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The longest and widest tornadoes since 1950

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025

The longest tornado track in the SPC record ran 234.7 miles on March 22, 1953, beginning in Louisiana. The widest since 1995, when the SPC began recording maximum width, measured 4,576 yards (2.6 miles) on May 31, 2013 in Oklahoma.

By  · Updated  · How this was measured

The 20 longest tracks

  1. 1953-03-22, Louisiana 234.7 mi
  2. 1969-04-18, Georgia 217.8 mi
  3. 1966-03-03, Mississippi 202.5 mi
  4. 1971-02-21, Mississippi 202.1 mi
  5. 1965-05-24, Nebraska 176.4 mi
  6. 1970-04-29, Oklahoma 170.5 mi
  7. 1973-09-25, Kansas 169.7 mi
  8. 2021-12-10, Tennessee 168.53 mi
  9. 1975-01-12, Florida 168.5 mi
  10. 1953-05-10, Iowa 162 mi
  11. 1992-11-23, North Carolina 160 mi
  12. 1953-04-09, Illinois 156.7 mi
  13. 1961-06-21, South Dakota 156.3 mi
  14. 2010-04-24, Louisiana 148.97 mi
  15. 1956-10-29, Nebraska 147.7 mi
  16. 1961-07-21, Illinois 147.4 mi
  17. 1968-05-13, Kansas 140.4 mi
  18. 1954-04-30, Texas 139.9 mi
  19. 1973-05-27, Alabama 139.1 mi
  20. 1966-04-04, Florida 135.8 mi
Longest tornado tracks, 1950-2025
DateState and countiesRatingPathKilled
1953-03-22Louisiana (+1): Vernon, Natchitoches, Grant, Winn, Issaquena, WashingtonF2234.7 mi2
1969-04-18Georgia: Seminole, Decatur, Grady, MitchellF2217.8 mi0
1966-03-03Mississippi (+1): Hinds, Rankin, Scott, Leake, Pickens, TuscaloosaF5202.5 mi58
1971-02-21Mississippi (+1): Issaquena, Sharkey, Humphreys, Leflore, HardemanF4202.1 mi58
1965-05-24Nebraska: BuffaloF1176.4 mi0
1970-04-29Oklahoma: Jackson, Kiowa, Caddo, GradyF2170.5 mi0
1973-09-25Kansas (+1): Rice, McPherson, Saline, Ottawa, GageF3169.7 mi3
2021-12-10Tennessee (+1): Obion, Fulton, Hickman, Graves, MarshallEF4168.53 mi57
1975-01-12Florida (+1): Bay, Calhoun, Jackson, Seminole, Decatur, Mitchell, WorthF2168.5 mi1
1953-05-10Iowa (+2): Howard, Fillmore, Olmsted, Winona, Buffalo, Trempealeau, Eau Claire, ChippewaF4162 mi2
1992-11-23North Carolina: Harnett, Johnston, Wilson, EdgecombeF3160 mi0
1953-04-09Illinois (+1): Champaign, Vermilion, Warren, Fountain, Tippecanoe, ClintonF3156.7 mi3
1961-06-21South Dakota: Brown, Spink, Clark, KingsburyF3156.3 mi1
2010-04-24Louisiana (+1): Madison, Warren, Issaquena, Sharkey, YazooEF4148.97 mi10
1956-10-29Nebraska: Lincoln, Logan, Thomas, BlaineF4147.7 mi0
1961-07-21Illinois: Adams, Hancock, McDonough, WarrenF1147.4 mi0
1968-05-13Kansas: Wichita, Scott, Gove, TregoF3140.4 mi0
1954-04-30Texas: Travis, Williamson, Milam, RobertsonF3139.9 mi0
1973-05-27Alabama: Hale, Perry, Bibb, ShelbyF4139.1 mi7
1966-04-04Florida: Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, OsceolaF4135.8 mi11

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database. SPC severe weather database.

The 20 widest since 1995 (maximum width)

Widest tornadoes, 1995-2025
DateState and countiesRatingWidthPathKilled
2013-05-31Oklahoma: CanadianEF34,576 yd16.2 mi8
2004-05-22Nebraska: Jefferson, Saline, Gage, LancasterF44,400 yd54 mi1
2020-04-12Mississippi: Jefferson Davis, Covington, Jones, JasperEF43,960 yd67.43 mi7
2007-05-04Kansas: Kiowa, EdwardsEF33,872 yd23.5 mi0
2008-06-07Wisconsin: ColumbiaEF23,520 yd8.63 mi0
2016-04-29Texas: Smith, Wood, UpshurEF23,221 yd25.94 mi0
2024-05-25Oklahoma: Delaware, BentonEF33,200 yd7.9 mi0
2008-05-23Kansas: Clark, KiowaEF33,170 yd20.9 mi0
2016-05-09Oklahoma: Bryan, ChoctawEF33,100 yd13.8 mi0
2010-04-24Louisiana: Madison, Warren, Issaquena, Sharkey, YazooEF43,080 yd148.97 mi10
2004-08-13Florida: OsceolaF13,000 yd2 mi0
2007-05-04Kansas: KiowaEF53,000 yd25.8 mi11
2024-05-26Arkansas: BentonEF23,000 yd7.4 mi0
2025-05-19Oklahoma: PittsburgEF33,000 yd16 mi0
2011-04-25Arkansas: Pulaski, FaulknerEF22,900 yd51.32 mi4
2019-05-20Oklahoma: Cherokee, DelawareEF22,700 yd21 mi0
2011-04-09Iowa: Sac, Buena Vista, PocahontasEF32,640 yd29.37 mi0
2012-04-14Kansas: Stafford, RiceEF32,640 yd39.67 mi0
2014-05-11Nebraska: Fillmore, York, SewardEF32,640 yd19.14 mi0
2019-10-20Arkansas: BentonEF22,640 yd31.4 mi0

Before 1995 (mean width): the widest recorded were 3,330 yd on 1985-05-31 (Pennsylvania); 3,000 yd on 1977-04-02 (Kentucky); 3,000 yd on 1968-05-31 (Texas); 2,933 yd on 1969-08-06 (Minnesota); 2,667 yd on 1968-06-20 (South Dakota).

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database.

How this was measured

Path length is the whole track in miles as the SPC records it; width is in yards. Before 1995 the SPC recorded a tornado's mean width, since 1995 its maximum width, so the widths before and after are listed separately and are not comparable.

Sources

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

Limits

Long tracks from the 1950s-1970s were often several tornadoes from one storm recorded as one; modern surveys separate them. Widths depend on how a survey team measured damage.

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