This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2022. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but 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, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Tornadic events are often accompanied by other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail. Worldwide, 32 tornado-related deaths were confirmed: 23 in the United States, three in China, two each in Poland and Russia, and one each in the Netherlands and Ukraine.
Despite an extremely active beginning to the season, which included the second most active March ever recorded, tornado activity in the United States slowed significantly in the later part of spring and into the summer, bringing the season's total below average despite November and December being above average, much like 2016 and 2020, which also saw below average tornado activity. In fact, the summer was the second least active on record since 1964.
Events United States There were 1,331 preliminary filtered reported tornadoes, and 1,176 confirmed tornadoes in the United States in 2022.
Costliest United States tornadoes These are the five costliest tornadoes in 2022. + Costliest United States tornadoes in 2022 Rank Area affectedEF# Date Damage (2022 USD) Refs1Winterset, Iowa EF4$220,000,0002Gaylord, Michigan EF3$50,175,0003Andover, Kansas EF3$41,500,0004Gretna–Arabi–New Orleans East, Louisiana EF3$32,500,0005Springdale, Arkansas EF3$20,000,000
Europe
January January 1–3 (United States)
A small outbreak of mostly weak tornadoes impacted the Southeastern United States starting with 13 confirmed tornadoes on New Year's Day. One strong tornado, rated EF2, moved through Hopkinsville, Kentucky, damaging several businesses, homes, warehouses, a church, and a gas station. A weak EF0 tornado embedded within larger area straight-line winds also caused minor damage in Bowling Green, an area previously impacted by two strong tornadoes during the previous month, which killed 16 people and injured 63 others. An EF1 tornado damaged a few homes, destroyed barns, downed trees, and knocked over gravestones at a cemetery in the Hiseville, Kentucky area. Another brief EF1 tornado caused damage to a few metal buildings and garages at the east edge Lebanon, Kentucky. Near Hazel Green, Alabama, a high-end EF0 tornado damaged several businesses, snapped tree branches, and ripped the roof off a mobile home. One person was injured, the only injury of the outbreak. Three weak, brief EF0 tornadoes touched down in Georgia and Florida on January 2. Two weak tornadoes also touched down in North Carolina during the morning of January 3 before the outbreak ended, one of which caused EF1 damage to some hog barns near Newton Grove. In all, 19 tornadoes touched down, with only one injury reported.
January 8–9 (United States)
On the evening of January 8, a few weak tornadoes touched down in the area in Southeast Texas, including within the Greater Houston area, the strongest of which was an EF1 tornado that caused moderate damage to an office building and some homes near Hedwig Village. An EF0 tornado caused minor tree and structural damage near George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and another EF0 tornado also caused minor damage to a restaurant and a few other buildings in Montgomery. The following day, two EF1 tornadoes caused damage to homes, businesses, trees, vehicles, and a post office in the Humble, Texas area. Later that day, a strong EF2 tornado struck the community of Peason, Louisiana, impacting at least 30 homes and injuring six people, some critically. One mobile home was completely destroyed and swept away by the tornado, and many trees were snapped or uprooted along the path. Near Hornbeck, an EF1 tornado downed trees and caused shingle damage to a home. Two EF0 tornadoes and one EF1 tornado caused minor damage in southern Alabama as well. Overall, 11 tornadoes were confirmed.
January 16 (Florida)
Several tornadoes occurred over coastal areas of Florida during the morning of January 16, most of which were the result of tornadic waterspouts moving onshore. A strong EF2 tornado caused major damage to three mobile home parks in the Fort Myers suburb of Iona. 108 mobile homes were impacted, 30 of which were destroyed and 51 of which sustained major damage. The tornado, which injured three, was caught on video by many people living in the surrounding areas. An EF1 tornado also struck a manufactured home community in Placida, damaging 35 residences at that location, and damaging several boats as well. Another EF1 tornado touched down near Port Charlotte and damaged multiple homes, a few heavily. An EF0 tornado in Collier County overturned a semi-truck and injured the driver. In all, a total of seven tornadoes were confirmed, along with four injuries.
January 30 (Malaysia) On January 30, a damaging tornado moved through several neighborhoods in Ipoh, Malaysia, where roughly 300 homes were damaged, and many trees and power poles were downed. Some homes and businesses had their roofs torn off, signs were destroyed, and sheet metal debris was scattered throughout the damage path. No serious injuries occurred as a result of the tornado.
February February 3 (Alabama)
On February 3, the SPC issued a slight risk for parts of southern Mississippi and much of Alabama, including a 5% risk of tornadoes. Three strong EF2 tornadoes were spawned by an isolated supercell that moved through in west-central Alabama later that evening. The first of these tornadoes inflicted major damage to a house near Duncanville. The second one reached high-end EF2 strength and destroyed multiple mobile homes, downed many trees, and tossed two pickup trucks near Sawyerville, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries. The final EF2 tornado snapped or uprooted countless large trees in the Talladega National Forest. Two EF0 tornadoes were also confirmed, one of which downed trees and damaged carports near Deatsville, while the other caused tree, roof, and outbuilding damage near Martin Dam. A total of five tornadoes were confirmed, along with one fatality and eight injuries.
February 17 (Europe)
As European Windstorm Dudley moved across Europe, it produced a significant outbreak of 24 tornadoes, 23 of which occurred in central Poland. More than half of the tornadoes were strong, producing F2 damage, and all were produced by embedded circulations and mesovortices within a squall line. The first tornado of the day was rated high-end F1 and hit the village of Casekow in eastern Germany, snapping trees, destroying horse stables, and causing substantial roof damage to several residences in town. Some large farmhouses sustained considerable damage outside of Casekow as well. In Poland, an F1 tornado damaged trees, roofs, and outbuildings in Skwierzyna. Pieces of wood were speared into the exterior wall of one structure in the village as well. An F2 tornado passed near Sucharzewo, causing significant damage to brick homes and outbuildings, including a brick cow shed that collapsed, killing a bull. Swaths of trees were mowed down in rural areas near Sucharzewo, and some debarking occurred. In Krzykosy, an unrated tornado downed trees and power lines, and damaged the roofs of several residences, including one that was completely unroofed. An F2 tornado struck Młodzikowice and another impacted Grzywna Szlachecka, largely destroying several masonry outbuildings, snapping many trees, damaging vehicles, and causing roof and window damage to homes in and around both villages. A church and some homes in the Stara Ciświca area had roofing torn off as a result of an F2 tornado, and major tree and outbuilding damage occurred as well. A duck farm near the village was significantly damaged, and several ducks were killed at that location. A tornado of unknown intensity downed trees in the town of Turek, and an F1 tornado tore the sheet metal roof off a house near Żurawin. Four other F1 tornadoes also caused considerable tree and structural damage in and around the small villages and towns of Łaski, Łęka, Lipicze Górne, and Aleksandria. To the northeast of Kalisz, an F2 tornado inflicted severe roof damage to homes, destroyed outbuildings, damaged a soccer field, and scattered debris across fields and passed through or near multiple villages. Another strong F2 tornado struck Dobrzyca, where multiple homes had their roofs and second-floor exterior walls ripped off, and streets were littered with debris. Power lines were downed, and large trees were snapped in a wooded area as well. Yet another F2 tornado caused heavy damage to buildings in Lgów, scattering debris throughout the small community. Homes had their roofs torn off, outbuildings were destroyed, debris was strewn across fields, cars were damaged, and numerous trees were snapped in a forest.
A strong F2 tornado ripped the roofs off of homes, destroyed large brick outbuildings, damaged a greenhouse, and injured two people as it impacted Wójcice and Smaszków, while another F2 tornado flipped a car and destroyed a summer home near Słomków Kościelny. In the city of Kraków, a short-lived tornado of unknown intensity caused a construction crane to collapse, resulting in two deaths and two injuries. A few buildings in Kraków had roofing blown off, and cars were damaged by flying debris. Another damaging but unrated tornado struck Sierosław, where every building in town sustained some degree of damage, a few of which had their roofs torn off and sustained some damage to their brick exterior walls. Farms sustained severe damage outside of town, metal truss transmission towers were blown over, and two semi-trucks were overturned, injuring one of the drivers. A tornado produced F2 damage to trees and structures in the Różyce Grochowe and Sulimy areas, and two additional F2 tornadoes mowed down countless trees as they moved through remote forested areas near Izdebno and Nowe Miasto nad Wartą. A brief tornado also produced F2 damage along the shore of Lake Powidzkie near Kosewo, snapping large trees, tossing boats, and damaging a residential building. In total, two people were killed and five others were injured by the tornadoes, with all injuries and fatalities occurring in Poland.
March March 5–7 (United States)
A tornado outbreak, spawned from a strong, negatively tilted shortwave trough, struck the Midwestern United States beginning on March 5. The state of Iowa was particularly affected. Six people were killed by a violent, Very long-tracked EF4 tornado near Winterset that completely destroyed multiple homes, a few of which were leveled or swept away. The tornado also caused severe damage as it impacted the outskirts of Norwalk and Pleasant Hill before dissipating near Newton, after nearly miles on the ground. An EF3 tornado near Chariton tore through a campground at Red Haw State Park, killing one person there. The same tornado also downed numerous trees, and badly damaged or destroyed multiple homes and other structures along its path. A strong EF2 tornado caused significant damage to trees, power poles, a baseball field, and a manufactured home as it clipped the outskirts of Allerton, while an EF1 tornado caused moderate damage in the town of Vinton. Near Garden Grove, outbuildings were destroyed, power poles were snapped, and a house had its roof torn off as a result of an EF2 tornado. Two other EF2 tornadoes caused damage to homes, trees, and outbuildings as they passed near the towns of Kellogg and Tama.