Tornadoes
Facts + Statistics: Tornadoes and thunderstorms
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The Fujita Scale For Tornadoes
| Original F scale (1) | Enhanced F scale (2) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Damage | Wind speed (mph) | 3-second gust (mph) |
| F-0 | Light | 40-72 | 65-85 |
| F-1 | Moderate | 73-112 | 86-110 |
| F-2 | Considerable | 113-157 | 111-135 |
| F-3 | Severe | 158-207 | 136-165 |
| F-4 | Devastating | 208-260 | 166-200 |
| F-5 | Incredible | 261-318 | Over 200 |
(1) Original scale: wind speeds represent fastest estimated speeds over one quarter of a mile.
(2) Enhanced scale: wind speeds represent maximum 3-second gusts.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Top 10 Costliest U.S. Catastrophes Involving Tornadoes (1)
| Estimated insured loss | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Date | Event | Location | Dollars when occurred |
In 2024 dollars (2) |
| 1 | Aug. 8-12, 2020 | Midwest Derecho | IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, SD, WI, PA, DC, MD, VA, WV |
$9,200 | $11,158 |
| 2 | Apr. 22-28, 2011 | Tornado Outbreak | AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, LA, MO, MS, OH, OK, TN, TX, VA |
7,560 | 10,611 |
| 3 | May 21-27, 2011 | Joplin, MO Tornado | AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, WI |
7,000 | 9,779 |
| 4 | May 2-11, 2003 | SCS Outbreak | AL, AR, CO, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, MS, NC, NE, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN |
3,300 | 5,677 |
| 5 | May 6-10, 2024 | SCS Outbreak | AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, WI |
5,200 | 5,200 |
| 6 | Mar. 1-3, 2023 | SCS Outbreak | AL, AR, GA, IN, KY, MS, OH, PA, TN, VA | 4,900 | 5,125 |
| 7 | Mar. 12-16, 2024 | SCS Outbreak | AR, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, MS, OH, OK, TX | 4,800 | 4,800 |
| 8 | May 27-30, 2019 | SCS Outbreak | AR, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, MO, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, TX, WV, WY |
3,650 | 4,499 |
| 9 | Mar. 31 – Apr. 1, 2023 | Tornado Outbreak | AL, AR, DE, GA, IL, IN, IO, KY, MI, NE, OH, PA, TN, TX |
4,300 | 4,497 |
| 10 | Jun. 21-26, 2023 | SCS Outbreak | CO, TX, Southeast | 4,250 | 4,397 |
(1) Defined by Aon as severe convective storms including insured thunderstorm events and may include tornado, hail, damaging straight-line winds (derechos) and flash flood impacts from events. Subject to change as loss estimates are further developed. As of January 2025.
(2) Adjusted for inflation by Aon using the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
Source: Aon.
Top 10 States, By Number Of Tornadoes, 2023 (1)
| Rank | State | Number of tornadoes (2) | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 136 | 4 |
| 2 | Alabama | 101 | 9 |
| 3 | Colorado | 89 | 0 |
| 3 | Texas | 89 | 8 |
| 5 | Mississippi | 81 | 24 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 81 | 0 |
| 7 | Iowa | 73 | 0 |
| 8 | Georgia | 58 | 1 |
| 9 | Ohio | 56 | 0 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 53 | 17 |
(1) Numbers include preliminary estimates as of January 2024.
(2) Excludes Puerto Rico. Tornadoes that cross state lines are counted in every state in which they touch down.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service.
Tornadoes And Related Deaths By State, 2023 (1)
| State | Tornadoes | Fatalities | Rank (2) | State | Tornadoes | Fatalities | Rank (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 101 | 9 | 2 | Montana | 4 | 0 | 36 |
| Alaska | 0 | 0 | (3) | Nebraska | 81 | 0 | 5 |
| Arizona | 4 | 0 | 36 | Nevada | 3 | 0 | 38 |
| Arkansas | 36 | 4 | 17 | New Hampshire | 2 | 0 | 41 |
| California | 12 | 0 | 30 | New Jersey | 13 | 0 | 28 |
| Colorado | 89 | 0 | 3 | New Mexico | 14 | 0 | 26 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 0 | 41 | New York | 13 | 0 | 28 |
| Delaware | 5 | 1 | 33 | North Carolina | 14 | 0 | 26 |
| D.C. | 0 | 0 | (3) | North Dakota | 5 | 0 | 33 |
| Florida | 47 | 0 | 13 | Ohio | 56 | 0 | 9 |
| Georgia | 58 | 1 | 8 | Oklahoma | 48 | 2 | 12 |
| Hawaii | 0 | 0 | (3) | Oregon | 2 | 0 | 41 |
| Idaho | 5 | 0 | 33 | Pennsylvania | 26 | 0 | 20 |
| Illinois | 136 | 4 | 1 | Rhode Island | 2 | 0 | 41 |
| Indiana | 51 | 6 | 11 | South Carolina | 18 | 0 | 24 |
| Iowa | 73 | 0 | 7 | South Dakota | 17 | 0 | 25 |
| Kansas | 39 | 0 | 15 | Tennessee | 53 | 17 | 10 |
| Kentucky | 41 | 0 | 14 | Texas | 89 | 8 | 3 |
| Louisiana | 38 | 0 | 16 | Utah | 3 | 0 | 38 |
| Maine | 1 | 0 | 47 | Vermont | 2 | 0 | 41 |
| Maryland | 2 | 0 | 41 | Virginia | 8 | 0 | 31 |
| Massachusetts | 8 | 0 | 31 | Washington | 3 | 0 | 38 |
| Michigan | 19 | 2 | 23 | West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| Minnesota | 25 | 0 | 21 | Wisconsin | 20 | 0 | 22 |
| Mississippi | 81 | 24 | 5 | Wyoming | 27 | 0 | 18 |
| Missouri | 27 | 5 | 18 | United States (4) | 1,423 | 83 |
(1) Numbers include preliminary estimates as of January 2024. Ranked by total number of tornadoes.
(2) States with the same number of tornadoes receive the same ranking.
(3) State had no tornadoes in 2023.
(4) The U.S. total will not match data used in other charts because it counts tornadoes that cross state lines.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service.
Tornadoes And Related Deaths In The United States, 2004-2023 (1)
| Year | Tornadoes | Deaths | Year | Tornadoes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1,819 | 36 | 2014 | 886 | 47 |
| 2005 | 1,264 | 38 | 2015 | 1,177 | 36 |
| 2006 | 1,103 | 67 | 2016 | 976 | 18 |
| 2007 | 1,098 | 81 | 2017 | 1,429 | 35 |
| 2008 | 1,692 | 126 | 2018 | 1,126 | 10 |
| 2009 | 1,156 | 21 | 2019 | 1,517 | 42 |
| 2010 | 1,282 | 45 | 2020 | 1,082 | 76 |
| 2011 | 1,691 | 553 | 2021 | 1,314 | 103 |
| 2012 | 938 | 70 | 2022 | 1,143 | 23 |
| 2013 | 906 | 55 | 2023 | 1,294 | 83 |
(1) Numbers include actuals through September and preliminary estimates for October through December as of January 2024. Excludes Puerto Rico. Tornadoes that cross state lines are counted as a single event in this chart.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service.
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