This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2010. The majority of tornadoes form in the U.S., but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. A lesser number occur outside the U.S., most notably in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer season, but are also known in South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

There were 1,282 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in 2010, with 45 confirmed fatalities. Elsewhere in the world, 190 people were killed in tornadoes: 128 in India, 51 in China, six in Argentina, three in the Bahamas and one each in Bangladesh and Germany. The year was near average for tornadoes despite an extremely quiet early spring period, however such changed after a huge upswing starting in late April and a busy late spring and summer period. The autumn months were slightly above average.

Synopsis The year started with above-normal activity in January, primarily as a result of a single moderate outbreak late in the month. After that, arctic air settled in across the central and southern United States, suppressing warm air to the Caribbean, and as a result, February saw only one isolated tornado as the air mass throughout the month was highly unfavorable for any severe weather development. In early March, predictions for an active tornado season were voiced by meteorologists should the pattern continue as it had during January and February, with El Nino also cited as possibly bringing an above average season. However, March and the first half of April also had well below normal activity, and overall the early spring period was among the least active in recent years. Through mid-April, the season had been one of the least active in the historical record (see graphic above right).

Two very large tornado outbreaks in late April ended the slow period, pushing April activity to near normal. May, which is typically the most active month for tornado activity, was somewhat above normal, as several larger outbreaks were spread throughout the month. June was a very active month with at least one isolated tornado activity on most days and two major tornado outbreaks plus several smaller outbreaks resulting in well over 400 tornado reports. The active pattern continued into July, with activity again above normal due to steady activity throughout the month despite no major outbreaks. The active pattern came to a stop by August, with below-normal activity. September was also slightly below to near average, with only modest tropical activity contributing. The fall months were moderately active, although October was one of the most active on record as the result of one single outbreak late in the month. November and December were both above average with most of the activity clustered in two outbreaks, one at the end of each month, with both months generally inactive until those tornado outbreaks.

Events

United States yearly total

January

There were 41 tornadoes reported in the US in January, of which 30 were confirmed.

January 19–21 (Southern California)

An outbreak of weak tornadoes occurred between Santa Barbara and Orange Counties in Southern California on January 19 and continued into January 21. The outbreak was from the result of a vigorous Pacific storm system that moved into the Los Angeles metropolitan area on January 18. EF1 damage was reported to the Huntington Beach harbor area in Orange County, and in Santa Barbara County a local radio station reported that a sheriff's deputy had sighted a possible tornado, with roof damage near the Ocean Meadow Golf Course. A third tornado was reported by the public in Orange County, with cars overturned on the Pacific Coast Highway and roof damage in the area. Additional tornadoes were reported from a different system on January 21, with damage reported in Blythe, California, and Santa Barbara, California. Tornadoes were also confirmed on January 18 and January 23.

January 20–22 (Southeast US)

A separate system developed in the south-central US on January 20 in an unstable air mass. Numerous tornadoes were reported, with severe damage particularly around Waskom, Texas, from an EF3 tornado where buildings were destroyed and people reported trapped but were not injured. Other tornadoes were reported in East Texas and Louisiana. Significant damage also took place in LaRue, Texas, and Canton, Texas, both from EF2 tornadoes. As many as 150 homes were damaged in Van Zandt County, Texas. Fifty homes in Hopkins County, Texas, has roof damage.

As the cyclone tracked east, additional storms developed on the afternoon of January 21 in central Tennessee and northern Alabama, with two tornadoes reported in these areas. Significant damage was reported in the Five Points neighborhood of Huntsville and in downtown Huntsville from these storms. The tornado in Huntsville was rated an EF2.

February

There was one confirmed tornado reported in the US in February. This set a new monthly record low for February.

February 17 (Bangladesh)

A tornado tore through 22 villages in Maheshpur, Bangladesh damaging about 1,250 homes and several acres of crops. The tornado killed a child and injured around 150 other people.

March

There were 37 tornadoes reported in the US in March, of which 34 were confirmed.

March 8

A tornado touched down near the town of Hammon in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, on the early evening of March 8 and was reported by spotters around 5:29 pm CST. The tornado tore roofs off at least four homes and caused damage to other structures in Hammon, according to Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management officials with the Roger Mills County Sheriff's Office reporting the county barn was destroyed, leaving behind significant debris. Another home was destroyed with only the center portion remaining. No injuries were reported with the storm. This tornado was officially rated an EF2 by the NWS. A second tornado was reported just north of Butler in Dewey County, Oklahoma, at 6:17 pm CST, it was rated EF0. The tornadoes formed from a low-top supercell and occurred while temperatures were in the mid-to-upper 50s (near 15 °C) in the affected areas, which normally does not favor tornadic development; though the storm was in a narrow instability axis in Western Oklahoma that developed due to clearing from earlier thunderstorms.

March 10–11

Severe weather developed from the northern Gulf Coast up to the Ozarks. The hardest-hit state was Arkansas, where a long-lived supercell tracked across the state, producing at least three tornadoes with houses destroyed. A 79-year-old man was killed and at least three others were injured from an EF2 tornado in Cleburne County. It was the first killer tornado in the US since October 9, 2009. More tornadoes continued to touchdown throughout the night of March 10. In Independence County an EF1 tornado touched down near the town of Rosie. This tornado was short-lived, but destroyed chicken houses killing or displacing 80,000 chickens. Two tornadoes touched down in White County both rated EF1. The first touched down around 8:25 (CDT) near Center Hill. This tornado destroyed at least nine houses and injured one person. The second tornado was short lived and touched down near the town of Steprock. The final tornado to touchdown in Arkansas touched down in Saline County near the town of Congo; this tornado was rated EF1.

March 28–29

A low pressure system pushed northward through the Ohio Valley on March 28. Several tornadoes were reported in the warm sector stretching from North Carolina south to Florida. The Piedmont Triad was hardest hit, and a tornado emergency was declared for parts of Forsyth, Randolph, Davidson, and Guilford counties. There, a mobile home park was heavily damaged with many injuries reported near High Point. At least 200 houses were also damaged by that EF3 tornado. Damage was also reported near Charlotte. An EF2 tornado hit Linwood in Davidson County.

The same system produced a weak EF0 tornado on the morning of March 29 in South Florida and at least one, possibly two, tornadoes at Freeport on Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas. The Freeport Container Port was heavily damaged, and three people were killed and several others injured by that tornado. That tornado has not been rated on either the Fujita scale or the Enhanced Fujita scale.

April

There were 197 tornadoes reported in the US in April, of which 139 were confirmed.

April 8

Isolated severe weather occurred across southern Alabama, southern Georgia, and northern Florida during the afternoon and evening of April 8, 2010. The synoptic pattern that led to the convection, consisted of mid and upper level troughing over much of the eastern United States, and an associated surface cold front advancing eastward along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. Shortwave energy was rounding the base of the longwave trough through the day and was the main trigger for the vigorous convection.

The first tornadic thunderstorms across the forecast area developed early in the afternoon over Coffee County, Alabama. A weak EF0 tornado first touched down just east of SR 87. The next area of damage was reported east northeast from this initial touchdown along CR-611, where a barn was destroyed and several trees snapped. The final area of damage was reported north of Alabama Highway 134, where a roof was taken off the porch of a house along with a portion of the roof over the kitchen. Figure 2 shows the 0.5 degree reflectivity and storm relative velocity from the KEOX WSR-88D radar shortly before the tornado. A pronounced rotational couplet (mesocyclone) is seen in the velocity image near Damascus, Alabama.

The second tornado of the day developed from a fast-moving storm that crossed Gadsden County, Florida, during mid-afternoon. This tornado was also brief and rated EF0. The tornado touched down in the vicinity of Quincy, just southwest of State Road 267, and tracked northeast onto Holt Lane. Damage southwest of Holt Lane was limited to trees either snapped or uprooted. A few structures were damaged on Holt Lane, primarily due to falling trees. One outbuilding lost its roof as a result of the tornado. The tornado continued northeast, crossing Interstate 10 near exit 181. Trees were reported uprooted or snapped on both sides of the highway. The tornado appears to have lifted shortly after crossing the Interstate.

With the instability and shear ahead of the cold front, a line of showers and thunderstorms developed, and at 4:50 pm produced an EF1 tornado with winds of 80 to 90 miles an hour. The damage spanned a 2-mile long and up to 50 yard wide path across Morgan County, Georgia, from High Shoals Road to the Apalachee River.

Five homes and one chicken house were damaged, and five outbuildings were either damaged or destroyed. The most severely damaged house was located approximately in the middle of the two mile path. The front porch of the house was destroyed, a portion of the roof had been blown off, and a tree fell on the back of the house. Other damage included shingles ripped off roofs, a few broken windows, and some tree limbs driven into roofs and outer walls.

April 15 (India) A tornado with winds between tore through numerous villages in the Indian States of Bihar and West Bengal during the night of April 15, killing 128 people. The tornado was caused by the 2010 Eastern Indian storm.

April 22–25