Storms of 1959
Every storm the National Weather Service filed in 1959, month by month, kind by kind and state by state. Before 1996 the record holds tornadoes, hail and thunderstorm wind only, without narratives; floods, heat, winter storms and the other kinds begin in 1996.
1959 on the map
The 600 most significant episodes of 1959, colored by kind of event.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The year
- Events
- 1,813
- Deaths
- 58
- Injuries
- 734
- Damage
- $87 million
- Episodes
- 798
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
By month
By kind of event
Deaths, injuries and damage are counted under the kind that heads each episode.
| Kind of event | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 652 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tornado | 630 | 58 | 734 | $87 million |
| Hail | 531 | 0 | 0 |
The deadliest
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Missouri, February 10, 1959
- Tornadoes in Virginia, September 30, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 9, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, March 31, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, March 14, 1959
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, January 21, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Illinois, September 26, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 30, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Florida, April 2, 1959
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, June 11, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, September 27, 1959
- Tornado in Wyoming, June 26, 1959
The costliest
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Missouri, February 10, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Florida, June 17, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Iowa, May 10, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, February 10, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, March 31, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Wisconsin, May 10, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Illinois, September 26, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 9, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, March 14, 1959
- Tornadoes in Iowa, May 9, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Wisconsin, May 26, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Texas, October 4, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Mississippi, January 21, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, May 4, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 30, 1959
- Tornadoes in Illinois, February 10, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Florida, April 2, 1959
- Tornadoes in Virginia, September 30, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, March 31, 1959
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, April 21, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, June 9, 1959
- Tornadoes in Arkansas, September 26, 1959
- Tornadoes in Wisconsin, September 26, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 10, 1959
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, September 26, 1959
By state
Events filed in each state in 1959.
- Alabama26
- Arizona11
- Arkansas47
- California5
- Colorado16
- Connecticut4
- Delaware1
- Florida38
- Georgia34
- Idaho6
- Illinois65
- Indiana40
- Iowa66
- Kansas212
- Kentucky24
- Louisiana34
- Maine8
- Maryland9
- Massachusetts10
- Michigan22
- Minnesota55
- Mississippi33
- Missouri126
- Montana28
- Nebraska113
- Nevada4
- New Hampshire2
- New Mexico32
- New York17
- North Carolina32
- North Dakota27
- Ohio26
- Oklahoma189
- Pennsylvania9
- Rhode Island1
- South Carolina15
- South Dakota51
- Tennessee37
- Texas249
- Utah3
- Vermont4
- Virginia19
- West Virginia3
- Wisconsin49
- Wyoming11
Coastal and lake waters
More from this year
Tornadoes in 1959The 1959 hurricane seasonThis day in weather history
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.