Tornadoes · United States
Tornadoes of 1927
Grazulis's record has 157 significant tornadoes in the United States in 1927, which killed 543 people and injured 3,625. 18 were rated F4 or above, 2 of them F5. Before 1950 the record is Thomas P. Grazulis’s list of significant tornadoes: those rated F2 or stronger, and weaker ones that killed somebody.
1926 1928
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. Grazulis rated these tornadoes on the Fujita scale decades after the fact, from written accounts of the damage. The scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
Grazulis gave no rating: the surviving account records a tornado without enough about the damage to rate it. Almost all of these are before 1880.
The violent tornadoes of 1927
- F5 Rocksprings tornado, TexasApril 12, 192774 killed
- F5, Aetna to SSW McPherson, KSMay 7, 192710 killed
- F4 Poplar Bluff tornado, MissouriMay 9, 192798 killed
- F4, Green Forest, ARMarch 18, 192724 killed
- F4, Strong, ARMay 9, 192724 killed
- F4, Nevada, TXMay 9, 192719 killed
- F4, Garland, TXMay 9, 192715 killed
- F4, Arthur City, TX to N Ft. Towson, OKApril 18, 192711 killed
- F4, SW Apex, MO to Springfield, ILApril 19, 192711 killed
- F4, Hoxie, ARMay 9, 192711 killed
- F4, Springfield, ILApril 19, 192710 killed
- F4, Carrington, MOMay 8, 19276 killed
- F4, NW Greenville to Wolfe, TXMay 9, 19276 killed
- F4, Yates, MOMay 27, 19275 killed
- F4, NW Bokoshe, OKApril 17, 19274 killed
- F4, Eldon, MOMay 8, 19274 killed
- F4, Lebo, KSJuly 16, 19273 killed
- F4, Burlingame, KSJuly 16, 19272 killed
- F4 Poplar Bluff tornado, MissouriMay 9, 192798 killed, 300 injured
- F3 St. Louis tornado, Missouri and IllinoisSeptember 29, 192779 killed, 550 injured
- F5 Rocksprings tornado, TexasApril 12, 192774 killed, 205 injured
- F4, Green Forest, ARMarch 18, 192724 killed, 110 injured
- F4, Strong, ARMay 9, 192724 killed, 72 injured
- F4, Nevada, TXMay 9, 192719 killed, 100 injured
- F4, Garland, TXMay 9, 192715 killed, 40 injured
- F3, S Converse/E Pleaseant Hill to Lake End, LAFebruary 17, 192714 killed, 70 injured
- F2, Lake Bruin, LAFebruary 17, 192713 killed, 100 injured
- F3, S Slocomb/W Benton to N Collegevile, ARMarch 17, 192712 killed, 27 injured
February 13 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| February 13 | 7:10 PM EST | F2 | Millen, GA | 5.8 | 30 | | | |
February 17 6 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| February 17 | 5:15 PM CST | F3 | S Converse/E Pleaseant Hill to Lake End, LA | 26.0 | 200 | 14 | 70 | |
| February 17 | 5:15 PM CST | F2 | Lake Bruin, LA | 10.3 | 150 | 13 | 100 | |
| February 17 | 6:00 PM CST | F2 | N Bovina, MS | 9.8 | 300 | 5 | 25 | |
| February 17 | 10:00 PM CST | F2 | E Collins to SE Stringer, MS | 18.5 | 70 | | 5 | |
| February 17 | 10:00 PM CST | F2 | W Laurel, MS | 15.3 | | 1 | 10 | |
| February 17 | 10:15 PM CST | F2 | E Rose Hill, MS | | | 8 | 6 | |
February 18 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| February 18 | 3:30 PM EST | F2 | S Madison to Lee, FL | 7.1 | 50 | | 4 | |
March 11 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| March 11 | 5:30 PM CST | F2 | Holton/Wetmore/Netawaka, KS | 16.6 | 40 | | 2 | |
| March 11 | 6:00 PM CST | F2 | W Hiawatha, KS | 1.5 | 300 | | | |
March 17 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| March 17 | 7:30 PM CST | F3 | NW Delight, AR | 9.7 | 400 | | 3 | |
| March 17 | 8:30 PM CST | F3 | S Slocomb/W Benton to N Collegevile, AR | 17.7 | 100 | 12 | 27 | |
March 18 4 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| March 18 | 7:30 PM CST | F4 | Green Forest, AR | 35.3 | 800 | 24 | 110 | |
| March 18 | 7:30 PM CST | F3 | Kremlin to Ponca City, OK | 37.2 | 500 | | 3 | |
| March 18 | 9:30 PM CST | F2 | W White Eagle to SE Apperson, OK | 38.0 | 100 | 1 | 5 | |
| March 18 | 11:55 PM CST | F2 | N Jerseyville, IL | | 30 | | | |
April 1 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 1 | 7:00 PM EST | F2 | Durham, NC | | | | | |
April 4 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 4 | 6:30 PM CST | F2 | S Litchfield, IL | | 200 | | | |
April 11 3 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 11 | 6:00 PM CST | F2 | Del Rio, TX | 7.7 | 50 | 1 | 30 | |
| April 11 | 6:15 PM CST | F3 | S Eakly to N Union City, OK | 68.7 | 400 | | 5 | |
| April 11 | 8:00 PM CST | F3 | SW Alfalfa to Mustang, OK | 55.3 | 300 | 1 | 6 | |
April 12 7 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 12 | | F2 | Dexter, AR | | | | 2 | |
| April 12 | 2:35 PM CST | F3 | S McCurtain to Bokoshe, OK | 10.5 | 300 | 2 | 18 | |
| April 12 | 4:04 PM CST | F3 | Arkoma, OK to Fort Smith, AR | 3.9 | 150 | 2 | 13 | |
| April 12 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | E Gothenburg, NE | | | | 2 | |
| April 12 | 7:45 PM CST | F5 | Rocksprings tornado, TX | 36.4 | 1,600 | 74 | 205 | |
| April 12 | 8:00 PM CST | F2 | N Uvalde, TX | | | 1 | | |
| April 12 | 8:00 PM CST | F2 | N Uvalde, TX | | | | 4 | |
April 13 11 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 13 | 2:00 AM CST | F2 | Robert Lee, TX | 9.7 | 100 | | 5 | |
| April 13 | 5:30 AM CST | F3 | SW Belton/Pendleton to Eddy, TX | 24.9 | 400 | | 6 | |
| April 13 | 6:15 AM CST | F2 | NE Joshua/W Watsonville, TX | 15.1 | 150 | 1 | 13 | |
| April 13 | 6:45 AM CST | F2 | Hebron, TX | 1.8 | 100 | | 5 | |
| April 13 | 8:00 AM CST | F2 | S Waxahachie, TX | 8.1 | 50 | | 1 | |
| April 13 | 2:00 PM CST | F2 | Lufkin to Lola, TX | 0.7 | 70 | | 15 | |
| April 13 | 2:45 PM CST | F2 | Atlanta, TX | 1.9 | 150 | | 2 | |
| April 13 | 4:20 PM CST | F2 | Needmore, OK | | 100 | | 3 | |
| April 13 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | S Hendley, NE | | | | | |
| April 13 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | N Hendley, NE | | | | | |
| April 13 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | SW Wilsonville, NE | | | | | |
April 14 5 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 14 | 4:45 AM CST | F2 | S Marshall, TX | 4.9 | 150 | 1 | 5 | |
| April 14 | 6:20 AM CST | F2 | Lufkin, TX | | 150 | 1 | 40 | |
| April 14 | | F2 | Greenwood, LA | | 150 | | 20 | |
| April 14 | 1:00 PM CST | F2 | W Redwater, TX | 4.8 | | | 11 | |
| April 14 | 2:45 PM CST | F2 | Little Rock, AR | | 30 | | 5 | |
April 17 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 17 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | SE Granbury, TX | | 300 | 1 | 1 | |
| April 17 | 10:45 PM CST | F4 | NW Bokoshe, OK | 6.6 | 800 | 4 | 4 | |
April 18 8 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 18 | | F2 | W Lubbock, TX | | | | | |
| April 18 | | F2 | Levelland, TX | | | | | |
| April 18 | 4:00 PM CST | F2 | SE Borger, TX | | | | 6 | |
| April 18 | 4:15 PM CST | F3 | SW Harper/N Gillespie/N Willow City to Blowout, TX | 45.0 | 250 | | 7 | |
| April 18 | 7:30 PM CST | F2 | Moore/Bigfoot, TX | | 200 | 2 | 15 | |
| April 18 | 8:00 PM CST | F2 | Marble Falls, TX | | | | 2 | |
| April 18 | 10:00 PM CST | F2 | NW Granger, TX | 14.9 | 70 | 2 | 5 | |
| April 18 | 11:30 PM CST | F4 | Arthur City, TX to N Ft. Towson, OK | 19.9 | 800 | 11 | 72 | |
April 19 8 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 19 | 1:00 AM CST | F2 | NW Springfield, MO | 4.8 | | | | |
| April 19 | 11:15 AM CST | F2 | SW Columbia/NW Millersburg to SW Benton, MO | 37.2 | | | | |
| April 19 | 11:45 AM CST | F4 | SW Apex, MO to Springfield, IL | 78.2 | 400 | 11 | 63 | |
| April 19 | 12:00 PM CST | F2 | West Township to St. Francis Township, IL | 22.9 | 70 | | 3 | |
| April 19 | 1:10 PM CST | F4 | Springfield, IL | 37.5 | 600 | 10 | 60 | |
| April 19 | 5:50 PM EST | F2 | N Brazil, IN | | 100 | | 2 | |
| April 19 | 7:30 PM EST | F2 | W Harbor Beach/NW Port Hope, MI | 15.0 | | | | |
| April 19 | 7:45 PM EST | F2 | S Melvin to Roseburg, MI | 6.4 | 200 | | | |
April 20 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 20 | 5:15 PM CST | F2 | Caddo, OK | 1.8 | 100 | | 1 | |
| April 20 | 8:00 PM CST | F2 | W Brownwood, TX | | 100 | | | |
April 28 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 28 | 3:30 PM CST | F3 | Nuckolls Co., NE/W Hardy/E Webber, KS | 9.7 | 100 | | | |
| April 28 | 6:30 PM CST | F2 | Diller, NE | 8.9 | 30 | | | |
May 2 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 2 | 4:00 PM CST | F3 | E Fairhaven, MN | 4.0 | 200 | | 6 | |
May 7 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 7 | 6:00 PM CST | F5 | Aetna to SSW McPherson, KS | 115.9 | 1,000 | 10 | 300 | |
May 8 6 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 8 | 6:15 AM CST | F3 | W North Platte/E Hershey, NE | 14.9 | 100 | | 3 | |
| May 8 | 10:00 AM CST | F3 | NW Stapleton, NE | 17.9 | 400 | | 1 | |
| May 8 | 8:00 PM CST | F4 | Eldon, MO | 35.0 | 300 | 4 | 33 | |
| May 8 | 8:00 PM CST | F2 | Calumet/Sutherland, IA | 10.9 | 200 | | 1 | |
| May 8 | 9:15 PM CST | F4 | Carrington, MO | 40.1 | 400 | 6 | 30 | |
| May 8 | 10:00 PM CST | F3 | Ava, MO | 8.7 | 400 | 2 | 30 | |
May 9 28 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 9 | 2:25 AM CST | F4 | Nevada, TX | 12.6 | 400 | 19 | 100 | |
| May 9 | 3:00 AM CST | F4 | NW Greenville to Wolfe, TX | 14.2 | 400 | 6 | 20 | |
| May 9 | 3:00 AM CST | F2 | Washington Township, IN | | | | | |
| May 9 | 3:10 AM CST | F4 | Garland, TX | 0.9 | 200 | 15 | 40 | |
| May 9 | | F2 | W Walker, MI | | | | | |
| May 9 | | F2 | Loomis to Beaverton, MI | 11.3 | | | | |
| May 9 | 1:00 PM CST | F2 | NW Holland/Beckett Mountain, AR | 11.8 | 200 | | | |
| May 9 | 2:10 PM CST | F3 | Hickory Township, IL | 12.2 | 100 | 1 | 12 | |
| May 9 | 2:25 PM CST | F2 | Shreveport, LA | | 100 | | | |
| May 9 | 2:30 PM CST | F3 | W Carlisle/S Hunter to Birdeye, AR | 68.0 | 200 | 8 | 69 | |
| May 9 | 2:30 PM CST | F2 | Eden, IL | | 100 | | | |
| May 9 | 2:30 PM CST | F2 | Scott to Lonoke, AR | 15.3 | 300 | | 7 | |
| May 9 | 2:35 PM CST | F4 | Poplar Bluff tornado, Missouri | 60.3 | 600 | 98 | 300 | |
| May 9 | 2:50 PM CST | F4 | Hoxie, AR | 5.3 | 50 | 11 | 200 | |
| May 9 | 3:10 PM CST | F2 | Kingsland/Toledo/Randall, AR | 27.4 | 400 | 9 | 24 | |
| May 9 | 3:15 PM CST | F3 | SW Egypt/E Stanford, AR | 26.5 | 100 | 12 | 8 | |
| May 9 | 3:15 PM CST | F2 | N Kingston, AR | | | | 4 | |
| May 9 | 3:20 PM CST | F2 | Bethesda, AR | | 400 | | | |
| May 9 | 3:30 PM CST | F2 | Norphlet, AR | | 150 | 1 | 35 | |
| May 9 | 4:20 PM CST | F4 | Strong, AR | 6.2 | 300 | 24 | 72 | |
| May 9 | 4:20 PM CST | F2 | NW Long Grove/SE Dewitt, IA | 10.0 | 600 | | | |
| May 9 | 4:25 PM CST | F3 | E Morrisonville to NE Decatur, IL | 43.9 | 400 | 1 | 116 | |
| May 9 | 4:30 PM CST | F2 | N Owaneco, IL | 4.4 | 200 | | | |
| May 9 | 4:30 PM CST | F2 | Clarence, LA | 3.5 | 200 | 1 | 10 | |
| May 9 | 4:55 PM CST | F3 | SW Carterville/Herrin/Ezra/West Frankfort, IL | 15.7 | 400 | | 21 | |
| May 9 | 6:30 PM CST | F2 | SW Calvin, LA | 8.1 | 800 | | | |
| May 9 | 6:30 PM CST | F2 | Joppa/Hillerman/Mermet/New Columbia, IL | 13.8 | 600 | 6 | 20 | |
| May 9 | 8:30 PM CST | F2 | Renick to Evansville, MO | 9.7 | 300 | | | |
May 13 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 13 | 4:00 PM EST | F2 | Cato, IN | 0.9 | 100 | | | |
May 17 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 17 | 8:00 PM CST | F2 | E Ensign, KS | | | | | |
May 18 4 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 18 | 7:00 PM EST | F2 | SW Plainfield, IN | 3.0 | 50 | | 1 | |
| May 18 | 7:50 PM EST | F3 | Indianapolis, IN | 4.0 | 400 | 2 | 150 | |
| May 18 | 10:30 PM EST | F2 | N Princeton/N Hughes Station/N Bethany, OH | 5.2 | 100 | | | |
| May 18 | 10:30 PM EST | F2 | E Princeton, OH | 1.3 | 100 | | | |
May 23 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 23 | 6:00 PM CST | F3 | NW Williamsburg to SE Conroy, IA | 4.6 | 200 | | 2 | |
May 24 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 24 | 5:18 AM CST | F2 | St. Joseph, MO | 3.0 | 200 | | 2 | |
| May 24 | 2:30 PM EST | F2 | Saline City, IL | | | | | |
May 25 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 25 | 3:45 PM CST | F2 | Dorans to NE Mattoon, IL | 10.2 | 400 | | | |
| May 25 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | NE Robinson/S Palestine, IL | 11.9 | 50 | | 1 | |
May 27 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 27 | 5:30 PM CST | F4 | Yates, MO | 7.5 | 400 | 5 | 11 | |
June 4 3 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 4 | 1:30 AM EST | F2 | NE Huntington, IN | | 30 | | | |
| June 4 | 1:35 AM EST | F2 | S Markle, IN | | | | | |
| June 4 | 7:00 PM CST | F2 | Shields, KS | 5.6 | 150 | | | |
June 17 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 17 | 6:00 PM CST | F2 | N Memphis, TN | | 100 | | | |
June 27 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 27 | 5:45 PM MST | F2 | NE Gillette, WY | | | | 4 | |
June 29 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 29 | 1:45 AM CST | F2 | Claremont/Britton, SD | 15.8 | 150 | | | |
June 30 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 30 | 7:00 PM CST | F2 | N Alexandria, SD | | | | | |
July 4 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 4 | 3:30 PM MST | F2 | SW Suffolk, MT | | 150 | | 6 | |
July 12 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 12 | 2:40 PM CST | F2 | Lake Flint, IN | | 100 | | | |
| July 12 | 6:00 PM CST | F2 | SE Glenwood/Boyceville/Downing, WI | 9.9 | | 1 | | |
July 13 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 13 | 4:30 PM EST | F3 | NE Sandusky/W Applegate, MI | 15.1 | 70 | | 3 | |
July 16 4 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 16 | 4:00 PM CST | F4 | Burlingame, KS | 13.0 | 800 | 2 | 12 | |
| July 16 | 4:15 PM CST | F4 | Lebo, KS | 32.0 | 250 | 3 | 10 | |
| July 16 | 4:45 PM CST | F3 | Monrovia/N Shawnee/N Merriam/South Park, KS | 3.5 | 200 | 4 | 40 | |
| July 16 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | Kansas City, MO | 1.8 | | | | |
July 31 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 31 | 6:30 PM EST | F3 | Rehobeth, MA | | 100 | 1 | 12 | |
August 13 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| August 13 | 7:00 PM CST | F3 | Pratt Co./Barber Co., KS | 10.2 | 100 | | | |
August 15 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| August 15 | 2:15 PM EST | F2 | Carrabelle, FL | 2.1 | 100 | | 8 | |
August 23 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| August 23 | 5:30 PM EST | F2 | E Gordon, OH | | | | | |
September 29 11 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| September 29 | 7:00 AM CST | F2 | NW Checotah, OK | 1.3 | 400 | | 8 | |
| September 29 | 9:29 AM CST | F2 | Rudy/Graphic/SE Mountainburg, AR | 9.1 | 100 | | 20 | |
| September 29 | 12:00 PM CST | F2 | SE Audubon, IA | 5.9 | 100 | | | |
| September 29 | 12:15 PM CST | F2 | Brookfield, MO | | | | | |
| September 29 | 12:50 PM CST | F3 | St. Louis tornado, Missouri and Illinois | 12.9 | 600 | 79 | 550 | |
| September 29 | 2:00 PM CST | F3 | French to S Mammoth Spring, AR | 15.2 | 150 | 1 | 25 | |
| September 29 | 2:00 PM CST | F2 | S Morrisonville, IL | | 100 | | | |
| September 29 | 3:00 PM CST | F3 | Cowden, IL | 11.9 | 200 | 2 | 3 | |
| September 29 | 4:00 PM CST | F2 | W Corning, AR to Broseley, MO | 28.6 | 400 | | 11 | |
| September 29 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | NE Chrisman, IL | 12.4 | 100 | | 3 | |
| September 29 | 10:00 PM CST | F2 | Lurton, AR | 0.9 | | | | |
October 1 5 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| October 1 | 4:50 PM CST | F2 | Campbell, TX | 9.5 | 200 | | | |
| October 1 | 5:50 PM CST | F2 | Letot, TX | | 70 | | 8 | |
| October 1 | 8:55 PM CST | F2 | Ladonia, TX | 1.8 | 70 | | 6 | |
| October 1 | 9:30 PM CST | F2 | NE Quinton, OK | 8.8 | 150 | | 32 | |
| October 1 | 10:00 PM CST | F2 | Whitefield, OK | | 300 | | 7 | |
October 2 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| October 2 | 12:15 AM CST | F2 | E Columbus, KS | 5.2 | 200 | | | |
| October 2 | 1:00 AM CST | F2 | NW Gentry, AR | | | | | |
October 11 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| October 11 | 11:30 PM CST | F3 | Dell to Blytheville, AR | 10.0 | 200 | 5 | 31 | |
October 30 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| October 30 | 4:30 PM CST | F2 | Cayuga, WI | 4.8 | 50 | | | |
November 17 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| November 17 | 2:20 PM EST | F2 | Alexandria, VA/Washington, DC/Hyattsville, MD/Blandensburg, MD | 13.9 | 100 | | 150 | |
| November 17 | 5:30 PM EST | F2 | Yellow House to Spangsville, PA | 3.0 | 30 | | | |
November 28 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| November 28 | 10:05 PM EST | F2 | Tiffin, OH | | 30 | | | |
December 7 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| December 7 | 11:30 AM CST | F2 | Tunnel Springs, AL | | 50 | 1 | 20 | |
About the record before 1950
- Significant tornadoes only
- Grazulis listed tornadoes rated F2 or stronger, and weaker ones that killed somebody. Most tornadoes are weaker than F2, so the list holds a fraction of the tornadoes that happened.
- The early years are thin
- A tornado is on record only where somebody saw it and wrote it down. The count rises through the 1800s with settlement and newspapers, not with the weather.
- Rated from accounts
- Grazulis rated each tornado decades later from newspaper reports, Weather Bureau records and local histories, not from a damage survey.
- The tracks are reconstructed
- Tornado Archive drew each path through the places Grazulis names, most often as a straight line from the first to the last. A track can miss a town it hit, and a tornado with one named place is a point. The counties are today’s.
- A separate record
- SPC’s database, from 1950, counts every confirmed tornado of any strength. The two are kept apart on every page and never added together.
Thomas P. Grazulis, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991 and Significant Tornadoes 1880-1989, as digitized by Tornado Archive (Maas and others, 2024). Public domain. Counties assigned by this site from today’s NWS county lines.