This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2024. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Argentina, Southern Brazil, the Bengal region, and China, but can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during summer in the Northern Hemisphere and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, South Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Tornadic events are often accompanied by other forms of severe weather, including thunderstorms, strong winds and hail.
Worldwide, 90 tornado-related deaths were confirmed – 53 in the United States, 14 in China, 12 in South Africa, five in India, three in Indonesia, two in Mexico and one in Russia.
In the United States, the year started off with a below average number of tornadoes through the first three months despite a few significant outbreaks on January 9, February 27–28, and March 13–15. However, the El Niño pattern that was in place during that period weakened in April; the pattern shift caused the more traditional Tornado Alley zone to rapidly become extremely favorable for tornado outbreaks, and several large outbreaks occurred in a month-long span between April 26 and May 26; almost 700 tornadoes touched down across the United States, causing widespread destruction and dozens of casualties. The worst events occurred on April 26, May 6 - 8, and May 21.
Average to above average activity continued through essentially the rest of the year as several derechos and multiple tornado outbreaks spawned by tropical cylcones occurred across the United States.
As a result, 2024 ended as the second most active year on record for tornadoes and the most active season of the 2020s decade so far, with 1,880 preliminary reports and at least 1,796 confirmed tornadoes. Only 2004 had more tornadoes with 1,817. This year surpassed 2019 as the busiest year ever recorded in Oklahoma, with at least 152 confirmed tornadoes. With a violent tornado occurring near Marietta in Oklahoma, 2024 was the first year since 2016 to feature an EF4 tornado in Oklahoma. Another EF4 tornado struck Barnsdall in northeast Oklahoma, marking it the first time since 2013 Oklahoma saw more than one violent tornado. 2024 was also the busiest year on record for tornadoes in Florida, Illinois, Iowa, New York, Ohio and West Virginia. Additionally, 2024 was the final year of a record EF5 drought, as a tornado of such intensity occurred the following year.
Events United States
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Europe
Note: Some tornadoes have been rated using different scales. They are counted as their closest IF-Scale equivalent on this table.
China
Note: 27 tornadoes have been confirmed, but not yet rated.
January January 3 (Belgium) On January 3, a tornado struck the communities of Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver and Putte in Belgium. Multiple houses had roofing material torn off, one of which sustained collapse of a gable. Garages, outbuildings, and greenhouses were destroyed and gravestones were damaged at a cemetery. Trees and fences were toppled over as well. One person along with several horses were injured. The European Severe Storms Laboratory rated the tornado IF1.5.Additional references listed by the European Severe Storms Laboratory:
January 8–9 (United States)
During the evening of January 8 through January 9, a severe weather outbreak brought damaging winds and numerous tornadoes to the Southeastern and Eastern United States. On January 7, the Storm Prediction Center issued an enhanced risk for severe weather in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, including a 10% hatched risk for tornadoes. The outbreak began with several brief EF0 tornadoes touching down in Louisiana and Mississippi on January 8. Later that night, multiple tornadic supercell thunderstorms formed over the Gulf of Mexico, and began moving toward the Gulf Coast and Florida Panhandle. In the early morning hours of January 9, a powerful tornadic waterspout formed offshore of Panama City Beach, Florida and moved inland at EF3 intensity, causing major damage in the Lower Grand Lagoon community. Multiple homes, condominiums, apartment buildings, and businesses were severely damaged or destroyed and several large boat storage warehouses sustained significant damage at the Pirate's Cove Marina. The tornado continued to cause lesser damage in the western part of Panama City before it dissipated. A high-end EF2 tornado also touched down in Lynn Haven, causing significant damage along the shores of Deer Point Lake to dozens of mobile and frame homes. A brief but strong EF2 tornado significantly damaged a few houses in Callaway and an EF1 tornado caused moderate damage in Santa Rosa Beach as well.
Another strong EF2 tornado impacted the outskirts of Marianna, where many RVs were thrown and destroyed at an RV park, and dozens of frame homes were badly damaged or destroyed in subdivisions. The longest-tracked and widest tornado of the outbreak touched down southwest of Graceville before it crossed into Alabama and struck Cottonwood at EF2 strength, unroofing homes, collapsing the walls of a brick business, and completely destroying a Moose Lodge building. One person was killed northeast of Cottonwood when the tornado obliterated a mobile home. Several more EF1 tornadoes also touched down in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, including a tornado that struck the eastern edge of Claremont, North Carolina and rolled a manufactured home, resulting in another fatality. The final significant tornado of the day was an EF2 tornado that struck Bamberg, South Carolina, where multiple historic brick buildings were destroyed, and a barrel factory suffered major damage. In all, 38 tornadoes were confirmed, resulting in two fatalities. Four additional fatalities unrelated to tornadoes occurred during the event as well. The system responsible for this tornado outbreak also produced heavy snow and blizzard conditions in parts of the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, and the Northeastern United States.
January 18 (Indonesia) A damaging tornado struck the villages of Walidono and Cangkring in East Java, damaging 253 homes and 10 public buildings. Nineteen people were injured, two of them seriously.
February February 4 (Indonesia) A tornado damaged or destroyed at least 300 homes and numerous other buildings as it moved through the villages of Kedung Wonokerto, Bendo Tretek, and Watutulis within the Prambon District in East Java. Sheet metal debris was scattered throughout the damage path and trees were downed. A man was killed by flying debris when the shop he was in was destroyed by the tornado, and at least one other person was injured.
February 4 (United States)
Several tornadoes touched down in Georgia and Florida on February 4, including an EF1 tornado that caused damage at the historic Seminole Plantation near Boston, Georgia. Cottages sustained roof, chimney, and structural damage and some open-air barns on the property were also damaged. Dozens of trees were downed as well, one of which landed on a building. The strongest tornado of the day produced EF2 damage near Valdosta, destroying two manufactured homes and injuring two people. An outbuilding was also destroyed, a metal building was severely damaged, and several other homes sustained less intense damage elsewhere along the path. A few weak tornadoes caused minor damage in Florida, including an EF0 tornado that touched down in the western outskirts of Jacksonville, damaging trees and fences and overturning a dumpster. A total of six tornadoes were confirmed.
February 8 (United States)
A localized severe weather event in Illinois and Wisconsin produced multiple supercells. One supercell produced the first ever recorded February tornado in Wisconsin near Juda, which heavily damaged a frail prefabricated house at high-end EF1 intensity, caused more minor damage to two other homes, destroyed outbuildings, and rolled several campers. The same supercell spawned a strong, long-tracked EF2 tornado that touched down near Evansville, Wisconsin, and moved through the rural community of Porter, causing significant damage to numerous farmsteads. Multiple houses were heavily damaged and had large portions of their roofs torn off, and many barns, sheds, and metal farm buildings were completely destroyed with debris scattered long distances across fields. Farming equipment was tossed around, trees and power poles were snapped, and one person was injured when the tornado blew their car off a road into a ditch. Less severe damage occurred in and around Albion and Busseyville before the tornado dissipated. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published the tornado caused more than $2.5 million in damage.The finalized damage survey by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by county impacted by the tornado: An EF1 tornado that destroyed farm buildings, damaged a metal garage, and overturned a semi-truck near McNabb, Illinois was also confirmed.
February 14 (Cyprus and Turkey)
An IF1.5 and IF2 tornado struck populated areas in Germasogeia, Limassol, Cyprus on the night of February 14. Roughly 200 homes and apartment buildings sustained roof damage, some of which had a considerable amount of their roof tiles removed and 2 that had their entire roofs ripped off. Trees, signs, and fences were downed, and a crane at a construction site collapsed. Dozens of cars were damaged by flying debris as well. One person was injured and multiple families were displaced from their homes. Additionally, an IF0.5 tornado touched down in Tece, Mersin Province, Turkey, damaging trees.
February 21 (Indonesia) A tornado caused significant damage and was caught on video from multiple angles as it struck Rancaekek, Bandung Regency and parts of Sumedang Regency. It injured 22 people and damaged or destroyed more than 500 structures. Large trucks were overturned and trees were blown over as well. The tornado was given a rating of F2 on the Fujita scale, making it the strongest rated tornado to strike Indonesia.
February 22 (Brazil) A rare northern Brazil tornado hit Estrela de Alagoas, Alagoas. According to MetSul Meteorologia, the damage caused by the tornado was rated F1.
February 27–28 (United States)