The deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025

The deadliest tornado in U.S. history is the Tri-State tornado of March 18, 1925, through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana: 695 deaths on the Storm Prediction Center's list, which runs back to 1840. Since 1950, when the tornado database begins, the deadliest is Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011: 158 deaths and 1,150 injuries. Tornadoes killed 6,341 people in the United States from 1950 to 2025; the deadliest year was 2011 (553).

By PlainHazard Editorial · Updated October 8, 2026 · How this was measured

The 25 deadliest on record, back to 1840 (SPC)

The Storm Prediction Center keeps this list from historical records. It warns that some early events "may have been composed of multiple tornadoes along a damage path" and that death counts for the 1800s and early 1900s "should be treated as estimates".

The 25 deadliest U.S. tornadoes, as the Storm Prediction Center lists them
#	Date	Location(s)	Deaths
1	1925-03-18	Tri-State (MO/IL/IN)	695
2	1840-05-06	Natchez MS	317
3	1896-05-27	St. Louis MO	255
4	1936-04-05	Tupelo MS	216
5	1936-04-06	Gainesville GA	203
6	1947-04-09	Woodward OK	181
7	2011-05-22	Joplin MO	158
8	1908-04-24	Amite LA, Purvis MS	143
9	1899-06-12	New Richmond WI	117
10	1953-06-08	Flint MI	116
11t	1953-05-11	Waco TX	114
11t	1902-05-18	Goliad TX	114
13	1913-03-23	Omaha NE	103
14	1917-05-26	Mattoon IL	101
15	1944-06-23	Shinnston WV	100
16	1880-04-18	Marshfield MO	99
17t	1903-06-01	Gainesville GA	98
17t	1927-05-09	Poplar Bluff MO	98
19	1905-05-10	Snyder OK	97
20	1860-06-03	Comanche IA, Albany IL	92
21	1908-04-24	Natchez MS	91
22	1953-06-09	Worcester MA	90
23	1920-04-20	Starkville MS to Waco AL	88
24	1924-06-28	Lorain/Sandusky OH	85
25	1955-05-25	Udall KS	80

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes (t = tied). SPC's list.

The 25 deadliest since 1950, measured

The 25 deadliest tracks since 1950, start to end; the numbers are the ranks in the table below.

Tornadoes with the most deaths, 1950-2025
#	Date	Tornado, states and counties	Rating	Path	Killed	Injured
1	2011-05-22	Joplin · Missouri: Newton, Jasper	EF5	21.62 mi	158	1,150
2	1953-06-08	Flint · Michigan: Genesee, Lapeer	F5	18.9 mi	116	844
3	1953-05-11	Waco · Texas: McLennan	F5	20.9 mi	114	597
4	1953-06-09	Worcester · Massachusetts: Worcester	F4	34.9 mi	94	1,228
5	1955-05-25	Udall · Kansas, Oklahoma: Kay, Sumner, Cowley	F5	56.4 mi	80	273
6	2011-04-27	Hackleburg/Phil Campbell · Alabama, Tennessee: Franklin, Lawrence, Morgan	EF5	132 mi	72	145
7	2011-04-27	Tuscaloosa to Birmingham · Alabama: Greene, Tuscaloosa, Jefferson	EF4	80.68 mi	64	1,500
8	1971-02-21	Oxford · Mississippi, Tennessee: Issaquena, Sharkey, Humphreys, Leflore, Hardeman	F4	202.1 mi	58	795
9	1966-03-03	Jackson · Alabama, Mississippi: Hinds, Rankin, Scott, Leake, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	F5	202.5 mi	58	518
10	2021-12-10	Mayfield to Hartford · Kentucky, Tennessee: Obion, Fulton, Hickman, Graves, Marshall	EF4	168.53 mi	57	515
11	1952-03-21	Searcy · Arkansas: White	F4	14.6 mi	50	325
12	1971-02-21	Delhi · Louisiana, Mississippi: Madison, East Carroll, Issaquena, Sharkey, Washington, Humphreys	F5	109.2 mi	47	510
13	1957-05-20	Ruskin Heights · Kansas, Missouri: Franklin, Miami, Johnson, Jackson	F5	69.4 mi	44	207
14	1979-04-10	Wichita Falls · Oklahoma, Texas: Archer, Wichita, Clay, Jefferson	F4	46.9 mi	42	1,740
15	1953-12-05	Vicksburg · Mississippi: Warren	F5	9 mi	38	270
16	1952-03-21	Bolivar to Henderson · Tennessee: Hardeman, Chester, Henderson	F4	46.8 mi	38	157
17	1974-04-03	Xenia · Ohio: Greene, Clark	F5	31.3 mi	36	1,150
18	1999-05-03	Bridge Creek/Moore · Oklahoma: Grady, McClain, Cleveland, Oklahoma	F5	37 mi	36	583
19	1965-04-11	Elkhart · Indiana: St. Joseph, Elkhart, LaGrange	F4	37 mi	36	321
20	1968-05-15	Jonesboro · Arkansas: Jackson, Craighead, Mississippi	F4	20.9 mi	35	364
21	1967-04-21	Chicago · Illinois: Cook	F4	15 mi	33	500
22	1998-04-08	Oak Grove/Pleasant Grove · Alabama: Tuscaloosa, Jefferson	F5	30.3 mi	32	259
23	1969-01-23	Hazlehurst to Puckett · Mississippi: Jefferson, Copiah, Simpson, Rankin	F4	117.8 mi	32	241
24	1974-04-03	Brandenburg · Indiana, Kentucky: Breckinridge, Meade, Harrison	F5	32 mi	31	270
25	1965-04-11	Wakarusa to Middlebury · Indiana: Elkhart	F4	21.2 mi	31	252

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025. SPC severe weather database.

Tornado deaths by decade

1950s 1,420
1960s 942
1970s 998
1980s 522
1990s 581
2000s 560
2010s 910
2020-25 408

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; the 2020s run to 2025.

How this was measured

Tornadoes ranked by the deaths the SPC database records for the whole track (one row per tornado); a tornado that crossed state lines appears once, under the state where it began. Deaths by decade sum every tornado of the decade.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center, Severe Weather Database, 1950-2025.

Limits

The measured list begins in 1950, when the SPC database begins; earlier tornadoes appear only on SPC's historical list above. Names come from SPC's lists where it names the tornado, otherwise from the incorporated places nearest the track's start and end (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer). Death counts are those the SPC holds; its historical list and its database can differ for the same tornado.