This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2016. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, Brazil 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. There were 1,059 tornadoes reported in the United States in 2016, of which 974 were confirmed. Worldwide, 133 fatalities were reported; 100 in China, 18 in the United States, five in Uruguay, four in Brazil and two in Italy, Russia and Indonesia each.
In contrast to the year prior, 2016 was below-average in terms of tornadic activity, recording only 974 tornadoes; however, near-record tornado numbers occurred in February, especially from a late-February outbreak on February 23 and 24. This was the first year that tornadoes began to be rated EFU (EF-Unknown).
Synopsis Tornado activity was expected to be low during the first quarter of 2016 due to a major El Niño event that would last into early spring. However, this did not come to fruition, as 2016 had the third most active first two months of the past 10 years, only behind 2008 and 2007.
A significant outbreak impacted the southeastern and South Atlantic states on February 23 and 24; 61 confirmed tornadoes occurred, including four which were rated EF3. Seven fatalities occurred as a result of the outbreak. The generally above-average trend continued, to a much lesser degree, throughout the month of March, which saw 84 confirmed tornadoes.
April, by contrast, was below average in terms of tornadic activity, with 142 confirmed tornadoes across the United States in the space of the month. On April 15, a large F3 multiple-vortex tornado struck the city of Dolores in Uruguay, demolishing over 400 buildings and causing five fatalities.
Beginning in May, however, tornado activity increased, with a significant tornado outbreak affecting the central United States from May 7 through May 10, producing the first EF4 tornado of the year. Below average activity occurred during mid-May; however, from May 22 through May 26, another significant outbreak occurred, which produced multiple strong to violent tornadoes. A tornado family impacted southwestern Kansas near Dodge City in the evening of May 24; five of the tornadoes were rated EF3, though no fatalities occurred. The most significant tornado of the event was a high-end EF4 wedge tornado which tracked through Ottawa and Dickinson Counties in central Kansas. A split-level home to the north of Abilene was swept away; numerous vehicles including a Freightliner truck and a combine harvester were tossed and mangled beyond recognition, and a set of railroad tracks near Chapman were bent horizontally. An additional 11 tornadoes were confirmed on May 26; however, most were weak.
June was well below average in terms of tornadic activity; 90 tornadoes were reported over the course of the month, of which 87 were confirmed. In the evening of June 11, an EF3 tornado impacted the city of Baker, Montana, demolishing several homes and a steel-framed barn. In the early afternoon of June 23, an isolated violent tornado impacted the outskirts of Yancheng in the Jiangsu province of China, where numerous homes were leveled, several vehicles were tossed, cell phone towers were destroyed, and trees were completely debarked and denuded. The China Meteorological Association assigned the tornado a rating of EF4.
July saw near-average tornadic activity throughout the United States, with 104 tornadoes being reported over the course of the month, though no significant outbreaks occurred. Tornadic activity in August was near average in the United States, with 92 tornadoes having been reported as of August 27; however, on the evening of August 24, a rare outbreak of tornadoes impacted the states of Indiana and Ohio, along with the Canadian province of Ontario, with significant damage occurring in and around Kokomo, Indiana, Woodburn, Indiana, and Windsor, Ontario. The outbreak caused relatively few injuries and no fatalities.
Generally average to below average tornado activity occurred for the remainder of the year.
Events United States
January January 16–17 (Florida)
Several tornadoes were reported in the Tampa Bay area late in the evening of January 16 and into the early morning of January 17. The most significant tornado of the event, rated EF2, completely destroyed a mobile home and caused severe damage to a barn in the Duette area, resulting in two fatalities. Another high-end EF2 tornado damaged numerous structures in Siesta Key, including one home that had its second floor completely destroyed.
January 21–22 (United States)
Six tornadoes touched down across the Deep South, five of which occurred in Mississippi. The strongest tornado of the event was a low-end EF2 tornado near Sumrall, which caused considerable damage to a house and a garage.
February February 2–3 (United States)
Several tornadoes were reported across western Alabama and eastern Mississippi on February 2, including a large wedge tornado that struck Collinsville, Mississippi, tearing roofs off homes in the town and causing major structural damage at a church complex. Another EF2 tornado struck the west side of Scooba, causing damage to homes and the East Mississippi Community College campus. The most significant tornado of the day was a very high-end EF2 wedge tornado that destroyed numerous mobile homes and heavily damaged frame homes near McMullen, Alabama before it struck the nearby town of Carrollton, downing many trees. The following day, a high-end EF1 tornado caused considerable damage at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Overall, the event produced 14 tornadoes and no fatalities.
February 15–16 (United States)
A small but damaging tornado outbreak impacted Florida and the Gulf Coast region of the United States. The event began on February 15, as multiple tornadoes affected an area extending from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. This included a high-end EF2 tornado that caused major damage in and around Wesson, Mississippi. Later that evening, a large EF3 tornado struck the town of Century, Florida and destroyed numerous homes and mobile homes in the area. An EF1 tornado caused considerable damage in Sylvarena, Mississippi, while an EF2 tornado completely destroyed a volunteer fire department building in Johnsonville, Alabama. Tornado activity continued the following day, as a few weak tornadoes occurred in the Miami metropolitan area and in North Carolina as well. The outbreak resulted in a total of 24 tornadoes and no fatalities.
February 23–24 (United States)
The second largest February tornado outbreak on record impacted the Gulf Coast and East Coast regions of the United States beginning on February 23. The first significant tornadoes of the outbreak moved across southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi that evening, leaving significant damage and three deaths. The towns of Livingston and Laplace, Louisiana sustained heavy damage from strong EF2 tornadoes, and another EF2 near Purvis, Mississippi killed one person in a mobile home. An EF3 tornado also caused major structural damage in Paincourtville, Louisiana before destroying an RV park in Convent, killing two people at that location. Three simultaneous waterspouts were observed over Lake Pontchartrain during the event as well. Later that night, a large supercell thunderstorm developed over the Gulf of Mexico and moved ashore, producing a destructive EF3 tornado in the northern part of Pensacola, Florida. The tornado injured three people and destroyed homes, townhouses, apartments, and a GE warehouse.
The outbreak continued the following day as strong tornadoes impacted the East Coast states of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina on February 24, killing four people. An EF1 tornado struck the town of Waverly, Virginia, killing three people in a mobile home, including a two-year-old child. An EF3 tornado struck the town of Evergreen, Virginia, causing severe damage and killing one person at that location. An EF2 tornado caused major damage to homes near Oxford, North Carolina, and another EF2 tornado touched down near White Horse, Pennsylvania, damaging up to 50 structures in the area. Another long-tracked EF3 tornado occurred later that night near the Virginia town of Tappahannock, destroying multiple homes along its path. About 35,000 people in Virginia, 4,000 in Washington, D.C., and 47,000 in the Carolinas lost power due to the storms. In all, there were 61 tornadoes and seven fatalities during the outbreak.
March March 1 (United States)
An EF2 tornado struck the McCalla, Alabama area, causing major damage to numerous homes and injuring four people. An EF0 tornado caused minor tree damage in the northern part of Opelika, Alabama, and another EF0 tornado near Sylacauga, Alabama caused minor damage to homes and destroyed outbuildings.
March 15 (United States)
During the morning of March 15, the Storm Prediction Center introduced an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms for west central Illinois, southeastern Iowa, and northeastern Missouri, with a 10% chance of tornadoes for the same areas. The enhanced risk area was expanded westward in subsequent outlooks. That night, a small tornado outbreak occurred in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. A high-end EF2 tornado tracked near Rapids City, Illinois, injuring 10 people and destroying homes in a semi-rural subdivision near East Moline, while an EF0 touched down near McCausland, Iowa, causing minor tree damage. Another EF2 tornado caused considerable damage near Trivoli, Illinois in Peoria County, and an EF0 tornado caused damage in the city of Peoria and Peoria Heights. An EF1 tornado near Curran, Illinois caused damage to homes west of Springfield, and another EF0 tornado touched down north of Deer Grove, Illinois. A large tornado touched down in Good Hope, Illinois, initially causing EF0 roof damage in town before reaching EF2 strength further to the northeast, heavily damaging multiple farmsteads. Two other EF1 tornadoes touched down in Clinton County, Iowa, one of which struck a mobile home park near Low Moor, injuring three people. A total of nine tornadoes were confirmed from this event.
March 30 – April 1 (United States)
Early in the evening of March 30, a localized but significant tornado event impacted Oklahoma and Arkansas, including an EF2 tornado that caused heavy damage to homes, businesses, and industrial buildings in the northern part of Tulsa, injuring four people. A second EF2 tornado from the same parent supercell severely damaged homes near Claremore, and destroyed barns at Will Rogers Downs. The following day, numerous weak tornadoes touched down in southern Middle Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama, causing mostly minor damage. However, an EF2 tornado destroyed mobile homes and downed many trees near Hartselle and Priceville, Alabama. Tornado activity continued on the morning of April 1, as a few weak tornadoes occurred in parts of Alabama and Georgia. The system also produced heavy rain, flooding, and hail across the Southern Plains and Southeastern United States. Two non-tornadic deaths occurred due to teen drivers sliding and crashing on a wet roadways in Tishomingo County, Mississippi and Douglas County. Overall, this outbreak produced 29 tornadoes and no tornadic fatalities.
April April 15 (Uruguay)