CNN
—
Let’s take a look at a tornado, which is a rotating column of air. It is often, but not always, visible as a funnel cloud. According to the National Weather Service, there were 67 tornado-related deaths in the United States in 2025.
Most tornadoes originate from severe thunderstorms. Hurricanes can also produce tornadoes.
Tornado wind speeds can exceed 300 miles (483 kilometers) per hour.
Tornadoes are sometimes called “twisters.”
On average, tornadoes travel at about 16 to 20 miles per hour.
The average tornado takes about 5 minutes to reach the ground.
The most destructive and deadly tornadoes originate from supercells. Supercells are rotating thunderstorms with well-defined radar circulations called mesocyclones. Supercells can also produce harmful hail, severe non-tornadic winds, unusually frequent lightning strikes, and flash flooding.
A tornado that crosses a body of water is called a “waterspout.”
The United States has the highest number of tornadoes in the world, with an average of more than 1,000 tornadoes reported each year.
Tornadoes occur at an unusually high rate in an area known as Tornado Alley, which spans Florida and south central Florida.
Tornadoes typically occur in the spring and early summer, and are most likely to occur in the late afternoon or early evening.
When atmospheric conditions favor the formation of a tornado, a tornado watch is issued by the National Weather Service.
Tornado warnings are issued when Doppler radar detects a mesocyclone within a thunderstorm or when a funnel cloud is discovered.
The tornado emergency has enhanced tornado warning language indicating a large tornado is moving into a populated area. A serious threat to life and catastrophic damage from tornadoes is imminent or ongoing. The term was coined by forecasters in May 1999 and is used sparingly.
The enhanced Fujita scale became operational on February 1, 2007. This is used to assign a tornado rating based on estimated wind speed and damage.
EF0 is the weakest point of the enhanced Fujita scale, and EF5 is the strongest.
March 18, 1925 – The deadliest tornado in modern U.S. history hits the tri-state area of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people. It is the longest-lasting and longest-tracking tornado ever recorded in the United States.
1950 – The United States begins keeping official records about tornadoes.
February 2, 2007 – At least three tornadoes touch down in the middle of the night in Lake and Volusia counties, Florida, killing at least 20 people.
March 1, 2007 – A series of tornadoes kills at least 20 people, including one in Missouri, 10 in Alabama, and nine in Georgia. In Alabama, eight of the 10 people killed were teenagers attending Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Alabama.
February 5-6, 2008 – A series of tornadoes kills at least 57 people: 31 in Tennessee, 14 in Arkansas, seven in Kentucky, and five in Alabama.
March 14, 2008 – An EF2 tornado hits downtown Atlanta, damaging the Georgia World Congress Center, CNN Center, Georgia Dome, and many other buildings. One person died as a result of the building collapse.
May 9-11, 2008 – A series of tornadoes kills 22 people in three states, including six in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. #13 in Newton County, Missouri. One is in Jasper County, Missouri. One is located in the Purdy area of Barry County, Missouri, and the other is located in Lawrence County, Georgia.
April 14-16, 2011 – At least 114 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania. Of the 46 reported deaths, 23 have occurred in North Carolina.
April 25-28, 2011 – A record outbreak of 362 confirmed tornadoes occurred. Approximately 321 people died in six states throughout the outbreak. Most of the deaths occurred in Alabama, where 249 people have died. Other states reporting deaths are Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Arkansas.
May 22, 2011 – An EF5 tornado hits Joplin, Missouri, killing at least 158 people. It was the deadliest single tornado to occur in the United States since federal record-keeping began in 1950. The 1925 Tri-State tornado remains the deadliest tornado in modern U.S. history.
May 24, 2011 – Tornadoes strike Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, killing at least 18 people.
2011 – NOAA reported that 751 tornadoes touched down across the United States in April 2011, breaking the previous monthly record of 542 tornadoes set in May 2003.
May 20, 2013 – An EF5 tornado hits Moore, Oklahoma. The path of the tornado was 27 miles. 24 people died.
January 20-22, 2017 – Twisters from Texas to South Carolina kill 20 people, more than in all of 2016. According to NOAA, more than 80 tornadoes were previously reported over a three-day period, with more than 60 reported on January 21st alone.
March 3, 2019 – Tornadoes occur in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. An EF4 tornado killed 23 people in Lee County, Alabama, making it the deadliest day for tornado deaths in Alabama since the 2011 Tuscaloosa-Birmingham tornado that killed more than 200 people.
March 3, 2020 – Two tornadoes strike Middle Tennessee, killing at least 24 people.
March 24, 2023 – Tornadoes touch down in Mississippi and Alabama, killing at least 26 people. In Sharkey County, Mississippi, an EF4 tornado flattened much of the community of Roaring Fork.
(NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center)
March 18, 1925 – Tri-state area of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana – 695 people killed.
May 6, 1840 – Natchez, Mississippi – 317 deaths.
May 27, 1896 – St. Louis, Missouri – 255 dead.
April 5, 1936 – Tupelo, Mississippi – 216 people died.
April 6, 1936 – Gainesville, Georgia – 203 people died.
April 9, 1947 – Woodward, Oklahoma – 181 people died.
May 22, 2011 – Joplin, Missouri – 158 people died.
April 24, 1908 – Amite, Louisiana and Purvis, Mississippi – 143 people killed.
June 12, 1899 – New Richmond, Wisconsin – 117 people died.
June 8, 1953 – Flint, Michigan – 116 people died.
(NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center)
May 22, 2011 – Joplin, Missouri – $2.8 billion (actual cost) – $3.78 billion (adjusted for inflation)
April 27, 2011 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama – $2.45 billion (actual cost) – $3.33 billion (adjusted for inflation)
May 20, 2013 – Moore, Oklahoma – $2 billion (actual cost) – $2.62 billion (adjusted for inflation)
June 8, 1966 – Topeka, Kansas – $250 million (actual cost) – $2.35 billion (adjusted for inflation)
May 11, 1970 – Lubbock, Texas – $250 million (actual cost) – $1.97 billion (adjusted for inflation)
October 20, 2019 – North Dallas, Texas – $1.55 billion (actual cost) – $1.84 billion (adjusted for inflation)
May 3, 1999 – Moore, Oklahoma/Oklahoma City – $1 billion (actual cost) – $1.83 billion (adjusted for inflation)
March 3, 2020 – Nashville, Tennessee – $1.5 billion (actual cost) – $1.78 billion (adjusted for inflation)
April 27, 2011 – Hackleburg, Alabama – $1.29 billion (actual cost) – $1.75 billion (adjusted for inflation)
April 3, 1974 – Xenia, Ohio – $250 million (actual cost) – $1.59 billion (adjusted for inflation)
10 deadliest tornadoes in the US
