This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2020. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Bangladesh, and eastern India, but 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, Australia and New Zealand. Tornadic events are often accompanied by other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail. There were 1,243 preliminary filtered reported tornadoes in 2020 in the United States in 2020, and 1,086 confirmed tornadoes in the United States in 2020. Worldwide, at least 94 tornado-related deaths were confirmed with 78 in the United States, eight in Vietnam, two each in Canada, Indonesia, and Mexico, and one each in South Africa and China.
Although 2020 was the deadliest year for tornado related fatalities in the United States (primarily in the South due to significant tornado outbreaks in March and April) since 2011, the tornado season also ended up being the least active year in terms of the number of confirmed tornadoes since 2016 and before 2022, primarily due to six of the final eight months being significantly below average. Despite this, August set a new monthly record for tornadoes, with 182.
Events United States
There were 1,243 reported tornadoes and 1,086 confirmed tornadoes in the United States in 2020.
Costliest United States tornadoes
January January 3 (South Africa) On January 3, severe thunderstorms developed over the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. One thunderstorm developed into a supercell which produced an EF3 tornado that caused significant damage to a farm, destroyed the houses of seven families, and destroyed about of pine forest.
January 10–11 (United States)
On January 10, the Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk of severe weather for much of the Southern United States, including a 15% hatched risk of tornadoes. A squall line of severe thunderstorms with numerous embedded circulations and semi-discrete supercell structures moved from Texas and Oklahoma to the East Coast, producing numerous tornadoes. An EF1 tornado killed one person near Nacogdoches, Texas, when a large tree fell onto a mobile home and three people were fatally injured when a long-tracked EF2 tornado destroyed two mobile homes south of Haughton, Louisiana. An EF2 tornado struck Rome, Mississippi, causing significant damage and destroying the local post office. A high-end EF2 tornado near Carrollton, Alabama, destroyed multiple homes and mobile homes, and resulted in three fatalities. An EF2 tornado also struck Union Grove, Alabama, significantly damaging a school building in the community. Another school also sustained major damage near Kershaw, South Carolina, as a result of another EF2 tornado. Overall, this outbreak produced a total of 80 tornadoes, and resulted in seven fatalities. Total damage from the event reached $1.1 billion according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
February February 5–7 (United States)
Beginning on February 5, a moderate tornado outbreak affected the Deep South and Eastern United States. On the first day of the outbreak, an EF2 tornado caused significant tree and outbuilding damage near Pickens, Mississippi, and injured four people. A long-tracked EF2 tornado touched down near Bay Springs, Mississippi, and passed through the town of Enterprise, downing numerous trees and power poles and toppling a metal fire tower. This tornado tore large sections of roofing off of multiple homes in rural areas as well. On February 6, one person was killed in Marengo County, Alabama, when an EF1 tornado destroyed a mobile home near Demopolis. An EF2 tornado also touched down near Kannapolis, North Carolina, to the north of Charlotte. No injuries were reported, though multiple homes were damaged, including one that lost its roof and some exterior walls. Another EF2 tornado downed metal truss transmission towers near Kings Mountain, and an EF1 tornado caused damage in the southern suburbs of Charlotte. A high-end EF1 tornado moved directly through Spartanburg, South Carolina, as well, causing considerable damage to homes and businesses. On February 7, five tornadoes unexpectedly touched down in Maryland, including an EF1 that struck Westminster and Manchester, causing moderate damage. An EF0 tornado also caused minor damage in Leesburg, Virginia. Along with the tornadic storms, heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flooding also occurred throughout the southern states. Total economic losses from the event exceeded $925 million. Overall, this outbreak produced a total of 37 tornadoes, and resulted in one fatality.
March March 2–3 (United States)
A small but devastating tornado outbreak affected parts of the Southern United States on the evening of March 2 into the early morning hours of March 3, with a lone, long-tracked supercell thunderstorm being responsible for ten tornadoes in Tennessee as it moved from near Dyersburg in West Tennessee to near Knoxville in East Tennessee. The most severe damage and all the fatalities occurred in Tennessee, although other damaging tornadoes were reported Missouri, Alabama and Kentucky. The first fatal tornado outbreak occurred on the night of March 2, when an EF2 tornado killed one person and caused significant damage to homes, mobile homes, and outbuildings near Camden, Tennessee. Later, another EF2 tornado downed numerous trees and damaged homes and outbuildings near Alvaton, Kentucky. The north side of Nashville, Tennessee, was directly struck by a long-tracked, high-end EF3 tornado just after 12:30 a.m. CDT on March 3. Major structural damage and five fatalities occurred as the tornado passed just north of downtown Nashville and through Mount Juliet to the east. Damage estimates of $1.504 billion made this the 6th costliest tornado in US history. Later, another EF2 tornado caused heavy damage Clarkrange, Tennessee. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak occurred in Putnam County, where an EF4 tornado, the first violent tornado of the year, touched down near Baxter shortly before 2:00 a.m. and moved into Cookeville. Many homes and other buildings were completely leveled or swept away in residential areas of Western Cookeville with 19 people being killed in the area. Overall, this outbreak produced a total of 15 tornadoes, resulted in 25 tornado-related fatalities, and caused $1.606 billion (2020 USD) in damage.
March 3–4 (Vietnam) An outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes struck seven provinces in Vietnam with at least one fatality being reported as tornado-related. The severe weather outbreak as a whole left five people dead, over 350 homes destroyed, and 6,800 others damaged.
March 18–19 (United States)
On March 18, an intense supercell thunderstorm spawned numerous weak tornadoes as it tracked through Jack, Stephens, Wise, and Young counties in Texas. With severe storms continuing into the early morning hours of March 19, two EF2 tornadoes caused considerable damage to trees, vehicles, farming equipment, and outbuildings near Trent, Texas. The thunderstorm responsible for those tornadoes went on to produce another EF2 tornado that damaged a large building and over 100 cars at a correctional facility northeast of Abilene. Near Sweetwater, an EF2 tornado damaged or destroyed several wind turbines. Later that day, a large portion of the southern Great Plains was in line for severe storms, along with parts of the Ohio Valley. During the afternoon, a squall line with several embedded supercells formed from Oklahoma to Indiana, producing tornadoes in Oklahoma, Illinois, and Arkansas. A large EF2 tornado touched down near Everton, Arkansas, before moving through the southeastern part of town, causing significant damage to homes, a school, outbuildings, and trees. Three EF1 tornadoes also touched down in Arkansas, one of which tracked between Gassville and Mountain Home, inflicting considerable damage to some homes. Further north, two EF1 tornadoes caused damage in Sunfield and Dahlgren, Illinois. One person was injured in Illinois, and another injury occurred in Arkansas. A total of 21 tornadoes were confirmed.
March 28–29 (United States)
On March 28, the SPC issued a moderate risk of severe weather for much of Illinois, including a 15% hatched risk of tornadoes. An enhanced risk of severe weather was in place across parts of Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, and Arkansas as well. At 2:40 p.m. CDT on March 28, a Particularly Dangerous Situation Tornado Watch was issued by the Storm Prediction Center across central and eastern Iowa, central and northern Illinois, and northeastern Missouri. Only weak tornadoes touched down in the moderate risk area, though a few strong tornadoes occurred elsewhere. A large EF3 tornado struck the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas, while being streamed live on local news stations, producing major damage to homes, businesses, and a shopping mall. Vehicles were thrown and mangled, and the Jonesboro Municipal Airport sustained severe damage as well. A train was also derailed, and 22 injuries occurred in Jonesboro. The tornado also caused $300 million in damages. EF3 tornado on Mar. 28, 2020 15:58 PM CDT, DailyRecord The same storm that produced this tornado also produced two EF1 tornadoes, one before and one after it moved over Jonesboro. Into the evening, numerous weak tornadoes touched down in Iowa and Illinois, and another in southwest Wisconsin. This included an EF1 tornado that caused moderate damage to apartment buildings and trees in Oelwein, Iowa, indirectly injuring one person. A low-end EF2 tornado touched down in Corydon, Kentucky, moved through the southern fringes of Henderson, destroying numerous outbuildings and a barn, snapping power poles, and damaging dozens of homes and trees. Another EF2 tornado struck the town of Newburgh, Indiana, where five homes sustained partial to total roof removal, and one home had a few upper floor exterior walls ripped off. Numerous other homes in town sustained less severe damage, and two people were injured in Newburgh. An EF1 tornado also caused roof and tree damage in Peoria, Illinois, as well. Early in the morning of March 29, the same storm system produced an EF0 tornado that mainly damaged trees near Sparta, Tennessee. Overall, this outbreak produced 22 tornadoes. Flooding from this storm system caused a trail closure at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
March 30–31 (United States)
On the evening of March 30, isolated supercells developed across Texas and Oklahoma, producing two weak tornadoes. One of these was given an EFU rating, and the other, which was a landspout or non-mesocylonic tornado, was given an EF0 rating. On March 31, multiple supercells and embedded mesocyclones formed along and just ahead of a convective line, producing several tornadoes across parts of the Southeastern United States. A high-end EF2 tornado caused significant damage south of Eufaula, Alabama, where multiple homes in a subdivision had their roofs torn off. A few of these homes sustained partial exterior wall loss. Multiple other weak tornadoes were confirmed in southeast Mississippi, southern Alabama, and northern Florida. In all, 14 tornadoes were confirmed.
April April 7–9 (United States)