Storms of 1979
Every storm the National Weather Service filed in 1979, 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.
1979 on the map
The 600 most significant episodes of 1979, 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
- 4,279
- Deaths
- 84
- Injuries
- 3,014
- Damage
- $946 million
- Episodes
- 1,170
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 | 2,046 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hail | 1,315 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tornado | 918 | 84 | 3,014 | $946 million |
The deadliest
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, April 10, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, June 28, 1979
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Connecticut, October 3, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, April 10, 1979
- Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, October 30, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, August 28, 1979
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, August 10, 1979
- Tornado in Tennessee, June 30, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Dakota, June 19, 1979
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Florida, May 8, 1979
- Tornadoes in Wyoming, July 16, 1979
- Tornadoes in Virginia, September 5, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 2, 1979
- Tornadoes in Pennsylvania, September 5, 1979
- Tornado in Kentucky, March 31, 1979
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, August 9, 1979
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Indiana, April 11, 1979
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, October 22, 1979
The costliest
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, April 10, 1979
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Connecticut, October 3, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, June 28, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 8, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in South Dakota, June 19, 1979
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Florida, May 8, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, April 10, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 3, 1979
- Tornadoes in Wyoming, July 16, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 11, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, July 7, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, June 28, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, March 29, 1979
- Tornadoes in Virginia, September 5, 1979
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Alabama, November 25, 1979
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, June 16, 1979
- Tornadoes in South Carolina, September 4, 1979
- Tornadoes in Texas, April 1, 1979
- Tornadoes in Louisiana, October 22, 1979
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Missouri, October 30, 1979
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Texas, October 30, 1979
- Tornadoes in Florida, September 3, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 2, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, October 18, 1979
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, April 11, 1979
By state
Events filed in each state in 1979.
- Alabama97
- Arizona29
- Arkansas139
- California10
- Colorado116
- Connecticut9
- Delaware4
- District of Columbia1
- Florida141
- Georgia111
- Idaho24
- Illinois72
- Indiana142
- Iowa206
- Kansas206
- Kentucky73
- Louisiana105
- Maine2
- Maryland28
- Massachusetts14
- Michigan95
- Minnesota202
- Mississippi81
- Missouri134
- Montana23
- Nebraska339
- Nevada10
- New Hampshire7
- New Jersey9
- New Mexico35
- New York46
- North Carolina64
- North Dakota117
- Ohio58
- Oklahoma307
- Pennsylvania80
- Rhode Island4
- South Carolina25
- South Dakota115
- Tennessee45
- Texas726
- Utah4
- Vermont8
- Virginia30
- Washington2
- West Virginia18
- Wisconsin91
- Wyoming75
Coastal and lake waters
More from this year
Tornadoes in 1979The 1979 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.