Storms of 1972
Every storm the National Weather Service filed in 1972, 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.
1972 on the map
The 600 most significant episodes of 1972, 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
- 2,171
- Deaths
- 34
- Injuries
- 1,027
- Damage
- $152 million
- Episodes
- 894
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | 778 | 34 | 1,027 | $152 million |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 712 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hail | 681 | 0 | 0 |
The deadliest
- Tornadoes in Florida, June 18, 1972
- Tornadoes in Washington, April 5, 1972
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, April 19, 1972
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Alabama, January 13, 1972
- Tornadoes in Illinois, April 21, 1972
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Texas, November 13, 1972
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Illinois, April 6, 1972
- Tornadoes in Georgia, January 10, 1972
- Tornadoes in Massachusetts, August 9, 1972
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in New York, August 7, 1972
- Tornado in Ohio, June 20, 1972
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Florida, June 25, 1972
The costliest
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arizona, June 21, 1972
- Tornadoes in Washington, April 5, 1972
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, July 17, 1972
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, January 13, 1972
- Tornadoes in Florida, June 19, 1972
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, March 28, 1972
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, September 28, 1972
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Texas, November 13, 1972
- Tornadoes in Mississippi, January 9, 1972
- Tornadoes in Michigan, August 2, 1972
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 14, 1972
- Tornadoes in Massachusetts, July 21, 1972
- Tornado in South Carolina, January 13, 1972
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, March 28, 1972
- Tornadoes in Michigan, April 12, 1972
- Tornado in Missouri, April 12, 1972
- Tornado and Hail in North Carolina, May 15, 1972
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, June 21, 1972
- Tornado in Illinois, August 25, 1972
- Tornado and Hail in Arizona, September 10, 1972
- Tornado and Hail in Illinois, September 28, 1972
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, April 30, 1972
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Illinois, April 6, 1972
- Tornadoes in Florida, June 18, 1972
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 12, 1972
By state
Events filed in each state in 1972.
- Alabama61
- Arizona36
- Arkansas74
- California10
- Colorado53
- Connecticut4
- Florida139
- Georgia79
- Idaho4
- Illinois101
- Indiana25
- Iowa64
- Kansas155
- Kentucky28
- Louisiana65
- Maine3
- Maryland3
- Massachusetts21
- Michigan35
- Minnesota32
- Mississippi105
- Missouri97
- Montana18
- Nebraska84
- Nevada6
- New Hampshire9
- New Jersey1
- New Mexico41
- New York19
- North Carolina15
- North Dakota25
- Ohio35
- Oklahoma82
- Oregon3
- Pennsylvania15
- Rhode Island1
- South Carolina13
- South Dakota67
- Tennessee44
- Texas399
- Utah2
- Vermont6
- Virginia12
- Washington6
- West Virginia4
- Wisconsin52
- Wyoming18
Coastal and lake waters
More from this year
Tornadoes in 1972The 1972 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.