Skip to main content
CNN U.S.

The 10 deadliest U.S. tornadoes on record

By CNN Staff
updated 12:09 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
The
The "Tri-State" tornado of 1925 traveled through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, killing nearly 700 people.

(CNN) -- Here are the 10 deadliest tornadoes to touch down in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:

1. The "Tri-State Tornado" killed 695 people and injured 2,027, traveling more than 300 miles through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana on March 18, 1925. It was rated an F5 at the top of the old Fujita scale (with winds of 260-plus mph).

2. The "Natchez Tornado" killed 317 people and injured 109 on May 6, 1840, along the Mississippi River in Louisiana and Mississippi. The official death toll may not have included slaves, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Bouquet
The "St. Louis Tornado" of 1896 killed 255 people in Missouri and Illinois.

3. The "St. Louis Tornado" killed 255 people and injured 1,000 on May 27, 1896, in Missouri and Illinois. It had winds of between 207 mph and 260 mph.

4. The "Tupelo Tornado" killed 216 people and injured 700 on April 5, 1936, in the northeastern Mississippi city.

5. The "Gainesville Tornado" was a pair of storms that converged April 6, 1936, in Gainesville, Georgia, killing 203 people and injuring 1,600. The tornado destroyed four blocks and 750 houses in the northern Georgia town.

6. The "Woodward Tornado" wreaked havoc across parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas on April 9, 1947. The storm, which killed 181 people and injured 970, reportedly was more than a mile wide in places.

Bouquet
A search team looks for possible victims after a tornado hit Joplin, Missouri, in May 2011.

7. The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, killed 158 people and injured more than a thousand. The storm packed winds in excess of 200 mph and was on the ground for more than 22 miles.

8. The "Amite/Pine/Purvis Tornado" killed 143 people and injured 770 on April 24, 1908. The storm left only seven houses intact in Purvis, Mississippi, and also caused damage in Amite, Louisiana.

9. The "New Richmond Tornado" killed 117 people and injured 200 on June 12, 1899, in New Richmond, Wisconsin.

10. The "Flint Tornado" killed 115 people and injured 844 on June 8, 1953, in Flint, Michigan. The tornado was the deadliest twister ever recorded in the state.

What you need to know about tornadoes

ADVERTISEMENT
Part of complete coverage on
Oklahoma City Tornado
updated 4:18 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
Much of Moore, Oklahoma, is now a devastated pile of rubble. Learn how you can help through these groups.
updated 7:50 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
It's already killed scores of people in a massive tornado that devastated the town of Moore, Oklahoma. And it's not over yet.
updated 6:49 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
Photographer Paul Hellstern snapped his shutter just minutes after the tornado reduced Oklahoma City's Briarwood Elementary School to rubble.
updated 3:52 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
It was the end of the school day. The kids at Plaza Towers Elementary School were stuffing their backpacks, looking forward to going home, playing with friends, eating snacks.
updated 1:38 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
As Moore, Oklahoma, struggles to regain its footing under the public spotlight, journalists from CNN are among those sharing online images of the devastation of a deadly tornado, as well as the rescue and recovery efforts there.
updated 8:33 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
Sun was hard to come by in Moore, Oklahoma, Tuesday. The sky still looked menacing, dark and foggy. Mist turned to rain. Lightening struck.
updated 3:26 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
Monday afternoon's devastating tornado in the Oklahoma City suburbs brought to mind a May 1999 EF5 twister that killed 36 people and smashed some of the same communities.
updated 12:09 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
The "Tri-State Tornado" killed 695 people and injured 2,027, traveling more than 300 miles.
updated 7:28 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
See the best images from the deadly storm.
See the path of the tornado that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma.
updated 1:14 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
A tornado is a funnel-shaped cloud that forms under thunderclouds and contains rapidly rotating air.
updated 6:05 PM EDT, Tue May 21, 2013
Getting the latest warnings when tornadoes are headed your way and knowing what to do before, during and after one hits are all key to staying safe. A handful of apps can help you stay on top of impending dangerous weather.
updated 5:57 AM EST, Sat February 9, 2013
In our increasingly digital world, a mobile phone or other portable device is often a one-stop communication device.
can opener
All you need to know about keeping your food safe to eat and what to have on hand in the event of a weather emergency.
updated 7:29 AM EDT, Mon October 29, 2012
Water jugs and batteries are not the only things to consider when extreme weather threatens.
Send your photos and videos of the storm and its aftermath, but stay safe.
ADVERTISEMENT