66+ Facts About The Deadliest Tornados In US History

It is never nice to hear about all the people who were injured in a tornado or about the death toll, but sadly these deadly events do happen.

The United States has been the site for some of the world's deadliest tornadoes over the past few centuries, and we have some facts about them for you. Whether it be the Tri-State tornado, which killed and injured many, or the Natchez tornado, which damaged whole towns, this article will cover it all.

Tornadoes are common in the US because of the geographical location and the clashing of cold winds from the Rockies and warm winds from the Gulf of Mexico. The tornado season is different in different parts of the nation, and not all of them are deadly, but it is always wise to have an emergency package to hand if you live in an area that has some history with twisters. Keep reading for some facts about the most devastating tornadoes that the United States of America has ever seen!

History Of Tornadoes

The United States of America has had some of the worst tornadoes in the world over the past couple of centuries of recorded history. In addition to hundreds of lost lives, the worst tornadoes have also caused damage to businesses and houses, which amounts to billions of dollars at the very least.

• When measuring the intensity of tornadoes, path length and death toll are considered to be important.
• The wind speeds associated with a tornado are also important in terms of the damage that it may cause.
• The area along which a tornado moves and wreaks havoc is known as the damage path.
• Twisters can be so dangerous that even a very old and strong tree in the tornado's path may be completely uprooted.
• Most deaths and injuries caused by tornadoes are the result of flying and falling debris.
• Tornadoes with good visibility tend to cause less destruction.
• There are certain measures that one may take in order to prepare for a tornado outbreak.
• Different parts of the United States of America may expect tornadoes at different times of the year, depending on the geographic location and the season.
• A single tornado can cause enough damage for a society to struggle for years, but it is not uncommon for a number of tornadoes to originate in the same area in the span of a day or a couple of days.
• The National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are responsible for letting people know when tornadoes may be expected so that they have ample time for relocation.
• Prior knowledge of upcoming tornadoes also helps people to acquire supplies that can last for a couple of days during a crisis period.
• Tornado-struck areas have often reported fires in recent history.
• The weather and temperature patterns of the United States have a lot to do with the frequency of tornadoes that strike the states.
• Tornadoes are most commonly formed in the United States when the cool air from the Rockies collides with and overrides the warm and unstable air from the Gulf of Mexico.
• This is most common in the eastern states, although other parts of the nation are equally at risk depending on weather conditions.
• The deadliest tornadoes to be recorded in the history of the world took place in the United States due to the frequency of the formation of thunderstorms in the surrounding areas.
• David Ludlum was the person who first recorded a tornado in the United States.
• This tornado took place in the year 1643.
• The tornado plunged Nuwbury and Massachusetts into a storm and caused several deaths.
• Rural areas of the United States are left most damaged after such storms due to weak constructions and fewer large structures for people to take cover in.

Consequences Of Tornadoes

As with any natural disaster, tornadoes cause a lot of damage to life and property.

• Tornadoes cause great loss of life.
• Around 1,500 people from around the world lose their lives to tornadoes.
• The falling debris from a large tornado can injure or kill many people and cause great damage to their property.
• The winds from tornadoes can uproot trees and cause significant damage to houses.
• The economic stress caused by tornadoes is unparalleled.
• Damage to property worth billions of dollars is done by tornadoes in the United States each year.
• The annual death toll due to tornadoes is largely variable.
• Tornadoes also cause environmental contamination, which is not good for our planet.
• The heavy rains that are sometimes brought upon tornado-struck areas can be damaging towards nature in several ways!
• You must have heard at least one news headline in your life wherein a tornado destroyed crops for an entire season.
• The destruction of vegetation caused by tornadoes can cause serious troubles on Earth.
• Tornadoes have an undeniably negative effect on ecosystems.
• Tornadoes have the power to uproot trees and remove all ground-level vegetation, which act as shelter to many animals.
• Birds are often left homeless due to tornadoes stripping them of their nests!
• When tornadoes hit rural areas or areas with slums, the houses of several people are blown away in the wind.
• This was the case in one of the worst tornadoes that ever hit the country Bangladesh.
• The winds were so strong that the slums could not withstand them.
• Not only were several people injured, but many also lost their lives while still others were left homeless!
• People struck by the horrors and the deathly hand of tornadoes often show signs of psychological distress.
• Such distress is common in the cases of victims and family members of victims.
• They often develop a condition called PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which requires attention from trained professionals.
• Tornados are measured on the Fujita scale.

Worst Tornadoes

While the United States has been struck by many tornadoes, there are some that were so devastating that they have stuck in people's memories and in documented format.

• The Tri-State tornado is considered to be the deadliest tornado in the history of the United States of America.
• This tornado took place on March 18, 1925, and is named after the fact that its damage path was not limited to a single city.
• In fact, this large tornado was so strong that it went through three states of the nation.
• It is considered to be the worst tornado in the history of the nation due to its tremendous death toll of nearly 700 people!
• The deadliest tornado, the Tri-State tornado, went through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
• One of the deadliest tornadoes and the widest one to ever be recorded took place in the year 2013.
• It took place in Oklahoma on May 31, 2013.
• At its peak, it reached the horrifying width of 2.6 mi (4.18 km)!
• The Great Natchez tornado, which took place in the year 1840, also set its own records.
• This tornado destroyed many buildings, but in addition to this, it killed more people than it injured. This is a record in terms of the tornadoes that have taken place in the United States!
• This tornado took place in Natchez, in Mississippi.
• This devastating tornado took the lives of more than 300 people.
• It also destroyed plantations located as far away as Louisiana.
• The St. Louis tornado was also one of the very worst tornadoes.
• It took place in St. Louis, Illinois, right across the Mississippi River.
• The death toll of the St. Louis tornado is estimated to have been around 255 people.
• However, the exact numbers cannot be guessed since many people might have drowned in the Mississippi River as a result of this tornado outbreak.
• The Tupelo tornado was also one of the worst in the history of the nation.
• One of the rather scary facts about the Tupelo tornado is that it could have taken away a national treasure.
• As a young boy, Elvis Presley survived the Tupelo tornado!
• This tornado took place in Mississippi in the year 1936 and took away more than 200 lives!
• The Woodward tornado took place in the year 1947 in Oklahoma.
• Around 181 lives were taken away by the Woodward tornado, and it was around a mile wide.
• The New Richmond tornado took place in Richmond, Wisconsin.
• It took place in June 1899.
• Around 117 people were killed, and over 200 others were injured due to the New Richmond tornado.
• The Gainesville tornado took place on April 6, 1936. It took place in Gainesville, GA.
• It destroyed around 750 houses in the state of Georgia!
• The Joplin tornado took place in May 2011.
• Joplin is a place in Missouri, and the tornado caused great damage in the area.

Facts About The Deadliest Tornado In US History

We're sure you want to know more about the deadliest twister in the United States now!

• The Tri-State tornado caused around 695 deaths and injured 2,027 people!
• This tornado went through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
• The Gainesville tornado destroyed large chunks of a northern town in Georgia.
• The Gainesville tornado destroyed 750 houses in the town.
• The St. Louis tornado took place in St. Louis, Missouri, which is a city.
• It led to 255 deaths and injured over 1,000 people in the city.
• The Natchez tornado led to 317 reported deaths, and 109 people were injured in the town.
• The Woodward tornado of Oklahoma was more than a mile wide in some places and injured around 970 people in the town.
• The Joplin tornado came with a storm. The winds were blowing at over 200 mph (321.8 kph). It was on the ground for a whopping 22 mi (35.4 km)!
• The Gainesville tornado was, in fact, a pair of storms and not just one.
• Around 770 people were injured in the Purvis/Amite tornado.
• The Flint tornado injured 844 people!
• The Tri-State tornado hit an F5 on the Fujita scale, which is the deadliest tornado type!
• The Tri-State tornado is also deemed the longest tornado in US history and lasted for about three and a half hours!
• Towns such as West Frankfort and De Soto were destroyed by the Tri-State tornado!
• F5 is the highest on the Fujita scale so you should not trust any sources that list an F6 rating!