PlainHazard

The days with the most tornadoes

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025

The busiest tornado day in the SPC record is April 27, 2011: 210 tornadoes across 16 states, 35 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger, and 319 deaths. Of the 25 busiest days, the deadliest was April 27, 2011 (319 deaths).

By  · Updated  · How this was measured

The 25 busiest days

  1. April 27, 2011 210
  2. April 3, 1974 128
  3. March 31, 2023 127
  4. December 15, 2021 125
  5. May 5, 2007 97
  6. June 24, 2003 95
  7. May 25, 2011 94
  8. April 2, 2025 88
  9. January 21, 1999 86
  10. April 14, 2012 84
  11. May 4, 2003 81
  12. May 30, 2004 81
  13. March 30, 2022 81
  14. May 18, 1995 79
  15. May 23, 2008 79
  16. May 29, 2004 78
  17. April 26, 2024 78
  18. December 28, 2024 77
  19. November 17, 2013 76
  20. April 15, 2011 75
  21. May 6, 2003 74
  22. June 17, 2010 74
  23. April 12, 2020 73
  24. May 3, 1999 71
  25. May 10, 2010 71
Days by number of tornadoes, 1950-2025
#DateTornadoesEF3+KilledStates
12011-04-2721035319Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Ohio, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, West Virginia
21974-04-0312860308North Carolina, Indiana, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Michigan, New York
32023-03-311271023Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky
42021-12-1512500Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin
52007-05-059731Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma
62003-06-249530Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska
72011-05-259420Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Arkansas, Iowa, California, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas
82025-04-028855Oklahoma, Missouri, Arizona, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi
91999-01-2186108Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee
102012-04-148466Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma
112003-05-04811238Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois
122004-05-308122Oklahoma, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Ohio
132022-03-308120Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, Alabama, Florida
141995-05-187934Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama
152008-05-237972Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma
162004-05-297853Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, Kentucky
172024-04-267861Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri
182024-12-287731Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama
192013-11-177698Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee
202011-04-1575610Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky
212003-05-067422South Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, Arizona, North Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas
222010-06-177483North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin
232020-04-1273622Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee
241999-05-03711046Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Nebraska, South Dakota
252010-05-107163Kansas, Oklahoma

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

How this was measured

Tornadoes counted by the date their track began (the SPC's local date), one per tornado. An outbreak that ran past midnight is split across two dates, so this measures single days, not whole outbreaks.

Sources

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

Limits

Modern counts include many weak tornadoes that earlier surveys missed, so recent days are favoured; the column of EF3-or-stronger tornadoes compares eras more fairly.

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