Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for May 21, in any year, each linked to its full record.
Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Algiers, Boumerdes, Reghia, Thenia, Algeria. It killed 2,287 people, left 800 missing, injured 11,000, destroyed 19,000 houses and did $5 billion in damage. It caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck N. Algeria, with a maximum water height of 3 meters. It killed 2,287 people, left 800 missing, injured 11,000, destroyed 19,000 houses and did $5 billion in damage.
Tsunamis
The 1792 Unzen landslide and tsunami was a volcanic megadisaster, occurring on 21 May 1792, during the Edo period. Triggered by the volcanic activity of Mount Unzen, it caused a massive collapse of the Mayuyama lava dome and a subsequent tsunami.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Kyusyu Island, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 15,030 people, injured 707, destroyed 6,200 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Tsunamis
A tsunami with a source recorded as volcano, earthquake and landslide struck Shimabara Bay, Kyushu Island, Japan, with a maximum water height of 55 meters. It killed 15,000 people, injured 707, destroyed 6,200 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Volcanoes
Unzendake, Japan erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 15,000 people, injured 707, destroyed 6,200 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. The eruption caused a tsunami and was accompanied by an earthquake.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Yingxian, Shaanxi Province, China. It killed 5,130 people, injured 2,720 and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Crawford, Carroll, Greene counties, Iowa and tracked 42 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 30. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Denison to Adaza, IA.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Cape Girardeau, Alexander counties, Missouri and tracked 9.6 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 23 and injuring 130. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Cape Girardeau, MO to IL.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Sullivan, Clay, Owen counties, Indiana and tracked 40.3 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 14 and injuring 251. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Shelburn, IN.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Boone, Story counties, Iowa and tracked 29.5 miles, 1,600 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 70. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Boone, IA.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Clayton, Grant, Iowa counties, Iowa and tracked 80.1 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 100. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Elkport, IA to Baraboo, WI.
120 on May 21, oldest first.
An unrated tornado touched down in Hillsborough, Rockingham counties, New Hampshire and tracked 18 miles, killing 1 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: South Merrimack/S Manchester/Litchfield/Chester, NH.
An F3 tornado touched down in Haskell County, Texas and tracked 4.9 miles, killing 2 and injuring 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Marcy/Pinkerton/N Haskell, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lincoln County, Kansas and tracked 9.8 miles, killing 1 and injuring 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Lincoln/Colbert, KS.
An F1 tornado touched down in Monroe County, Iowa and tracked 7.8 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Georgetown/Albia, IA.
An F2 tornado touched down in Kaufman County, Texas and tracked 0.9 miles, 30 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Scurry, TX.
An F5 tornado touched down in Crawford, Carroll, Greene counties, Iowa and tracked 42 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 30. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Denison to Adaza, IA.
An F4 tornado touched down in Boone, Story counties, Iowa and tracked 29.5 miles, 1,600 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 70. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Boone, IA.
An F4 tornado touched down in Clayton, Grant, Iowa counties, Iowa and tracked 80.1 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 100. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Elkport, IA to Baraboo, WI.
An F3 tornado touched down in Carroll, Greene, Webster counties, Iowa and tracked 31.9 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 15. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SE Carroll/NE Churdan/S Harcourt, IA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Crawford County, Iowa and tracked 3.9 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 4. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W Dension, IA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hardin County, Iowa and tracked 7.9 miles, killing 1 and injuring 4. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Point Pleasant/NW Eldora/W Steamboat Rock, IA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Linn, Buchanan counties, Iowa and tracked 4.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Walker, IA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Webster, Hamilton counties, Iowa and tracked 22.2 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Dayton/NE Stanhope, IA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hamilton, Hardin counties, Iowa and tracked 15.1 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Ellsworth/S Radcliffe/N Hubbard, IA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Hardin, Grundy counties, Iowa and tracked 15.1 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SE Steamboat Rock/S Wellsburg, IA.
An F2 tornado touched down in Jasper County, Iowa and tracked 20.3 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Prairie City/NW Newton, IA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Blaine County, Oklahoma and tracked 2.4 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 8. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W Eagle City, OK.
An F3 tornado touched down in Gray, Wheeler counties, Texas and tracked 15.4 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: W McLean/E Alanreed, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Carson County, Texas and tracked 2.2 miles, injuring 4. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Skellytown, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Grady County, Oklahoma and tracked 4.8 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, injuring 7. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: NE Verden, OK.
An F3 tornado touched down in Montgomery County, Iowa and tracked 9 miles, injuring 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Stanton, IA.
An F1 tornado touched down in Berks County, Pennsylvania and tracked 8.5 miles, 750 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Centerport/Mohrsville/Shoemakersville, PA.
An F4 tornado touched down in Cape Girardeau, Alexander counties, Missouri and tracked 9.6 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 23 and injuring 130. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Cape Girardeau, MO to IL.
An F4 tornado touched down in Sullivan, Clay, Owen counties, Indiana and tracked 40.3 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 14 and injuring 251. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Shelburn, IN.
An F4 tornado touched down in Saint Louis, Saint Charles, Madison counties, Missouri and tracked 30.5 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 55. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Florrisant, MO to Wood River, IL.
An F4 tornado touched down in Crawford, Sullivan counties, Illinois and tracked 10.2 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 7. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Palestine, IL to Sullivan, IN.
An F3 tornado touched down in Vigo County, Indiana and tracked 7.9 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Terre Haute to SW Burnett, IN.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pike County, Missouri and tracked 22.5 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 20. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: New Hartford to SE Clarksville, MO.
An F3 tornado touched down in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau counties, Missouri and tracked 15.2 miles, 250 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 6. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Marble Hill to E Oak Ridge, MO.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pawnee, Osage counties, Oklahoma and tracked 4.8 miles, injuring 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Cleveland, OK.
An F4 tornado touched down in Saint Clair County, Michigan and tracked 10 miles, 1,760 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 68.
On the afternoon of Thursday, May 21, 1953, a violent F4 tornado struck the cities of Port Huron, Michigan, United States and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. The long-tracked, over mile-wide tornado destroyed large sections of the downtown areas of both cities, as well scores of neighbourhoods in the surrounding areas and then ending just outside Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F4 tornado touched down in Carter County, Missouri and tracked 9.1 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 75.
An F3 tornado touched down in Washington, Saint Francois counties, Missouri and tracked 22.2 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 50.
An F4 tornado touched down in Chisago County, Minnesota and tracked 9.2 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Dent County, Missouri and tracked 10.2 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Union, Jackson counties, Illinois and tracked 8.5 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in McDonough County, Illinois and tracked 13.7 miles, 120 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Galveston County, Texas and tracked 4.3 miles, 67 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Payne County, Oklahoma and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Payne County, Oklahoma and tracked 0.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Davison County, South Dakota and tracked 1 miles, 167 yards wide at its widest, injuring 32.
An F3 tornado touched down in Madison, Antelope, Pierce counties, Nebraska and tracked 71.7 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, injuring 7.
An F3 tornado touched down in Boyd, Charles Mix counties, Nebraska and tracked 11 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Bailey, Parmer counties, Texas and tracked 5.9 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Stephens County, Texas and tracked 2 miles, 1,320 yards wide at its widest.
An F2 tornado touched down in Winston County, Alabama and tracked 0.3 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
Total crop loss in area due to large hail.
Trees down at SFA Rd.
Strong thunderstorm winds blew the top off a corn receiving mill south of Proctor during the afternoon. Two of the corn receiving legs were blown down, toppling the top of the mill. The peak wind gust was estimated and the exact time of the incident was unknown.
Two clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms erupted across south-central Nebraska in the evening and early morning hours. The first dumped hail as large as soft balls on Holdrege and the surrounding area. Dozens of cars and trucks were damaged or totaled by the large hail.
A frontal boundary remained nearly stationary to the south of Iowa. Thunderstorms fired up as warm air over ran the cooler air at the surface. Storms formed over Nebraska and moved into western Iowa during the mid evening hours, then continued to advance east across the state.
Thunderstorm winds blew large tree limbs down.
A tornado touched down 3 miles southwest of Morrill and moved within 1 mile east southeast of Morrill. A two-car garage was destroyed and a roof ripped off a shed, 2 miles southwest of Morrill.
A tornado initially touched down in the Heatherwood Village Mobile Home Park and caused minor to moderate damage to the roofs, carports, lanais, and awnings of over 30 mobile homes.
A warm front moved slowly north into southeast Michigan, ushering in warmer and more humid air. Scattered thunderstorms developed south of the warm front around midday. They storms also moved north, at a faster pace than the warm front.
26 tornadoes were recorded on May 21, 2001, in Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Texas.
A F0 tornado touched down just south of Valley highway and moved north, paralleling Chester road, and ending just north of Gresham highway. The tornado had a path length of 6 miles, a width of 50 yards, and produced maximum estimated wind speeds to 70 m.p.h.
Thunderstorm winds downed a few large tree limbs.
Large tree branches were blown down.
An F3 tornado touched down in Linn County, Iowa and tracked 3 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest.
A very unstable airmass was over Iowa and helped kick off the seasons first severe weather outbreak. At the surface a warm frontal boundary extended nearly east to west across the state and provided the focus for thunderstorm development.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Lucas County and downed dozens of trees. Scattered power outages were also reported. A few homes and vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and flying debris.
Tornado developed just east of the Benton-Linn County Line Road and moved Northeast to Palo. The tornado initially caused damage to a farm 2 miles southwest of Palo where a garage and 3 outbuildings were destroyed.
A tornado touched down north of Crookston, and created a west-to-east damage path. The tornado hit a well-constructed pole barn and then travelled into an open field. Several large trees were snapped in half. The estimated peak wind speed was 140 mph.
A small, but rather intense, tornado touched down on Interstate 95 about two miles south of the Hampton Toll Booths in the town of Hampton Falls.
Severe thunderstorms developed on May 21st as an upper level low moved across the area and encountered an unstable air mass. Surface winds were from the southeast which helped to add to low level shear and tornado development.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Lyon, Osage counties, Kansas and tracked 10.11 miles, 700 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 5.
Supercell thunderstorms developed in advance of a cold front and dryline during the late afternoon of Saturday May 21st. Several of the supercell thunderstorms produced tornadoes including at least 2 brief touchdowns in Topeka.
Just after dusk on Saturday, May 21, 2011, a powerful tornado struck the small city of Reading, Kansas, damaging or destroying tens to hundreds of homes, businesses and facilities. The tornado occurred during a multi-day tornado outbreak sequence across the central United States, from May 21–26, 2011, and a day before the killer EF5 tornado that caused devastating damage in Joplin, Missouri.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A large line of storms swept across central Indiana overnight causing sporadic damage in many areas. One weak tornado occurred west of Brownsburg near North Salem.
A deep fetch of moisture surged north and west into New Mexico on May 21, 2018 ahead of an upper level low pressure system approaching from Arizona.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Nemaha County, Kansas and tracked 5.9 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest.
31 tornadoes were recorded on May 21, 2019, in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Nebraska.
Supercell t-storms developed quickly along an arc from north central east southeast through northeast Kansas during the late afternoon and early evening on Tuesday May 21st. The supercells occurred in an environment conducive to rapid low level rotation and tornado formation.
A warm and rather humid air mass across central Indiana, combined with an approaching cold front in the afternoon to produce a line of strong to severe thunderstorms.
Scattered strong to severe storms formed into a line across portions of northwestern and northern Arkansas along and ahead of an advancing cold front. The line made it into central sections of the state by early evening, and into the south during the overnight hours of the 21st.
An EF4 tornado touched down in Adams, Taylor, Adair counties, Iowa and tracked 40.65 miles, 1,600 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 35.
PLEASE NOTE, for hail, wind, heavy rain and flooding, please see separate Storm Data entry for May 20-22. Numerous tornadoes occurred on this day with numerous injuries and four fatalities at Greenfield in Adair County.
43 tornadoes were recorded on May 21, 2024, in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, 1 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 5 people.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Page, Montgomery, Adams counties, Iowa and tracked 33.86 miles, 1,300 yards wide at its widest.
Isolated thunderstorms associated with the dryline occurred on May 21. Much more widespread thunderstorm activity took place on May 22 as a cold front sagged south into the area and a strong jet stream developed aloft.
On the afternoon of May 21, 2024, a violent and destructive tornado tracked across southwestern Iowa, United States, devastating the city of Greenfield. The tornado, known most commonly as the Greenfield tornado, destroyed many buildings and wind turbines across its path that stretched through Page, Taylor, Adams, and Adair counties, while also causing more than $31 million in property damage, killing five people and injuring 35 more.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Severe thunderstorms developed over northeastern Oklahoma during the early evening of the 21st, as a cold front moved into the area.
On May 21st, a line of severe storms moved through the region during the late afternoon and evening hours bringing widespread wind damage and several tornadoes across western Wisconsin. Additionally, a few storms produced large hail across portions of southwestern Wisconsin.
Lines and clusters of severe thunderstorms moved across southern WI from the late morning through the late evening as the passage of a warm front was quickly followed by a cold front.
On May 21st, a line of severe storms moved across southeast Minnesota during the late afternoon and evening hours. The storms produced widespread wind damage across the region and one EF-1 tornado in Winona County leading to structural and tree damage in the town of Rollingstone.
The combination of a well defined surface dryline, extreme instability, and strong wind shear, resulted in producing supercell thunderstorms across west central Texas.
An occluding surface low slowly drifted across Ohio on May 21st. Bands of showers with embedded thunderstorms moved across southwest Pennsylvania.
1 on May 21, oldest first.
On the morning of the 17th a circulation was noted on the monsoon trough about 500 miles southwest of Chuuk.
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Heavy rains brought the Cass river at Vassar above its 14.0 foot flood stage at 0700 EST on the 21st. The river crested at 18.4 feet at 0900 EST on the 22d, and went back below flood stage at 1600 EST on the 23rd.
Heavy rains brought the Cass river at Frankenmuth above its 17.0 foot flood stage at 0600 EST on the 21st. The river crested at 23.0 feet at 0900 EST on the 22d, and fell below flood stage at 1700 EST on the 24th.
Sheriff's office reported a tree was blown down.
Once again, heavy rainfall struck Iowa. Heavy rainfall over parts of southwest and central Iowa early on the morning of the 21st led to rapid rises on the Raccoon River through Des Moines and on metro area streams and creeks.
Record high temperatures over the Seward Peninsula increased snowmelt rapidly causing the flooding of the Snake River which ran over the Kougarok Road in many places.
The biggest and longest duration flooding event in the past ten to twenty years occurred across southwestern and south central lower Michigan from May 20th through the third of June. Flooding in mid May resulted in very high river levels and the ground was saturated on the 20th.
Thunderstorm winds downed two trees.
Nickel size hail was observed three miles east of Medina.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Wyandot County and dumped up to an inch of rain on already saturated ground. Streams and rivers in flood or close to flood quickly rose forcing the closure several roads. Many homes and businesses sustained damage from the flooding.
Thunderstorms dumped heavy rains on Crawford County during the predawn hours of May 21st. This rainfall combined with ground already saturated from heavy rains the previous few days led to widespread flooding across the county.
Heavy rains on May 21st and 22nd caused rapid rises in the Cuyahoga River. At Independence, the river went above the flood stage of 16.0 feet around 9 p.m. on the 21st. The river crested at 21.66 feet around 6:30 p.m. on the 22nd and dropped below flood stage at 2 p.m.
Trees and power poles were knocked down.
A morning round of severe thunderstorms affected parts of south-central and most of southeast Wisconsin, bringing with it mostly reports of damaging wind.
Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches caused widespread flash flooding. Numerous road washouts were reported by law enforcement officials across northeast Iowa. In addition, two bridges were washed out and 40 homes received flood damage in Fredericksburg (Chickasaw County).
2 to 4 inches of rain in two hours caused flash flooding. Law enforcement officials and emergency managers reported several roads were either washed out or covered with water as much as 3 to 4 feet deep.
Strong to severe storms developed north of a stationary front across Iowa and Northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening hours. A strong low level jet continuously pumped copious amounts of moisture over the front that resulted in heavy rain and flash flooding.
The 2011 flooding on the Musselshell River in Montana began about May 21, affecting large parts of central Montana. 9 m) on Monday, May 23.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An upper trough and an associated cold front moved into the Lower Mississippi Valley during the evening of May 21st, 2013. Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of the system affecting the Mid-South.
May 2013 was a wet month across the state. The heavy rainfall brought relief across the state from the drought of the preceding year. The month began with a May record snow event. Snow began in northwest Iowa early on the morning of the 1st with six inches reported at Sibley.
A cold front interacted with a warm and humid airmass to produce clusters of severe thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening of May 21st.
Thunderstorms developed in an unstable air mass ahead of a cold front. These thunderstorms were capable of producing large hail, damaging winds, heavy rainfall, flooding, and flash flooding. Some of the flooding lingered into the morning of May 22.
A warm front was stalled from southwest Ontario across central Lake Erie into northwest Pennsylvania. The front remained nearly stationary through the night and morning of the 21st and was the focus of steady, often moderate to heavy, rain over Chautauqua County.
Thunderstorms developed in warm and unstable air ahead of an approaching cold front during the afternoon and evening hours of May 21. These storms continued into the early morning hours of May 22.
An area of low pressure moved through the central great lakes on May 21st with a cold front moving into northern Ohio during the evening. Several severe thunderstorms developed in the unstable air ahead of the cold front.
A cold front moved into South Texas during the early morning hours of May 21st. Early morning thunderstorms produced flash flooding in the Laredo area. Scattered thunderstorms formed along the cold front during the afternoon over the coastal plains.
Scattered thunderstorms developed over northeast Mexico during the afternoon of the 21st as an upper level disturbance moved across northern Mexico. An intense thunderstorm moved across the Rio Grande into the city of Laredo.
A powerful storm system slowly moved from the Four Corners region northeastward through the Plains, leading to a prolonged period of precipitation across western South Dakota May 20-22.
Thunderstorm gusts from 60 to more than 80 mph blew through eastern sections of the state during the afternoon of the 22nd. Trees were toppled (some on houses) in Morton (Woodruff County).
Accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack due to above normal temperatures produced high and fast flow on the Colorado River. One such area was Glenwood Canyon, where an individual drowned in a rafting accident.
19 on May 21, oldest first.
An intense electrical storm that moved through Tecumseh on this date in 1973, resulted in lightning fire balls, running along the city’s power lines. Only brief power outages and minor damage were reported, except for an abandoned home that burned down after being struck by the lightning.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
Several large trees and numerous power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds.
Thunderstorms rumbling across south-central Nebraska early in the day were responsible for dropping large hail and heavy rain in parts of the area. Hail the size of baseballs was reported.
Trained spotter reported trees down in Benton Harbor. Winds were estimated near 70 MPH.
Amateur radio operators reported a 62 m.p.h. wind gust in Port Sheldon.
Two drownings at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. 69YO female fell off a personal watercraft near Temple Bar, and 4YO female fell off a raft near South Telephone Cove. Strong winds contributed to both drownings.
Severe thunderstorms moved through most of the Bay State, ahead of a cold front moving east from the Great Lakes.
A negatively tilted upper trough, lifting out of the mid-south, combined with deep moisture and an unstable air mass to generate several rounds of showers and thunderstorms.
Continuing an active few days of strong to severe thunderstorms and localized flooding, this Saturday afternoon and early evening featured a few fairly isolated severe storms across northeast portions of South Central Nebraska. Large hail was the main story with these storms.
A strong upper level trough across the southern Great Basin ejected out into the Southern Plains during the day on May 21st.
A cold front interacted with an existing dry line on the 21st of the month. A line of thunderstorms developed early in the day to the north of the Red River. The line continued to move south and east, moving into increasingly unstable air across north Texas.
Three separate squall line/bowing segments began impacting the Middle Tennessee area around mid day and ending around midnight. These systems produced mostly damaging straight line winds with some hail.
A sharp upper level shortwave trough swept across eastern New Mexico ahead of a larger scale low pressure system over the Great Basin.
Strong instability developed during the afternoon of the 21st to the south of a weak boundary sliding south across central Indiana.
The May 2022 Canadian derecho was a high-impact derecho event that affected the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, Canada's most densely populated region, on May 21, 2022. Described by meteorologists as a historic derecho and one of the most impactful thunderstorms in Canadian history, winds up to 190 km/h (120 mph) as well as around four tornadoes caused widespread and extensive damage along a path that extended for 1,000 kilometres (620 mi).
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours in an unstable air mass in place across the Ohio Valley.
1 on May 21, oldest first.
Two men died near the 8000 ft level while climbing up Mt Rainier.
6 on May 21, oldest first.
May 21, 2005 started a record warm weekend across Oklahoma and northern Texas. Most of the area warmed into the upper 90s to just over 100 degrees as a ridge of high pressure built across the southwestern United States.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
The temperatures reached into the mid 80s during the afternoon of May 21 with a high temperature of 87. A child left in a car for an unknown number of hours died from the heat.
An upper level ridge over the Intermountain West led to temperatures climbing to around 5 degrees above normal in Phoenix on the 21st and 22nd of the month. The recorded high temperatures in Phoenix were 101 degrees on the 21st and 103 degrees on the 22nd.
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 3 to 8 degrees above normal, however overnight low temperatures were near normal, causing Low HeatRisk.
A female hiker hiking the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in North Scottsdale was found deceased at the trail. A report filed by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner a month later determined the cause of death was due to environmental heat exposure.
Temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 2 degrees below normal with Minor HeatRisk. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was a contributing factor in the death for an individual in Tucson.
41 on May 21, oldest first.
The Unnamed Fire started on May 21, 1989, in Florida, and burned 49,672 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on May 21, 1989, in Florida, and burned 6,624 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on May 21, 1991, in Minnesota, and burned 1,500 acres.
The Stone Fire was discovered on May 21, 1993, in New Mexico, and burned 14,700 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Bell Fire was discovered on May 21, 1993, in New Mexico, and burned 13,820 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Clear Fire was discovered on May 21, 1993, in New Mexico, and burned 3,200 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Fish Day Fire was discovered on May 21, 1994, in North Carolina, and burned 24,600 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The SMARSH2 Fire was discovered on May 21, 1994, in Florida, and burned 1,500 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Carla Lake Fire was discovered on May 21, 1998, in Alaska, and burned 53,720 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Grande Fire was discovered on May 21, 1998, in New Mexico, and burned 3,200 acres.
The Friendly Fire was discovered on May 21, 1999, in Florida, and burned 69,060 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Hog Flat Fire started on May 21, 1999, in Oregon, and burned 1,514 acres.
The Lookout Fire was discovered on May 21, 2004, in Torrance County, New Mexico, and burned 5,280 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The Yzaguirre Fire was discovered on May 21, 2005, in Texas, and burned 2,200 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Palo Duro East Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Armstrong County, Texas, and burned 11,475 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Jet Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, and burned 11,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Woody Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, and burned 9,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Pep 2 Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, and burned 8,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Four Lakes Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Lea County, New Mexico, and burned 7,600 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Borica Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Guadalupe County, New Mexico, and burned 6,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Devils Canyon Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Jeff Davis County, Texas, and burned 4,186 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Milk Shake Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Dallam County, Texas, and burned 3,500 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Kinsolving Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Lea County, New Mexico, and burned 1,900 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The RB-78 Fire was discovered on May 21, 2006, in Dallam County, Texas, and burned 1,600 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Sulukna River Wfu Fire was discovered on May 21, 2007, in Alaska, and burned 7,919 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Whitmire Fire was discovered on May 21, 2008, in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, and burned 4,046 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Coal Creek Fire was discovered on May 21, 2011, in Alaska, and burned 24,849 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Francis Creek Fire was discovered on May 21, 2011, in Alaska, and burned 2,020 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Campini Fire was discovered on May 21, 2012, in Cochise County, Arizona, and burned 12,015 acres; the cause was recorded as recreation and ceremony.
The Pine Creek North Fire was discovered on May 21, 2012, in Schoolcraft County, Michigan, and burned 3,400 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Pump House Fire was reported on May 21, 2015, in Palm Beach County, Florida, and burned 13,000 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Post Fire was reported on May 21, 2015, in Palm Beach County, Florida, and burned 3,500 acres.
The North Fire was reported on May 21, 2016, in Socorro County, New Mexico, and burned 42,102 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Spur Fire was reported on May 21, 2016, in Catron County, New Mexico, and burned 2,900 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The McArthur Creek Fire was reported on May 21, 2019, in Southeast Fairbanks County, Alaska, and burned 20,081 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Melozitna Fire was reported on May 21, 2019, in Yukon-Koyukuk County, Alaska, and burned 1,661 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
The Gravel Pit Fire was reported on May 21, 2020, in Polk County, Minnesota, and burned 1,792 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Grindstone Fire was reported on May 21, 2023, in Elmore County, Idaho, and burned 3,145 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Tower Road Fire was reported on May 21, 2023, in Morrow County, Oregon, and burned 2,750 acres.
The Cody Wildfire began on May 21st around 3:30 PM MST near Oracle, AZ. The fire was controlled on May 30th, burning a total of 1223 acres. The fire was fueled by high winds and dry fuels. The wildfire destroyed 5 homes, damaged 1 home, and burned 8 other structures.
The Trigg Fire was reported on May 21, 2026, in San Miguel County, New Mexico, and burned 2,000 acres.
22 on May 21, oldest first.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Yingxian, Shaanxi Province, China. It killed 5,130 people, injured 2,720 and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
The 1751 Takada earthquake struck central Japan's Joetsu City in present-day Niigata Prefecture on 21 May at 02:00 local time. 4 killed an estimated 2,100 people while up to 9,000 homes were levelled.
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A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Kyusyu Island, Japan. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 15,030 people, injured 707, destroyed 6,200 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Hiuganada, Japan. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua. It killed 5 people.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck San Salvador, El Salvador.
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Cusco, Peru. It killed 129 people, injured 265 and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
On 22 May 1960, an earthquake and tsunami occurred in Chile, devastating the city of Valdivia. 4.
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The 1960 Concepción earthquakes were a succession of three destructive earthquakes that happened between 21 and 22 May 1960. They formed part of the foreshock sequence for the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, the largest recorded earthquake in history.
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A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck Central, Chile. It killed few people (about 1 to 50). It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck New South Wales, Australia. It did $530,000 in damage.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Qinghai Province, China.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Off Coast of Honshu Island, Japan. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Bali, Indonesia. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Jabalpur, Southern, India. It killed 56 people, injured 1,000, destroyed 8,546 houses and did $143 million in damage.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Galicia, Portugal, Spain. It killed 2 people.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Algiers, Boumerdes, Reghia, Thenia, Algeria. It killed 2,287 people, left 800 missing, injured 11,000, destroyed 19,000 houses and did $5 billion in damage. It caused a tsunami.
The 2003 Boumerdès earthquake occurred on May 21 at 19:44:21 local time in northern Algeria. 8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme).
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An earthquake struck Alcantaras, Brazil.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Qinghai Province, China. It killed 20 people and injured 300.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Yangbi, Yongping, Yunnan Province, China. It killed 3 people, injured 28 and did $49 million in damage.
0 km. Three people died during the quake, while another 32 were injured.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
6 on May 21, oldest first.
Unzendake, Japan erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 15,000 people, injured 707, destroyed 6,200 houses and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. The eruption caused a tsunami and was accompanied by an earthquake.
Sorikmarapi, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 180 people.
Villarrica, Chile erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed few people (about 1 to 50).
Fuego, Guatemala erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2.
The 2011 eruption of Grímsvötn was a Plinian eruption of Grímsvötn, Iceland's most active volcano, which caused disruption to air travel in Northwestern Europe from 22–25 May 2011. The last eruption of Grímsvötn was in 2004, with the previous most powerful eruptions in 1783, 1873 and 1902.
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Sinabung, Indonesia erupted. It killed 7 people, injured 3 and did $100 million in damage.
7 on May 21, oldest first.
The 1792 Unzen landslide and tsunami was a volcanic megadisaster, occurring on 21 May 1792, during the Edo period. Triggered by the volcanic activity of Mount Unzen, it caused a massive collapse of the Mayuyama lava dome and a subsequent tsunami.
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A tsunami with a source recorded as volcano, earthquake and landslide struck Shimabara Bay, Kyushu Island, Japan, with a maximum water height of 55 meters. It killed 15,000 people, injured 707, destroyed 6,200 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami struck North Sea, Netherlands.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Hyuganada Sea, Japan, with a maximum water height of 0.7 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck Central Chile, with a maximum water height of 0.5 meters. It killed few people (about 1 to 50).
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Off Coast of Honshu Island, Japan, with a maximum water height of 0.1 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck N. Algeria, with a maximum water height of 3 meters. It killed 2,287 people, left 800 missing, injured 11,000, destroyed 19,000 houses and did $5 billion in damage.
1 on May 21, oldest first.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began May 21, 1973, reached Kp 7 and lasted 9 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 48; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
2 on May 21, oldest first.
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.7 billion in 2024 dollars and killed 4, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from May 21, 2004 to May 27, 2004.
A severe storm disaster that cost $1.5 billion in 2024 dollars, on NOAA’s billion-dollar list. It lasted from May 21, 2016 to May 26, 2016.
5 on May 21, oldest first.
The 2011 Hulu Langat landslide was a landslide attributed to heavy rain that occurred on the afternoon of 21 May 2011, at Kampung Gahal in the district of Hulu Langat at Selangor, Malaysia. The landslide struck an orphanage nearby, killing 16 people, including 13 children.
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A man died in a rip current several days after being caught in it.
A 62-year-old man from Orlando was pulled from the water after being caught in a rip current, but later died at the hospital.
A 14 year old mail from Baton Rouge, LA was caught in a rip current and drowned in Orange Beach, AL. The father was also caught in the rip current while trying to save his son. He was rushed to the emergency room due to water inhalation but survived.
A man walking along along Wilson Parrish Road in Umatilla in Lake County was slightly injured when lightning struck a nearby pole. The disoriented man was taken to a local hospital and was released later that day.
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.