Top 10 Killer Tornadoes

Tornadoes kill dozens and sometimes hundreds of people every year in the United States. Warning systems have improved dramatically, however, so some of the deadliest tornadoes were recorded many decades ago. In some cases, a single tornado caused hundreds of deaths. Following are the 10 deadliest on record, based on data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Strengths are measured from F1 to F5 (strongest) on the Fujita scale.

May 11, 1953

The Waco Tornado in Texas destroyed 200 business buildings and damaged another 400, including a six-story furniture store that collapsed.


June 8, 1953

The Flint Tornado destroyed homes on both sides of Coldwater Road and killed multiple family members of at least 20 families in Michigan.


June 12, 1899

The New Richmond Tornado in Wisconsin began as a waterspout on Lake St. Croix, then moved northeast in the direction of New Richmond. The massive amount of flying debris result in multiple deaths and a 3,000 pound safe was carried a block by the winds. More than 300 buildings were damaged or destroyed.


April 24, 1908

The Amite/Pine/Purvis Tornado hit Louisiana, Mississippi. It was reported to be two miles wide. Only seven of 150 homes in Purvis County were reported left standing.


April 9, 1947

The Woodward Tornado hit Gray, Roberts, Hemphill, Lipscomb counties in Texas, Ellis, Woodward and Woods counties in Oklahoma and Barber and Kingman counties in Kansas. Along much of its path, the tornado was reportedly one to two miles wide. The entire town of Glazier and most of Higgins was destroyed.


April 6, 1936

The Gainesville Tornado, actually a pair of tornadoes, hit at the start of the work day. The funnel clouds took different paths into the city, but converged in a four-block area that was destroyed. Debris filled the streets up to 10 feet deep and about 750 houses were destroyed. The Cooper Pants Factory, a multi-story building, collapsed and caught fire, killing about 70 workers.


April 5, 1936

The Tupelo Tornado began near Coffeeville, Yalobusha County. It leveled hundreds of houses and killed entire families. A movie theater was turned into a hospital with the popcorn machine used to sterilize instruments. One hundred-five box cars were brought into town to serve as temporary housing.


May 27, 1896

The St. Louis Tornado touched down six miles west of Eads Bridge. Buildings and homes along the river were swept away or damaged, although the steel span bridge was largely undamaged.


May 7, 1840

The Natchez Tornado touched down in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, and Adams County, Mississippi. Most of the deaths occurred on the Mississippi River, since the tornado tracked for some time directly over the waterway. The death toll from the tornado is undoubtedly higher than officially listed, as many slave deaths were probably not included in the total.


March 18, 1925

The Tri-State Tornado was by far the worst in U.S. history. It wreaked havoc for more than three hours. Records were set for both speed and path length. Tornado damage stretched from Reynolds, Iron, Madison, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry counties in Missouri, through Jackson, Williamson, Franklin, Hamilton, and White counties in Illinois and Posey, Gibson and Pike counties in Indiana. The worst devastation was in Illinois, where the town of Gorham was destroyed. In Murphysboro, 25 deaths occurred in three schools, with students crushed under falling brick and stone walls.