1951

260 tornadoes, 2 tropical cyclones near the U.S., 7 notable earthquakes. 28 tornadoes were rated F3/EF3 or stronger and tornadoes killed 34.

Tornadoes

260 recorded; 28 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest and deadliest first

Tornadoes in 1951

Sep 26, 1951	F4	Portage, Waupaca	26.4	6
Jun 27, 1951	F4	Trego	0.8	5
May 18, 1951	F4	Young	2.0	2
Jun 19, 1951	F4	McLeod, Wright, Hennepin	52.6	1
Sep 26, 1951	F4	Columbia	9.0	1
Jul 20, 1951	F3	Hennepin	11.6	5
Apr 21, 1951	F3	Jones, Jasper	33.5	2
Dec 6, 1951	F3	Bureau	21.9	1
Jun 27, 1951	F3	Logan	18.2	1
May 25, 1951	F3	Clay	4.1	1
Nov 13, 1951	F3	Marshall	2.0	1
Feb 20, 1951	F3	Oktibbeha	0.1	1
Jun 6, 1951	F3	Grant, Haskell, Seward	44.8	0
Mar 2, 1951	F3	Osborne, Mitchell, Cloud	38.1	0
Sep 12, 1951	F3	Pepin, Dunn	24.4	0
Jan 6, 1951	F3	Rapides, Grant	16.8	0
Apr 30, 1951	F3	Pratt	12.8	0
May 20, 1951	F3	Kearny, Finney	12.8	0
Jun 8, 1951	F3	Washita	10.9	0
Jun 6, 1951	F3	Carson	10.4	0
Jun 27, 1951	F3	Logan, Macon	9.6	0
Apr 30, 1951	F3	Oklahoma	7.4	0
Jun 21, 1951	F3	Pulaski, Fulton	5.4	0
Jun 1, 1951	F3	Marshall	1.5	0
Nov 13, 1951	F3	New Madrid	1.0	0
May 14, 1951	F3	Rawlins	0.1	0
May 20, 1951	F3	Rawlins	0.1	0
Aug 21, 1951	F3	Middlesex	0.1	0
Sep 26, 1951	F2	Newaygo	2.3	1
Jun 23, 1951	F2	Stevens	0.1	1
Feb 20, 1951	F2	Poinsett, Lonoke, Prairie	112.8	0
Jun 20, 1951	F2	Wichita, Scott, Lane	48.6	0
Nov 13, 1951	F2	Mason, Tazewell, McLean	47.4	0
Feb 19, 1951	F2	Caddo, Canadian, Kingfisher	43.9	0
Aug 21, 1951	F2	Litchfield, Hartford	43.9	0
Jun 18, 1951	F2	Crowley, Otero	29.9	0
Aug 15, 1951	F2	Clinton, Shiawassee	28.5	0
May 30, 1951	F2	Scotts Bluff	19.7	0
Jun 27, 1951	F2	Armstrong, Indiana	19.7	0
Apr 28, 1951	F2	Hancock	15.2	0
May 9, 1951	F2	Bryan, Marshall, Johnston	14.8	0
Jun 16, 1951	F2	Johnson	14.5	0
Jun 25, 1951	F2	Martin	14.2	0
Jun 25, 1951	F2	Cheyenne	10.4	0
Aug 21, 1951	F2	Essex	9.3	0
May 23, 1951	F2	Colquitt	9.2	0
May 11, 1951	F2	Somerset	8.0	0
Jul 22, 1951	F2	Cloud	7.7	0
Nov 13, 1951	F2	Jackson, Perry	7.1	0
Jan 11, 1951	F2	Santa Clara	5.7	0
Apr 5, 1951	F2	Cleveland	5.7	0
May 9, 1951	F2	Wichita	4.9	0
Aug 21, 1951	F2	Rockingham	4.9	0
Jun 6, 1951	F2	Lincoln	4.7	0
Jun 13, 1951	F2	Richmond city	4.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F2	Grady	3.8	0
Apr 5, 1951	F2	Woods	3.6	0
Jun 6, 1951	F2	Childress	3.6	0
Aug 24, 1951	F2	Rawlins	3.3	0
Mar 29, 1951	F2	Hancock	3.0	0
May 31, 1951	F2	Jefferson	3.0	0
May 3, 1951	F2	Livingston	2.3	0
Jul 8, 1951	F2	Ray	2.3	0
Mar 12, 1951	F2	Sarasota	2.0	0
May 19, 1951	F2	Dewey	2.0	0
Sep 9, 1951	F2	Craig, Delaware	2.0	0
Nov 15, 1951	F2	Lauderdale	1.5	0
Nov 16, 1951	F2	Blount	1.5	0
Apr 20, 1951	F2	Wichita	1.5	0
Apr 30, 1951	F2	Oklahoma	1.5	0
May 20, 1951	F2	Kearny	1.0	0
Jun 19, 1951	F2	Dodge	1.0	0
Jun 22, 1951	F2	Cuyahoga	1.0	0
Jul 20, 1951	F2	Codington	1.0	0
Jul 2, 1951	F2	Lamb	1.0	0
Jul 9, 1951	F2	Howard	1.0	0
Sep 27, 1951	F2	Jefferson	1.0	0
Jun 25, 1951	F2	Hancock	0.8	0
Jun 7, 1951	F2	Tillman	0.5	0
Jul 21, 1951	F2	Washtenaw	0.5	0
Jul 3, 1951	F2	Richland	0.5	0
Aug 9, 1951	F2	Catawba	0.5	0
Nov 13, 1951	F2	Lake	0.3	0
Nov 14, 1951	F2	Giles	0.2	0
Apr 5, 1951	F2	Grady	0.2	0
Oct 23, 1951	F2	Yell	0.1	0
Nov 15, 1951	F2	Cullman	0.1	0
Dec 18, 1951	F2	Dukes	0.1	0
Dec 18, 1951	F2	Polk	0.1	0
Dec 18, 1951	F2	Polk	0.1	0
Feb 20, 1951	F2	Fayette	0.1	0
Feb 20, 1951	F2	Shelby	0.1	0
May 14, 1951	F2	Thomas	0.1	0
May 14, 1951	F2	Texas	0.1	0
May 14, 1951	F2	Texas	0.1	0
May 14, 1951	F2	Morton	0.1	0
May 21, 1951	F2	Geary	0.1	0
May 25, 1951	F2	Republic	0.1	0
Jun 21, 1951	F2	Rush	0.1	0
Jun 5, 1951	F2	Texas	0.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F2	Grant	0.1	0
Jun 7, 1951	F2	Muskogee	0.1	0
Jun 8, 1951	F2	Madison	0.1	0
Jun 8, 1951	F2	Douglas	0.1	0
Jul 15, 1951	F2	Kingfisher	0.1	0
Jul 22, 1951	F2	Hillsborough	0.1	0
Jul 4, 1951	F2	Jasper	0.1	0
Jul 7, 1951	F2	Rooks	0.1	0
Jul 8, 1951	F2	Roberts	0.1	0
Aug 20, 1951	F2	Tolland	0.1	0
Sep 9, 1951	F2	Lowndes	0.1	0
May 26, 1951	F1	Franklin	0.1	3
May 24, 1951	F1	Haskell	0.5	1
Jun 23, 1951	F1	Morton	0.1	1
Jun 21, 1951	F1	Osborne, Mitchell	22.2	0
Jun 25, 1951	F1	Sedgwick	20.2	0
Jun 1, 1951	F1	Republic	11.0	0
May 20, 1951	F1	Sedgwick	10.3	0
Jun 6, 1951	F1	Pratt	9.0	0
May 30, 1951	F1	Clay, Geary	8.3	0
May 30, 1951	F1	Pottawatomie	7.7	0
Aug 10, 1951	F1	Logan	5.9	0
Jun 7, 1951	F1	Rogers	5.7	0
Aug 26, 1951	F1	Plymouth	5.6	0
Feb 6, 1951	F1	Tangipahoa	4.9	0
Jun 15, 1951	F1	Taylor	4.9	0
Jun 19, 1951	F1	Sioux	4.7	0
Jun 27, 1951	F1	Butler	4.7	0
Jun 21, 1951	F1	Cimarron	4.3	0
Jun 9, 1951	F1	Franklin	3.8	0
May 30, 1951	F1	Ellis	3.0	0
Jun 6, 1951	F1	Trego	3.0	0
Dec 18, 1951	F1	Pinellas	2.8	0
Apr 24, 1951	F1	Jackson	2.5	0
May 9, 1951	F1	Jefferson	2.3	0
Aug 10, 1951	F1	Cheyenne	2.3	0
Aug 15, 1951	F1	Eaton	2.3	0
Oct 21, 1951	F1	Noble	2.0	0
Dec 20, 1951	F1	Winston	2.0	0
May 30, 1951	F1	Chase	2.0	0
Jul 9, 1951	F1	Howell	2.0	0
Jun 13, 1951	F1	Pender	1.0	0
Apr 27, 1951	F1	Major	0.8	0
Jun 8, 1951	F1	Coffey	0.8	0
Nov 16, 1951	F1	Dougherty	0.5	0
Dec 18, 1951	F1	Duval	0.5	0
Feb 6, 1951	F1	St. Landry	0.5	0
Mar 28, 1951	F1	Houston	0.5	0
Apr 29, 1951	F1	Morris	0.5	0
May 31, 1951	F1	Hutchinson	0.5	0
Jun 19, 1951	F1	Lyon	0.5	0
Jun 1, 1951	F1	Eaton	0.5	0
Aug 22, 1951	F1	Calcasieu	0.5	0
Aug 31, 1951	F1	Woods	0.5	0
Sep 2, 1951	F1	Winn	0.5	0
Nov 1, 1951	F1	Orleans	0.3	0
Dec 6, 1951	F1	Lane	0.3	0
Apr 30, 1951	F1	Merrick	0.3	0
May 23, 1951	F1	Liberty	0.3	0
Jun 8, 1951	F1	Kay	0.3	0
May 25, 1951	F1	Nodaway	0.2	0
Aug 15, 1951	F1	Lapeer	0.2	0
Nov 1, 1951	F1	York	0.1	0
Dec 4, 1951	F1	Polk	0.1	0
Feb 20, 1951	F1	Lowndes	0.1	0
Feb 1, 1951	F1	Appomattox	0.1	0
Mar 30, 1951	F1	Adams	0.1	0
Apr 21, 1951	F1	Smith	0.1	0
Apr 24, 1951	F1	Kay	0.1	0
Apr 26, 1951	F1	Morton	0.1	0
Apr 26, 1951	F1	Beaver	0.1	0
Apr 26, 1951	F1	Morton	0.1	0
Apr 30, 1951	F1	Stephens	0.1	0
May 11, 1951	F1	King and Queen	0.1	0
May 13, 1951	F1	Ellis	0.1	0
May 15, 1951	F1	Castro	0.1	0
May 18, 1951	F1	Comanche	0.1	0
May 18, 1951	F1	Comanche	0.1	0
May 18, 1951	F1	Comanche	0.1	0
May 19, 1951	F1	Beckham	0.1	0
May 21, 1951	F1	Stanton	0.1	0
May 25, 1951	F1	Cloud	0.1	0
May 26, 1951	F1	Columbia	0.1	0
May 2, 1951	F1	Shawnee	0.1	0
May 2, 1951	F1	Atchison	0.1	0
May 8, 1951	F1	Wichita	0.1	0
May 9, 1951	F1	Cotton	0.1	0
Jun 14, 1951	F1	El Paso	0.1	0
Jun 20, 1951	F1	Thomas	0.1	0
Jun 20, 1951	F1	Major	0.1	0
Jun 24, 1951	F1	Bamberg	0.1	0
Jun 26, 1951	F1	Wood	0.1	0
Jun 26, 1951	F1	Midland	0.1	0
Jun 27, 1951	F1	Ellis	0.1	0
Jun 27, 1951	F1	Newport News city	0.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F1	Potter	0.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F1	Pratt	0.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F1	Osborne	0.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F1	Butler	0.1	0
Jun 8, 1951	F1	Phelps	0.1	0
Jun 8, 1951	F1	Tillman	0.1	0
Jul 17, 1951	F1	O'Brien	0.1	0
Jul 27, 1951	F1	Ellis	0.1	0
Jul 6, 1951	F1	Brunswick	0.1	0
Aug 13, 1951	F1	McPherson	0.1	0
Aug 13, 1951	F1	McPherson	0.1	0
Aug 14, 1951	F1	Hettinger	0.1	0
Aug 31, 1951	F1	Saline	0.1	0
Aug 31, 1951	F1	Dickinson	0.1	0
Aug 7, 1951	F1	Morton	0.1	0
Aug 8, 1951	F1	Morrill	0.1	0
Apr 26, 1951	F0	Grant	29.2	0
Aug 10, 1951	F0	Union	12.2	0
May 20, 1951	F0	Sedgwick	6.1	0
Jul 7, 1951	F0	Perkins	5.1	0
Jun 5, 1951	F0	Chaves	2.0	0
Jun 9, 1951	F0	Sharkey	2.0	0
Apr 21, 1951	F0	LaSalle	1.0	0
Apr 21, 1951	F0	Ouachita	1.0	0
Apr 26, 1951	F0	Seward	1.0	0
Sep 23, 1951	F0	Rush	0.8	0
Jun 17, 1951	F0	Gove	0.7	0
Dec 8, 1951	F0	Warren	0.5	0
Jun 15, 1951	F0	Shawnee	0.5	0
Jun 6, 1951	F0	Greer	0.2	0
Feb 19, 1951	F0	Cleveland	0.1	0
Mar 2, 1951	F0	Brown	0.1	0
Apr 20, 1951	F0	Morton	0.1	0
Apr 24, 1951	F0	Custer	0.1	0
Apr 30, 1951	F0	Chautauqua	0.1	0
May 13, 1951	F0	Custer	0.1	0
May 16, 1951	F0	Beckham	0.1	0
May 17, 1951	F0	Elbert, Douglas	0.1	0
May 19, 1951	F0	Beckham	0.1	0
May 20, 1951	F0	Sedgwick	0.1	0
May 30, 1951	F0	Clay	0.1	0
May 30, 1951	F0	Jackson	0.1	0
May 30, 1951	F0	Pottawatomie	0.1	0
May 30, 1951	F0	Riley	0.1	0
May 30, 1951	F0	Clay	0.1	0
May 9, 1951	F0	Osage	0.1	0
Jun 14, 1951	F0	Burleigh	0.1	0
Jun 17, 1951	F0	Hamilton	0.1	0
Jun 17, 1951	F0	Gove	0.1	0
Jun 17, 1951	F0	Franklin	0.1	0
Jun 19, 1951	F0	Comanche	0.1	0
Jun 22, 1951	F0	Greenwood	0.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F0	Carson	0.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F0	Pratt	0.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F0	Pratt	0.1	0
Jun 6, 1951	F0	Gray	0.1	0
Jul 13, 1951	F0	Deuel	0.1	0
Jul 15, 1951	F0	Kingfisher	0.1	0
Jul 15, 1951	F0	Kingfisher	0.1	0
Jul 21, 1951	F0	Bradford	0.1	0
Jul 4, 1951	F0	Ford	0.1	0
Aug 23, 1951	F0	Rush	0.1	0
Aug 24, 1951	F0	Franklin	0.1	0
Aug 6, 1951	F0	Ford	0.1	0
Aug 7, 1951	F0	Trego	0.1	0

Tropical cyclones

Storms whose tracks came within 100 miles of a U.S. county.

Tropical cyclones near the U.S. in 1951

Able	Category 1	0	—
How	Category 2	18	FL

Earthquakes

Magnitude 5 or more in the lower 48 and Hawaii, 6.5 or more in Alaska, strongest first.

Notable earthquakes of 1951

Feb 13, 1951	6.9	near Chignik, Alaska Kodiak Island AK	12.4
Aug 21, 1951	6.3	near Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii Hawaii HI	6.2
Jan 24, 1951	6.0	near Tecolots, B.C., MX Yuma AZ	3.7
Oct 7, 1951	6.0	near Ferndale, California Humboldt CA	9.3
Dec 25, 1951	5.8	near San Clemente Is. (SE tip), CA Los Angeles CA	3.7
Apr 1, 1951	5.0	near Ferndale, California Humboldt CA	—
Jul 29, 1951	5.0	near Soledad, California San Benito CA	—

Drought

On average 6% of lower-48 counties were in severe drought in 1951. The worst month was August 1951, with 9%.

Every year since 1895 on the drought page

Storm Prediction Center, National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, NOAA Storm Events Database, USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, NOAA nClimDiv Palmer Drought Severity Index. Damage is as reported at the time, not adjusted for inflation.