2024 US Tornadoes

On April 16, severe storms moved into the Midwest and spawned twisters in Iowa and Kansas, leaving several people hurt. In the early hours, an EF-1 tornado touched down in Osage County, Kansas, and injured two individuals when their RV flipped over.

Shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time, an EF-2 tornado made landfall in Greenwood County and caused significant damage to a large outbuilding and uprooted large trees. Damages were also found at a farm south of the city of Virgil.

At least 15 tornadoes touched down across Iowa on April 16, including an EF-2, according to the NWS. A 900-feet wide long-track EF-2 tornado inflicted significant damage to trees, outbuildings, farmsteads and homes. Large ping-pong-sized hail was reported near the Missouri border. Running for over 42 miles, the tornado produced peak wind speeds of 130 mph. It is the longest tornado path in the area since almost exactly a decade ago, April 27, 2014.

As a result of the damages, Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for six counties impacted by the tornadoes on April 16. Residents are eligible to receive up to $5,000 through the Individual Assistance Grant Program and may also utilize the Disaster Case Advocacy Program to craft a disaster recovery plan.

NWS New Orleans determined at least 12 tornadoes hit Louisiana and Mississippi as part of the same storm system, which left at least one dead due to a fallen tree and power line. This is the only storm-related accidental death confirmed as of April 22.

A high-end EF-1 twister, known as the Labarre-Spillman, ran for over 32 miles from Louisiana until it dissipated in Mississippi. While it moved over mostly rural land, it left widespread tree damage and downed wooden electrical transmission poles. Fallen trees on roads and highways impeded ground surveys on parts of the track. It is likely to be upgraded to an EF-2 after survey teams assess damages.

Initially an EF-1, a 120 mph twister near Slidell left bent metal beams and roofs blown off. It was later upgraded to an EF-2 after survey teams assessed for damages to businesses, apartment buildings, trees and homes. Multiple injuries were reported, but the total number is currently unknown.

A short-lived 115 mph EF-2 tornado touched down near McNeese State University before moving southeast. The twister destroyed roofs and caused widespread tree and electrical damages before weakening and dissipating after tracking for 1.06 miles.

A powerful line of storms passed through the Midwest and into much of the Central and Southeast U.S., causing severe thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes on April 2. The most impacted areas include Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.

In the late hours of April 2, an EF-2 twister with winds at 115 mph touched down in Rockdale County, Georgia. Officials found downed trees and power lines and damaged homes, vehicles and businesses. On the ground for roughly 17 minutes, the tornado traveled 9.47 miles (15.24 km). An estimated 113 power outages impacting 94,590 people were reported, with 14,212 without service.

By early afternoon April 3, the Georgia Red Cross had responded by providing emergency essentials and support to families, including recovery resources for the coming days and weeks.

At least nine tornadoes touched down in Kentucky and southern Indiana, prompting Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky to declare a state of emergency on April 3. While initially rated at EF-1, one of the twisters was upgraded to an EF-2 after a survey of damages in Jeffersonville, Indiana and Prospect, Kentucky.

Ten people were reported to have minor injuries. Crews will continue assessing damages, but initial images and videos show debris on roads, trees down and damaged homes.

Kentucky also saw a short-lived EF-2 tornado in Boyd County, which caused significant tree and home damage. Several barns and buildings were destroyed, and further assessments were limited due to access issues. A death was reported after a car accident during the intense storms.

The NWS Louisville says despite issuing warning sirens, many drivers and motorists continued to drive through the storm.

Four low-grade tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down across Ohio during storms and severe weather. While the tornadoes were EF-1 and under, the storm brought heavy rain, resulting in 44 flood reports and the Ohio River swell well above flood levels. The impact of the flooded Ohio River was felt in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where homeless encampments were wiped out.

Ohio saw a record number of tornadoes within the first three months of 2024, with 22 twisters as of April 2. The previous record was 12 tornadoes in 1986.

In West Virginia, preliminary findings by NWS Charleston indicated an EF-2 tornado with winds up to 130 mph in Fayette County. As of April 4, further assessments are still ongoing. The strong storms left debris on the streets, damaged buildings and nearly 140,000 customers without power, prompting Governor Jim Justice to declare a state of emergency.

Strong thunderstorms, including tornadoes, moved through eastern Indiana and western Ohio on the evening of March 14, causing significant damage and knocking out power for thousands. At the height of the power outages, more than 20,000 customers in Ohio were without power, according to PowerOutage.us.

A tornado watch was issued in the late evening of March 14 for portions of far southern and southeast Ohio, southeast Indiana, and northern and north-central Kentucky until 4 a.m. March 15.

As of March 19, NWS confirmed nine tornadoes struck Ohio, many of which were low EF-1 and EF-0. The strongest of the outbreak were an EF-3 and two EF-2 tornadoes.

The EF-3 tornado hit the community of Indian Lake, Ohio, traveling 31.2 miles (50 kilometers) for 47 minutes. Despite conflicting initial reports on the number of fatalities and injuries, three deaths and 27 injuries were confirmed in Logan County. Packing wind speeds of 155 mph, the tornado struck a manufactured home community near Indian Lake, where most of the fatalities occurred.

Lakeview, a village in Logan County that sits on Indian Lake, saw significant damage. Columbus Dispatch Photographer Doral Chenoweth said, “Every building in Lakeview and every building here has some form of damage.”

Two EF-2 tornadoes were also confirmed in central Union County and Darke and Miami counties, Ohio, traveling from Indiana. The EF-2 tornado in Union County traveled 19.7 miles (40 km) with a wind speed of 125 mph. A number of homes, trees and barns were damaged; however, no injuries or fatalities were reported.

The tornado from Indiana entered Ohio as an EF-1 but reached EF-2 intensity after crossing into Miami County. It lasted approximately 40 minutes, packing wind speeds up to 120 mph and traveling 24.2 miles (39 kilometers). Several homes, properties and outbuildings were severely damaged, with debris scattering into adjacent fields. Two injuries were reported in Darke County.

On March 17, following confirmed reports on the number of casualties and damages, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency for 11 counties to allow additional aid for response and recovery efforts.

NWS Indianapolis confirmed multiple intense supercells that produced large hail and one long-track EF-3 tornado that continued into western Ohio, making it the longest in 2024 at 49.2 miles (79 km). With winds peaking at 165 mph, the tornado knocked over utility poles, uprooted trees, and severely damaged many homes and buildings, including a church. The twister was estimated to be a high-end EF-2 in the residential core of the town but intensified as it moved east towards more commercial hubs.

As of the morning of March 15, at least 38 people in Indiana, many from Winchester, and more than 20 in Ohio were reportedly injured.

The storms reportedly also damaged a manufactured home park and other properties in Randolph County, Indiana.

In Kentucky, a damaging EF-2 twister crossed state lines multiple times, moving parallel to the Ohio River and through campgrounds and parks hosting RV trailers, large campers and mobile homes. Structural damage was seen on homes, while large campers and mobile homes were demolished. Two people were injured as a result of the tornado, which lasted for 26 minutes and traveled 18.43 miles on the ground. A wave of storms with large hail and strong winds were reported.

Other parts of the Midwest, including Oklahoma, Illinois and Missouri saw several low-grade EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes.

According to meteorologists, this deadly Midwest outbreak may be due to the past winter’s record-level warmth. Northern Illinois University professor Victor Gensini says, “To get severe storms this far north this time of year, it’s got to be warm.” He predicts a strong chance for another Midwest outbreak of tornadoes at the end of March or early April.

At least two tornadoes struck parts of northeast Kansas on the evening of March 13, causing EF-2 level damage to outbuildings and at least five barns. Clusters of baseball size hail were reported to fall across Kansas for at least one hour.

A 400-yard-wide EF-2 was tracked for 8.48 miles in Wabaunsee County, causing some damage to trees along the path, mainly across open and rural areas with gusts at 115 mph. A second EF-2 tornado, smaller and slightly stronger at 120 mph, damaged homes and outbuildings along its path, but no injuries were reported.

About 15 people were displaced, and 500 were left without any electricity after an EF-2 tornado hit Brantley County, Georgia. Despite being on the ground for less than 10 minutes, the twister packed winds at 130 mph and damaged several mobile homes. At least one mobile home was flattened, and five people were reportedly injured.

Manufactured homes are especially vulnerable to tornadoes and other hazards and are overlooked during preparation, planning and recovery efforts.

An unseasonably warm February with 70-degree temperatures came to a halt after more than two dozen confirmed or suspected tornadoes hit the Great Lake states, including the suburbs of Chicago, leaving behind a trail of damage, debris and power outages.

According to NWS, “This was only the fourth time on record that tornadoes were observed in the NWS Chicago forecast area in February (1 tornado occurred on 2/16/2006, 7 tornadoes occurred on 2/28/2017, and 3 tornadoes occurred just last year on 2/27/2023).”

This rare set of 11 tornadoes struck northwest Illinois, including 10 in the Chicago region on Feb. 27, ranging from EF-0 to EF-1, affecting 11,134,218 people. The storms led to damaged buildings and roofs, uprooted trees, and downed power lines.

Indiana saw a short-lived EF-1 tornado on Feb. 28 near Gary.

Thunderstorms swept through Michigan before two tornadoes were reported in the early hours of Feb. 28. AnEF-2 in Grand Blanc Township near Flint reached peak winds of 115 winds and traveled for nearly six miles in a span of 10 minutes at 1:12 a.m. ET. The strong tornado damaged buildings, uprooted trees and broke gas lines. In the aftermath, the state’s largest two utilities reported that 15,000 customers were without electricity. This was the second-ever tornado in southeast Michigan in February since 1974.

Similarly, central Ohio experienced nine confirmed tornadoes – three EF-0, three EF-1 and three EF-2. The first began at 4:40 a.m. Eastern, on Feb. 28 and traveled 2.4 miles through Montgomery County. Packing 130 mph winds, an EF-2 traveled 21.3 miles through Clark County for 23 minutes and caused significant damage to homes, barns and an agricultural center.

Another EF-2 began in Franklin County and traveled 14.1 miles for 14 minutes at 120 mph, causing trees to snap off or uproot and extensive home damage. The last EF-2 struck for three minutes in Monroe County, causing significant damage to homes and outbuildings.

This is the highest number of February tornadoes in Ohio, breaking the total of five twisters set in 1950 and matched in 2023. Additionally, “The EF2 tornado in southeastern Franklin County was the strongest recorded in February since Feb. 22, 1971. The path length of the EF2 storms are also the longest measured in February in Ohio records since 1950.”

On Feb. 7, two tornadoes touched down along San Luis Obispo County’s coast in California just before 4:00 p.m. PST. The storms uprooted trees, snapped several power lines and damaged at least one building. Both tornadoes have been confirmed as EF-1.

Officials say these are the first tornadoes to hit the county since 2004 and the strongest since 1950. Grover Beach authorities declared a local emergency following the tornado that hit the city to make additional resources available for damage and recovery.

Similarly, Wisconsin experienced its first recorded tornadoes in February since 1950, according to the NWS, following an unusually warm summer-like winter. The storms were classified as two high-end EF-1 tornadoes and one EF-2.

The EF-2 tornado hit near Evansville just before 6 p.m. CST and was on the ground for 36 minutes, traveling roughly 24.5 miles with winds topping out at 135 mph. The tornado left thousands without power and at least 20 homes in Rock County suffered moderate to severe damage. Other impacts were dead and missing cattle and destroyed sheds and barns.

Tornadoes are most common in Wisconsin between May and August when temperatures are warmer.

On Feb. 4, Florida saw several EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes that left 20-30 homes and many trees damaged in Jefferson and Thomas counties. The tornadoes lasted for under three minutes, and winds peaked at 100 mph. While the severe weather brought high winds and hail, it caused no injuries or fatalities.

Around the same time, southern Georgia experienced a rare EF-2 tornado just 10 miles north of Florida, which left debris scattered along streets after it destroyed a mobile home. Two people were injured after the storm passed Lowndes County.

This is only the fourth time since 2010 that an EF-2 tornado touched ground in Georgia in February.

As of March 6, 39 tornadoes have been confirmed in this outbreak and received preliminary ratings. According to NCEI, the tornado outbreak included several EF-Us, 13 EF-0s, 15 EF-1s, six EF-2s and one EF-3.

There were three EF-0 tornadoes on Jan. 8, two in Georgia, followed by one near Labadieville, Louisiana. The Labadieville twister traveled almost a mile despite only being on the ground for a minute. It damaged several mobile homes, including one that was thrown into a fire station.

Most of the tornadoes occurred on Jan. 9, beginning in Santa Rosa County, Florida, with an EF-1, just after 2:30 a.m. Central. This was followed shortly thereafter by eight more EF-1 or EF-0 tornadoes in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

The biggest tornado of the day was an EF-3 in Bay County, Florida, beginning at 5:31 a.m. Central. It began in the Lower Grand Lagoon area and traveled into Panama City Beach and onto Panama City, which were all significantly damaged by Hurricane Michael.

Although only on the ground for six minutes, the twister saw gusts of 140 mph and covered more than five miles. Photos of a house that moved off its foundation and was leaning on the home next door quickly spread through social media. Several homes were damaged significantly, and a beachfront property was destroyed. Two apartment buildings suffered significant damage, and a boat storage facility experienced structural failure.

This is the first EF-3 tornado to hit Florida in the month of January. There have only been 49 EF-3 or stronger tornadoes in Florida. The tornado’s wind speeds of 136-165 mph are equivalent to a major hurricane.

The first EF-2 tornado was also in Bay County, spinning off the same supercell as the Grand Lagoon EF-3 twister. Several mobile homes were damaged or destroyed, and many single-family homes were also severely damaged. This tornado, known as the Deer Point Lake tornado, had peak winds of 130 mph and was on the ground for 12 minutes beginning at 5:43 a.m. Central. It traveled 13.05 miles with a maximum width of 600 yards. Two people were injured.

The second EF-2 began at 6:25 a.m. CST, four miles outside of Simsville in Jackson County, Florida. It was on the ground for almost 30 minutes, had a maximum width of 600 yards and traveled 16.5 miles, with winds reaching 125 mph. This storm injured seven people, all in an RV park. It damaged several free-standing homes and damaged or destroyed more than two dozen manufactured homes, two churches, and dozens of trees. The town of Marianna, severely damaged during Hurricane Michael in 2018, was badly hit.

A marina and a condo apartment building were both badly damaged.

The third EF-2 began in Florida near Chipley and ended in Cottonwood, Alabama. Several mobile homes and a few single-family homes were damaged or destroyed, as well as outbuildings, silos and many small businesses, especially in Cottonwood. Several government buildings were damaged, and Jim Smith, the town’s public safety director, told WDHN, “The town of Cottonwood is basically destroyed.” The town estimates that clean-up will take 10-12 weeks for a total cost of $1.1 million to $1.3 million. An 81-year-old woman was killed when her mobile home flipped several times.

The fourth EF-2 was the Callaway Tornado in Bay County. Florida. It was a short-lived twister, on the ground for only two minutes, and traveled less than a mile. There was heavy damage to two homes and a manufactured home.

The fifth EF-2 of the day was in Georgia at 9:46 a.m. CST and was part of the Chipley-Cottonwood supercell. The Arlington tornado in Early and Calhoun counties is the second-longest twister of the year at 22.02 miles and a width of 800 yards. Many of the homes damaged in this tornado were brick or concrete, but there was damage to at least one manufactured home. The maximum wind speed was 120 mph, which is equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.

The sixth EF-2 tornado was recorded in and around Bamberg, South Carolina. It had winds of 125 mph and was on the ground for 2.15 miles with a maximum width of 500 yards. It hit at 1:46 p.m. Central and was only on the ground for two minutes. Despite the short time, it did considerable damage, including flipping a mobile home and damaging a barrel plant. In downtown Bamberg, the tornado damaged several two- and three-story historic buildings. The former city hall, already missing pieces of roof and walls, collapsed.

An EF-1 tornado, with peak winds of 110 mph, led to one death, four injuries and 30 people displaced in a mobile home park in Claremont, North Carolina. The 39-year-old man who was killed died protecting his pregnant wife and young child, saving their lives.

A tornado touched down in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and was initially (erroneously) reported by the media to be the first tornado of the year. This was later corrected. The tornado mostly damaged boats, trees and powerlines, although some houses had minor damage. The tornado was quite small, running about 1.5 miles, with a width of a 100 yards and winds of only 80 mph.