This article lists various tornado records. The most "extreme" tornado in recorded history was the Tri-State tornado, which spread through parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925. It was likely an F5 on the Fujita Scale (tornadoes were not rated at the time) and holds records for longest path length at and longest duration at about hours. The 2014 Pilger, Nebraska tornado had the highest forward speed ever recorded in a violent tornado, at . The deadliest tornado in world history was the Daulatpur–Saturia tornado in Bangladesh on April 26, 1989, which killed approximately 1,300 people. In the history of Bangladesh, at least 24 tornadoes killed more than 100 people each, almost half of the total for the world. The most extensive tornado outbreak on record was the 2011 Super Outbreak, which resulted in 367 tornadoes and 324 tornadic fatalities, whereas the 1974 Super Outbreak was the most intense tornado outbreak on tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis's outbreak intensity score with 578, as opposed to the 2011 outbreak's 378. The widest tornado recorded was the 2013 El Reno tornado, having a width of , and killing eight people including veteran storm chaser Tim Samaras.
Tornado outbreaks
Most tornadoes in a single 24-hour period + Outbreaks with 100+ tornadoes in a single 24-hour period Outbreak Year Country Tornadoes in 24-hour span Outbreak total F2/EF2+ F4/EF4+ Deaths 2011 Super Outbreak 2011 US, CAN 223 (05:00 UTC April 27–28)226 (05:40 UTC April 27–28) 367 86 15 324 1974 Super Outbreak 1974 US, CAN 148 (Duration of outbreak) 148 96 30 319 Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023 2023 US 136 (19:00 UTC March 31–April 1) 146 44 1 27 2020 Easter tornado outbreak 2020 US 132 (14:40 UTC April 12–13) 141 35 3 32 December 2021 Midwest derecho and tornado outbreak 2021 US 120 (Duration of outbreak) 120 33 0 0 Tornado outbreak of January 21–23, 1999 1999 US 116 (21:10 UTC January 21–22) 128 23 1 9Tornado outbreak of December 28–29, 20242024US107 (14:22 UTC December 28–29)108601 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak 1981 UK 104 (Duration of outbreak) 104 2 0 0
The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest tornado outbreak spawned by a single weather system in recorded history; it produced 367 tornadoes from April 25–28, with 223 of those in a single 24-hour period on April 27 from midnight to midnight CDT, fifteen of which were violent EF4–EF5 tornadoes. 348 deaths occurred in that outbreak, of which 324 were tornado-related. The outbreak largely contributed to the record for most tornadoes in April with 780 tornadoes, almost triple the prior record (267 in April 1974). The overall record for a single month was 542 in May 2003, which was also broken.
The 1974 Super Outbreak of April 3–4, which spawned 148 confirmed tornadoes across eastern North America, held the record for the most prolific tornado outbreak in terms of overall tornadoes for many years, and as of October 2025, it still holds the record for most violent, long-track tornadoes (7 F5 and 23 F4 tornadoes). More significant tornadoes occurred within 24 hours than any other day on record. Due to advancements in technology allowing for more accuracy in tornado reporting, the 2011 and 1974 tornado counts are not directly comparable.
Most violent tornadoes (F4/EF4 and F5/EF5) in an outbreak + Outbreaks with fifteen or more F4/EF4 and F5/EF5 tornadoes Outbreak Year Country F4/EF4 F5/EF5 Total Deaths 1974 Super Outbreak 1974 US, CAN 23 7 30 319 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak 1965 US 18 0 18 271 May–June 1917 tornado outbreak sequence 1917 US 14 1 15 383 2011 Super Outbreak 2011 US, CAN 11 4 15 324
Longest continuous outbreak and largest autumnal outbreak Most tornado outbreaks in North America occur in the spring, but there is a secondary peak of tornado activity in the fall. It is historically less consistent from year to year but can include exceptionally large or intense outbreaks. In 1992, an estimated 95 tornadoes broke out in a record 41 hours of continuous tornado activity from November 21 to 23. This is also among the largest-known outbreaks in areal expanse. Many other very large outbreaks have occurred in autumn, especially in October and November, such as the 2002 Veterans Day weekend outbreak, in which 83 tornadoes occurred from November 9 to 11, and November 17, 2013, when 73 tornadoes were produced in 11 hours.
Greatest number of tornadoes spawned from a hurricane The greatest number of tornadoes spawned from a hurricane is 120 from Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, followed by Hurricane Beulah with 115 in September 1967, and 103 from Hurricane Frances in September 2004 (a couple weeks before Ivan). Hurricanes prior to the 1990s, when tornado records were more sparse, perhaps produced more tornadoes than were officially documented.
Tornadoes annually and monthly
Most tornadoes for each calendar month +Highest confirmed number of tornadoes by month in United StatesMonthJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberYear199920082025201120241992199320202004202119922021Total216Keli Tarp (December 27, 1999). "1999 tornado summary ". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 13, 2013.147236780545399242182297150161227
+Largest continuous tornado outbreak by monthMonthEventTornadoesJanuaryTornado outbreak of January 21–23, 1999128February2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak87MarchTornado outbreak of March 13–16, 2025118April2011 Super Outbreak367MayTornado outbreak sequence of May 2004389JuneTornado outbreak of June 14–18, 1992170JulySevere weather sequence of July 13–16, 202494AugustHurricane Katrina tornado outbreak57SeptemberHurricane Ivan tornado outbreak120OctoberOctober 2010 North American storm complex69NovemberTornado outbreak of November 22–24, 2004 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak104DecemberDecember 2021 Midwest derecho and tornado outbreak120
Most tornadoes in a single year On average, 1,200 tornadoes happen in a year in the United States. The most confirmed tornadoes in a single year was in 2004, which had 1817 confirmed tornadoes. This was mostly boosted by a large tornado outbreak sequence in May 2004, where 509 tornadoes occurred. It also had help from a very active fall and winter tornado season.
Tornado casualties and damage
Deadliest single tornado in world history Officially, the deadliest single tornado occurred on April 26, 1989, in Bangladesh, where a large tornado took at least 1,300 lives. In 2022, this tornado's death toll was challenged in a database of Bangladeshi tornadoes maintained by Dr. Fahim Sufi with the Australian Government, claiming that the April 14, 1969, Dhaka tornado, which killed 922 people, was the deadliest in Bangladesh, with the Jamalpur tornado killing only 570.
Deadliest single tornado in US history The Tri-State tornado of March 18, 1925, killed 695 people in Missouri (11), Illinois (613), and Indiana (71). The outbreak it occurred with was also the deadliest known tornado outbreak, with a combined death toll of 747 across the Mississippi River Valley.
Most intense tornado damage The original Fujita scale, developed by Ted Fujita, has never been used to assign a final rating over F5 intensity; however, two tornadoes, the 1970 Lubbock tornado and 1974 Xenia tornado, were initially given F6 ratings by Fujita himself, but both were eventually downgraded to F5 ratings. The 1976 Jordan tornado was described by Fujita as the most intense tornado damage he had surveyed up to that point.
A more recent example of extreme damage was at the Double Creek Estates of Jarrell, Texas; the 1997 Jarrell tornado stalled over the area at peak F5 intensity, destroying every home in the subdivision, and killing 27. Extreme ground scouring and high-end F5 damage was surveyed. The 2008 Parkersburg tornado was reported by mayor Bob Haylock to have been so intense that a majority of the fatalities out of Parkersburg were from people taking shelter in basements underground. The 2011 Philadelphia, Mississippi tornado caused extreme ground scouring across its path; up to of soil was removed from the environment, presumably from intense subvortices.
Most damaging tornado The 1896 St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado on May 27, incurred the most damages adjusted for inflation, with an estimated $5.36 billion (2022 USD). In raw numbers, the Joplin tornado of May 22, 2011, is considered the costliest tornado in recent history, with damage totals at $3.71 billion (2022 USD). Until April 2011, the Bridge Creek–Moore tornado of May 3, 1999, was the most costly, which was later surpassed by the 2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado, with a damage total of $3.18 billion (2022 USD).
Lists of damage and fatality records
Largest and most powerful tornadoes Highest winds observed in a tornado
+ Wind speed of or 116 m/s in tornadoes observed by radar, organized by the highest confirmed wind speed. Official rating Date Location Minimum peak wind speed Maximum peak wind speed Highest confirmed peak wind speedF5 Bridge Creek, Oklahoma In 2007, Joshua Wurman along with other researchers, published that a Doppler on Wheels recorded approximately above the radar level. In 2021, Wurman along with other researchers, revised the data using improved techniques and published that the Doppler on Wheels actually recorded in the tornado.EF3 El Reno, Oklahoma A Doppler on Wheels recorded winds between at or less than above the radar level in a suction vortex inside the tornado. This was later revised by the Doppler on Wheels team to . In 2015, Howard Bluestein, along with other researchers, reported that the radar did capture at least a moment of winds of . This tornado is notable for causing the death of 3 team TWISTEX researchers and was the first tornado recorded to kill storm chasers.EF4 Greenfield, Iowa ≥A Doppler on Wheels recorded winds of approximately above the radar level. Following calculations to more accurately determine peak wind speeds, it was published that ground-relative winds of could be observed briefly to the immediate east of the main circulation.EF5 Hinton, Oklahoma RaXPol recorded a wind gust of about above the radar level. However, this data was later revised to be at above the radar level.F4 Red Rock, Oklahoma A University of Oklahoma chase team headed by Howard Bluestein utilized mobile doppler weather radar to analyze the tornado. The radar measured peak winds of between above the surface. According to the Oklahoma Mesonet, winds possibly reached as high as . At the time, this represented the strongest winds ever measured by radar, including the first measurements of F5 intensity winds.F4 Spencer, South Dakota A Doppler on Wheels recorded winds of "well below" above the ground level, "perhaps as low as above the radar level". The Doppler on Wheels also recorded a confirmed five-second wind speed average of .EF3 Bennington, Kansas A Doppler on Wheels recorded winds of approximately above the ground level.F4 Mulhall, Oklahoma A Doppler on Wheels documented the largest-ever-observed core flow circulation with a distance of between peak velocities on either side of the tornado, and a roughly width of peak wind gusts exceeding , making the Mulhall tornado the largest tornado ever measured quantitatively. The DOW measured a complex multi-vortex structure, with several vortices containing winds of up to rotating around the tornado. The 3D structure of the tornado has been analyzed in a 2005 article in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences by Wen-Chau Lee and Joshua Wurman. In 2024, it was published that the radar did measure winds of approximately approximately above the radar level.
During the F5 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado on May 3, 1999, in the southern Oklahoma City metro area, a Doppler on Wheels situated near the tornado measured winds of momentarily in a small area inside the funnel approximately above ground level. The measured winds in this tornado have been updated to .