4. Tornadoes
March 18, 1925 - One of the worst tornado disasters in the United States. 695 people in the tri-state area of Missouri-Illinois-
Indiana are killed. It is the longest-lived and has the longest path of any recorded U.S. tornado.
1950 - The U.S. begins keeping official records about tornadoes.
February 2, 2007 - At least 20 people are killed in Lake and Volusia counties in Florida after at least three tornadoes touch
down in the middle of the night.
March 1, 2007 - At least 20 people are killed, one in Missouri, 10 in Alabama, and nine in Georgia from a string of
tornadoes. In Alabama, eight of the 10 killed are teenagers from Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Alabama.
February 5, 2008 - At least 56 people are killed, 32 in Tennessee, 13 in Arkansas, seven in Kentucky, and four in Alabama
from a string of tornadoes.
March 14, 2008 - A tornado reaching EF-2 strength at times hits downtown Atlanta, damaging the World Congress Center,
CNN Center, the Georgia Dome, and many other buildings.
May 9-11, 2008 - A series of tornadoes kills 22 in three states including six in Ottawa County, Oklahoma; 13 in Newton
County, Missouri; one in Jasper County, Missouri; one in an area of Purdy in Barry County, Missouri, and one in Laurens
County, Georgia.
April 14-16, 2011 - At least 114 tornadoes touch down in Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois,
Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas and Pennsylvania. Of the 46 fatalities reported, 23
occur in North Carolina.
April 25-28, 2011 - An outbreak of 201 confirmed tornadoes occurs from 8:00am ET April 25 to 8:00am ET April 28, 2011.
There are approximately 321 fatalities in six states during the entire outbreak. The majority of fatalities occur in Alabama,
where as many as 243 people are killed. Other states reporting fatalities are Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and
Arkansas. In terms of multi-day outbreaks, this outbreak holds the record for the largest number of tornadoes.
May 22, 2011 - An E5 tornado strikes Joplin, Missouri, killing at least 158 people. It is the deadliest single U.S. tornado since
federal record-keeping began in 1950. The tri-state tornado of 1925 is still the deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
May 24, 2011 - Tornadoes strike Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas, killing at least 18 people.
August 3, 2011 - The Storm Prediction Center's final report for April 2011 shows 753 tornadoes touched down across the U.S.,
breaking the previous monthly record of 543 tornadoes in May 2003.
May 20, 2013 - An EF5 tornado hits the Moore, Oklahoma area. The path of the tornado is 14 miles long. Twenty-four
people are killed.
6. Tornadoes
Top Ten Costliest Tornadoes since 1950:
(in 2013 dollars)
May 22, 2011 - Joplin, Missouri - $2.8 billion (actual cost) - $2.9 billion (adjusted for inflation)
April 27, 2011 - Tuscaloosa, Alabama - $2.45 billion (actual cost) - $2.5 billion (adjusted for
inflation)
June 8, 1966 - Topeka, Kansas - $250 million (actual cost) - about $1.8 billion (adjusted for
inflation)
May 11, 1970 - Lubbock, Texas - $250 million (actual cost) - $1.5 billion (adjusted for inflation)
May 3, 1999 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - $1 billion (actual cost) - $1.4 billion (adjusted for
inflation)
April 27, 2011 - Hackleburg, Alabama - $1.2 billion (actual cost) - about $1.34 billion
(adjusted for inflation)
April 3, 1974 - Xenia, Ohio - $250 million (actual cost) - $1.18 billion (adjusted for inflation)
May 6, 1975 - Omaha, Nebraska - $250 million (actual cost) - $1.08 billion (adjusted for
inflation)
April 10, 1979 - Wichita Falls, Texas - $277 million (actual cost) - about $894 million (adjusted
for inflation)
June 3, 1980 - Grand Island, Nebraska - $285 million (actual cost) - about $808 million
(adjusted for inflation)
