1952

240 tornadoes, 3 tropical cyclones near the U.S., 23 notable earthquakes. 54 tornadoes were rated F3/EF3 or stronger and tornadoes killed 230.

01

Tornadoes

240 recorded; 54 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

1. Arkansas26
2. Tennessee23
3. Oklahoma22
4. Kansas19
5. Texas13
6. Georgia12
7. Alabama11
8. Florida10

Outbreak days

• Mar 21, 195227 tornadoes, 202 killed

Strongest and deadliest first

Tornadoes in 1952

Date	Rating	Where	Path, mi	Killed
Mar 21, 1952	F4	White	14.6	50
Mar 21, 1952	F4	Hardeman, Chester, Henderson	46.8	38
Mar 21, 1952	F4	Woodruff	13.1	29
Mar 21, 1952	F4	Pemiscot	6.5	17
Mar 21, 1952	F4	Marshall, Fayette	29.6	16
Mar 21, 1952	F4	Howard	13.0	7
Mar 22, 1952	F4	Morgan	21.6	4
Mar 21, 1952	F4	Dyer	2.0	4
Mar 21, 1952	F4	Cross	0.1	4
Feb 13, 1952	F4	Moore, Franklin	12.7	3
Mar 21, 1952	F4	Lonoke	7.6	2
Mar 21, 1952	F4	Dyer	4.7	2
Feb 29, 1952	F4	Lincoln	2.0	2
Jul 1, 1952	F4	Burleigh, Kidder	48.0	1
May 22, 1952	F4	Douglas, Leavenworth, Johnson	26.9	0
Aug 13, 1952	F4	Saunders, Cass	26.7	0
Jun 23, 1952	F4	Cherokee	24.1	0
Apr 21, 1952	F4	McLennan	2.3	0
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Dyer	18.1	10
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Lonoke	16.2	9
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Poinsett, Mississippi	51.8	3
May 10, 1952	F3	Greenville, Spartanburg	22.7	2
Jun 23, 1952	F3	Polk	18.2	2
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Mississippi	39.7	1
Jul 19, 1952	F3	Wibaux, Golden Valley	16.4	1
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Poinsett	9.4	1
Feb 13, 1952	F3	Tuscaloosa, Fayette	5.6	1
Feb 13, 1952	F3	Jefferson	0.1	1
Jul 19, 1952	F3	Fallon	55.5	0
Mar 10, 1952	F3	De Soto, Caddo, Bienville	50.9	0
Aug 13, 1952	F3	Colfax, Butler	44.4	0
Apr 4, 1952	F3	Jefferson Davis, Acadia	36.7	0
Dec 9, 1952	F3	Daviess, Hancock, Perry	35.0	0
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Jackson, Poinsett, Craighead	28.5	0
Nov 16, 1952	F3	Nodaway	21.6	0
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Saline	17.7	0
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Woodruff	17.6	0
Apr 5, 1952	F3	York	17.5	0
Jun 10, 1952	F3	Golden Valley	8.8	0
Feb 13, 1952	F3	Lincoln	7.4	0
May 15, 1952	F3	Weld	7.4	0
Feb 13, 1952	F3	Grundy	5.1	0
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Carroll	5.1	0
Aug 7, 1952	F3	Russell, Lincoln	4.7	0
Mar 3, 1952	F3	Bibb	4.3	0
May 11, 1952	F3	Berrien	4.3	0
Feb 29, 1952	F3	DeKalb	3.3	0
Mar 3, 1952	F3	Pickens	3.3	0
Mar 22, 1952	F3	Larue	2.7	0
Jun 15, 1952	F3	Wells	1.7	0
Sep 17, 1952	F3	Dare	1.0	0
Apr 30, 1952	F3	Tom Green	0.5	0
Jul 1, 1952	F3	Richland	0.5	0
Mar 21, 1952	F3	Carroll	0.1	0
Mar 21, 1952	F2	Prairie	13.3	5
Apr 4, 1952	F2	St. Landry, St. Martin	20.4	4
Mar 22, 1952	F2	Hickman	0.5	3
Mar 21, 1952	F2	Gibson	0.1	2
Aug 21, 1952	F2	Pettis	1.3	1
Mar 21, 1952	F2	Carroll	0.1	1
Jun 23, 1952	F2	Cottonwood, Brown, Nicollet	104.8	0
Jun 24, 1952	F2	Le Sueur, Scott, Hennepin	70.9	0
Nov 17, 1952	F2	Polk, Scott	39.2	0
Jun 21, 1952	F2	Leavenworth	24.9	0
Mar 18, 1952	F2	St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve	18.4	0
Feb 29, 1952	F2	McMinn	15.3	0
Apr 30, 1952	F2	Woods	13.7	0
Dec 3, 1952	F2	Trinity, Walker	13.3	0
Jun 26, 1952	F2	Phillips	12.0	0
Jun 10, 1952	F2	Stark	10.1	0
Jul 1, 1952	F2	McKenzie	9.7	0
Feb 29, 1952	F2	Banks	9.4	0
Jul 16, 1952	F2	Aitkin	9.4	0
Jan 22, 1952	F2	Mitchell, Colquitt	8.7	0
Jun 23, 1952	F2	Swift	8.4	0
Feb 29, 1952	F2	Franklin	7.8	0
Jul 24, 1952	F2	Stutsman	7.3	0
Jun 26, 1952	F2	Washington	7.0	0
Apr 5, 1952	F2	Wake	6.9	0
Feb 13, 1952	F2	Pemiscot	6.8	0
Apr 4, 1952	F2	St. Mary	6.4	0
Mar 18, 1952	F2	Cape Girardeau	6.2	0
Jul 19, 1952	F2	Erie	5.6	0
Aug 15, 1952	F2	Logan	5.1	0
Mar 18, 1952	F2	Randolph	4.9	0
Apr 3, 1952	F2	Grayson, Montague	4.9	0
Apr 5, 1952	F2	Rockingham	4.9	0
May 6, 1952	F2	Essex	4.9	0
Jun 19, 1952	F2	Sumner	3.3	0
Jun 26, 1952	F2	Saline	2.7	0
May 8, 1952	F2	Kit Carson	2.5	0
Jun 2, 1952	F2	Crawford	2.3	0
Jun 27, 1952	F2	Norton	1.9	0
Jan 28, 1952	F2	Leon	1.5	0
Feb 20, 1952	F2	Bay	1.5	0
May 20, 1952	F2	Hyde	1.5	0
Jul 27, 1952	F2	Freeborn	1.5	0
Aug 14, 1952	F2	Dickinson	1.5	0
May 22, 1952	F2	Jackson	1.3	0
Jul 16, 1952	F2	Miller	1.1	0
Jul 16, 1952	F2	Miller	1.1	0
Nov 19, 1952	F2	Granville	1.0	0
Jan 28, 1952	F2	Worth	1.0	0
Feb 29, 1952	F2	Warren	1.0	0
Feb 1, 1952	F2	Orange	1.0	0
Apr 5, 1952	F2	Augusta	1.0	0
Jan 17, 1952	F2	Crawford	0.5	0
Feb 19, 1952	F2	Caddo	0.5	0
Feb 13, 1952	F2	Mississippi	0.3	0
Feb 13, 1952	F2	Benton	0.3	0
Mar 21, 1952	F2	Humphreys	0.3	0
May 23, 1952	F2	Comanche	0.3	0
Aug 3, 1952	F2	Lafayette	0.3	0
Feb 29, 1952	F2	Jackson	0.2	0
May 21, 1952	F2	Republic	0.2	0
Mar 21, 1952	F2	Faulkner	0.1	0
May 10, 1952	F2	Bertie	0.1	0
May 23, 1952	F2	Comanche	0.1	0
May 23, 1952	F2	Butler	0.1	0
May 30, 1952	F2	Pinellas	0.1	0
Jun 29, 1952	F2	Tillman	0.1	0
Jun 4, 1952	F2	Lawrence	0.1	0
Jul 23, 1952	F2	Halifax	0.1	0
Jul 23, 1952	F2	Mifflin	0.1	0
Jul 6, 1952	F2	Sherman	0.1	0
Jul 9, 1952	F2	Grand Forks	0.1	0
Feb 29, 1952	F1	Marshall	0.1	3
Aug 10, 1952	F1	Burlington, Cape May, Monmouth	39.3	0
Jul 12, 1952	F1	Deuel	27.6	0
May 23, 1952	F1	Kiowa	16.9	0
May 9, 1952	F1	Marion, Hancock	15.6	0
Jun 5, 1952	F1	Grayson	13.8	0
Aug 27, 1952	F1	Stevens	13.3	0
Jul 6, 1952	F1	Decatur	11.9	0
May 23, 1952	F1	Tom Green	7.1	0
Feb 13, 1952	F1	Cullman, Blount	6.0	0
Jul 2, 1952	F1	Grant	4.1	0
Jan 28, 1952	F1	Monroe	3.8	0
Jul 7, 1952	F1	Canadian	3.6	0
Mar 18, 1952	F1	Greene	3.0	0
Jun 13, 1952	F1	Pinellas	2.5	0
Jan 28, 1952	F1	Dougherty	2.0	0
Apr 3, 1952	F1	Claiborne	2.0	0
May 8, 1952	F1	Niobrara	2.0	0
Jun 12, 1952	F1	Barnwell	2.0	0
Aug 31, 1952	F1	Fairfax	2.0	0
Feb 26, 1952	F1	Palm Beach	1.5	0
May 7, 1952	F1	Gentry	1.5	0
Mar 13, 1952	F1	Lee	1.0	0
Apr 29, 1952	F1	Furnas	1.0	0
Apr 5, 1952	F1	Frederick	1.0	0
Apr 5, 1952	F1	Frederick	1.0	0
Apr 5, 1952	F1	Monroe	1.0	0
Jun 15, 1952	F1	Holt	1.0	0
Jul 13, 1952	F1	Kingfisher	1.0	0
Apr 18, 1952	F1	Henderson	0.8	0
Aug 12, 1952	F1	Young	0.7	0
Mar 3, 1952	F1	Logan	0.6	0
Jan 28, 1952	F1	Calhoun	0.5	0
Aug 16, 1952	F1	Dauphin	0.5	0
Feb 13, 1952	F1	Davidson	0.3	0
Mar 22, 1952	F1	Smith	0.3	0
Apr 22, 1952	F1	Columbia	0.3	0
Jun 21, 1952	F1	Major	0.3	0
Jun 30, 1952	F1	Davidson	0.3	0
Feb 13, 1952	F1	Lincoln	0.2	0
Apr 4, 1952	F1	Mobile	0.2	0
Apr 5, 1952	F1	Union	0.2	0
May 10, 1952	F1	Fayette	0.2	0
May 10, 1952	F1	Fayette	0.2	0
May 10, 1952	F1	Fayette	0.2	0
Jul 17, 1952	F1	Montgomery	0.2	0
Aug 16, 1952	F1	Palm Beach	0.2	0
Nov 17, 1952	F1	Nemaha	0.1	0
Jan 22, 1952	F1	Tallapoosa	0.1	0
Jan 26, 1952	F1	Arkansas	0.1	0
Jan 26, 1952	F1	Arkansas	0.1	0
Jan 28, 1952	F1	Tift	0.1	0
Jan 28, 1952	F1	Emanuel	0.1	0
Feb 13, 1952	F1	Monroe	0.1	0
Feb 13, 1952	F1	Hancock	0.1	0
Mar 17, 1952	F1	Wichita	0.1	0
Apr 13, 1952	F1	Tuscarawas	0.1	0
Apr 20, 1952	F1	Harmon, Beckham, Roger Mills	0.1	0
Apr 22, 1952	F1	Independence	0.1	0
Apr 4, 1952	F1	Bay	0.1	0
Apr 8, 1952	F1	Edwards	0.1	0
May 13, 1952	F1	Cheyenne	0.1	0
May 22, 1952	F1	Grady	0.1	0
May 23, 1952	F1	Payne	0.1	0
May 23, 1952	F1	Worth	0.1	0
May 24, 1952	F1	Cuyahoga	0.1	0
May 24, 1952	F1	St. Clair	0.1	0
May 8, 1952	F1	Cheyenne	0.1	0
Jun 15, 1952	F1	Roger Mills	0.1	0
Jun 27, 1952	F1	Faulk	0.1	0
Jun 28, 1952	F1	Hutchinson	0.1	0
Jun 29, 1952	F1	Pinellas	0.1	0
Jun 1, 1952	F1	Roger Mills	0.1	0
Jun 4, 1952	F1	Blaine	0.1	0
Jul 13, 1952	F1	Rogers	0.1	0
Jul 16, 1952	F1	Beaver	0.1	0
Jul 17, 1952	F1	Mercer	0.1	0
Jul 29, 1952	F1	Covington	0.1	0
Jul 2, 1952	F1	Lyon	0.1	0
Aug 31, 1952	F1	Stokes	0.1	0
Aug 31, 1952	F1	Montgomery	0.1	0
Aug 7, 1952	F1	Edwards	0.1	0
Mar 21, 1952	F0	Prairie	0.1	1
Apr 8, 1952	F0	Beckham, Roger Mills, Dewey	45.9	0
May 26, 1952	F0	Cheyenne	2.0	0
Jun 23, 1952	F0	Sanborn	2.0	0
Apr 20, 1952	F0	Jackson	1.5	0
Apr 20, 1952	F0	Jackson	1.5	0
Apr 20, 1952	F0	Jackson	1.5	0
Feb 13, 1952	F0	Caddo	1.0	0
May 19, 1952	F0	Terrebonne	1.0	0
Jun 28, 1952	F0	Gregory	1.0	0
Mar 17, 1952	F0	Palo Pinto	0.5	0
Apr 23, 1952	F0	Tangipahoa	0.5	0
May 23, 1952	F0	Henderson	0.5	0
Apr 21, 1952	F0	Kay	0.3	0
Apr 5, 1952	F0	Caroline	0.3	0
Nov 14, 1952	F0	Yavapai	0.2	0
Mar 2, 1952	F0	Dallas	0.2	0
Nov 17, 1952	F0	Muscatine	0.1	0
Dec 20, 1952	F0	Los Angeles	0.1	0
Feb 13, 1952	F0	Neshoba	0.1	0
Mar 21, 1952	F0	Madison	0.1	0
Apr 22, 1952	F0	Riley	0.1	0
Apr 29, 1952	F0	Meade	0.1	0
Apr 30, 1952	F0	Stafford	0.1	0
Apr 30, 1952	F0	Ford	0.1	0
Apr 5, 1952	F0	Dauphin	0.1	0
May 21, 1952	F0	Osborne	0.1	0
May 23, 1952	F0	Hernando	0.1	0
Jun 18, 1952	F0	Pulaski	0.1	0
Jun 20, 1952	F0	Mountrail	0.1	0
Jun 24, 1952	F0	Haakon	0.1	0
Jul 6, 1952	F0	Cheyenne	0.1	0

Show all 240 rows

02

Tropical cyclones

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

Tropical cyclones near the U.S. in 1952

Storm	Peak	Counties ≤50 mi	States
Unnamed	Tropical storm	8	FL
Able	Category 2	251	CT, DC, DE, GA, MA, MD, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT, WV
Unnamed	Tropical storm	27	NC, SC

03

Earthquakes

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

Notable earthquakes of 1952

Date	Magnitude	Where	Depth, mi
Jul 21, 1952	7.5	Kern County, California Kern CA	3.7
Nov 21, 1952	6.2	near Cambria, CA San Luis Obispo CA	3.7
Sep 22, 1952	6.0	near Shelter Cove, California Humboldt CA	9.3
Jul 21, 1952	5.8	near Grapevine, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 29, 1952	5.7	near Lamont, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 25, 1952	5.6	near Tehachapi, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 31, 1952	5.6	near Tehachapi, CA Kern CA	3.7
Mar 31, 1952	5.5	Western Montana Flathead MT	—
Jul 23, 1952	5.5	near Grapevine, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 23, 1952	5.5	near Arvin, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 25, 1952	5.5	near Tehachapi, CA Kern CA	3.7
Aug 22, 1952	5.5	Bakersfield, California Kern CA	3.7
Jul 21, 1952	5.4	near Grapevine, CA Kern CA	0.0
Jul 22, 1952	5.4	near Bodfish, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 21, 1952	5.2	near Grapevine, CA Kern CA	0.0
Jul 21, 1952	5.2	near Grapevine, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 21, 1952	5.2	near Tehachapi, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 21, 1952	5.2	near Arvin, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 29, 1952	5.2	near Lamont, CA Kern CA	3.7
May 9, 1952	5.1	near Reno, Nevada Washoe NV	—
Jul 22, 1952	5.1	near Arvin, CA Kern CA	3.7
Jul 23, 1952	5.1	near Grapevine, CA Kern CA	9.5
Aug 7, 1952	5.0	near Grapevine, CA Kern CA	3.7

Show all 23 rows

04

Drought

On average 10% of lower-48 counties were in severe drought in 1952. The worst month was October 1952, with 21%.

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.