2024 US Tornadoes

• CDP often uses preliminary NWS or NOAA/NCEI data because final numbers take significant time. NOAA says, “Historically, for every 100 preliminary tornado reports, at least 65 tornadoes are confirmed.”
• Of the 27 billion-dollar disasters in 2024, nearly two-thirds included confirmed tornado outbreaks.
• NOAA has confirmed 54 tornado-related deaths in 2024. Of these deaths, 33 of these deaths occurred in a manufactured home, 10 inside a traditionally built home, three inside a vehicle, three outside, one inside a building, and four locations are unknown.
• The United States has not experienced an EF-5 twister since the Moore Tornado in 2013. While most tornadoes (90%) are rated EF-0 or EF-1, they can still cause severe damage to mobile homes and manufactured housing.
• Since 1880, the percentage of fatalities during daytime tornadoes has decreased by 20%, while the percentage of deaths during nighttime tornadoes has increased by the same amount. Nighttime tornadoes kill twice as many people as daytime tornadoes annually.

The year wrapped up with 120 tornadoes in December. This is more than five times the average of 28 tornadoes in December. Of these, 86 occurred in a significant tornado outbreak from Dec. 26 to Dec. 29, which included three EF-3 intensity twisters.

One-third of the days in November saw one tornado, while three saw five each. There were 39 tornadoes in total, slightly above average.

During the weekend of Dec. 28-29, 40 tornadoes ripped across Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, killing four people. Over 100,000 customers initially lost power from the storms.

There were 53 tornadoes in October. Hurricane Milton caused the majority of the tornadoes – around 46 tornadoes throughout Florida, including three EF-3s that affected Glades, Palm Beach and St. Lucie Counties. These tornadoes stripped off roofs, flipped mobile homes, and tossed around boats and cars. Milton was the first hurricane or tropical storm to produce an EF-3 tornado in Florida since Hurricane Agnes in June 1972.

September was an above-average month with 73 tornadoes. More than half the days in the month had at least one tornado and three had more than 10 each.

Hurricane Helene spawned over 20 tornadoes across Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia on Sept. 26-27. The strongest was EF-1 in South Carolina. The tornadoes uprooted trees and damaged buildings and infrastructure. No fatalities were attributed to the tornadoes.

There were 91 confirmed tornadoes in August, which is above the 1991-2020 average of 81 tornadoes.

The most intense day for tornadoes was Aug. 5, when 29 tornadoes hit southern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, coastal South Carolina and Buffalo, New York, with no injuries or fatalities.

Tropical Storm Debby caused tornadoes as it moved inland, leading to significant damage in North Carolina. These included an EF-2 in Sampson County and an EF-3 in Wilson County, resulting in one fatality. On Aug. 8, Debby spawned 11 tornadoes across several other states, causing damage but no injuries or fatalities.

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center indicated that there were 210 tornadoes reported for July. Over 60 of those tornadoes were connected with the path of Hurricane Beryl as it traveled across the U.S., from Texas to Vermont, and on to Canada.

While at least one tornado occurred on all but three days in June, there were no major outbreaks. June saw 131 tornadoes, with a couple of events reaching or exceeding 20 twisters.

NOAA/NCEI reported 570 tornadoes in May, a significant increase from the 1991-2020 average of 268.4 and the highest count ever recorded for the month of May.  

Twisters were reported in almost half the states in the country, and there were only two days in the month without at least one tornado. Three of the six billion-dollar weather and climate disasters confirmed in May included tornadoes.

With nearly 400 tornadoes confirmed in April, the month brought more than double the average of 182.4 tornadoes, including at least 27 EFUs, 84 EF-0s, 161 EF-1s, 35 EF-2s, nine EF-3s and one EF-4. At least seven direct tornado deaths and several related fatalities were recorded, with fatalities spread across several of the outbreaks.

NOAA/NCEI said, “The preliminary tornado count for the January-April year-to-date period was 547, which is similar to the total from the last couple of years and above the 1991-2020 average of 337.9 tornadoes. It was also the third highest count for this period on record.”

NOAA/NCEI confirmed 66 tornadoes in March, which is below the 30-year average of 80.1 events for the month. Half of the days in the month had no tornadoes, and this is the lowest amount for the month since March 2018.

NOAA/NCEI also said that “March 2024 was the 17th-warmest March on record for the nation and precipitation ranked in the wettest third of the historical record for the month.”

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center reported 52 preliminary tornadoes during February, below the 1991-2020 average of 75 tornadoes for the month. States affected include California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The month was unseasonably warm and dry.