Widest, fastest, deadliest, longest — the extremes of the tornado record book.
Mobile Doppler radar measured the 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore, Oklahoma F5. Still the highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth.
The 2013 El Reno, Oklahoma tornado. Rated EF3 but its width was the world record.
The 1925 Tri-State Tornado traveled across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
Also the Tri-State — approximately 3 hours 30 minutes continuously on the ground.
Tri-State again. Killed 695 people, injured 2,027, destroyed cities including Murphysboro, De Soto and Griffin.
The 1989 Daulatpur–Saturia tornado in Bangladesh — worst-ever tornado disaster.
The 2011 Joplin, Missouri EF5 — $3.6 billion in insured damages ($4.8B in 2024 dollars).
April 27, 2011 — the peak day of the 2011 Super Outbreak. Also the deadliest single day since 1925 (316 fatalities).
The 2011 Super Outbreak, April 25–28.
2004 — a strong El Niño year.
The 1925 Tri-State averaged 62 mph forward speed. Individual segments moved as fast as 73 mph.
A 100 mb drop inside the 2003 Manchester, SD F4, measured by a chaser probe left in its path.
The Elie, Manitoba tornado of June 22, 2007. Still the only one.
An F3 tornado near Winnetoon, NE on February 1, 1893 formed during freezing conditions. Winter tornadoes are rare but real.
The 1987 Teton-Yellowstone tornado tracked at up to 10,500 feet in elevation across Wyoming.
The 2000 Fort Worth F3 struck downtown Fort Worth, killing 5. The 2019 Dallas EF3 damaged 100+ homes and businesses.
Moore, Oklahoma has been struck by two F5/EF5 tornadoes since 1999 plus half a dozen weaker events. See Moore tornado history.
Debris from the 2011 Tuscaloosa-Birmingham EF4 was found up to 220 miles away.
The 1900 Cottage City waterspout off Massachusetts had a documented track of about 4 miles.
Debated. The 1996 Manchester-Dimmitt TX, the 2004 Manchester SD, and the 2019 Lawrence KS tornadoes are all leading candidates. Modern cell phones make comparison impossible.