The tornado outbreak of April 20, 1973

23 tornadoesMissouri, Arkansas, Iowa and 2 more states

23 tornadoes touched down across 5 states between 12:15 AM and 10:40 PM CST, 9 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 2 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · April 20, 1973

How the day unfolded

Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged touchdown times

Tornadoes—of 23 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 23; on Friday, April 20, 1973
F3 or stronger: 9; 1 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 2; Along all the paths
Injured: 63; Along all the paths
Path miles: 124; All the paths end to end
First and last: 12:15 AM to 10:40 PM; Touchdowns, Central Standard Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Standard Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. One has a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of April 20, 1973

12:15 AM	F3	Pontotoc County OK	7.9	100	0	21
7:30 AM	F1	Logan County AR	0.1	10	0	0
7:50 AM	F2	Logan County AR	1.5	500	0	2
10:15 AM	F3	Boone County AR	7.8	500	1	19
12:15 PM	F1	Washington County IA	2.0	350	0	0
1:00 PM	F0	St. Clair County MO	5.7	17	0	0
1:08 PM	F1	St. Clair County MO	13.0	17	0	0
1:10 PM	F2	St. Clair County MO	5.7	17	0	0
1:50 PM	F1	Cooper County MO	0.1	10	0	0
2:30 PM	F3	Cedar County MO	1.0	50	0	0
2:30 PM	F3	Pettis County MO	5.0	50	0	0
2:55 PM	F0	Navajo County AZ	0.1	10	0	0
4:00 PM	F0	Davis County IA	2.0	150	0	0
4:55 PM	F2	Carroll County MO	5.0	10	0	0
5:05 PM	F1	St. Clair County MO	9.8	10	0	0
5:15 PM	F3	Benton County, Pettis County MO	19.4	100	0	4
5:30 PM	F4	Macon County MO	3.8	440	1	3
6:00 PM	F2	Benton County MO	2.0	10	0	0
6:25 PM	F3	Benton County, Pettis County MO	10.1	100	0	0
6:35 PM	F2	Cooper County MO	2.3	50	0	0
6:35 PM	F3	Scotland County MO	9.5	440	0	0
7:25 PM	F2	Pettis County MO	2.0	50	0	8
10:40 PM	F3	Dade County MO	7.8	100	0	6

By state

Tornadoes by state, April 20, 1973

Missouri	16	7	1
Arkansas	3	1	1
Iowa	2	0	0
Arizona	1	0	0
Oklahoma	1	1	0

Tornadoes in 1973 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; an outbreak day here has 40 or more tornadoes, or 6 or more rated F3/EF3 or stronger.