See All US Severe Weather Statistics
- Overview
- Damages
- Fatalities
- Injuries
- Events
Tornado
Overview
Damages
Fatalities
Injuries
Events
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Tornado Overview
The basic working definition of a tornado is:
A violently-rotating column of air from a thunderstorm in contact with the ground.
Since 1996, tornadoes have been responsible for:
- $36.7 billion in total damage
- 2,008 fatalities
- 23,734 injuries
Of the 23 total severe weather categories, tornadoes rank:
- Fourth in total damage
- Second in fatalities
- First in injuries
Note: Record keeping of severe weather events throughout the United States increased greatly in 1996. As such, only data from 1996 onward is considered throughout this analysis. Additionally, in order to fully vet weather reports and ensure data accuracy, NOAA releases severe weather reports on a three month delay from occurrence. The most recent data is from November 2016.
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Damages from Tornadoes
Tornadoes are the fourth most destructive natural hazard in the United States. Since 1996, tornadoes have caused $36.7 billion worth of damage in today's dollars, or $1.76 billion annually. Property damage makes up the majority of the damage, at $36.3 billion, and crop damage has totaled $378 million since 1996. This comes out to $1.74 billion of property damage annually, and $18.1 million of annual crop damage.
By Year
By Month
By State
Note: The National Weather Service makes a best guess using all available data at the time of the publication. The damage amounts are received from a variety of sources. Property and Crop damage should be considered as a broad estimate.
Most Destructive Events
Note: "Events" occur on a county or zone basis. So, it is entirely possible (and likely for some types of weather events) for one storm to incur multiple "events".
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Fatalities from Tornadoes
Tornadoes are the second most deadly natural hazard in the United States. Since 1996, tornadoes have been the cause of death for 2,008 individuals. This is an average of 96 people every year.
By Year
By Month
By Age
The average age of all deaths from tornadoes is 50 years old, and likewise the most common age range is 50-59 years old.
By State
Total Fatalities
Fatalities per Capita
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Total Fatalities
Fatalities per Capita
By Gender
Since 1996, tornadoes have been one of the rare natural hazards where females have died more frequently than males, with 51%, or 1,020 of the 2,000 fatalities with a known gender, being female.
By Location
Direct vs Indirect
Starting in 2007, NOAA started determining whether fatalities were directly or indirectly caused by weather hazards. Direct deaths are "directly attributable to the hydrometeorological event itself, or impact by airborne, falling, or moving debris", whereas indirect deaths are defined as "occurring in the vicinity of a hydrometeorological event, or after it has ended, but not directly caused by impact or debris from the event".
Since 2007, there have been 1335 direct and 40 indirect tornado fatalities. This means that 97% of the fatalities have been attributed to direct causes, making tornadoes the fifth most likely hazard to kill people directly.
Most Fatal Events
Note: "Events" occur on a county or zone basis. So, it is entirely possible (and likely for some types of weather events) for one storm to incur multiple "events".
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Injuries from Tornadoes
Since 1996, there have been 23,734 injuries reported from tornadoes across the U.S. and its territories. This is an average of 1,135 reported injuries per year. This makes tornadoes the most injurious hazard in the United States.
By Year
By State
Total Injuries
Injuries per Capita
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Total Injuries
Injuries per Capita
Direct vs Indirect
Starting in 2006, NOAA started determining whether injuries were directly or indirectly caused by weather hazards. Direct deaths are "directly attributable to the hydrometeorological event itself, or impact by airborne/falling/moving debris", whereas indirect deaths are defined as "occurring in the vicinity of a hydrometeorological event, or after it has ended, but not directly caused by impact or debris from the event".
Since 2007, there have been 12432 direct and 240 indirect tornado injuries. This means that 98% of the injuries have been attributed to direct causes, making tornadoes the fourth most likely hazard to injure people directly.
Note: Where there is an individual report for each person who has died from a weather event, reporting of injuries is highly inconsistent and varies greatly across categories and reporting stations.
Most Injurious Events
Note: "Events" occur on a county or zone basis. So, it is entirely possible (and likely for some types of weather events) for one storm to incur multiple "events".
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Tornado Events
Since 1996, there have been 40,810 tornado events reported to the SWDI. That means that, on a per event basis, tornado events cause:
- $899,829 in damage
- 0.049 fatalities
- 0.582 injuries
Compared to the 23 total severe weather categories, tornadoes rank:
- Fifth in total damage per event
- Eighth in fatalities per event
- Fifth in injuries per event
Note: According to NOAA, an "event" is recorded in three main circumstances.
- The occurrence of storms and other significant weather phenomena having sufficient intensity to cause loss of life, injuries, significant property damage, and/or disruption to commerce.
- Rare, unusual, weather phenomena that generate media attention, such as snow flurries in South Florida or the San Diego coastal area.
- Other significant meteorological events, such as record maximum or minimum temperatures or precipitation that occur in connection with another event.
"Events" occur on a county or zone basis. So, it is entirely possible (and likely for some types of weather events) for one storm to incur multiple "events".
By Year
By Month
By State
References
Source:
NOAA. As of February 17, 2017; refreshed monthly. Show details
Did you notice any missing info or inaccuracies? Feel free to edit this page.
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