The following days had a declaration of a High Risk of severe weather in a certain part of the United States according to the Storm Prediction Center (and its predecessor, the National Severe Storms Forecast Center).
Such indicates a forecast of an extreme severe weather event (in most cases, a major tornado outbreak). There are 88 known days since 1984 that such a declaration was issued. Busts indicate days that a severe weather outbreak was expected but never materialized, with little or no significant severe weather activity, or materialized well outside of the forecasted area. Limited details are available for days before the late 1990s, and it is probable that there were additional High Risk days with no online documentation, especially in the 1980s.
The only month that has not recorded a known High Risk day is September. No High Risk has ever been issued west of the Great Plains.
Date | Area | Results | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
March 28, 1984 | Carolinas[1] | Tornado outbreak produced ≥24 tornadoes; killed 57 | |
May 7, 1988 | Oklahoma | Busted; few severe reports | |
November 15, 1989 | Southern U.S.[2] | Tornado outbreak produced 18 tornadoes; killed 21 | |
March 13, 1990 | Central U.S. | Tornado outbreak produced 56 tornadoes; killed 2 | Unconfirmed risk level |
May 15, 1990 | Oklahoma | Small tornado event produced 19 tornadoes; killed 1 | |
June 2, 1990 | Ohio Valley | Tornado outbreak produced 88 tornadoes; killed 9 | |
April 11, 1991 | Kansas | Busted; few severe reports | |
April 12, 1991 | Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas | Moderate tornado/hail event | First known back-to-back High Risk days |
April 26, 1991 | Kansas, Oklahoma | Tornado outbreak produced 58 tornadoes; killed 24 | |
April 28, 1991 | Kansas | Busted; only a few tornadoes and severe reports | |
June 16, 1992 | Midwest[3] | Second day of a three-day tornado outbreak produced 65 tornadoes; killed 1 | |
June 17, 1992 | Great Lakes region[3] | Third day of a three-day tornado outbreak produced 29 tornadoes and a large serial derecho; no deaths | |
June 7, 1993 | Upper Midwest | Tornado outbreak produced 41 tornadoes; no deaths | |
March 27, 1994 | Southern U.S. | Tornado outbreak produced 26 tornadoes; killed 42 | |
April 25, 1994 | Central U.S. | End of tornado outbreak sequence that produced 29 tornadoes and many hail reports; killed 3 | |
August 27, 1994 | Upper Midwest | Small tornado outbreak produced 12 tornadoes; killed 4 | Only High Risk ever issued in August |
November 27, 1994 | Southern U.S. | Tornado outbreak produced 19 tornadoes; killed 6 | |
April 17, 1995 | Oklahoma, Texas | Primarily a derecho; but 21 tornadoes (mostly weak) reported | |
May 7, 1995 | Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas | First part of a tornado outbreak sequence that produced 32 tornadoes; killed 3 | |
May 12, 1995 | Kansas | Second part of the same tornado outbreak sequence that produced 13 tornadoes; although mostly a bust | |
May 13, 1995 | Ohio Valley | Continuation of the same tornado outbreak sequence that produced 27 tornadoes and a long derecho; killed 3 | |
May 17, 1995 | Kansas | Continuation of the same tornado outbreak sequence although again mostly a bust; only 8 tornadoes and few other reports | |
April 19, 1996 | Illinois, Indiana | Tornado outbreak produced 74 tornadoes (plus more the next day); killed 1 | |
May 26, 1996 | Kansas, Oklahoma | Small tornado event became a mini-derecho | |
May 2, 1997 | Mississippi, Alabama | Progressive derecho that also produced 8 tornadoes; killed 1 | |
July 1, 1997 | Upper Mississippi Valley | Moderate tornado outbreak reorganized into a progressive derecho | |
February 10, 1998 | Texas, Louisiana | Rare winter serial derecho | |
April 8, 1998 | Alabama[4] | Tornado outbreak produced 15 tornadoes (mostly in more urbanized areas) plus widespread wind and hail; killed 41 | |
April 15, 1998 | Middle Mississippi Valley | First day of a two-day tornado outbreak that produced 23 tornadoes; killed 4 | |
April 16, 1998 | Tennessee | Second day of a two-day tornado outbreak that produced 38 tornadoes including the Nashville tornado; killed 8 | |
May 31, 1998 | Northeastern U.S.[5][6][7][8] | Major derecho and tornado outbreak produced 39 tornadoes and enormous wind damage; killed 7 | Only High Risk ever issued in the Northeast |
June 14, 1998 | Ohio Valley | Small tornado event produced 22 mostly weak tornadoes followed by a progressive derecho | |
January 21, 1999 | Arkansas[9][10] | Tornado outbreak produced 99 tornadoes; killed 9 | Only High Risk ever issued in January |
March 8, 1999 | Arkansas, Louisiana | Busted; few tornadoes with some scattered hail and wind | |
April 8, 1999 | Iowa, Missouri, Illinois | Tornado outbreak produced 56 tornadoes; killed 6 | |
May 3, 1999 | Oklahoma, Kansas[11] | Tornado outbreak produced 61 tornadoes; killed 48 | |
May 4, 1999 | Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas[11] | Second day of the same tornado outbreak produced 39 tornadoes; killed 1 | |
May 5, 1999 | Southern U.S. | Third day of the same tornado outbreak produced 18 tornadoes plus a significant serial derecho; killed 3 | First and only occurrence of three consecutive High Risk days |
June 5, 1999 | South Dakota, Nebraska[12] | Busted; isolated tornadoes and scattered wind and hail damage | A shortwave ridge maintained a capping inversion.[13] |
April 6, 2001 | Oklahoma, Kansas[14] | Serial derecho with widespread wind damage | |
April 11, 2001 | Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin[15] | Tornado outbreak produced 40 tornadoes; killed 2[16] | |
June 11, 2001 | Minnesota, Wisconsin[17] | Progressive derecho with widespread wind damage. Unofficial thunderstorm wind gust of 119 miles per hour (192 km/h) near Atwater, Minnesota.[18] | |
October 13, 2001 | U.S. Gulf Coast[19] | Tornado outbreak produced 31 tornadoes | |
October 24, 2001 | Midwest[20] | Tornado outbreak produced 25 tornadoes plus a major serial derecho; killed 2 | |
April 16, 2002 | Upper Midwest[21] | Busted; isolated wind damage and tornadoes | |
July 31, 2002 | Minnesota, Wisconsin[22] | Busted; isolated wind damage | |
November 10, 2002 | Midwest and Southern U.S.[23] | Tornado outbreak produced 76 tornadoes and extensive wind damage; killed 36 | |
December 23, 2002 | Texas, Louisiana[24] | Busted; tornado event produced 15 weak tornadoes | Only High Risk ever issued in December |
April 6, 2003 | Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi[25] | Localized tornado event produced 23 tornadoes | |
May 4, 2003 | Central U.S.[26] | Day 5 of a tornado outbreak sequence produced 86 tornadoes; killed 38 | |
May 5, 2003 | Southern U.S.[27] | Day 6 of a tornado outbreak sequence produced 22 tornadoes but no deaths | |
May 8, 2003 | Kansas, Oklahoma[28] | Day 9 of a tornado outbreak sequence produced 42 tornadoes but no deaths | |
May 10, 2003 | Central U.S.[29] | Day 11 of a tornado outbreak sequence produced 60 tornadoes but no deaths | |
May 15, 2003 | Texas, Oklahoma[30] | Tornado outbreak produced 49 tornadoes | |
March 4, 2004 | Texas, Oklahoma[31] | Busted; isolated tornadoes outside the risk area reorganized into a large serial derecho | |
May 22, 2004 | Nebraska, Iowa[32] | Tornado outbreak produced 68 tornadoes; killed 1 | |
May 24, 2004 | Nebraska, Iowa[33] | Hybrid derecho/tornado outbreak produced 54 tornadoes; killed 1 | |
May 29, 2004 | Central U.S.[34] | First day of a two-day tornado outbreak produced 80 tornadoes; killed 3 | |
May 30, 2004 | Central U.S.[35] | Second day of a two-day tornado outbreak produced 86 tornadoes; killed 2 | Largest High Risk area ever issued |
April 11, 2005 | Louisiana, Mississippi[36] | Busted; only isolated wind damage which killed 1 | |
June 4, 2005 | Central U.S.[37] | Tornado outbreak produced 44 tornadoes | |
November 15, 2005 | Midwest and Southern U.S.[38] | Tornado outbreak produced 50 tornadoes; killed 2 | |
March 12, 2006 | Midwest[39] | Tornado outbreak produced 62 tornadoes; killed 8 | |
April 6, 2006 | Nebraska, Kansas[40] | First day of a three-day tornado outbreak produced 13 tornadoes, but no deaths | |
April 7, 2006 | Southern U.S.[41] | Second day of a three-day tornado outbreak produced 49 tornadoes; killed 13 | Only High Risk to be issued on Day 2 (the day before the event)[42] |
March 1, 2007 | Southern U.S.[43] | Tornado outbreak produced 37 tornadoes; killed 20 | |
April 13, 2007 | Texas[44] | Busted; only a few reports of tornadoes and scattered hail damage; killed 1 | |
April 24, 2007 | Texas[45] | Busted; although some tornadoes and wind reports outside the risk area; killed 7 | |
May 5, 2007 | Nebraska, Kansas[46] | Second day of a three-day tornado outbreak produced 84 tornadoes; killed 2 | |
June 7, 2007 | Upper Midwest[47] | Localized tornado event reorganized into a moderate wind event | |
February 5, 2008 | Middle Mississippi Valley[48] | Tornado outbreak produced 87 tornadoes; killed 57 | |
March 15, 2008 | Georgia, South Carolina[49] | Tornado outbreak produced 44 tornadoes; killed 2 | |
May 22, 2008 | Kansas[50] | Day 1 of a tornado outbreak sequence produced 24 tornadoes; killed 1 | |
May 29, 2008 | Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota[51] | Day 8 of a tornado outbreak sequence produced 42 tornadoes but no deaths | |
June 5, 2008 | Midwest[52] | Day 3 of a tornado outbreak sequence produced 15 tornadoes (and a large serial derecho) but no deaths | |
April 10, 2009 | Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee [53] | Second day of a two-day tornado outbreak produced 59 tornadoes; killed 2 | |
April 26, 2009 | Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas [54] | Busted; few tornadoes reported | |
April 24, 2010 | Southern U.S. [55] | Tornado outbreak produced 39 tornadoes; killed 10[56] | |
April 30, 2010 | Arkansas[57] | Second day of a five-day tornado outbreak produced 27 tornadoes; killed 1[58] | |
May 1, 2010 | Middle Mississippi Valley[59] | Third day of a five-day tornado outbreak produced 35 tornadoes; killed 4 | Major flood disaster also occurred from the same storm |
May 10, 2010 | Oklahoma, Kansas [60] | Tornado outbreak produced 67 tornadoes; killed 3 | |
May 19, 2010 | Oklahoma [61] | Some tornadoes reported, mostly in open country | |
October 26, 2010 | Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan [62] | Tornado outbreak produced 54 tornadoes and a major serial derecho, but no deaths | Event set record for the deepest extratropical low over the continental US |
April 16, 2011 | North Carolina, Virginia [63] | Third day of a three-day tornado outbreak produced 52 tornadoes; killed 26 | |
April 26, 2011 | South-Central U.S.[64] | Second day of a four-day tornado outbreak produced 119 tornadoes; killed 4 | |
April 27, 2011 | Southern U.S.[65] | Third and most prolific day of a four-day tornado outbreak produced 169 tornadoes; killed 313 | Deadliest High Risk day, event set record for most tornadoes in a 24-hour period |
May 24, 2011 | Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas[66] | Fourth day of a multi-day tornado outbreak produced 34 tornadoes; killed 17 | |
May 25, 2011 | Midwest[67] | Fifth day of a multi-day tornado outbreak produced 73 tornadoes and a major serial derecho, but no deaths |