Tornado facts from 76 years of federal records
Every fact here is computed from the 73,458 tornadoes in the Storm Prediction Center database since 1950.
- 01
The record holds 73,458 tornadoes, an average of 967 a year. Tornado hub
- 02
2004 is the busiest year, with 1,817 tornadoes. 2004
- 03
May holds 21.9% of all tornadoes, and January just 2.7%. Tornadoes by month
- 04
51.8% of tornadoes start between 3 and 8 pm Central Standard Time. Tornadoes by hour
- 05
The hours from 9 pm to 6 am hold 16.3% of tornadoes and 24.6% of fatal ones. Tornadoes by hour
- 06
81.4% of rated tornadoes reach no higher than F1 or EF1. Weak tornadoes
- 07
Tornadoes rated F4 or stronger are 0.9% of the total but 61.4% of the deaths. Weak tornadoes
- 08
Only 60 tornadoes have been rated F5 or EF5. Every F5 and EF5
- 09
The longest gap between them ran 12 years, from May 20, 2013 to June 20, 2025. Every F5 and EF5
- 10
The deadliest tornado since 1950 killed 158 people along a path through Newton County and Jasper County, MO, on May 22, 2011. That tornado
- 11
The widest on record measured 4,576 yards, or 2.6 miles, on May 31, 2013. That tornado
- 12
April 27, 2011 produced 210 tornadoes, the most in one day. A replay of that day
- 13
Weld County, CO, has the most recorded tornadoes of any county, with 300. Weld County
- 14
97 counties have no recorded tornado, including New York County, which is Manhattan. Every such county
- 15
Florida has the highest tornado density of any state, at 701 per 10,000 square miles. Density by state
- 16
Alaska has 5 recorded tornadoes, Hawaii 41 and Vermont 50. Density by state
- 17
79 tornadoes have struck on Christmas Day, and 46 on New Year's Day. Holidays in the record