30:00 | AR | LZK, MEG | F4 | 40 | 274 | 70 | 880 | Lonoke, Prairie, Woodruff | Cotton Plant, England, Hazen, Hillemann, Prairie City | Moved northeast from SW of England, passing south of Hazen, through Cotton Plant to Hillemann. 29 people were killed in the destruction of the northwest side of Cotton Plant. | Cotton Plant, AR | The SPC lists this event as three tornadoes, one rated F4, one rated F3, and one rated F0. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes lists this event as one F4 tornado with a continuous 70-mile path. | ||
| 1952 | March | 21 | 3/21/1952 | 18:00:00 | TN | MEG | F4 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 200 | Lauderdale, Dyer, Gibson | Bonicord, Roellen, Yorkville | Moved northeast from SW of Bonicord, passing just east of Roellen, and ending near Yorkville. About 20 homes were destroyed. | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes rates this tornado as an F3. | |||
| 1952 | March | 21 | 3/21/1952 | 20:00:00 | AR, MO, TN | MEG | F4 | 25 | 150 | 30 | 2500 | Mississippi (AR), Pemiscot (MO), Dyer, Lake, Obion (TN). | Cooter, Elbridge, Miston, Owl Hoot, Ridgely, Yarbro | Moved northeast from Yarbro, AR, passing near Cooter, MO, then crossed the Mississippi River, causing significant damage near Owl Hoot, Miston, Ridgely, and Elbridge, TN. A total of about 200 homes were destroyed. | Yarbro, AR-Cooter, MO-Ridgely, TN | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes "National newspapers carried an absurd story of a car being carried a mile in the air, and set back down without injuring the passengers." | ||
| 1952 | March | 21 | 3/21/1952 | 22:00:00 | MS, TN | MEG | F4 | 17 | 96 | 35 | 400 | Marshall (MS), Fayette (TN) | Byhalia, Casey, Moscow, Mt. Pleasant, Rossville | Moved northeast from just north of Byhalia, MS, passing 3 miles south of Rossville, 1 mile NW of Moscow, and ending 5 miles NE of Moscow. 22 homes were destroyed, and nine people died near Byhalia. 16 homes were destroyed in Tennessee. In the Moscow area, eight people were killed, and 72 were injured. | Byhalia, MS-Moscow, TN | https://www.weather.gov/ohx/forgottenf5 | Thomas Grazulis notes that an observer in Mississippi reported the funnel as "an ice cream cone with fluorescent lights." This tornado was originally classified as an F5 by the SPC. This was downgraded to an F4 in 2000. | |
| 1952 | March | 21 | 3/21/1952 | 23:30:00 | TN | MEG | F4 | 38 | 157 | 65 | 1200 | Hardeman, Chester, Henderson, Decatur | Bolivar, Darden, Henderson, Jacks Creek, Parsons | Moved northeast and was either the same or continuous with the Byhalia-Moscow event. It touched down about 5 miles SW of Bolivar, and passed 1 mile north of town where four people were killed and 14 homes were destroyed. 23 people were killed as the north side of Henderson was leveled. 120 homes were destroyed, and 360 were damaged there. The twister passed near Jacks Creek and Darden, killing 11 more people. | Bolivar-Henderson, TN | https://www.wbbjtv.com/2019/03/21/monument-dedicated-in-honor-of-lives-lost-in-1952-tornado/ | The SPC ends this tornado in Henderson County, Thomas Grazulis continues it into Decatur County. | |
| 1952 | March | 22 | 3/22/1952 | 15:00:00 | AL | HUN | F4 | 4 | 50 | 25 | 100 | Morgan | Falkville, Hartselle, Massey, Plainview, Redstone Arsenal, Winton | Moved northeast from Massey, passing west of Falkville, to near Hartselle, Winton, and to the Redstone Arsenal. 35 homes were destroyed and some were leveled to the ground in and around Massey and Plainview. | Massey, AL | https://www.tornadotalk.com/massey-to-redstone-arsenal-al-f4-tornado-march-22-1952/ | Thomas Grazulis and all NOAA Sources list four fatalities. Some newspaper clippings reported five fatalities. | |
| 1952 | April | 21 | 4/21/1952 | 12:15:00 | TX | FWD | F4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 200 | McLennan | Crawford, McGregor | Moved east-southeast from 6 miles NW of McGregor. A small home was totally swept away 1.5 miles south of Crawford. Only a few boards remained on the site of this house. Continuing to the southeast, homes were destroyed on three farms, and a pickup truck was thrown 200 feet. | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes that six occupants of the home that was swept away ran from the house and laid flat in a field. They escaped injury. | |||
| 1952 | May | 22 | 5/22/1952 | 17:10:00 | KS | TOP, EAX | F4 | 0 | 13 | 22 | 440 | Douglas, Leavenworth, Wyandotte | Bonner Springs, De Soto, Lawrence, Linwood, Wilder | Moved east-northeast at 70 mph, passing north of Linwood, NW of De Soto, 5 miles west of Bonner Springs, and lifted 2 miles east of Wilder. A dozen homes were destroyed, and 14 others were damaged. 11 miles of power lines were blown down. | Lawrence-Bonner Springs, KS | https://www.facebook.com/bshpsorg/posts/may-22-1952-a-f4f5-tornado-traveled-through-douglas-leavenworth-and-wyandotte-co/932435007195702/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes that this was possibly an F5. | |
| 1952 | June | 23 | 6/23/1952 | 18:30:00 | IA | FSD | F4 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 400 | Cherokee | Cleghorn, Larrabee, Marcus | Moved east-northeast from 4 miles south of Marcus, 2 miles WSW of Cleghorn, across the southwest edge of that town to 2 miles SE of Larrabee. 54 farms were struck, and 13 of them were totally destroyed. | Cleghorn, IA | |||
| 1952 | July | 1 | 7/1/1952 | 18:00:00 | ND | BIS | F4 | 1 | 26 | 40 | 300 | Burleigh, Kidder | Bismarck, Tuttle, Wing | Moved northeast from 15 miles east of Bismarck, from 2 miles SW of Wing, through Tuttle. Eight farms were leveled. | Tuttle, ND | https://www.tornadotalk.com/tuttle-nd-f4-tornado-july-1-1952/ | Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes that railroad cars were thrown and rolled 600 yards. | |
| 1952 | August | 13 | 8/13/1952 | 19:00:00 | NE | OAX | F4 | 0 | 20 | 26.7 | 110 | Saunders, Cass | Ashland, Wahoo, Yutan | This event is very challenging. There is no write-up in the Climatological Data National Summary (CDNS). Reports in newspapers and from Thomas Grazulis are conflicting. So what happened? Check out our summary. | Yutan-Ashland, NE | https://www.tornadotalk.com/yutan-ashland-ne-f4-tornado-august-13-1952/ |