Background
Tornadoes happen more in the United States than in any other country, with around 1,200 tornadoes occurring every year. On average 75 Americans die per year due to those tornadoes, with an overwhelming majority being from EF-4 or EF-5 tornadoes. EF-4 and EF-5 tornadoes are rare with only 2% of all tornadoes reaching that strength. With only 2% of tornadoes reaching the threshold of EF4+, and the majority of deaths being from tornadoes of that strength, it is incredibly rare to be impacted by a tornado. Also, as technology and engineering advance it is even more unlikely to be killed by a tornado. Even though deaths from tornadoes are uncommon it only takes one to change lives forever. This list will cover the 5 most deadly tornadoes in United States history.
5. Gainesville, Georgia Tornado (203 Deaths)
On April 6th, 1936, an F4 tornado tore through the heart of Gainesville, Georgia. The tornado tracked over downtown where well-built buildings stood. The tornado demolished downtown and scattered debris throughout town. It left hundreds of people trapped, and the town resembled a warzone. This tornado was part of the April 5th-6th, 1936 tornado outbreak, which included two tornadoes that killed over 200 people. In total, the outbreak spawned 14 tornadoes that all caused damage. This outbreak was recorded breaking and was key for forecasting severe weather events in the future.
4. Tupelo, Mississippi Tornado (216 Deaths)
On April 5th, 1936, an F5 tornado, part of the April 5th-6th tornado outbreak, struck many towns across Mississippi. This was the premier tornado of the historic outbreak. This nighttime storm began in Arkansas causing significant damage in the town of La Crosse. It then crossed into Tennessee continuing its swath of damage. Soon after, it crossed into northeastern Mississippi where the town of Tupelo is located. A new tornado formed outside of town and ran into city limits. By the time it exited town over 216 people in the town of Tupelo were killed. Damage in Tupelo was over 1 million dollars, and the worst hit areas of the city included areas where poor low-class civilians lived. The Tupelo hospital was also impacted which is a reason why the death toll from this storm was high.
3. St. Louis, Missouri Tornado (255 Deaths)
On May 27th, 1896, a tornado impacted St. Louis. This tornado did not have a rating because it happened before the EF scale was created. But, estimations today state that the tornado would have most likely been rated F4. The tornado impacted the east side of town and caused catastrophic damage. The tornado entered the city at 5 p.m., and in just 20 minutes the storm caused over 5,000 people to lose their homes. Some of the hardest areas were in poor subdivisions like Mill Creek Valley. This tornado was the most notable of the major tornado outbreak that impacted the central United States. The outbreak included longer track and potentially stronger tornadoes. The tornado caused 350 million dollars worth of damage in today’s money and unfortunately caused 255 people to lose their lives.
2. Natchez, Mississippi Tornado (317 Deaths)
On May 7th, 1840, a catastrophic tornado impacted Nachez. The tornado was estimated to be F3 and had a path length of 3o miles. This tornado was incredibly strange because it was one of two recorded tornadoes that killed more people than injured. The reason why this tornado was so deadly is that most of the people harmed were on the water. There were over 120 flatboats on the river that flowed through the town at the time of impact. Only around 40 of the deaths were on land, and the amounts deaths are only estimated. Slave deaths were not counted from this tornado, so there were more than 317 deaths. In today’s money, tornado damage exceeded 1.2 million dollars.
1. Tri-State Tornado (695 Deaths)
March 18th, 1925, a historic tornado caused damage and destruction in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. This tornado is not only the deadliest to strike the United States it also has the record for longest tornado track in the world. This tornado also had more than 1,000 injuries and moved at over 60 miles per hour. Other facts about this storm include its duration. Most tornadoes are only on the ground for a few minutes. The Tri-State tornado was on the ground for 3.5 hours. This tornado was catastrophic because it impacted many communities. In all, this singular tornado hit 19 communities throughout the 3 states. In the tornado’s 219-mile path, 695 people lost their lives.