This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2004. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail.
The United States recorded more tornadoes during this year than any other year on record, with 1,817 touching down across the country. Despite the high number of confirmed tornadoes the number of fatalities related to tornadoes were below average.
Events
United States yearly total
January 3 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.
February 9 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S. February 5
6 tornadoes touched down on February 5, with the strongest being an F2, with a well-constructed home having visible damage on its roof. Hundreds of trees were uprooted or snapped, including 12" pine and cedar trees, with a large tree falling on a house. A fence was flattened, and a small barn was demolished. Other tornadoes include 2 tornadoes that produced no damage, and 2 F1 tornadoes that uprooted several trees, causing minor roof damage, and destroyed a utility shed. One tornado produced minor tree damage in Meadville to Georgetown, Mississippi.
March 46 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.
March 4–5
On March 4, a large storm system produced 29 tornadoes across Texas into parts of Oklahoma. In addition to the tornadoes, heavy rain caused flooding in the Plains and an unusual derecho produced heavy damage, primarily in Texas.
March 27
April 125 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.
April 7 (Ukraine) A strong F2 (possibly F3) tornado struck the towns of Velikaya Kostromka and Pervoye-Maya in Ukraine on April 7, killing one person and damaging or destroying 130 homes.
April 14 (Bangladesh) A powerful tornado struck portions of North-Central Bangladesh, killing 111 and injuring nearly 1,500 others, making it the deadliest tornado worldwide of the year.
April 20
A powerful tornado struck the town of Utica, Illinois. It was part of an outbreak of 30 tornadoes that formed in eastern Iowa, northern Illinois, and northern Indiana in a short period of time. The Utica tornado caused the only fatalities. Another tornado struck the city of Joliet, Illinois, causing US$5 million in damage to the historic district in town.
April 21 (China) Seven people were killed and 207 injured by a tornado that appeared on the evening of April 21 in Hengyang, Hunan, China. 700 farmers were left homeless by the tornado, according to China Daily.
May 509 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.
May 9 (China) Two people were killed by a tornado in Huilai County, China. The tornado appeared shortly after noon, with wind speeds reaching up 49.4 m/s (110.5 mi/hr) and causing serious damage to several hundred homes.
May 12
The same storm system responsible for a small tornado outbreak and notable F2 tornado near Attica, was also responsible for a nighttime F4 tornado that passed near the town of Harper. The rating, however, is a source of controversy. At peak intensity, it completely erased a well-built, two-story farmhouse and scoured away top of basement walls in the process. Complete tree and shrub debarking, as well as deep ground scouring occurred within this tornado. Vehicles and farm equipment were mangled beyond recognition or torn apart and thrown long distances. Five barns adjacent to the farmhouse were also cleanly swept away. The reason for the F4 rating was that the tornado was very slow-moving, which may have added to the extent of the damage, despite the home was anchor-bolted to its foundation. A family survived the tornado underground in their basement; the family dog however, was killed.
May 22–30
An F4 tornado became the widest tornado ever recorded at the time at in diameter, forming on May 22. It caused one death and 37 injuries in the village of Hallam. It was later surpassed by a massive 2.6-mile (4.2 km) wide twister that occurred near El Reno, Oklahoma, on May 31, 2013. That tornado killed 8 people, including 4 storm chasers.
Beginning on May 29, after the Storm Prediction Center issued a high risk for severe weather, 149 tornadoes were confirmed in 32 hours, killing five people. Three of the fatalities were caused by an F4 tornado that struck near Weatherby, Missouri, during the evening of May 29. The Memorial Day Weekend outbreak is considered to be one of the most prolific in US history in terms of the number of tornadoes.
June 268 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.
June 1 (Russia) One June 1, at least 11 tornadoes touched down in Russia, including a high-end F3 that damaged or destroyed 342 homes.
June 9 (Europe)
Several tornadoes touched down across northern Germany, the Czech Republic, and Hungary on June 9. At 14:30 UTC, an F3 tornado struck Litovel, injuring five people. A T4/F2 tornado injured one person in Lower Saxony, and another F2 tornado struck Budapest.
June 9 (Philippines) A tornado was spawned by Tropical Storm Chanthu (Gener) struck Dulag, Leyte where it flattened houses, uprooted coconut trees. It destroyed around 900 houses, killed an elderly man, injured four people, and left 12 people missing. On the nearby island of Samar, the tornado also killed a fisherman and left six others missing after it overturned two fishing boats.
June 10–13
The first day of the three-day tornado outbreak saw several weak tornadoes across Illinois, South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. One of these tornadoes are well documented by several chasers and this tornado damaged a farmstead, destroying two trailers while leaving one slightly damaged, injuring two in an overturned vehicle pulling an U-haul trailer, overturning a center pivot irrigation and unroofing couple of outbuildings in Chappell, Nebraska.
A small tornado outbreak began across the Midwestern United States on June 11, mainly in Iowa and Wisconsin. Most of the tornadoes that occurred this day were weak, being rated F0 or F1. However, a few strong tornadoes did touch down, the most significant being an F3 tornado that caused deep ground scouring and destroyed a home near Le Roy, Minnesota. Another F3 tornado touched down in Buena Vista County, Iowa, before moving towards Clay County, where it destroyed an iron bridge while damaging many crops as it raised a large debris cloud. A strong tornado developed in rural area of Mitchell County, Texas after sunset where it rolled a Ford Expedition at a considerable distance and destroyed eight trailers near the end of its life cycle, three motorists would be injured by this tornado. The next day would bring more tornadoes, this time mostly to Kansas. The first tornado was reported near Belle Plaine, which was rated F0. After the first tornado lifted, the same supercell produced another tornado, which would go on to impact structures near Mulvane. This F3 tornado directly hit an anchor-bolted frame house and completely swept it away. Cars from the garage were thrown over and mangled beyond recognition or crumpled into balls. Two inhabitants survived this tornado under the staircase in the basement. After the Mulvane tornado dissipated, another photogenic tornado touched down near Rock and was rated F0. This supercell would go on to produce several more tornadoes, all of which were rated F0.
The last day of the outbreak brought several weak tornadoes across Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, and Tennessee. A large supercell spawned five weak tornadoes with twin F0 tornadoes that occurred in Lancaster County, where both tornadoes did some damage to trees and outbuildings. Overall, 46 tornadoes touched down during this outbreak.
June 18 (Russia) On June 18, another F3 tornado touched down in Russia, injuring seven people.
June 19 (Turkey) 2004 Ankara-Sünlü F3-On June 19, an intense F3 tornado touched down in Turkey, killing 3 people and injuring 21. The tornado had a path length of 1 km and a path width of 150 m.
June 23 (Germany)
A severe F3 tornado hit the Saxony-Anhalt villages of Micheln and Trebbichau. Both villages have suffered damage.
June 23 (Wisconsin)
On June 23, two large F3 tornadoes hit the county of Green Lake.
June 27 (Japan) On the morning of June 27, an F2 tornado hit the city of Saga in Saga Prefecture. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, it damaged 345 homes and destroyed 15 others. 15 people suffered minor injuries.
July 124 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S.
July 7–9 (Poland)
In Poland, a tornado touched down in Wiktorów and Borzęcin near Warsaw. 21 houses were damaged. One 36-year-old man lost his life after he was lifted off the ground by the tornado. An F2 tornado struck Jelonka and Kleszczele near Dubicze Cerkiewne, Podlaskie Voivodeship. 200 buildings were damaged. Skywarn Polska
July 13–15 (United States)
On July 13, a large, violent F4 tornado struck Roanoke, Illinois, destroying the Parsons Manufacturing Plant and some civilian residences. Despite the extensive damage along its path of destruction, well advanced warning of the storm's approach led to only a few minor injuries and no fatalities. Three other F0 tornadoes were confirmed on this day as well.
On July 14, a large storm system passed over the Northeastern United States. It produced several severe storms and numerous tornadoes. The worst destruction was in Campbelltown, Pennsylvania, where 272 properties were damaged or destroyed by an F3 tornado that struck the town around 3:00 PM.
July 18 (North Dakota)
On July 18, a small but volatile tornado outbreak struck eastern North Dakota during the evening. Three of the tornadoes were significant, two were F2 tornadoes across both Cass and Steele Counties. The third tornado however, was a long-lived and highly visible F4 tornado that traveled southwards for . This violent tornado obliterated several rural properties and farmhouses across southwestern Barnes and northern LaMoure Counties, especially near Litchville and Marion. A safe in one of the destroyed homes was ripped away from the basement and thrown miles away. No human injuries or fatalities were reported by any of the tornadoes from this localized event. At least 33 cattle were reportedly killed by the Barnes County F4 tornado. It was the first such rated tornado in eastern North Dakota since another F4 tornado struck near Mountain on June 6, 1999.
August 179 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S., setting a new record high for August, which stood until 2020.
August 11 (France) On August 11, a waterspout moved onshore in Houat, France, damaging the harbor and village. One person was killed after being lifted off the ground by the tornado and falling on rocks, while twelve others were injured.
August 12 (Tropical Storm Bonnie)
The second storm of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Bonnie caused minor damage while spawning several tornadoes when it made landfall several hours before Hurricane Charley. It spawned a tornado in Pender County, North Carolina, killing 3 and causing $1.27 million in damage. An F0 tornado also moved through Northwestern Jacksonville.
August 13–14 (Hurricane Charley)
Hurricane Charley caused major damage along the Florida coast and the Mid-Atlantic while spawning several tornadoes including an F2 tornado.
August 4-15 (Philippines)