Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for February 21, in any year, each linked to its full record.
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Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Madison Parish, East Carroll Parish, Issaquena, Louisiana and tracked 109.2 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 47 and injuring 510.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Christchurch, Lyttelton, New Zealand. It killed 185 people, injured 1,500, destroyed 100,000 houses and did $15 billion in damage. It caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck South Island, New Zealand, with a maximum water height of 3.5 meters. It killed 185 people, injured 1,500, destroyed 100,000 houses and did $15 billion in damage.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Issaquena, Sharkey, Humphreys counties, Mississippi and tracked 202.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 58 and injuring 795.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Warren, Yazoo, Holmes counties, Mississippi and tracked 65.2 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 13 and injuring 182.
Tornadoes
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of February 21, 2010 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from February 21, 2010 to March 1, 2010.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Barce (Al Marj), Libya. It killed 300 people, injured 375 and did $5 million in damage.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Melouza, Algeria. It killed 47 people and injured 88.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Sunflower County, Mississippi and tracked 8.6 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 3.
Tornadoes
An F3 tornado touched down in Roane, Loudon, Blount counties, Tennessee and tracked 30 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 55.
53 on February 21, oldest first.
An F3 tornado touched down in Stephens County, Oklahoma, killing 1 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Loco, OK.
An F3 tornado touched down in Houston County, Alabama and tracked 4.9 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Cowarts, AL.
An F2 tornado touched down in Bertie County, North Carolina and tracked 4.8 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 35. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Windsor, NC.
An F5 tornado touched down in Madison Parish, East Carroll Parish, Issaquena, Louisiana and tracked 109.2 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 47 and injuring 510.
An F4 tornado touched down in Issaquena, Sharkey, Humphreys counties, Mississippi and tracked 202.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 58 and injuring 795.
An F4 tornado touched down in Warren, Yazoo, Holmes counties, Mississippi and tracked 65.2 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 13 and injuring 182.
An F3 tornado touched down in Sunflower County, Mississippi and tracked 8.6 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 3.
On the afternoon of Sunday, February 21, 1971, a deadly and long-tracked F5 tornado impacted the Mississippi Delta, killing 48 and injuring over 500. The tornado was the strongest tornado of the 1971 Mississippi Delta tornado outbreak, and second deadliest behind a later F4 tornado the same day.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lawrence County, Mississippi and tracked 9.8 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, injuring 13.
An F3 tornado touched down in Simpson County, Mississippi and tracked 14.2 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Butler, Stoddard counties, Missouri and tracked 23.7 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 16.
An F3 tornado touched down in Roane, Loudon, Blount counties, Tennessee and tracked 30 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 55.
An F3 tornado touched down in Polk County, Georgia and tracked 9 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 35.
Six homes sustained structural damage due to very strong wind.
A strong downburst produced significant damage to the Whitehaven section of Memphis. An Econo-Lodge was damaged. Several other businesses in the area were damaged as well. Several mobile homes were knocked over. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
An F3 tornado touched down in McMinn, Monroe counties, Tennessee and tracked 19 miles, 73 yards wide at its widest, injuring 17.
An F3 tornado touched down in Putnam County, Tennessee and tracked 10 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 6.
An F3 tornado touched down in Cherokee County, Alabama and tracked 19 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 5.
An F3 tornado touched down in Anderson, Knox counties, Tennessee and tracked 16 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
An F3 tornado touched down in Cobb County, Georgia and tracked 8 miles, 880 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
An F2 tornado touched down in Pike County, Georgia and tracked 8 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2.
An off duty National Weather Service employee reported 60 mph winds 5 miles east of Louisville. Trees and power lines were also blown down in the area.
Power lines were downed, radio, TV, and satellite dishes were downed. Several trees fell across campers and vehicles at a camp ground near the Ohio River. Minor injuries were a result of flying glass and debris.
Several trees were blown down 2 miles south of Butler.
Long Creek,,,,,,,,,Hail (1.00),,,,,,,,Lightning
Quarter-size hail fell across the extreme southern part of the county along Highway 61. There was some damage to automobile bodies.
The tornado touched down 2 miles southwest of the Midway community. As the tornado tracked northeast through the community of Midway, it destroyed three mobile homes and caused significant roof damage to two residences.
A tornado touched down in the Natomas area of the Sacramento Metro area and was also viewed from the Sacramento International Airport. Nine businesses and several residences were damaged with mostly cosmetic damage and a tractor-trailer was overturned .
An EF1 tornado touched down in Sabine County, Texas and tracked 4.47 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2.
A deep upper level trough ejected out of the Four Corners region of the country and into the plains during the afternoon hours of February 21st.
A potent storm system developed across the Inter-Mountain West before tracking east across the Lower Mississippi Valley region February 21st. A rather cold and dry air mass was entrenched across the region through the 20th, with dew points in the teens and twenties.
A potent storm system developed across the Inter-Mountain West before tracking east across the Lower Mississippi Valley region February 21st. A rather cold and dry air mass was entrenched across the region through the 20th, with dew points in the teens and twenties.
A cold front pushed across the Southeast on the 20th and 21st, with a QLCS (quasi-linear convective system) moving into northwest Georgia just after midnight on the 21st. Scattered reports of wind damage were received across north Georgia through the early morning hours.
Scattered severe thunderstorms in advance of a cold front produced damaging winds, large hail, and one tornado across portions of central and eastern Virginia.
An extensive QLCS developed ahead of a strong cold front. The QLCS raced eastward across the forecast area during the early to mid-morning hours on the 21st, exiting the coastal plain by the afternoon.
Steep mid-level lapse rates and an upper level trough moving through combined to produce a few severe storms across the area. Damaging straight line winds and one isolated, weak tornado occurred.
A robust mid-level short wave with a surface cold front brought scattered severe weather to our region. Severe thunderstorms in NJ developed, aided by a high shear/low CAPE environment. One supercell spawned a tornado.
1 on February 21, oldest first.
Hurricane Favio reached its peak of 120 kt (140 mph) with a central pressure of 922 mb, a category 4 storm.
25 on February 21, oldest first.
Runoff from several days of heavy rain resulted in flooding of the Brazos River and Lake Granbury. The evacuations of 20 homes ensued as high water threatened several communities. Water up to three feet deep was reported in a few homes.
Heavy rains caused a section of Bend Road to get washed out. Additional flooding occurred across a portion of Paradise road 10 miles east of Yazoo City.
Nearly five inches of rain in a few hours resulting in widespread flooding across St. Landry Parish. Numerous roads were closed, and motorists were stranded in deep water. Hundreds of homes flooded in Eunice, which locals called the worst flooding in ten years.
From 12 to 25 inches of snow fell over the San Bernardino mountains, from Wrightwood to Forest Falls. Over the Riverside County Mountains and the San Diego County mountains, snowfall ranged from eleven to eighteen inches.
A storm spotter reported penny-sized hail.
The San Diego River rose above flood stage early in the afternoon on the 21st, crested at 11.46 feet at 5:15 PM that evening, and fell back below flood stage an hour later.
Penny size hail reported.
Damage was first noted about 3/4 of a mile west of the high school. A pool house was moved about 4 inches at Buckner Park. A few trees were blown down as well. Also...a barn was completely destroyed near the high school.
A 30 foot section of an earthen dam at an abandoned reservoir in Horse Canyon gave way and sent 1 million gallons of water rushing downstream. The wall of water destroyed bridges, washed out roads, and uprooted trees.
A small landslide (mudslide) occurred in the Kern County Mountains early in the morning of the 21st. Continued rain, locally heavy, brought high amounts of water runoff through portions of El Tejon School early in the morning of the 22nd.
A flash flood tore through the Tri-Palms Estates in Thousand Palms and left a great deal of debris behind. Residents could hear boulders tumbling along in the torrent as the water rushed along San Miguelito Drive and Ramon Road.
The 20th and 21st of February brought a round of locally heavy rainfall to the Interstate 20 corridor during the mid morning, then activity shifted to severe weather by afternoon and evening.
On Thursday, February 21, a warm front lifted northward across the northeast Gulf of Mexico and then stalled right along the coast. A series of strong thunderstorms with very heavy rainfall tracked east-northeast across much of the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend.
On the 20th, a strong storm lifted across the Upper Lakes which brought warmer temperatures and some rain to the region. The steadiest rains fell in the Buffalo creeks basin, where one to two inches of rainfall combined with snow melt to cause flooding on several creeks.
On February 21st temperatures warmed into the 50s across much of the Wind River Basin, this, combined with rain led to rapid melting of snow and led to flooding of ditches along roads as well as sheet flooding across portions of Fremont County north of Riverton.
Rapid melting of low elevation snow pack with heavy rain cause flooding across portions of southeast Washington.
Widespread showers and thunderstorms developed across much of eastern Oklahoma on the 20th as a cold front moved through the region. A very moist air mass in place ahead of the cold front promoted the development of heavy rainfall from some of this activity.
Several rounds of widespread heavy rainfall tracked northeast across western Kentucky. These rounds of heavy rain produced localized flooding of roads, along with longer-term flooding along creeks and tributaries of the Ohio River.
A cold front stalled across the western portions of the ArkLaMiss region. Ahead of this, a few storms produced hail and damaging winds. As the front remained stalled, several disturbances moved along it and brought heavy rainfall to the region.
A cold front stalled across the western portions of the ArkLaMiss region. As the front remained stalled, several disturbances moved along it and brought heavy rainfall to the region.
A cold front stalled across the western portions of the ArkLaMiss region. As the front remained stalled, several disturbances moved along it and brought heavy rainfall to the region.
A prolonged period of rainfall was generated along the backside of a slow moving cold front across portions of West Tennessee during the late evening hours of February 21st continuing into February 22nd.
A wet February caused soils to be near saturation. Abundant Gulf moisture associated with approaching frontal boundaries and a southwesterly 500 MB flow produced additional heavy rainfall over the Cumberland Plateau.
Strong rainfall from the South Pacific Convergence occurred from February 10th through the 20th. WSO Pago Pago received 15.11 inches of rain, while the US Park Service Weather Station at Mount Tumu in Ofu recorded 13.28 inches during that time.
A cold upper level trough along with deep moisture and southeasterly winds allowed heavy rainfall to develop over the Koolau mountain range of Oahu, over Kauai, and over windward portions of Maui.
22 on February 21, oldest first.
A squall line moved about 50 mph across western and southern counties. Brief high winds and hail were experienced. The most damage was around East Lynn and Branchland, where numerous homes sustained roof damage. An unfinished apartment was blown down in East Lynn.
After strong winds and heavy rain a single large tree fell onto and crushed a car, killing two adults in the front seat. An infant in a child safety seat in the back seat of the car was not injured.
The same thunderstorm continued into the east part of Fayette county. Trees were knocked down on the west side of Fayetteville.On highway 85 in Fayetteville, a McDonalds' sign was blown out.A large tree was snapped off 15 to 20 feet above the ground and fell onto a truck and a…
On Beaver Dam Road in Winterville, a permanent structure home was 60 percent destroyed, and several other houses had roof damage. Several chicken coops were knocked over and numerous trees were knocked down.
At approximately 245 pm, the leading edge of the storm system moved into the Murrayville area of Hall county. A single wide mobile home was completely demolished in the Yellocreek Road area. A double wide modular home on H.
A microburst hit the Porters Chapel area. The winds destroyed 3 barns and a house. 3 cows were also killed.
Trees and power lines were down. Thunderstorm winds damaged several house and a barn's roof was torn off.
Downburst winds blew over and destroyed a mobile home near Lytle. Also, hail propelled by the very high winds blew out windows of homes and cars in and around the Lytle area.
Dime to quarter size hail was reported across Marion County with a line of thunderstorms that moved through. The hail completely covered the ground in many locations.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Severe thunderstorms produced damaging winds across Lamar County. The most significant damage occurred across the northern half of the county mainly from Sulligent northward. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down and a roof was completely torn off a building.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across the coastal portions of the county during the early morning hours. The most intense part of the line of storms was along the coast in the vicinity of Okaloosa Island in the Fort Walton Beach area.
3/4 inch hail.
On the night of the 21st heavy showers and thunderstorms developed in the vicinity of Majuro. These owners and thunderstorms were the result of trade wind convergence.
A strong Canadian cold front swept southward over the west Texas region during the very early morning hours of the 21st.
A strengthening low pressure system moved north into eastern Iowa and Wisconsin during the evening hours on the 20th. The attending cold front raced east, up the Ohio River Valley. Low level winds at 3 to 5 thousand feet were blowing at 50 to 70 mph.
A cold front advanced through the area. Ahead of it isolated thunderstorms developed which contained damaging winds.
Strong winds knocked a huge tree into a house in Loveland. No one was injured after the tree fell into the house, which included a 10-week-old baby. The house suffered extensive damage and the family was displaced.
Several rounds of severe storms moved across the region as a strong shortwave and trough moved into the Southern Plains. Most of the hail reports were between 1-1.75 and fell along a line stretching west to east across the northern portions of the DFW Metroplex.
A strong, cold low pressure system diving from Canada into the western U.S. brought high west to southwest winds to southeast California.
A strong, cold low pressure system diving from Canada into the western U.S. brought high southwesterly winds to southern Nevada.
37 on February 21, oldest first.
Snowstorm of February 21, 1960 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the South. It lasted from February 21, 1960 to February 27, 1960.
Snowstorm of February 21, 1966 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the South. It lasted from February 21, 1966 to February 24, 1966.
From February 20th to 22nd of 1971, one of the worst snowstorms in Oklahoma history dumped up to 3 feet of snow on northwest Oklahoma. By the time the snow ended on the 22nd, the city of Buffalo had 36 inches of snow on the ground, setting the state record for storm-total snowfall. Winds of 30 to 50 mph caused snowdrifts up to 20 feet high. Many roads were closed, leaving travelers stranded for up to a day and a half. The Air National Guard airlifted 300 tons of hay to stranded cattle. Nevertheless, the loss of about 15,000 livestock accounted for much of the $2 million in damages.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A cold front finally moved through the state giving criteria snowfall to the Northern Valleys. Amounts in the valleys ranged from 4-8". Just north of Salt Lake City, the town of Bountiful measured the most with 8".
An active storm pattern dumped record snowfall and brought high winds to Utah. Hundreds of traffic accidents were reported. Alta measured 87" of snow and Bountiful 51" (valleys) during this time.
The Evolène avalanche of 21 February 1999, killed 12 people in the Swiss canton of Valais. Just two days later, the larger avalanche of Galtür caused 31 deaths in Austria.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sleet, freezing rain and embedded thunderstorms caused ice accumulations from one quarter, up to two inches in some places across southwest, central and south central Missouri. The heaviest ice accumulations occurred along and north of Highway 60, and along the I-44 corridor.
Natural avalanche killed a back country skier in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Another winter storm dropped freezing rain, sleet and some light snow across Central, Southeast, and East Central Missouri starting during the early morning hours on the 21st and finally ending shortly after midnight on the 22nd. Enough freezing rain fell across Madison, St.
A wintry mix of precipitation including some heavy snow fell across Eastern Pennsylvania on the 22nd. The heaviest snow occurred near the New Jersey border. Precipitation started as snow throughout the area around or just after Midnight EST on the 22nd.
Low pressure organized over Louisiana, spreading precipitation northeast along a warm front that extended into the Ohio Valley. Arctic high pressure over the Great Lakes region produced a cold northeast wind flow near the surface.
A weak area of low pressure moving through the Ohio Valley produced 1 to 3 inches of snow in north central and eastern Illinois. Somewhat higher amounts of 4 to 5 inches were reported in Knox County. The snowfall produced slippery travel conditions and numerous auto accidents.
Snowstorm of February 21, 2010 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from February 21, 2010 to March 1, 2010.
An avalanche on South Teton peak pushed a 30-year-old man off a 1500-foot cliff to his death. The man and two ski companions had earlier climbed the peak and had skied down several hundred feet below the summit when the slide triggered around 1100MST.
A winter storm dropped heavy snow across New Castle County and a sleet and snow mixture in the rest of Delaware from the evening of the 21st until around sunrise on the 22nd.
Multiple waves of snow, sleet, and rain affected Oklahoma and western north Texas from just after midnight on February 20th, through the 21st, back in 2013. Moderate and heavy snow affected the northern-half of Oklahoma, with mainly rain and sleet farther south. Although spotty totals of almost six inches were measured around Ponca City and just east of Norman, most of the snow accumulations outside of northwest Oklahoma averaged around two inches. The greatest snow totals were reported around Alva, where as much as 14 inches were measured.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A low pressure system moved slowly northeast from the southern Plains into western Missouri. A warm front extending east from the low pressure center lifted north across the Tennessee Valley. A large area of wintry precipitation developed ahead of the warm front.
A low pressure system moved slowly northeast from the southern Plains into western Missouri. A warm front extending east from the low pressure center lifted north across the Tennessee Valley. A large area of wintry precipitation developed ahead of the warm front.
Conditions on the 20th of February were generally mild for February standards with periods of light rain. By the evening and overnight hours, skies cleared and temperatures cooled just near the freezing mark.
A winter storm produced a protracted mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain across most of New Jersey during the afternoon into the overnight of the 21st and lasted through the entire overnight in far northwest New Jersey where precipitation fell mainly as snow.
After the arctic deep freeze at dawn on the 20th, snow, sleet, and freezing rain spread over West Virginia between 0300E and 0600E on the 21st. Luckily, it was a Saturday, and travel was limited. A widespread variation of snow totals resulted.
A winter storm brought a wintry mix of snow (heavy in New Castle County), sleet and freezing rain to Delaware on the 21st. Snowfall averaged 3 to 7 inches in New Castle County, 1 to 3 inches in Kent County and less than an inch in Sussex County.
A 30-year-old male was killed when a cornice he snowshoed unto broke loose in an out-of-bounds area near Grand Targhee Resort. He fell onto a cliff below, triggering a two-foot-deep avalanche that carried him over the cliff. The man died of trauma.
Low pressure system drifting southward along the Oregon Coast pulled cold air all the way to the coast and brought snow levels down to sea level. This allowed for snow accumulations all the way down to coastal communities.
A Winter Storm impacted the Big Country during the morning and early afternoon of February 21. With surface temperatures in the middle to upper 20s, heavy sleet mixed with freezing rain fell across the Big Country.
Snowstorm of February 21, 2019 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from February 21, 2019 to February 25, 2019.
Icy roads may have been a factor in a fatal auto accident on State Highway 33 at milepost 49 east of Terreton. A 25 year old man was killed when it slid into the opposing lane into a semi pulling two flatbed trailers.
Southward pushing cold air near the surface interacted with a post-frontal wave in southwest flow aloft to produce a prolonged period of light snowfall, which began as a period of light freezing rain and freezing drizzle across far southeast South Dakota during the afternoon and…
A mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow fell across portions of southeast Minnesota from the evening of February 21st into the evening of the 22nd. This left roads across the region snow and ice covered.
Snow blanketed portions of the Spokane area early February 21st, due to a stalled front in the region. Snow continued through the morning and gradually dissipated after mid-day into early afternoon.
Snowstorm of February 21, 2023 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from February 21, 2023 to February 24, 2023.
A significant winter weather event impacted portions of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. Particularly hard hit was the Portland and Vancouver metro area.
A significant winter weather event impacted portions of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. Particularly hard hit was the Portland and Vancouver metro area.
A long-duration winter storm developed across southeast South Dakota on February 21, with waves of heavier snowfall across the region as winds increased to a gusty 30 to 50 mph.
A strong, cold low pressure system digging from Canada into the western U.S. brought high southwest winds ahead of it and heavy mountain snow behind it.
An atmospheric river brought areas of rain and gusty winds. Sub-freezing temperatures resulted in icy road impacts. Avalanches were noted in a few areas.
Following a strong mid-month winter storm which produced substantial mountain snow accumulations, many avalanches were reported across Utah's mountains due to snowpack conditions.
1 on February 21, oldest first.
A man died from exposure to the cold during the early morning. Alcohol was partly to blame.
1 on February 21, oldest first.
Meadowlands 1NNW recorded 88 inches, Minnesota’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it (a tie with an earlier value).
22 on February 21, oldest first.
The Resident Fire started on February 21, 1984, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,049 acres.
The Milagro Fire started on February 21, 1988, in New Mexico, and burned 1,954 acres.
The Newton Fire started on February 21, 1992, in New Mexico, and burned 5,382 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 21, 1995, in Kansas, and burned 3,246 acres.
The Microwave Fire was discovered on February 21, 1995, in Texas, and burned 1,414 acres.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on February 21, 1996, in Meade County, Kansas, and burned 55,000 acres.
The Elk Spring Fire was discovered on February 21, 1996, in New Mexico, and burned 2,500 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Pishkun Fire was discovered on February 21, 2002, in Teton County, Montana, and burned 5,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Oak Tree Fire was discovered on February 21, 2002, in Pima County, Arizona, and burned 4,471 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The San Isidro Fire was discovered on February 21, 2004, in Texas, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 21, 2005, in Texas, and burned 1,891 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on February 21, 2005, in Texas, and burned 1,618 acres.
The Barnsley Fire was discovered on February 21, 2008, in Crane County, Texas, and burned 1,920 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Fire 20176 was discovered on February 21, 2009, in Latimer County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,700 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Shell Creek Fire was discovered on February 21, 2009, in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Bluehead Fire was discovered on February 21, 2010, in Highlands County, Florida, and burned 900 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Valentine Fire was discovered on February 21, 2011, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and burned 1,164 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Green Tower Fire was discovered on February 21, 2011, in Alabama, and burned 479 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Jester Fire was reported on February 21, 2016, in Quay County, New Mexico, and burned 2,250 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The 03-16 Cecil WF Fire was reported on February 21, 2016, in Duval County, Florida, and burned 1,043 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
A cold low pressure system dove south out of Canada, bringing strong winds ahead of it and cold temperatures behind it.
A cold low pressure system dove south out of Canada, bringing strong winds ahead of it and snow behind it.
16 on February 21, oldest first.
An earthquake struck Vieille,korinthos,hexamilia, Greece. It killed 19 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Buenaventura, Colombia. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Sicily, Italy.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Kuril Islands, Russia.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Iigin, Konya, Turkey. It killed 12 people.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Melouza, Algeria. It killed 47 people and injured 88.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Barce (Al Marj), Libya. It killed 300 people, injured 375 and did $5 million in damage.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Kyushu, Japan. It killed 3 people.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Oxnard, California, United States. It did $1 million in damage.
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Bering Sea. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Chimbote, Callao, Northern, Peru. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 12 people, injured 57 and destroyed 15 houses.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Dogankoy, Puturge, Sivrice, Turkey.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Wells, Nevada, United States. It injured 3, destroyed 3 houses and did $8.4 million in damage.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Christchurch, Lyttelton, New Zealand. It killed 185 people, injured 1,500, destroyed 100,000 houses and did $15 billion in damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 3.7 earthquake struck Bosnia-Herzegovina, Balkans NW, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It killed 4 people and injured 1.
7 on February 21, oldest first.
A tsunami struck Corinth Gulf, Greece.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Gulf of Corinth, Greece.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Buenaventura, Colombia.
A tsunami with a source recorded as landslide struck Western Norway, with a maximum water height of 3 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Bering Sea, AK, United States, with a maximum water height of 0.15 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck N. Peru, with a maximum water height of 5.04 meters. It killed 12 people, injured 57 and destroyed 15 houses.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck South Island, New Zealand, with a maximum water height of 3.5 meters. It killed 185 people, injured 1,500, destroyed 100,000 houses and did $15 billion in damage.
4 on February 21, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began February 21, 1973, reached Kp 7+ and lasted 12 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 49; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 48 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began February 21, 1979, reached Kp 7- and lasted 51 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 59; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 52 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began February 21, 1988, reached Kp 7+ and lasted 33 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 97; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 48 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began February 21, 1994, reached Kp 8- and lasted 24 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 95; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 47 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
1 on February 21, oldest first.
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.1 billion in 2024 dollars, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from February 21, 2022 to February 22, 2022.
8 on February 21, oldest first.
wind ne-e 25 kts.
A 54-year-old female Korean tourist was snorkeling with her husband and about two dozen other tourist Ipan Beach Resort in Talafofo.
Although fog formation also occurred in the west-central San Joaquin Valley, extensive fog with visibilities less than 1/4SM visibility developed in th east-central Valley on the morning of the 22nd.
Strong winds produced chaotic seas in the central California coastal waters.
The combination of a relatively moist air mass, light winds preceding a warm front and snow cover produced widespread dense fog in southern New Jersey during the morning and in northern New Jersey during the morning and afternoon of the 21st.
Large swells from the northwest generated surf of 20 to 40 feet, with sets as high as 55 feet, on the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 15 to 25 feet, with sets as high as 35 feet, on the west-facing…
On the evening of the 21st a child was swept into the ocean at Moss Landing State Beach. A bystander and the child’s father went in after the child. The bystander was able to rescue the child but the father was taken by the ocean.
Dense fog and smoke led to near-zero visibility in some parts of southeastern Mississippi. A 20-vehicle accident in Jones County resulted in 21 injuries.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.