These are some notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred in North America. The listing is U.S.-centric, with greater and more consistent information available for U.S. tornadoes. Some North American outbreaks affecting the U.S. may only include tornado information from the U.S. Exact death and injury counts are not possible, especially for large events and events before 1950. Prior to 1950 in the United States, only significant tornadoes (rated F2 or higher or causing a fatality) are listed for the number of tornadoes in outbreaks. These ratings are estimates from tornado expert Tom Grazulis and are not official. Due to increasing detection, particularly in the U.S., numbers of counted tornadoes have increased markedly in recent decades although number of actual tornadoes and counted significant tornadoes has not. In older events, the number of tornadoes officially counted is likely underestimated. Historical context: Much of the tornado activity in the American Midwestern area is relatively unknown and significantly under-reported prior to the middle of the 1800s as few people lived there to record the yearly activity. The American government did not acquire the territory that would become the Midwestern states until the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from the French government. The Louisiana Purchase area included major tornado activity areas of north Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, and lower Minnesota. Large groups of settlers and pioneers only began populating the region after 1820. As these areas began being more populated, existing tornado activity there became more known and reported through newspaper and telegraph. Where applicable, a count of the number of significant (F2/EF2 and stronger), violent (F4/EF4 and stronger), and killer tornadoes is included for outbreaks.
United States
1643–1859
List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900OutbreakDatesRegionTornadoesCasualtiesNotes Essex County, Massachusetts–Hampton, New Hampshire tornado July 5, 1643 Essex County, Massachusetts, Hampton, New Hampshire - 1 fatality Potential earliest recorded U.S. tornado and fatality. Event was recorded by Massachusetts Bay Colony governor John Winthrop. "There arose a sudden gust at N.W. so violent for half an hour as it blew down multitudes of trees. It lifted up their meeting house at Newbury, the people being in it. It darkened the air with dust, yet through God's great mercy it did no hurt, but only killed one Indian with the fall of a tree. It was straight between Linne [Lynn] and Hampton." Rehoboth, Massachusetts tornado August 1671 Massachusetts - 0 fatalities Earliest confirmed U.S. tornado. Cambridge, Massachusetts tornado July 8, 1680 Massachusetts - 1 fatality Earliest confirmed U.S. tornado with a fatality. 1761 Charleston, South Carolina tornado May 4, 1761 Charleston, South Carolina >2 8 fatalities Earliest recorded U.S. tornado with multiple fatalities. A large tornado temporarily emptied the Ashley River and sank five warships lying offshore Four-State Tornado Swarm August 15, 1787 New England ≥5 2 fatalities First recorded U.S. tornado outbreak. 1811 Charleston, South Carolina tornado September 10, 1811 Charleston, South Carolina - 20 fatalities Associated with the 1811 hurricane that hit Charleston, SC. 1814 Washington, D.C. tornado August 25, 1814 Washington, D.C. - c. 30 fatalities Killed several British soldiers occupying the city. The British subsequently abandoned the city. September 1821 New England tornado outbreak Sep 9, 1821 New England >5 8 fatalities One of the most destructive New England outbreaks ever documented. Produced a deadly multiple-vortex tornado in New Hampshire. 1835 Middlesex County tornado June 19, 1835 Mid-Atlantic - 5 fatalities Deadliest tornado in New Jersey history. Great Natchez Tornado May 7, 1840 Southeastern United States >1 317+ fatalities, 109+ injuries Second-deadliest tornado in U.S. history September 1845 New York outbreak September 20, 1845 New York, Vermont >5 – Multiple long-track tornadoes crossed upstate New York August 1851 Waltham, Medford, and West Cambridge tornado August 22, 1851 Waltham, Medford, West Cambridge Massachusetts 1 - The center of Arlington, MA was devastated by a strong tornado.Tornado of 1851, Charles Brooks ©1852 1855 Des Plaines tornado May 22, 1855 Illinois - 4 fatalities, 8 injuries First recorded tornado in Illinois history, which occurred in present-day Des Plaines, Illinois. Erroneously thought for a long time to have taken place in Jefferson Township, before research corrected the tornado's location.
1860s List of United States tornado outbreaks – 1860sOutbreakDatesRegionTornadoesCasualtiesNotes June 1860 Mid-Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak June 3, 1860 Middle Mississippi Valley – ≥148 fatalities, ≥409 injuries Very violent outbreak. Produced a deadly tornado or tornado family that struck Camanche, Iowa. (7 violent, 6 killer) 1865 Viroqua tornado June 28, 1865 Viroqua, Wisconsin >1 ≥22 fatalities One of Wisconsin's first killer tornadoes. Also one of the first documentations of a multiple-vortex tornado. Rock Island, Illinois tornado March 16, 1868 Rock Island, Illinois – 1 fatality, 3 injuries An apparent tornado severely damaged a bridge on the Mississippi River.
1870s List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900OutbreakDatesRegionTornadoesCasualtiesNotes 1871 St. Louis tornado March 8, 1871 Middle Mississippi Valley ≥1 9 fatalities, 60 injuries Estimated F3 tornado killed nine people in St. Louis. May 1873 Midwest tornado outbreak May 22, 1873 Midwestern United States ≥7 18 fatalities, ≥ 93 injuries At least three tornadoes recorded November 1874 Southeast tornado outbreak November 22, 1874 Alabama ≥2 16 fatalities, ≥ 50 injuries An F4 tornado damaged or destroyed about a third of Tuscumbia, Alabama, killing 12 people in town and at least 2 others in nearby rural areas. An F3 tornado damaged or destroyed about half the buildings in Montevallo, Alabama, killing two others. March 1875 Southeast tornado outbreak March 19–20, 1875 Southeastern United States ≥19 ≥96 fatalities, ≥367 injuries Outbreak produced seven estimated F4 tornadoes. The worst of the damage and most of the fatalities took place in Georgia. (15 significant, 7 violent, 12 killer) May 1875 Southeast tornado outbreak May 1, 1875 Southeastern United States – 58 fatalities, 195 injuries Included several long-tracked, (estimated) F3 tornado families. (1 violent, 7 killer) 1878 Wallingford tornado August 9, 1878 Connecticut – 34 fatalities, ≥70 injuries Deadliest tornado in Connecticut history. Estimated to have been an F4. May 1879 Central Plains tornado outbreak May 29–30, 1879 Central Great Plains – ≥36 fatalities, ≥186 injuries (≥15 significant, 6 violent, ≥9 killer)
1880s List of United States tornado outbreaks – Pre-1900OutbreakDatesRegionTornadoesCasualtiesNotes Tornado outbreak of April 1880 April 18, 1880 Mississippi Valley – Great Plains ≥ 27 ≥167 fatalities, ≥516 injuries 99 people killed in and near Springfield and Marshfield, Missouri. Three long-tracked F4s in Missouri. (24 significant, 5 violent, 16 killer) 1880 West Prairie–Christian County tornado April 24, 1880 West Prairie – Christian County, Illinois 1 6 fatalities Many "well built" homes were leveled and farms vanished. Its victims (both people and cattle) were reportedly carried up to half a mile. This is the earliest estimated F5 that can be verified in the U.S. according to Grazulis. (The 1953 Waco tornado is the earliest officially rated - see below.) The F5 rating is widely accepted. Tornado outbreak of June 1881 June 12, 1881 Great Plains – Midwest 7 15 fatalities, 112 injuries Produced five violent tornadoes across three states, one of which was an F4 that destroyed the community of Floral, Kansas. Another F4 that hit near Hopkins, Missouri, may have been an F5. (7 significant, 5 violent, 4 killer) 1881 Minnesota tornado outbreak July 15–16, 1881 Minnesota ≥ 6 24 fatalities, ≥123 injuries Produced a destructive F4 (possibly F5) tornado in New Ulm, Minnesota, along with other killer tornadoes in rural areas, including one that killed four people. (6 significant, 2 violent, 2 killer) 1882 Grinnell tornado June 17, 1882 Grinnell, Iowa 1 65 fatalities 16 farms were blown away and the town of Grinnell was devastated, as well as the Grinnell College campus. Debris was carried 100 mi (160 km). Estimated F5. Caused 68 fatalities according to Grazulis. Tornado outbreak of April 21–23, 1883 April 21–23, 1883 Southeastern United States ≥ 29 ≥122 fatalities, ≥771 injuries Produced several killer F3+ tornadoes in Iowa, Mississippi, and Georgia. (20 significant, 4 violent, 17 killer) Tornado outbreak of May 1883 May 18, 1883 Middle-Lower Mississippi Valley – ≥64 fatalities, ≥386 injuries One of the most intense outbreaks ever to hit Illinois, where five F4s struck. (≥21 significant, 6 violent, 16 killer) 1883 Rochester tornado August 21, 1883 Rochester, Minnesota 1 37 fatalities, 200+ injured Estimated F5 tornado led to the formation of the Mayo Clinic. Enigma tornado outbreak February 19–20, 1884 Central – Eastern United States > 51 >178 fatalities, ≥1056 injuries Among largest known outbreaks ever recorded. Produced violent and killer tornadoes across a large portion of the Southeastern United States, killing well over 170 people. Long-track F4 tornado moved through Alabama and Georgia, killing 30 people. Another F4—the deadliest in North Carolina history—hit Rockingham, North Carolina, and killed 23. (≥37 significant, 4 violent, ≥27 killer) Tornado outbreak of March 1884 March 24–25, 1884 Southeastern United States – Ohio Valley > 29 32 fatalities (29 significant, 11 killer) 1884 Oakville tornado April 1, 1884 Oakville, Indiana 1 8 fatalities Among contemporary meteorologists, this was considered one of the most intense tornadoes observed up to that time. Parts of Oakville "vanished," with house debris scattered for miles. Estimated F5. 1884 Howard tornado August 28, 1884 Dakota Territory(now South Dakota) ≥ 6 ≥7 fatalities≥2 injuries One of the oldest known tornado photographs. Tornado outbreak of April 1885 April 1885 Texas - 60 fatalities4 injuries One tornado struck Waco. 1885 Philadelphia/Camden tornado August 3, 1885 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Camden, New Jersey - ≥7 fatalities≥8-10 injuries An estimated F3 tornado devastated Philadelphia and its New Jersey suburb of Camden. A ferry boat and steamboat on the Delaware River were damaged and numerous homes, factories, shops, and other buildings were damaged or destroyed. At least 200 were left homeless by the storm. 1886 St. Cloud–Sauk Rapids tornado outbreak April 14, 1886 Central Minnesota ≥ 18 ≥87 fatalities, ≥324 injuries The St. Cloud-Sauk Rapids tornado remains the deadliest tornado in Minnesota history. Estimated to have been an F4. Other tornadoes were reported in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. 1887 Grand Forks tornado June 16, 1887 Grand Forks North Dakota - At the time, Fargo, North Dakota was believed to be the northern limit of potential tornado activity by the United States Signal Service. Grand Forks is located another 75 miles north of Fargo in North Dakota. The tornado there led to a rethinking of the potential northern boundary of tornado activity in the United States at the time.Reshaping the Tornado Belt: The June 16, 1887, Grand Forks/East Grand Forks Tornado, 2011 book G.Godon
1890s