Tornado history by location

Every US state, Canadian province, and major city — notable events, statistics, and local preparedness. Find your location below.

🎯 Calculate your personal tornado risk →

Highest-risk US states

The core of Tornado Alley and Dixie Alley.

Texas155/year — most in the US Kansas96/year — Udall, Andover, Greensburg Oklahoma68/year — highest per-capita violent risk Alabama47/year — deadliest per capita Mississippi43/year — highest death rate Nebraska57/year — Pilger twins Missouri42/year — Joplin 2011 Tennessee30/year — nighttime corridor

All US states

Arkansas35/year California10/year Colorado53/year Connecticut2/year Delaware2/year Florida55/year Georgia31/year Hawaii1/year Idaho3/year Illinois54/year Indiana22/year Iowa51/year Kentucky25/year — Mayfield Louisiana38/year Maine2/year Maryland4/year Massachusetts3/year — Worcester 1953 Michigan15/year — Flint 1953 Minnesota30/year Montana10/year Nevada3/year New Hampshire2/year New Jersey3/year New Mexico9/year New York10/year North Carolina31/year North Dakota25/year — Fargo 1957 Ohio19/year — Xenia 1974 Oregon3/year Pennsylvania16/year — Wheatland F5 Puerto Rico1-2/year Rhode Island1/year South Carolina15/year South Dakota30/year Utah2/year — SLC 1999 Vermont1/year Virginia19/year Washington3/year West Virginia2/year Wisconsin25/year — Barneveld F5 Wyoming12/year Alaska<1/year Arizona5/year

US cities

City-level history, risk, and preparedness.

Oklahoma CityHighest per-capita violent risk on Earth WichitaUdall, Andover, Haysville BirminghamThree F5/EF4 strikes since 1977 Dallas-Fort WorthLargest metro in the Alley NashvilleDowntown hit 3 times Kansas CityRuskin Heights 1957 All Alley cities →Full city risk overview

Canadian provinces

Ontario12-18/year — Canada\'s most active ManitobaElie F5 — Canada\'s only F5 SaskatchewanRegina 1912 — deadliest ever AlbertaEdmonton Black Friday 1987 QuebecGatineau 2018 EF3 British Columbia1-2/year — rare Canada overview →National history

Canadian cities

Toronto2009 Vaughan F2 Ottawa2018 six-tornado outbreak Winnipeg40 km from Elie F5 CalgaryHail + prairie tornadoes EdmontonBlack Friday 1987 MontrealSt. Lawrence Valley Regina1912 Cyclone — deadliest in Canada SaskatoonPrairie corridor

Historic event deep-dives

Dedicated pages for the events that defined tornado history.

Tri-State Tornado (1925)695 dead — deadliest US tornado ever Udall, KS (1955)F5 · 80 dead · deadliest in Kansas Waco, TX (1953)F5 · 114 dead Flint-Beecher, MI (1953)F5 · 116 dead Worcester, MA (1953)F4 · 94 dead Xenia, OH (1974)F5 · Super Outbreak icon Wichita Falls, TX (1979)F4 · "Terrible Tuesday" Andover, KS (1991)F5 · 17 dead Jarrell, TX (1997)F5 · "Dead Man Walking" Bridge Creek-Moore (1999)F5 · 301 mph — highest winds ever Greensburg, KS (2007)EF5 · 95% of town destroyed Parkersburg, IA (2008)EF5 · 9 dead Joplin, MO (2011)EF5 · 158 dead — deadliest since 1947 Tuscaloosa-Birmingham (2011)EF4 · 65 dead Moore, OK (2013)EF5 · 24 dead · Plaza Towers El Reno, OK (2013)2.6 miles wide — widest ever Pilger, NE twins (2014)Twin EF4s side by side Nashville, TN (2020)EF3 · nighttime metro hit Mayfield, KY (2021)EF4 · 89 dead · Quad State Rolling Fork, MS (2023)EF4 · 26 dead 🇨🇦 Regina Cyclone (1912)F4 · 28 dead — deadliest in Canada 🇨🇦 Barrie, ON (1985)F4 · cross-border outbreak 🇨🇦 Edmonton (1987)F4 · "Black Friday" · 27 dead 🇨🇦 Pine Lake, AB (2000)F3 · campground disaster 🇨🇦 Elie, MB (2007)Canada\'s only F5 🇨🇦 Ottawa-Gatineau (2018)Six tornadoes · zero deaths

Tools

Risk CalculatorYour personal odds by location State ClimatologyData tables for all 50 states Tornado Alley MapInteractive Alley vs Dixie AlleyWhich is deadlier?