Facts + Statistics: Tornadoes and thunderstorms

Tornadoes

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm and comes into contact with the ground, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In an average year about 1,000 tornadoes are reported nationwide, according to NOAA. Tornado intensity is measured by the enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. The scale rates tornadoes on a scale of 0 through 5, based on the amount and type of wind damage. It incorporates 28 different damage indicators, based on damage to a wide variety of structures ranging from trees to shopping malls.

The U.S. experiences more tornadoes than any other country in the world, according to a 2013 report by Lloyd’s of London. (See Executive Summary, page 4 of Tornadoes a Rising Risk? for additional findings and statistics.)

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.

2020 Tornadoes: In 2020 through May there were 602 tornadoes compared with 932 in 2019, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 2020 through May, 73 people perished in tornadoes compared with 38 in 2019. March 3, 2020 was a particularly deadly day as 24 people perished in tornadoes in central Tennessee, including the city of Nashville.

2019 Tornadoes: Preliminary NOAA reports show there were 1,520 tornadoes in 2019 compared to 1,126 in 2018. Tornadoes killed 41 people in 2019, compared with 10 people in 2018.

On March 3, 2019 a tornado struck southeast Alabama as part of a severe storm system that resulted in catastrophic damage in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. Twenty-three people were killed in the March 3 tornado in Lee County, Alabama. In Beauregard, Alabama, the tornado left a half-mile wide path of destruction. The National Weather Service said that the tornado was F4 strength with top winds of 170 miles per hour. The tornado storm system of March 3 was the deadliest outbreak in the United States since a system in Arkansas and Mississippi in April 2014 killed 35 people.

There were 272 tornadoes in April which caused seven deaths: two each in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma and one in Mississippi. There were 506 tornadoes recorded in May, the worst month for tornadoes in 2019. These tornadoes claimed another seven lives, including three in Missouri, two in Oklahoma and one each in Iowa and Ohio. Tornadoes from May 26 to May 29 in 13 states caused $3.4 billion in losses, according to the Property Claim Services unit of ISO. On October 20 and 21, a severe thunderstorm outbreak ripped through Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana, and produced several tornadoes including an EF-3 affecting the Dallas, Texas area. Aon said insured losses may reach the hundreds of million dollars. In December 72 tornadoes formed, causing two deaths in Alabama and one in Louisiana.

Insured Losses

The United States experiences more tornadoes than any other country. Tornadoes accounted for 39.9 percent of insured catastrophe losses from 1997 to 2016, according to Verisk’s Property Claim Services (PCS). A March 2017 report by Willis Re found that the average annual loss from severe convective storms is $11.23 billion (in 2016 dollars) compared to $11.28 billion from hurricanes, based on PCS data. In 2018, insured losses from U.S. tornadoes/thunderstorms totaled $14.1 billion, up from $18.2 billion in 2017, according to Munich RE. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that tornadoes can happen any time of year. The costliest U.S. catastrophe involving tornadoes, based on insured losses, occurred in April 2011. It hit Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and other areas, and cost $8.2 billion in insured damages (in 2018 dollars). The second costliest catastrophe involving tornadoes, based on insured losses, struck Joplin, Missouri, and other locations in May 2011. The catastrophe cost $7.8 billion in insured losses in 2018 dollars. (See chart below.) The National Weather Service posts updated information on tornadoes.

Natural Catastrophe Losses In The United States, 2019

(Based on perils; US$ millions)

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Natural Catastrophe Losses In The United States, 2019

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Number Of Tornadoes And Related Deaths Per Month, 2019 (1)

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(1) Excludes Puerto Rico. A tornado that crosses state lines is counted as a single event in this chart.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service.

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Top 10 Costliest U.S. Catastrophes Involving Tornadoes (1)

($ millions)

			Estimated insured loss (2)
Rank	Date	Location	Dollars when occurred	In 2019 dollars (3)
1	Apr 22-28, 2011	AL, AR, GA, IL, KY, LA, MO, MS, OH, OK, TN, TX, VA	$7,300	$8,359
2	May 20-27, 2011	AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, WI	6,900	7,901
3	May 26-29, 2019	CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, WY	3,437	3,437
4	May 2-11, 2003	AL, AR, CO, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, MS, NC, NE, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN	3,205	4,361
5	Oct 4-6, 2010	AZ	2,700	3,156
6	May 8-11, 2017	CO, MO, NM, OK, TX	2,507	2,613
7	March 2-3, 2012	AL, GA, IN, KY, OH, TN	2,500	2,809
8	Apr 28-29, 2012	IL, IN, KY, MO, TX	2,500	2,809
9	Apr 6-12, 2001	AR, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, OK, PA, TX	2,200	3,096
10	Apr 3-5, 2011	GA, IA, IL, KS, KY, MO, NC, SC, TN, WI	2,000	2,290

(1) Based on data through April 17, 2020.
(2) Property coverage only. In addition to losses due to tornadoes themselves, amounts may include losses due to hail, wind and flooding during the same event.
(3) Adjusted for inflation through 2019 by the Insurance Information Institute using the GDP implicit price deflator.

Source: The Property Claim Services® (PCS®) unit of ISO®, a Verisk Analytics® company; Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Top 10 States, By Number Of Tornadoes, 2019 (1)

Rank	State	Number of tornadoes	Fatalities
1	Texas	188	2
2	Mississippi	138	2
3	Kansas	127	0
4	Oklahoma	99	4
5	Missouri	98	3
6	Louisiana	97	3
7	Alabama	95	25
8	Georgia	60	0
9	North Carolina	59	0
10	Ohio	59	1

(1) 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.

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Tornadoes And Related Deaths By State, 2019 (1)

State	Tornadoes	Fatalities	Rank (2)	State	Tornadoes	Fatalities	Rank (2)
Alabama	95	25	7	Montana	6	0	32
Alaska	0	0	(3)	Nebraska	44	0	14
Arizona	10	0	30	Nevada	1	0	41
Arkansas	31	0	19	New Hampshire	0	0	(3)
California	16	0	27	New Jersey	9	0	31
Colorado	53	0	12	New Mexico	21	0	25
Connecticut	1	0	41	New York	4	0	36
Delaware	1	0	41	North Carolina	59	0	9
D.C.	0	0	(3)	North Dakota	14	0	29
Florida	25	0	22	Ohio	59	1	9
Georgia	60	0	8	Oklahoma	99	0	4
Hawaii	0	0	(3)	Oregon	4	4	36
Idaho	5	0	35	Pennsylvania	34	0	17
Illinois	37	0	16	Rhode Island	1	0	41
Indiana	39	0	15	South Carolina	18	0	26
Iowa	53	1	12	South Dakota	23	0	24
Kansas	127	0	3	Tennessee	16	0	27
Kentucky	28	0	21	Texas	188	2	1
Louisiana	97	3	6	Utah	0	0	(3)
Maine	1	0	41	Vermont	1	0	41
Maryland	6	0	32	Virginia	24	0	23
Massachusetts	3	0	38	Washington	2	0	40
Michigan	6	0	32	West Virginia	3	0	38
Minnesota	54	0	11	Wisconsin	32	0	18
Mississippi	138	2	2	Wyoming	30	0	20
Missouri	98	3	5	United States (4)	1,676	41

(1) Ranked by total number of tornadoes.
(2) States with the same number of tornadoes receive the same ranking.
(3) State had no tornadoes in 2019.
(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.

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Tornadoes And Related Deaths In The United States, 2000-2019 (1)

Year	Tornadoes	Deaths	Year	Tornadoes	Deaths
2000	1,071	40	2010	1,282	45
2001	1,216	40	2011	1,691	553
2002	941	55	2012	938	70
2003	1,376	54	2013	906	55
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	1,520	41