Tornadoes in the United States

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 73,378 tornadoes in the lower 48 states, about 966 a year. Together they killed 6,341 people. No other country gets nearly as many, because warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico collides here with cold, dry air from Canada and the Rockies.

Tornadoes since 1950: 73,378
Average per year: 966
Deaths: 6,341
Busiest day: May 24 (702 tornadoes since 1950)
Record year: 2004 (1,811)
F5 or EF5 tornadoes: 60, the last on June 20, 2025 (North Dakota)

LiveIs a Tornado Near Me?

Tornado Season Draws a Loop

Stack every tornado since 1950 onto one calendar year and follow their average starting point, day by day. In January the center of activity sits in Mississippi. Through spring it climbs north and west, by mid-July it reaches northern Missouri near the Iowa line, about 520 miles from where it started, then it slides back south through the fall.

Tornadoes Month by Month

April, May and June bring 55% of all tornadoes. May is the busiest month.

States With the Most Tornadoes

9,610 Texas 13 %
4,582 Kansas 6 %
4,484 Oklahoma 6 %
3,761 Florida 5 %
3,203 Nebraska 4 %
3,108 Illinois 4 %
3,079 Iowa 4 %
2,854 Mississippi 4 %
2,681 Alabama 4 %
2,656 Missouri 4 %

The Deadliest Tornadoes Since 1950

2011 May 22, 2011 · Missouri · EF5 158 deaths
1953 June 8, 1953 · Michigan · F5 116 deaths
1953 May 11, 1953 · Texas · F5 114 deaths
1953 June 9, 1953 · Massachusetts · F4 94 deaths
1955 May 25, 1955 · Oklahoma · F5 80 deaths
2011 April 27, 2011 · Alabama · EF5 72 deaths
2011 April 27, 2011 · Alabama · EF4 64 deaths
1966 March 3, 1966 · Mississippi · F5 58 deaths
1971 February 21, 1971 · Mississippi · F4 58 deaths
2021 December 10, 2021 · Tennessee · EF4 57 deaths

Is Tornado Alley Moving East?

Between 1950-1987 and 1988-2025, the share of tornadoes starting in the Mid-South (Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee) rose from 12% to 16%, while the Plains (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, north Texas) fell from 24% to 21%. Keeping only F2/EF2 and stronger tornadoes, which were well recorded even in the 1950s, the Mid-South climbs from 17% to 24%. The eastward shift matches what researchers have reported. It matters because the Mid-South is more wooded and more crowded, and its tornadoes strike more often at night.

Hurricanes and cyclones since 1950