This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2017. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Brazil, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, Argentina and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail. There were 1,522 reports of tornadoes in the United States in 2017, of which 1,420 were confirmed. Worldwide, 44 fatalities were confirmed in 2017; 35 in the United States, five in China, two in Paraguay, and one in Brazil.
The tornado season in 2017 started exceptionally early, having the second most active January since records began in 1950, and one of the most active first quarters in recorded history. 2017 also had four high risk outlooks issued by the Storm Prediction Center, the most since five were issued in 2011 and since the start of the five-category outlook system in 2014. 2017 had the 2nd most active January for confirmed tornadoes, behind January 1999 but ahead of January 2023.
Events United States
Note: An EF2 tornado from Canada crossed into the United States, where that portion of the track was rated EF1.
January January 2 (United States)
On December 26, 2016, the Storm Prediction Center noted the potential for a severe risk to evolve across the Southern United States in the extended range. On December 31, a slight risk for severe weather was noted from southeastern Texas through far western Alabama. The risk area was shifted eastward and heightened to an enhanced risk the following day, with the SPC warning of the potential for damaging wind gusts and a strong tornado or two. A mesoscale convective system developed across eastern Texas early on January 2, aided by the combination of a strong upper-level trough, a moderately unstable atmosphere, and sufficient moisture. As the convection progressed east, hundreds of damaging wind reports and numerous tornado reports were received. The Louisiana towns of Bunkie and Hessmer sustained moderate damage from EF1 tornadoes. An EF2 tornado destroyed chicken houses and caused tree damage near Mount Olive, Mississippi, while another EF2 struck Rehobeth, Alabama, causing considerable damage at a local festival grounds. Rear flank downdraft winds away from the Rehobeth tornado killed four people when a large tree crushed a mobile home. Three separate EF2 tornadoes occurred near Blakely and Arlington, Georgia, causing major tree damage, destroying farm structures, and causing severe roof damage to a few homes. Overall, this outbreak produced 36 tornadoes.
Damage from the storm system exceeded US$250 million.
January 15–16 (United States)
The SPC first highlighted a severe weather threat area along and south of the Red River in Texas on January 12, valid three days later. A Slight risk was introduced farther southwest over West Texas on January 13, with subsequent shifts northeast. With a negatively tilted upper-level low across the Southwest United States, abundant moisture and strong upper-level winds overspread the risk area, and the SPC warned of semi-discrete/line-embedded supercells capable of large hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes. A total of 11 tornadoes touched down on January 15 through the next morning, including two EF2s that impacted areas near Gatesville, Texas, and Brady, Texas. An EF0 tornado caused minor damage in Grand Prairie, Texas, while an EF1 damaged multiple homes in Clifton.
January 21–23 (United States)
In the pre-dawn hours of January 21, a complex of strong thunderstorms affected the Gulf Coast states, where the SPC had issued an Enhanced risk of severe weather. The possibility of discrete cells forming ahead of this complex was mentioned, and one such cell led to the formation of a large and destructive EF3 tornado from 09:35 UTC to 10:13 UTC across Lamar, Forrest, and Perry counties in Mississippi. Traveling along a 31.3-mile (50.4 km) path, the EF3 heavily affected sections of Hattiesburg, where 4 deaths occurred. Later that day, a Moderate risk was issued across portions of southern Arkansas, northeastern Louisiana, and western Mississippi. Although the risk area was issued explicitly for the threat of large hail, several tornadoes were assessed to have touched down, including two EF2 tornadoes that impacted areas east of Plain Dealing and Natchez, Louisiana. During the early morning hours of January 22, a devastating EF3 tornado impacted portions of Brooks, Cook, and Berrien counties—most notably in areas around Adel—killing 11 people. This tornado was the deadliest of the entire year.
Later that day, a severe weather and tornado outbreak was expected to occur across northern Florida and southern Georgia, prompting the SPC to issue their first High risk since June 3, 2014, and the first in the winter months since the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak. An extremely large EF3 wedge tornado affected the southern and eastern reaches of Albany, killing 4 people and injuring more than 50 others. Another person in Albany succumbed to her injuries and died on January 26. This outbreak killed 20 people and injured many more, making it the second deadliest January tornado outbreak since 1950, behind the 1969 Hazlehurst, Mississippi tornado outbreak.
February February 7 (United States)
A localized outbreak of 15 tornadoes impacted Southern United States on February 7. A few of these tornadoes were strong, with the most significant damage occurring in Louisiana. A large EF2 wedge tornado destroyed homes near Killian, Louisiana. An EF1 tornado caused considerable damage in the town of Donaldsonville, killing one person. A large, damaging tornado of EF3 intensity ripped through portions of Eastern New Orleans, damaging or destroying numerous homes, businesses, and industrial buildings. An EF2 tornado near Watson toppled metal truss towers and destroyed manufactured homes. At least 33 people were injured by the New Orleans tornado with up to 6 being serious. Another EF2 tornado also damaged multiple homes and destroyed a flea market near Harperville, Mississippi.
February 19–20 (United States)
Scattered tornadoes impacted the state of Texas on February 19 and 20. This included an EF2 and an EF1 tornado that moved through densely populated parts of San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio tornadoes caused major roof damage to numerous homes, apartment buildings, and businesses along their paths, and downed numerous trees. EF0 tornadoes also caused minor damage in Windcrest and Garden Ridge. Two simultaneous EF2 tornadoes caused significant damage to grain silos, homes, train cars, and power poles in and around the town of Thrall as well.
February 25 (United States)
Five tornadoes struck on February 25 in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Massachusetts. An EF2 in Pennsylvania damaged a metal horse barn, severely damaged two houses, and caused varying degrees of damage to 28 additional houses. An EF1 in Massachusetts caused damage to two houses in Goshen. Farther east, in and near Conway, numerous trees were snapped and uprooted and several other houses were severely damaged. This tornado was the first Massachusetts tornado on record during the month of February.
February 28 – March 1 (United States)
A strong storm complex produced a significant and widespread tornado outbreak in and around the Ohio Valley and the Midwest. A moderate risk was issued by the Storm Prediction Center for Tuesday, February 28. This included a 15% hatched risk area for tornadoes. Several damaging tornadoes touched down, including a violent EF4 that leveled and swept away homes at the north edge of Perryville, Missouri, and killed one person. An EF3 struck the towns of Naplate and Ottawa, Illinois, and killed two people, while a fourth person was killed as a result of a long-track EF3 that passed near Crossville, Illinois, and into Indiana. An EF3 tornado also caused severe damage in and around the town of Washburn, Illinois. This was the most intense February tornado outbreak to affect Illinois since 1950, with at least three tornadoes of EF3 or greater intensity, including the Ottawa event, which was the northernmost February EF3 on record in the state of Illinois. The tornado that impacted the Perryville area tracked at least 50 miles and was also the first violent tornado of 2017. Overall, this outbreak produced 72 tornadoes and killed four people.
March March 6–7 (United States)
Following the issuance of an enhanced risk for severe weather from the Storm Prediction Center; including a 10% hatched risk area for tornadoes, an outbreak of strong tornadoes impacted the Midwest and Ohio Valley for the second time in the matter of days. Most of the tornadoes occurred during the nighttime and early morning hours, and were embedded in a large quasi-linear convective system. This included an EF3 that impacted the southern part of Oak Grove, Missouri, damaging or destroying nearly 500 buildings and injuring 12 people. A high-end EF2 tornado damaged or destroyed multiple homes near Smithville and Lathrop in Missouri. In Iowa, the towns of Muscatine, Centerville, and Seymour all sustained significant damage from EF2 tornadoes. Another EF2 caused heavy damage in Parthenon, Arkansas. An EF1 that touched down near the town of Bricelyn, Minnesota, was the earliest Minnesota tornado on record. A total of 63 tornadoes occurred as a result of this outbreak, and numerous reports of hail and damaging straight-line winds were received as well. No fatalities occurred, though 19 people were injured. But then, just a moment after sunset.
March 9 (Germany) A highly photogenic F1 tornado accompanied by a rainbow was recorded and photographed in Kürnach, Germany and caused considerable damage to the roofs of 20 to 30 homes. Two trees were blown over and one garden shed was also blown down. An additional 80 houses were reportedly damaged to a lesser extent.
March 9 (United States)
A total of 17 tornadoes touched down in the states of Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky, including an EF2 that crossed from Missouri into Kentucky near Hickman, Kentucky. The tornado damaged a few sheds, destroyed several grain bins, and blew over some irrigation pivots. Another EF2 formed in Hickman, damaging 45 structures, knocking down numerous power poles, and snapping or uprooting many trees. The tornado briefly continued into Tennessee before dissipating. Near Doniphan, Missouri, an EF2 tornado moved through heavily forested areas, snapping and uprooting thousands of trees along its path and destroying a barn. An EF1 occurred in the southern part of Murray, Kentucky, and caused extensive damage to two dugouts at a high school which had their roofs torn off and hurled, a well-built steel barn was damaged, and a building was destroyed by falling trees. Another EF1 struck the town of Bernie, Missouri, causing moderate damage to several homes.
March 12 (Brazil) A significant tornado occurred near Canguçu in southern Rio Grande do Sul. A large number of trees were blown over in a convergent pattern, and some were debarked. Less than 10 hours afterwards, another strong tornado touched down in the city of São Francisco de Paula, where more than 400 houses were damaged, 40 of which were destroyed. Trees were snapped, zinc tiles were stripped from roofs, and metal structures were twisted. A 24-year-old man was killed as a result of the tornado.
March 24 (United States)