Tornadoes of 2020 (Daily)

This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2020. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail.

Events
United States yearly total

January
There were 88 tornadoes reported in the United States in the month of January, 74 of which were confirmed.

January 1
Severe storms were forecast to begin 2020 in western and central Louisiana. These storms produced nine tornadoes in addition to damaging winds, the strongest of which being an EF2 that impacted areas near the town of Boyce.

January 24
On the afternoon of January 24, strong to severe storms moved across central Florida. One of these storms spawned a brief, yet intense EF3 tornado with estimated wind speeds of 140 mph. The tornado impacted the city of Wildwood, Florida. Although it only had a path length of about 2.7 miles, it injured two people and severely damaged the city hall building. Four other weak tornadoes occurred across Florida that afternoon.

February 20
On February 16, the SPC first delineated a 15% risk area over the southeastern United States. On February 19, as conditions leading up to the event appeared more favorable for a larger scale severe weather event, the SPC upgraded eastern Alabama and much of Southern Georgia to a moderate risk for both straight line winds and tornadoes. Several tornadoes touched down that evening, including a long-track EF3 which struck Dawson, Georgia, leaving behind a 30 mile path of destruction. Several other tornadoes occurred, many of which were QLCS tornadoes occurring in a squall line that moved across central and southern Georgia that evening. A few weak tornadoes also touched down in the Florida panhandle.

March 5
On the morning of March 5, an enhanced risk for damaging winds was issued in central and northeast Oklahoma. There was also a 10% tornado risk in this region, and 12 tornadoes touched down with the severe weather that afternoon and evening. EF2 tornadoes hit the towns of Beggs, Meridian, and Macomb in Oklahoma, with a few other weak tornadoes striking the area, as well.

March 9
IL/IN/KY

March 11-12
ArkLaTex (11th) / ESE MS/WSW AL (12th)

March 24-25
NE OK/SE KS/SW MO/NW AR (24th) / SW KY/TN/N AL/N MS/SE MO (25th)

April 1-3
Dixie

April 7
A weak yet moderate sized outbreak of tornadoes impacted Kansas on the afternoon of April 7. Numerous strong to severe storms developed in the northern part of the state, and later in the eastern part of the state. These storms produced hail and gusty winds, in addition to several weak tornadoes. Some of these tornadoes, such as an EF1 that occurred north of Green, Kansas, were quite photogenic.

April 12-14
E OK/NE TX/AR (12th) / KY/TN/AL (13th) / Carolinas (14th)

April 23
On April 23, 2020 a large outbreak of tornadoes impacted Ohio, extreme east Indiana, and far north Kentucky. It is the largest outbreak in Ohio's history. It included an EF5 tornado which struck the Columbus, Ohio area, and did extreme damage in the suburb of New Albany, Ohio. The damage in New Albany has been considered some of the most extreme of all time, and the outbreak is one of the most intense the region has ever seen. The event left 92 people dead and cost $11.3 billion.

April 27
A local tornado event occurred on April 27 in north-central Texas. The strongest tornado was an EF2 which impacted the Hillsboro area. Seven other tornadoes touched down that evening in the area, all weak and short-lived.

April 29-30
A regional outbreak of severe weather struck southwest Oklahoma on April 29, including 13 tornadoes. Two EF2 tornadoes struck the area: one near Indiahoma and another west of Walters. Widespread severe hail and damaging winds also occurred with this activity into the overnight hours. 14 additional tornadoes impacted Mississippi and Alabama on April 30, including a high-end EF2 which struck the Belk, Alabama area.

May 4-6
A compact shortwave trough rotated through the central United States sparking this tornado outbreak in the Southern Plains. May 5 was the most active day, with a moderate risk for tornadoes issued by the Storm Prediction Center that morning. 29 tornadoes raked across Oklahoma that evening, including a high-end EF4 that impacted Purcell, Oklahoma, an EF3 which struck the Oklahoma City Metro area, and another EF3 which impacted Wewoka after dark.

May 10-11
On the Morning of May 10, the SPC issued an enhanced risk for severe weather across Iowa and northern Missouri, including a 10% risk area for tornadoes. Activity developed mid-afternoon and a tornado watch was issued. While the upper-level pattern featured veer-back-veer profiles, a few tornadoes still developed. This included a high-end EF2 tornado near Greenfield, Iowa. Over the course of the afternoon activity grew upscale into an MCS and only a few more weak tornadoes were spawned. On May 11 two additional tornadoes were spawned from the same system in Michigan.

May 22
On May 22, 2020, a large and destructive tornado outbreak took place in the central and southern Plains states. 76 tornadoes occurred in a nine hour span, many of which were significant, long-tracked, and deadly. Two EF5 tornadoes occurred: one striking Belle Plaine, Kansas, and one striking Ponca City, Oklahoma. There were numerous EF3 and EF4 tornadoes, as well, including one extremely high-end EF4 moving through the Wichita, Kansas suburbs and striking Andover. This outbreak would be followed by another outbreak sequence in the central and southern Plains a week later, in which similar areas were yet again struck by tornadoes.

June 20
Cyclical supercell (plus a few other tornadoes) - Scribner, NE-Dunlap, IA

June 24
IN

June 29-30
CO / WY

July 28
MT

August 6
SD/MN

September 12-13
A small tornado event took place from September 12-13 in the northeast and mid-Atlantic. On September 12th, ten tornadoes struck western Pennsylvania, including an EF2 which struck Moon Township. Two other EF2s impacted the region, as well. This activity moved east and southeast through the evening. By midday on September 13th, storms developed in Maryland and Virginia, spawning seven more tornadoes, the strongest of which was another EF2.

November 26-27
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Thanksgiving night into Black Friday