This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2014. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also appear regularly in neighboring southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer season, and somewhat regularly in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
There were at least 929 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in 2014. 88 fatalities have been confirmed worldwide in 2014: 48 in the United States, 20 in Bangladesh, 15 in Brazil, two in Australia and Russia, and one in Mongolia.
Synopsis
Early 2014 featured several strong cold waves that settled across the United States and kept severe weather suppressed. However, severe weather did develop on January 11 after temperatures moderated, and four EF0 tornadoes were confirmed–three in Virginia and one in Georgia. The rest of the month, along with the first half of February, was very quiet in terms of severe weather. Another intrusion of warm air allowed instability to develop in mid-February, and 41 tornadoes touched down across the lower Midwest and the Southeast U.S. on February 21 and 22. Four of these were strong enough to be rated EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
The rest of February and most of March was quiet, with only weak tornadoes touching down in Arizona, Florida, and California. However, activity picked up on March 27, with several tornadoes touching down across Missouri and Iowa in association with a cold front. The general trend of low activity continued through most of April with only a few small outbreaks occurring; however, the trend ended with a major outbreak that started on April 27 producing multiple strong tornadoes across the Great Plains and the South and killing 35 people, 16 of which came from an EF4 tornado in Arkansas.
After the deadly April 27 - 30 tornado outbreak, May and June saw above average tornado counts from several significant tornado outbreaks, while July saw an average number of tornadoes. The remainder of the year saw average to below average tornado activity, but a moderate tornado outbreak in mid-October pushed tornado coverage to above average for that month. December saw the first tornado in the city of Los Angeles, California as part of a winter storm system.
As a result, 2014 ended well below average for tornadoes, with only 929 tornadoes total, like the previous 2 years.
Events United States
Europe
January January 25 (Europe)
An outbreak of mostly weak tornadoes affected Europe on January 25, with the event beginning in the United Kingdom. The first tornado touched down near the village of Llangwyryfon in Wales, downing trees, tossing a cattle feeder, and earning an F1(T2) rating. Another F1 tornado struck the Ordsall area of Manchester, England, where 50 homes sustained damage to their roofs, chimneys, and TV antennas. Lamps posts and trees were also downed by the tornado. A tornado also caused F1 damage to sheds near Upper Wield, while another F1 struck Nuneaton, where roughly 30 homes had roof tiles and garage roofs blown off, and five of these homes were heavily damaged. Three other F1 tornadoes also occurred in and around Chobham, Acton, and Harlow, England, causing damage to roofs and trees. In Turkey, an F1 tornado also hit Avsallar and caused roof damage to multiple homes, a few of which sustained partial roof loss. Additional tornadoes touched down across parts of France later that day, the strongest of which was an F2(T4) that was on the ground for 12.8 km and caused considerable damage in the town of Halluin, injuring three people. A shopping center and 90 homes were damaged by the Halluin tornado. A few other weak F1 tornadoes were also confirmed, including one that damaged the roofs of homes in Isbergues, and another that hit the village of Aubencheul-aux-Bois, damaging trees, homes, signs, and an embroidery workshop. A tornado caused F1 damage in the Wingene, Belgium area as well, and 11 tornadoes were confirmed as a result of this outbreak.
February February 20–21 (United States)
A large shortwave trough progressed across the northern Plains on February 20, with an associated surface low-pressure area contributing to a blizzard across Michigan and Wisconsin. Within the warm sector of the cyclone, modest instability and moisture, as well as sufficient forcing along a cold front, initiated the development of a squall line across the Ohio River Valley and Mississippi River Valley by the afternoon. Strong wind shear led to widespread damaging wind reports in addition to over two dozen tornadoes across the Midwestern and Southern United States, four of which were rated EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The first two EF2s affected rural areas in Illinois near the towns of Martinsburg and Pana, damaging several farms.
The squall line continued to push eastward into the Mid-Atlantic states on February 21, leading to numerous damaging wind reports and several tornadoes from Georgia to Maryland. A brief but strong EF2 clipped the northeast side of Fort Payne, Alabama, causing significant damage to a factory, an apartment complex, and some homes. Another EF2 struck Dublin, Georgia, and destroyed one home, damaged 59 others, and downed numerous trees. Overall, this moderate outbreak produced 43 tornadoes and no fatalities.
March March 25–29 (United States)
A low pressure system tracked across the United States, producing tornadoes across California, Missouri, and across southern portions of the Eastern Seaboard. In Northern California, several brief tornadoes touched down, uprooting trees and causing minor damage. In Northern Missouri, a supercell thunderstorm produced a strong EF2 tornado, which caused heavy roof and wall damage to a farmstead near Jameson, Missouri. Another EF2 occurred in Grundy County which heavily damaged several residences near Tindall. The storm system continued east over the next few days, producing several weak and short-lived tornadoes in Florida and North Carolina.
April April 6–7 (United States)
Severe thunderstorms moved across portions of the Southern United States, producing at least eight confirmed tornadoes. An EF2 tornado destroyed mobile homes and damaged other structures in and around Hot Coffee, Mississippi. Another EF2 tornado caused significant damage in the area of Pantego, North Carolina, where homes were damaged and destroyed. Two people were injured when the truck they were in was thrown .
April 12 (Brazil)
Two tornadoes touched down in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. An F2 tornado struck Erebango and Tapejara, damaging 300 houses and killing one person. Another tornado, which was rated F1, touched down in Soledade and caused considerable tree damage.
April 25 (North Carolina)
In advance of a compact shortwave trough and associated cold front, numerous severe thunderstorms developed across central and eastern North Carolina into southern Virginia. An EF3 tornado tracked near Washington, North Carolina, through the Whichards Beach area, across the Pamlico River from Washington, then crossing the Pamlico River and hitting Washington Park, then hitting the intersection of US 264 and NC 32, then leaving the area, damaging or destroying 200 homes and injuring 16 people. This event marks the latest time of formation of the first EF3+ tornado in any year on record. An EF2 in Edenton resulted in a fatality, the first of the year in the United States.
April 27–30 (United States)
A devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped across parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Florida in late April 2014. The event began on April 27, as multiple intense tornadoes touched down across parts of the Midwest, Ozarks, and Great Plains. A strong EF2 tornado struck Quapaw, Oklahoma and Baxter Springs, Kansas, resulting in one fatality, 37 injuries, and severe damage in both towns. An EF1 tornado destroyed multiple outbuildings, killing two people as it passed near Martinsburg, Iowa. A large, violent wedge tornado struck Mayflower and Vilonia, Arkansas later that evening, causing catastrophic damage and killing 16 people as numerous homes and businesses were obliterated, some of which were swept completely away. Trees were completely denuded and debarked, vehicles were thrown and mangled beyond recognition by the tornado, which was rated a high-end EF4, the first violent tornado of the year.
Destructive tornadoes continued to touch down on April 28, and 10 people were killed when an EF4 tornado struck Louisville, Mississippi, where many homes, apartment buildings, and businesses were completely destroyed, some of which were leveled or swept away. An EF3 tornado caused one fatality and major damage to many structures in Tupelo, Mississippi as well, and another EF3 struck Coxey, Alabama, destroying a mobile home park and killing two people. Numerous other strong tornadoes occurred in rural areas of the Deep South later that night and into the early morning of April 29. Additional weak tornadoes touched down in The Carolinas and Florida on April 29 and 30 before the outbreak came to an end. 82 tornadoes were confirmed as a result of this outbreak, which resulted in 35 fatalities.
May May 10–12 (United States)
A moderate outbreak of 44 tornadoes impacted the central United States in early May 2014. On May 10, numerous supercell thunderstorms developed across Missouri in advance of an intensifying upper-level low over the Great Basin. One supercell spawned a damaging EF2 tornado that moved through downtown Orrick, Missouri, causing significant damage but no fatalities. 80% of the structures in Orrick were damaged, and the school sustained major damage and lost much of its roof. On May 11, the upper-level low continued eastward into the Plains, providing ample wind shear for tornadoes; in preparation for the event, the Storm Prediction Center issued a Moderate risk for severe weather. Numerous thunderstorms developed across the Midwest – particularly Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa – spawning many tornadoes. A large multiple-vortex EF3 tornado passed near the town of Sutton, Nebraska, causing considerable damage to farm properties and flattening an unanchored farmhouse. Powerful rear flank downdraft winds spawned by the parent supercell severely damaged downtown Sutton. Another very large rain-wrapped EF3 wedge tornado passed near the town of Cordova, Nebraska, destroying multiple farmhouses and spawning multiple satellite tornadoes, before making a direct hit on Beaver Crossing. Structures in the village were damaged or destroyed by the EF3 tornado. Two separate tornadoes; rated EF2 and EF1, also caused severe damage near the town of Raymond. Numerous other less significant tornadoes touched down in Nebraska and other states that evening as well. Later that night, an EF2 tornado largely destroyed a lakeside condominium building near Yale, Iowa. Two weak EF0 tornadoes touched down in northern Ohio on May 12 before the outbreak came to an end.
May 14–16 (United States)
Severe thunderstorms moved across portions of the eastern United States with multiple reports of tornadoes. Two significant tornadoes touched down on May 14. The first, rated EF2, damaged several homes and destroyed two barns northeast of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. An EF3 tornado caused substantial damage near Cedarville, Ohio, destroying several barns and a farmhouse.
May 22 (United States)
The Storm Prediction Center outlined a slight risk for severe weather across portions of the Mid-Atlantic, including a 2% tornado risk. However, an EF3 tornado moved across portions of Schenectady and Albany counties in New York. The worst damage occurred in Duanesburg, where one house was almost completely destroyed. This marks the strongest tornado in the state of New York since May 31, 1998. Another tornado, rated EF1, touched down near Marydel, Delaware.