Portal:Tornadoes

Storm chasing is broadly defined as the deliberate pursuit of any severe weather phenomenon, regardless of motive, but most commonly for curiosity, adventure, scientific investigation, or for news or media coverage. A person who chases storms is known as a storm chaser (or "chaser" for short).

While witnessing a tornado is the single biggest objective for most chasers, many chase thunderstorms and delight in viewing cumulonimbus and related cloud structures, watching a barrage of hail and lightning, and seeing what skyscapes unfold. A smaller number of storm chasers attempt to intercept tropical cyclones, waterspouts, blizzards, and other weather phenomena. (Full article...)

This page documents all tornadoes confirmed by various weather forecast offices of the National Weather Service in the United States during November to December 2018. Based on the 1991–2010 averaging period, 58 tornadoes occur across the United States throughout November while 24 more occur in December.

November saw multiple large outbreaks, the first of which was an extension of an outbreak that began at the end of October while the last one extended into December. December also featured an unusually strong tornado in the state of Washington. November and December finished significantly above average with 88 and 66 tornadoes respectively. However, both months did not have any violent tornadoes, leaving the United States without any tornadoes of such intensity for all of 2018. (Full article...)

Damage in Moore, Oklahoma following an F4 tornado on May 8.

This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2003. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail.

There were 1,395 tornadoes reported in the United States in 2003, of which 1,374 were confirmed. 2003 is currently the seventh-most active year for tornadoes in the United States since reliable record-keeping began in 1950. (Full article...)

The storm complex moving over the Central United States in the evening hours of March 4

A large-scale extratropical cyclone brought blizzard conditions across the Upper Midwest starting March 4, 2025, causing widespread gusty winds and several tornadoes. Developing on March 2, the system developed as a Colorado low and rapidly strengthened on March 4. Very gusty winds were prevalent due to the immense size and strength of the system as a result.

Over 400,000 power outages were reported to have been inflicted by the storm in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and at least six people were killed, three in Nebraska and three in Mississippi. The storm was the first major weather event to hit the United States since the mass layoff of federal employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Full article...)

December 6

• 1892 – A tornado outbreak killed three people in northeastern Texas. An F4 tornado swept away farms near Atlanta, Texas, killing one person and injuring 25, 13 of them in one house. An F2 tornado killed a child near Marshall and another F2 tornado killed a person near Nacocgdoches.
• 1983 – An F3 tornado moved across parts of Selma, Alabama, damaging or destroying 103 buildings, including a dormitory at Selma University. One person was killed and 19 were injured. An F4 tornado struck the northwestern portion of La Place, Louisiana, injuring 25 people. About 100-125 homes were severely damaged with 25-30 destroyed. Several homes were wiped clean from their foundations, but an F5 rating was not assigned because the homes were not well-anchored.
• 2012 – A rain-wrapped EF2 tornado struck Hobsonville, a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand killing three people, including two workers at a construction site, tying it as New Zealand's deadliest tornado. The other record-holder was in Hamilton in 1948.

December 7

• 1924 – An outbreak produced strong tornadoes in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama. An F2 tornado killed three people in one home near Beedeville, Arkansas. Another F2 tornado killed one person near Gibson, Tennessee. One other person may have died near Gallatin, Tennessee.
• 1996 – A short-lived F2 tornado touched down in Riverview, Florida. A man and his three dogs died when a mobile home was thrown 100 feet (30 m). A car was found with most of its contents, including a transmission, sucked out through the hatchback.
• 2010 – An F3 tornado tracked 34 miles (54 km) across the Santarém and Castelo Branco Districts of Portugal, causing its worst damage in Tomar and injuring 40 people, including several children at a kindergarten.

December 8

• 1851 – Two destructive tornadoes came ashore at Marsala, Sicily (then part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) and crossed a portion of the island before returning to the sea at Castellammare del Golfo. An estimated 500 people were killed, including 200 at Castellammare, where half the down was destroyed.
• 1917 – An F2 tornado destroyed several homes and other buildings in Atlanta, Louisiana, killing a child and injuring two others. This event came exactly one year after another F2 tornado hit Atlanta. The 1916 storm was more destructive, destroying 35 homes and many smaller structures; two people were killed and 15 were injured.

• ...that the 12-year gap between the 2013 Moore tornado and the 2025 Enderlin tornado, both of which were rated EF5, was the longest EF5 drought in recorded history?
• ...that the 2021 South Moravia tornado, an IF4 tornado with winds between 207–260 mph (333–418 km/h), was the strongest tornado to hit the Czech Republic in modern history?
• ...that five of the six people killed in the 2011 Cullman–Arab tornado were members of the same family?
• ...that Picher, Oklahoma, was hit so hard by a tornado in 2008 that it would become a ghost town in 2015?
• ...that the 2022 Andover tornado injured only three people, despite damaging more than 1,000 buildings?