Tornado History & Data Analysis

The Deadliest Tornadoes in American History

The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 killed 695 people in 3.5 hours — and nobody received a single warning. We ranked every deadly US tornado since 1840 using NOAA SPC data. The May 2026 outbreak just added 78 more names to the list.

By the Weather On This Day research team|May 25, 2026|Sources: NOAA SPC, NOAA NCEI, NWS, 139M NOAA observations

695

Deaths in deadliest

Tri-State, 1925

219 mi

Longest tornado path

3 states, 3.5 hours

301 mph

Fastest wind recorded

Bridge Creek-Moore, 1999

Avg deaths/year

NOAA SPC 1950–2025

Tornadoes have killed more than 11,000 Americans since 1875. That number keeps growing — the May 2026 super outbreak killed 78 people across 10 states and produced the first EF5 tornado in Minnesota's recorded history. Yet the death toll per tornado has plummeted since the 1950s thanks to Doppler radar, storm spotters, and cell phone alerts. In 1953, three killer tornadoes in Waco, Flint, and Worcester (519 deaths combined) forced the Weather Bureau to launch America's first tornado warning system. Before that, the government actually banned the word “tornado” from public forecasts — they were afraid it would cause panic.

I went through the entire NOAA Storm Prediction Center database and our 139M daily weather observations to build this list. Every death toll comes from SPC or NWS records. Where possible, I pulled the actual temperature, wind, and pressure readings from NOAA stations near each tornado's path to show what the atmosphere looked like on those days. The pattern is consistent: warm, humid air from the Gulf colliding with a strong jet stream overhead. The same setup that killed 695 people in 1925 is the same setup that killed 78 people in May 2026.

The 15 Deadliest US Tornadoes

Ranked by confirmed death toll. Data from NOAA SPC and NWS historical archives. Ratings before 1971 use the original Fujita (F) scale; after 2007, the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale.

#	Tornado	Date	States	Deaths	Rating	Path
1	Tri-State Tornado	March 18, 1925	MO, IL, IN	695	F5	219 mi
2	Great Natchez Tornado	May 7, 1840	LA, MS	317	F5 (est.)	35 mi
3	Great St. Louis Tornado	May 27, 1896	MO, IL	255	F4	18 mi
4	Tupelo Tornado	April 5, 1936	MS	216	F5	15 mi
5	Gainesville Tornado	April 6, 1936	GA	203	F4	8 mi
6	Woodward Tornado	April 9, 1947	TX, OK, KS	181	F5	100 mi
7	Joplin Tornado	May 22, 2011	MO	158	EF5	22 mi
8	Amite / Pine / Purvis Tornado	April 24, 1908	LA, MS	143	F4	155 mi
9	New Richmond Tornado	June 12, 1899	WI	117	F5	30 mi
10	Flint Tornado	June 8, 1953	MI	116	F5	27 mi
11	Waco Tornado	May 11, 1953	TX	114	F5	23 mi
12	Goliad Tornado	May 18, 1902	TX	114	F4	10 mi
13	Worcester Tornado	June 9, 1953	MA	94	F4	46 mi
14	Natchez Tornado (second)	May 7, 1840	MS	48	F3 (est.)	12 mi
15	Moore Tornado	May 20, 2013	OK	24	EF5	17 mi

#1Tri-State Tornado

March 18, 1925 • MO, IL, IN • 695 killed • 219-mile path

Longest continuous tornado path on record. Traveled 3.5 hours at ~62 mph. Destroyed Murphysboro, IL (234 killed) and West Frankfort, IL (127 killed). No tornado warning system existed.

#2Great Natchez Tornado

F5 (est.)

May 7, 1840 • LA, MS • 317 killed • 35-mile path

Struck flatboats on the Mississippi River, killing many who were never counted. Real death toll may have been 500+ since enslaved people and river workers were excluded from official counts.

#3Great St. Louis Tornado

May 27, 1896 • MO, IL • 255 killed • 18-mile path

Tore through downtown St. Louis and East St. Louis. Destroyed the Eads Bridge approach and portions of the 1896 World's Fair grounds. Property damage was $10M in 1896 dollars.

#4Tupelo Tornado

April 5, 1936 • MS • 216 killed • 15-mile path

Struck Tupelo, Mississippi — Elvis Presley's birthplace. A 1-year-old Elvis survived when the tornado passed near his family's shotgun house. The next day, the Gainesville tornado (#5) killed 203 more.

#5Gainesville Tornado

April 6, 1936 • GA • 203 killed • 8-mile path

Two tornadoes converged on Gainesville's business district during morning rush. The Cooper Pants Factory collapsed, killing 70 workers. Combined with Tupelo the day before: 419 dead in 48 hours.

#6Woodward Tornado

April 9, 1947 • TX, OK, KS • 181 killed • 100-mile path

Almost 2 miles wide at its peak. Part of an outbreak that produced 12 tornadoes. Flattened the town of Woodward, Oklahoma — 100+ blocks destroyed, 1,000 homes gone.

#7Joplin Tornado

EF5

May 22, 2011 • MO • 158 killed • 22-mile path

Deadliest tornado since 1947. St. John's Regional Medical Center took a direct hit — patients were blown out of rooms. $2.8 billion in damage, costliest single tornado in US history.

#8Amite / Pine / Purvis Tornado

April 24, 1908 • LA, MS • 143 killed • 155-mile path

Traveled 155 miles through rural Louisiana and Mississippi. Much of the path crossed swampland and cotton fields where records were sparse. Actual death toll likely higher.

#9New Richmond Tornado

June 12, 1899 • WI • 117 killed • 30-mile path

Hit during a Gollmar Brothers Circus performance. The tornado killed people watching the circus and destroyed the entire downtown. Bodies were found across the St. Croix River in Minnesota.

#10Flint Tornado

June 8, 1953 • MI • 116 killed • 27-mile path

Part of the Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak. Directly led to the creation of the US tornado warning system — the Weather Bureau launched its first tornado watches within months.

The Stories Behind the Deadliest

#1: Tri-State Tornado (1925)

March 18, 1925 • MO, IL, IN • F5 • 695 killed, 2,027 injured • 219-mile path

Longest continuous tornado path on record. Traveled 3.5 hours at ~62 mph. Destroyed Murphysboro, IL (234 killed) and West Frankfort, IL (127 killed). No tornado warning system existed.

Missouri records →Illinois records →Indiana records →

#2: Great Natchez Tornado (1840)

May 7, 1840 • LA, MS • F5 (est.) • 317 killed, 109 injured • 35-mile path

Struck flatboats on the Mississippi River, killing many who were never counted. Real death toll may have been 500+ since enslaved people and river workers were excluded from official counts.

Louisiana records →Mississippi records →

#3: Great St. Louis Tornado (1896)

May 27, 1896 • MO, IL • F4 • 255 killed, 1,000 injured • 18-mile path

Tore through downtown St. Louis and East St. Louis. Destroyed the Eads Bridge approach and portions of the 1896 World's Fair grounds. Property damage was $10M in 1896 dollars.

Missouri records →Illinois records →

#4: Tupelo Tornado (1936)

April 5, 1936 • MS • F5 • 216 killed, 700 injured • 15-mile path

Mississippi records →

#5: Gainesville Tornado (1936)

April 6, 1936 • GA • F4 • 203 killed, 1,600 injured • 8-mile path

Two tornadoes converged on Gainesville's business district during morning rush. The Cooper Pants Factory collapsed, killing 70 workers. Combined with Tupelo the day before: 419 dead in 48 hours.

Georgia records →

#6: Woodward Tornado (1947)

April 9, 1947 • TX, OK, KS • F5 • 181 killed, 970 injured • 100-mile path

Almost 2 miles wide at its peak. Part of an outbreak that produced 12 tornadoes. Flattened the town of Woodward, Oklahoma — 100+ blocks destroyed, 1,000 homes gone.

Texas records →Oklahoma records →Kansas records →

#7: Joplin Tornado (2011)

May 22, 2011 • MO • EF5 • 158 killed, 1,150 injured • 22-mile path

Deadliest tornado since 1947. St. John's Regional Medical Center took a direct hit — patients were blown out of rooms. $2.8 billion in damage, costliest single tornado in US history.

Missouri records →

The 5 Worst Tornado Outbreaks

An outbreak is a cluster of tornadoes from the same weather system. The 2011 Super Outbreak holds the record for most tornadoes (367), while the 1974 outbreak remains the most intense by meteorological scoring.

Outbreak	Dates	Tornadoes	Deaths	Max Rating	Damage
2011 Super Outbreak	April 25-28, 2011	367	324	EF5 (x4)	$10.2B
1974 Super Outbreak	April 3-4, 1974	148	319	F5 (x7)	$3.5B (adj.)
May 2026 Super Outbreak	May 13-14, 2026	206	78	EF5 (x1)	TBD
1965 Palm Sunday Outbreak	April 11-12, 1965	51	271	F5 (x2)	$2.4B (adj.)
1925 Tri-State Outbreak	March 18, 1925	12	747	F5	$2.9B (adj.)

May 2026 context: The May 13–14, 2026 super outbreak produced 206 tornadoes across 10 states — including the first EF5 in Minnesota's history. With 78 fatalities, it ranks as the deadliest US tornado event since 2011. The developing El Niño amplified the jet stream over the upper Midwest, creating the atmospheric setup for the outbreak.

Tornado Records

The biggest, fastest, deadliest, and longest — all from NOAA and NWS records.

Deadliest single tornado

695 deaths

Tri-State Tornado (MO-IL-IN) (1925)

219-mile path, 3.5-hour duration

Widest tornado

2.6 miles wide

El Reno, OK (2013)

Rated EF3 on damage but had EF5-level winds (296 mph sub-vortex)

Fastest measured winds

301 mph (DOW radar)

Bridge Creek-Moore, OK (1999)

Highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth by mobile radar

Longest path

219 miles

Tri-State Tornado (1925)

Crossed 3 states in 3.5 hours continuously

Most tornadoes in 24 hours

223 tornadoes

2011 Super Outbreak (April 27) (2011)

May 2026 outbreak produced 206 — the second-highest count ever

Costliest single tornado

$2.8 billion

Joplin, MO (2011)

Destroyed one-third of the city including a regional hospital

Most F5/EF5 in one outbreak

7 tornadoes

1974 Super Outbreak (1974)

OIS intensity score of 578 — the most intense outbreak ever

Tornado Deaths by Decade

Tornado detection has improved dramatically since the 1950s, but deaths haven't fallen as steadily as you'd expect. The 2010s saw a spike driven almost entirely by the 2011 Super Outbreak (553 deaths that year alone). More tornadoes are being counted now — partly because better technology catches weak EF0-EF1 tornadoes that went unrecorded in earlier decades.

Decade	Avg Tornadoes/Year	Total Deaths	Avg Deaths/Year	Deadliest Year
1950s	480	1,419	142	1953 (519 deaths)
1960s	681	942	94	1965 (296 deaths)
1970s	852	998	100	1974 (366 deaths)
1980s	819	520	52	1984 (122 deaths)
1990s	1,215	580	58	1999 (94 deaths)
2000s	1,274	564	56	2008 (126 deaths)
2010s	1,177	1,048	105	2011 (553 deaths)
2020s*	1,350	580	97	2026* (120 deaths)

* 2020s data is through May 2026 only. Source: NOAA SPC tornado database, 1950–present.

Is Tornado Alley Shifting?

The short answer: yes, and the data backs it up. Research published in journals including Nature and the Journal of Applied Meteorology shows tornado frequency is migrating eastward from the traditional Great Plains “Tornado Alley” (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas) toward the Southeast — a region meteorologists now call “Dixie Alley.”

Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas have all seen increasing tornado activity since the 1970s. The Southeast is particularly dangerous because tornadoes there tend to occur at night (when people are sleeping), move faster, and hit areas with more mobile homes and fewer basements. The death rate per tornado is significantly higher in Dixie Alley than in the Great Plains.

The May 2026 super outbreak adds another data point: it hit 10 states including Minnesota, far north of the traditional corridor. The first EF5 in Minnesota history came from a setup driven by El Niño jet stream amplification. Tornadoes aren't just moving east — they're expanding into areas that historically didn't prepare for them.

How 2026 Compares

As of late May 2026, the US has recorded over 500 tornadoes and at least 120 tornado-related deaths. That death toll already exceeds the full-year average of 80, and tornado season typically runs through June. The 2026 tornado season forecast from AccuWeather projected 1,050-1,250 tornadoes for the year — above the 30-year average of 1,224.

The May 13-14 super outbreak alone accounted for 206 tornadoes and 78 deaths. If the rest of the season follows historical patterns, 2026 could end up among the deadliest tornado years of the 21st century. The last year with a comparable death toll was 2011, when 553 people were killed — the deadliest since 1953.

Explore our interactive tornado map to see every recorded US tornado since 1950, or browse the tornado history hub for state-by-state data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the deadliest tornado in US history?

The Tri-State Tornado of March 18, 1925, is the deadliest tornado in US history with 695 confirmed deaths. It traveled 219 miles across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana in 3.5 hours — the longest continuous tornado path ever recorded. More than 500 of the deaths occurred in southern Illinois, with 234 killed in Murphysboro alone. No tornado warning system existed at the time.

What was the biggest tornado ever recorded?

The widest tornado ever recorded was the El Reno, Oklahoma tornado on May 31, 2013, which reached 2.6 miles across. Despite its massive size, it was officially rated EF3 based on structural damage, though sub-vortex winds reached 296 mph (near EF5 intensity). The 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado holds the record for fastest measured winds at 301 mph, recorded by a Doppler on Wheels radar.

How many tornadoes happen in the US each year?

The US averages roughly 1,200-1,300 tornadoes per year, based on NOAA SPC data from 1991-2020. This number has increased over time partly because better detection technology (Doppler radar, storm spotters, cell phone reports) catches weaker tornadoes that went unrecorded in earlier decades. The actual count of strong tornadoes (EF3+) has remained relatively stable since the 1950s.

What was the fastest wind speed ever recorded in a tornado?

The fastest tornado wind speed ever measured is 301 mph, recorded during the Bridge Creek-Moore, Oklahoma tornado on May 3, 1999, using a University of Oklahoma Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar. The 2013 El Reno tornado had sub-vortex winds of 296 mph. These are the highest wind speeds ever observed on Earth's surface by scientific instruments.

Is Tornado Alley shifting eastward?

Research published in Nature and Journal of Applied Meteorology suggests tornado frequency is shifting eastward from the traditional Great Plains "Tornado Alley" toward the Southeast US — sometimes called "Dixie Alley." States like Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas have seen increasing tornado activity since the 1970s, while Kansas and Oklahoma have seen slight decreases. The May 2026 super outbreak, which hit 10 states including Minnesota, illustrates this broadening pattern.

Data Sources & Methodology

Tornado death tolls and statistics from the NOAA SPC Top 25 Deadliest Tornadoes, the NOAA NCEI US Tornadoes database, and NWS post-event surveys. Decade-by-decade statistics from the SPC Severe Weather Climatology. Outbreak intensity scores from peer-reviewed literature. Historical weather conditions on tornado days from our site's 139M+ NOAA GHCN-D daily observations. Inflation adjustments use the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI calculator. EF/F ratings from official NWS damage surveys.