All Tornado Topics
Complete index of tornado topics: 25+ historical tornado pages, EF Scale, safety, insurance, storm shelters, statistics, and state-by-state histories.
Every tornado page on the site, organized by category. New topics added regularly. Return to the simulator →
Ranked Lists
🏆 10 Deadliest US tornadoes
Tri-State 1925 → Joplin 2011
💰 10 Costliest US tornadoes
By economic damage
🌪 Every EF5 tornado
All 9 since 2007
📊 US tornado records
Widest, longest, fastest
Historical Tornado Events (chronological)
Tri-State 1925 F5
695 killed — deadliest ever
Tupelo 1936 F5
216 killed, Elvis survived
Gainesville 1936 F4
203 killed, Cooper factory
Woodward 1947 F5
181 killed, first US forecast
Waco 1953 F5
114 killed — created warning system
Flint–Beecher 1953 F5
116 killed
Vicksburg 1953 F5
Only December F5 ever
Topeka 1966 F5
Costliest of its era
Lubbock 1970 F5
Inspired the Fujita Scale
Xenia 1974 F5
Super Outbreak signature event
Grand Island 1980
Night of the Twisters
Andover 1991 F5
17 killed, Golden Spur
Plainfield 1990 F5
Only F5 with no warning
Jarrell 1997 F5
Most extreme damage ever
Moore 1999 F5
301 mph world record
Greensburg 2007 EF5
First-ever EF5, 95% destroyed
Parkersburg 2008 EF5
Second-ever EF5
Tuscaloosa 2011 EF4
80-mile Super Outbreak track
Hackleburg 2011 EF5
72 killed, 132-mile path
Smithville 2011 EF5
Small town destroyed
Joplin 2011 EF5
158 killed — modern deadliest
Moore 2013 EF5
Last EF5 ever rated
El Reno 2013 EF3
Widest ever — 2.6 miles
Nashville 2020 EF3/4
25 killed
Mayfield 2021 EF4
57 killed, candle factory
Rolling Fork 2023 EF4
Recent MS Delta event
St. Louis 1896 F4
255 killed — deadliest urban
Nashville 2020 EF3/4
25 killed
Tornado Outbreaks
1974 Super Outbreak
148 tornadoes, 6 F5s
2011 Super Outbreak
360 tornadoes, 4 EF5s
Palm Sunday 1965
47 tornadoes, 271 killed
What is a tornado outbreak?
Definition + types
Science and Education
How tornadoes form
The four ingredients
The EF Scale explained
EF0 through EF5
What is Dixie Alley?
Deadlier than Tornado Alley
Nocturnal tornadoes
Why night is 2.5x deadlier
Safety and Preparedness
Tornado FAQ
20 common questions
Protection and Products
State Guides
Texas tornadoes
~140/year, #1 by count
Oklahoma tornadoes
Home of Moore, Bridge Creek
Kansas tornadoes
Highest density
Alabama tornadoes
Dixie Alley epicenter
Mississippi tornadoes
Nighttime tornado risk
Missouri tornadoes
Joplin, St. Louis, Tri-State
Iowa tornadoes
Parkersburg EF5, 1968 outbreak
Tennessee tornadoes
Nashville, Dixie Alley edge
Georgia tornadoes
Gainesville, Atlanta, Newnan
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Place an EF0–EF5 tornado anywhere in the world and see modeled fatalities, structural damage, and economic loss based on real census data.
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