From May 21 to May 26, 2011, several significant and deadly tornado outbreaks affected the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States. A six-day tornado outbreak sequence, most of the tornadoes developed in a corridor from Lake Superior southwest to central Texas, while isolated tornadoes occurred in other areas. An especially destructive EF5 tornado destroyed one-third of Joplin, Missouri, resulting in 158 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. The Joplin tornado was the deadliest in the United States since April 9, 1947, when an intense tornado killed 181 in the Woodward, Oklahoma, area.
Activity began on May 21, when several tornadoes touched down over the Plains. An EF3 tornado heavily damaged the town of Reading, Kansas, where one person was killed, several others were injured, and 20 houses were destroyed. A moderate risk of severe weather was issued for much of the Midwest south to Oklahoma for May 22. The first tornadic supercell that day developed in the mid-afternoon hours over the western Twin Cities with a swath of damage, especially in and around Minneapolis, Minnesota. An intense EF2 tornado also tracked towards Harmony, Minnesota that afternoon and a tornado emergency was issued. Soon afterwards, the Joplin EF5 tornado occurred, the only violent tornado of the day. Late in the afternoon on May 24, when a high risk was issued over Oklahoma, supercells began forming over western Kansas and Oklahoma, as the National Weather Service predicted a dangerous tornado outbreak. As a line of powerful cells began to take shape, trained spotters reported large tornadoes near El Reno, Oklahoma and in rural Grady County, Oklahoma. One of these swept from Binger to Guthrie, destroying many homes and causing at least nine fatalities. This tornado was rated an EF5, the sixth of the year and second of the outbreak sequence. Three other EF4 tornadoes developed among the many other tornadoes that day. Late on May 25, an EF3 tornado hit the city of Bedford, Indiana. U.S. Route 50 was temporarily closed due to heavy debris. On May 26, strong thunderstorms travelled through the Cumberland Valley in South Central Pennsylvania with reports of EF1 tornadoes near Carlisle, Mechanicsburg, and Hershey.
Tornado-related deaths also occurred in Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. Overall, the tornado outbreak resulted in 186 deaths, 8 of those non-tornadic, making it second only to the 2011 Super Outbreak as the deadliest since 1974. It was the third costliest tornado outbreak in United States history behind that same April 2011 outbreak and another large tornado outbreak in March 2025, with insured damage estimated at $4–7 billion.
Meteorological synopsis April 2011 was the most active month for tornadoes on record, capped by the 2011 Super Outbreak that killed 324 people in the final week. In contrast, the first three weeks of May were unusually calm, with only a few isolated tornadoes were confirmed. However, this pattern changed abruptly as a strong low-pressure area, associated dry line and cold front tracked eastward.
May 21–23 On May 21, a small system of thunderstorms developed in Brown County, Kansas, while another system formed to the southeast of Emporia, Kansas. The Brown County system spawned a brief tornado over Topeka, Kansas, causing minor damage. This system also caused significant damage in Oskaloosa, Kansas, and other communities. Meanwhile, the Emporia system spawned an EF3 tornado that struck Reading, Kansas; one person was killed, several others were injured, and at least 20 houses were destroyed. These two systems developed several other tornadoes throughout the evening.
A moderate risk of severe weather was issued for much of the Midwest, as well as further south to Oklahoma for May 22. The first tornadic supercell developed in the mid-afternoon hours over the western Twin Cities in Minnesota, and caused moderate damage in the Minneapolis area. Shortly thereafter, a severe EF2 tornado crept towards Harmony, Minnesota, prompting the National Weather Service to issue the first tornado emergency of the outbreak. Late that afternoon, a large, intense EF5 multiple-vortex tornado left catastrophic destruction in Joplin, Missouri. Causing 158 fatalities, it was the deadliest single tornado in the U.S. since at least 1947.
+Outbreak death tollStateTotalCountyCountytotalArkansas5Franklin 3Johnson 2Kansas3Lyon 1Stafford 2Minnesota1Hennepin 1Missouri158Jasper 158Oklahoma11Canadian 7Grady 1Logan 2Major 1Totals 178 Only tornado-related deaths are included
Once again, a moderate risk of severe weather was issued on May 23—this time for the southern Plains and the lower Great Lakes. Forecasts showed that the main threats would be damaging wind and large hail instead of frequent tornadoes; the stationary front lacked the necessary wind shear to sustain the type of tornadic supercells seen on May 22. This prediction came to light, as only scattered, and mostly weak tornadoes were reported throughout the day. However, an EF2 tornado caused significant damage in Tennessee and Kentucky.
May 24 On May 24, a high risk of severe weather was issued for parts of south-central Kansas, central and eastern Oklahoma, and extreme north-central Texas; a moderate risk was issued for surrounding areas in those three states plus northwestern Arkansas and southwestern Missouri. Throughout this region, strong to violent tornadoes were considered to be highly probable for three reasons: (1) the stationary front was expected to maintain its position over the region, (2) wind shear was expected to greatly increase, and (3) these elements would be associated with an incoming trough. Late that morning, the tornado threat increased to 45%, a rare occurrence matching the widespread April 27 outbreak. At 12:50 p.m. CDT, the SPC issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) tornado watch for parts of central Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City and northern Texas, in effect until 10:00 p.m. CDT. Numerous tornadoes touched down in several regions, with the first activity being in western Oklahoma that afternoon where several very intense tornadoes developed, including another EF5 (the sixth of the year). They did not cause extensive damage in Oklahoma City, but 11 deaths were reported among extensive damage just to the southwest of the OKC metro. Other tornado clusters developed in central Kansas that afternoon and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that evening.
May 25–26 Once again on May 25, a high risk of severe storms was issued for the middle Mississippi River valley from near Memphis, Tennessee, northward to north of Evansville, Indiana, and was expanded late that morning northward to near Indianapolis, Indiana, northwest to near St. Louis, Missouri, southeast to just west of Nashville, Tennessee, and southwest to near Little Rock, Arkansas. Several hours before the outbreak was expected to begin, a PDS tornado watch was issued for western Kentucky, southern Indiana, the southern half of Illinois and eastern Missouri. The entire state of Indiana, southern Michigan, and most of Missouri were under tornado watches. Widespread tornado activity occurred that day across the central and eastern U.S. An EF3 destroyed many homes in the town of Bedford, Indiana, and an EF2 wedge tornado caused severe damage in Sedalia, Missouri.
Tornado activity continued on May 26, but most were weak. Eight separate EF1 tornadoes touched down across Pennsylvania, and an isolated EF3 tornado destroyed multiple homes near Bush, Louisiana.
Confirmed tornadoes
Reading–Barclay, Kansas
The first strong and deadly tornado of the multi-day outbreak sequence, was this intense and damaging tornado that first touched down at 9:10 p.m. CDT (02:10 UTC) on the evening of May 21, in eastern Lyon County, Kansas. The tornado formed along a rural road, before tracking northeastward. The tornado traveled and intensified before entering the city of Reading, where it inflicted its worst damage.
The tornado tracked through the western portions of the city, inflicting pockets of EF3 damage, including a single-story home that was demolished and swept clean off its foundation and several two-story homes that had their top stories destroyed. The tornado then struck a well-anchored mobile home, which was lofted into a nearby tree and completely destroyed. A man was killed at this location, and five others throughout the city suffered injuries. Along the tornado's track through Reading, several vehicles were rolled and a chemical tank was thrown 100 yards (91 m) away from its origin point.
The tornado left city limits at 9:20 p.m. CDT (02:20 UTC) and entered Osage County, where an EF0 satellite tornado was observed and lasted four minutes. The original tornado traveled for throughout Osage County, damaging a farmstead at EF1 intensity as it tracked northwest of Melvern Lake. The tornado continued to weaken, inflicting scattered and insignificant tree damage before dissipating at 9:30 p.m. CDT (02:30 UTC), east of Barclay. The tornado tracked for and reached a max width of .The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's finalized damage survey by county:
Joplin–Duquesne–Diamond, Missouri
This large, deadly and extremely impactful EF5 tornado tracked through Joplin, Missouri, leaving behind catastrophic damage. The tornado was multiple-vortex in nature and was up to wide. Mainly the southern part of the city was affected, with most structures in the area either damaged or destroyed. 158 people were directly killed by the tornado, with at least eight more indirect fatalities, making it the deadliest United States tornado since 1947 and one of the deadliest single tornadoes ever recorded.
The tornado first touched down in Newton County, Missouri, just east of the Missouri–Kansas state line at 5:34 p.m. CDT (22:34 UTC) on May 22, initially knocking down large trees. The tornado moved east-northeast and strengthened to EF1 intensity as it continued through rural areas towards Joplin, snapping trees and power poles and damaging outbuildings. Widening, the tornado then tracked into the more densely populated southwest corner of the city near the Twin Hills Country Club. It heavily damaged several homes at a subdivision in this area at up to EF3 strength. The tornado continued to cause EF3 damage as it moved through another subdivision just east of Iron Gates Road. Numerous homes were destroyed and multiple vehicles tossed around, some of which were thrown onto or rolled into homes. The tornado reached EF4 intensity just before crossing S. Schifferdecker Avenue. The tornado began producing EF4 damage only four minutes after touching down, as several small but well-built commercial buildings were flattened. Consistent EF4 to EF5 damage was noted east of S. Schifferdecker Avenue and continued through most of southern Joplin. Numerous homes, businesses, and medical buildings were flattened in this area, with concrete walls collapsed and crushed into the foundations. A large steel-reinforced step and floor structure leading to a completely destroyed medical building was "deflected upward several inches and cracked". Steel trusses were deformed, vehicles were thrown and mangled, and several 300-pound concrete parking stops anchored with rebar were torn from a parking lot in this area and thrown up to away. Widespread, catastrophic damage occurred around the St. John's Regional Medical Center, which itself lost nearly every window on three sides, interior walls, ceilings, and part of its roof. The hospital's life flight helicopter was also blown away and destroyed. The building was later torn down due to the severity of the structural damage.