Storms of 1981

4,517 events in 1,140 episodes

Every storm the National Weather Service filed in 1981, 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.

1981 on the map

The 600 most significant episodes of 1981, 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

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The year

Events: 4,517
Deaths: 24
Injuries: 798
Damage: $766 million
Episodes: 1,140

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	2,193	0	0
Hail	1,494	0	0
Tornado	830	24	798	$766 million

The deadliest

The costliest

Coastal and lake waters

More from this year

Tornadoes in 1981 The 1981 hurricane season This day in weather history

Storms of 1980 Storms of 1982

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.