List of deadliest tornadoes

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This is a list of the deadliest tornadoes in world history. This list includes confirmed individual tornadoes which caused 75 or more direct fatalities. A few historical tornadoes may have been tornado families (series of tornadoes spawned by the same thunderstorm), however, they occurred so long ago that details are impossible to confirm.

[edit] Tornadoes

Rank Name (location) Country Date Deaths Injuries# Description
1 Daultipur and Salturia BD ys1989-04-26 1300  ?? Likely the deadliest tornado in world history, this storm destroyed all but a few trees from Daultipur to Salturia.
2 Madarganj to Mrizapur BD yv1996-05-13 700†*  ?? Thirty-thousand homes were destroyed. Many victims were blown long distances, up to 0.9 miles (1.5 km).
3 "Tri-State" US n1925-03-18 689†[1] 2027 Unlike most historical long-track tornadoes, this was likely a single tornado, not a tornado family. Partially or completely destroyed more than ten towns. The path length of 219 miles (352 km) is a world record.
4 Manikganj, Singair and Nawabganj BD yj1973-04-17 681  ?? The village of Balurchar was completely destroyed, with eight other villages almost totally levelled.
5 NE suburbs of Dhaka BD yf1969-04-14 660  ?? Damage was "colossal" in the northeastern suburbs of Dhaka; many survivors were severely injured.
6 Grand Harbour at Valetta Malta aa1551-09-23[2] 600†  ?? Waterspout destroyed a shipping armada, then moved ashore, causing severe damage.
7 Magura and Narail Districts BD yc1964-04-11 500†[3]  ?? Wiped seven villages off the map. There were no survivors from the village of Bhabanipur, where 400 people lived.
7 Madaripur and Shibchar BD yl1977-04-01 500  ?? All buildings and trees in Madaripur and Shibchar were destroyed.
9 Belyanitsky, Ivanovo and Balino Russia yqa1984-06-09 400† 213
10 Natchez, MS US a1840-05-06 317†[4] 109† Killed hundreds in boats on the Mississippi River.
11 North of Cooch Behar and surrounding area India, BD yb1963-04-19 300  ?? Touched down near Cooch Behar, India, and passed across the extreme northern tip of Bangladesh. Debris was found 30 miles (48 km) away from the damaged area.
11 Bhakua and Haripur unions BD yh1972-04-29 300  ??
13 Comilla BD yf1969-04-14 263  ?? Spawned by a separate storm from the Dhaka tornado, which killed 660 earlier in the day.
14 St. Louis and East St. Louis US e1896-05-27 255†[5] 1000 Destroyed a large section of downtown in both cities.
15 Border of Orissa and West Bengal India yw1998-03-24 250  ??
16 Tupelo, MS US q1936-04-05 216†[6] 700 Destroyed several hundred homes in the city, many of good construction.
17 Calcutta India ab1838-04-08 215  ?? Moved very slowly (6 mph, 10 km/h) through the eastern suburbs of Calcutta, sweeping the ground clean in some places.
18 Faridpur and Dacca Districts BD ya1961-03-19 210  ??
19 Gainesville, GA US r1936-04-06 203†[7] 1600 In the same outbreak as the Tupelo tornado, destroyed a large section of downtown at the start of the work day.
20 14 miles southwest of Mymensingh BD yg1972-04-01 200†  ?? A fifteen square mile (38 km2) area was "wiped clean".
20 Faridpur District BD ua1951-05-12 200  ??
20 Baliakandi BD yi1973-04-12 200  ??
20 Parshuram, Fulgazi, Somarpur, and Sonagazi BD yp1981-04-12 200  ??
24 Higgins, TX; Woodward, OK US t1947-04-09 181* 970 Was certainly a family of tornadoes, but at least 107 were killed in Woodward alone, where 100 city blocks were flattened.
25 Jaipur and Keonjhar Districts India yn1978-04-16 173  ??
26 Kandi India yu1993-04-09 145  ??
27 Amite, LA and Purvis, MS US i1908-04-24 143* 770 Deaths scattered across two states; highest toll in Purvis where 143 of the town's 150 houses were demolished.
28 Naria, Zajira and Bhederganj BD ye1908-04-24 141  ??
29 Karimpur India yo1978-04-18 128  ??
30 Kapundi, Erandi, Dhanbeni and Rengalbeda BD yq1981-04-17 120  ??
30 Borni BD yr1986-04-14 120  ??
32 Dhaka BD i1908-04-24 118  ??
33 New Richmond, WI US f1899-06-12 117 200 Struck the town just as a circus was ending, likely inflating the death toll.
34 Flint, MI US v1953-06-08 115 844 Destroyed a one mile stretch of houses on Coldwater Road.
35 Waco, TX US u1953-05-11 114 597 Thirty or more were killed in a six-story furniture store when it collapsed, with several others killed in cars by the falling bricks.
35 Goliad, TX US ga1902-05-18 114 250 Around 100 buildings destroyed. Killed 85 initially, with the rest dying from their injuries later.
37 Mokshedpur, Bhanga and Tungipara BD ym1977-04-02 111  ??
38 Omaha, NE US j1913-03-23 103 350 Cut a 0.25 mile (0.4 km) gouge through the city, destroying or damaging almost 2000 homes.
39 Mattoon and Charleston, IL US k1917-05-26 101[8] 638 This may have been a family of three or more tornadoes, however, a single tornado killed at least 93 people in and near these two cities.
40 Shinnston, WV US s1944-06-23 100†[9] 381 Cut a remarkably continuous path at least 60 miles (97 km) through mountainous terrain. Most deaths occurred in a 10-mile (16-km) stretch near Shinnston.
40 11 miles West of Bogra BD yk1974-04-11 100  ??
42 Marshfield, MO US c1880-04-18 99 200 All but 15 buildings in town were destroyed.
43 Poplar Bluff, MO US o1927-05-09 98 300 Began in Arkansas, killing 5 in that state, before passing into Missouri. Eighty-three of the victims died in the town of Poplar Bluff.
43 New Holland, GA US g1903-06-01 98†[10] 180 Fifty people were killed when a five-story cotton mill was badly damaged. The rest died in the village of New Holland. The damage path was only four miles (six kilometers) long.
45 Snyder, OK US h1905-05-10 97 150 Many in the town of Snyder thought the approaching tornado was a hailstorm, and did not go to storm shelters.
46 Comanche, IA and Albany, IL US b1860-06-03 92*†[11] 150 Comanche was completely destroyed. Forty were killed in the city, with another 23 drowned when a raft on the Mississippi River was overturned.
47 Natchez, MS US i1908-04-24 91† 400† Most deaths occurred on plantations in rural areas of Louisiana and Mississippi.
48 Worcester, MA US w1953-06-09 90†[12] 1288 Cut a long path of destruction across the heart of Worcester County. Many large structures were levelled, including most of Assumption College. Debris was recovered more than 30 miles (50 km) to the east.
49 Starkville, MS and Waco, AL US l1920-04-20 88*[13] 700 This tornado (likely a tornado family) killed these people over two states and 130 miles.
50 Lorain and Sandusky, OH US m1924-06-28 85*†[14] 300 This tornado passed over Lake Erie several times as a waterspout. At least 64 died in Lorain, where hundreds of well-built structures were levelled.
51 Udall, KS US x1955-05-25 80 270 More than half the population of Udall was killed or injured.
52 St. Louis, MO US p1927-09-29 79 550 More than two hundred city blocks were devastated, along nearly the same path as two other tornadoes in St. Louis history.
53 Naria and Bhederganj Upazila BD yd1967-04-16 77  ??
54 Louisville, KY US d1890-03-27 76 270 Many large buildings in downtown Louisville collapsed, causing most of the fatalities.
54 Taras, Ullahpara and Shahazadpur BD yt1990-04-20 76  ??
*This was likely not a single tornado, but a tornado family (a group of tornadoes formed by the same supercell).
†May have been higher.
#Most injury figures are approximate

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ This is the official National Weather Service total, however, the Red Cross lists a total of 695, and the death toll was likely even higher due to injured people who died after the fact.
  2. ^ May have occurred five years later on this date; sources conflict.
  3. ^ May have killed as many as 1400 people.
  4. ^ May have killed and injured hundreds more slaves on plantations outside of the city; slave deaths were traditionally not included in official totals.
  5. ^ This number likely does not include people living in shanty boats on the Mississippi River.
  6. ^ Over 100 people were still in hospitals when this official death toll was published.
  7. ^ Forty people were still missing when this death toll was published.
  8. ^ In the past, this was plotted as a record-length 293-mile (472-km) long tornado path, killing 110, but scientists now know that it was a family of at least four tornadoes. This is the first.
  9. ^ May have killed one more in Pine Grove, Wetzel County.
  10. ^ Six more people may have died from their injuries.
  11. ^ This was a complex outbreak of several tornadoes, some passing through the same town twice. All tornadoes this day killed 148 people, this tornado may have killed as many as 111.
  12. ^ A recently revised death toll states that there were 94 deaths.
  13. ^ Was likely a tornado family (the 88 deaths are spread across 130 miles), and may not deserve a spot on this list.
  14. ^ Twenty four miles of the supposed tornado path are over Lake Erie, so it will never be known if this was truly a single tornado. However, 39 people were still missing weeks later, so the death toll may actually be as high as 124.

[edit] References