Tornadoes of 2018 (Layten)

The 2018 tornado season saw a slightly below average tornado count in the US, but fairly average everywhere else. The year had 2 EF5 tornadoes in the US, and an F5 in Italy, with the highest amount of tornadoes occurring within the first few months of the year. The year also saw 11 EF4 tornadoes in the US, with an F4 being reported in Argentina and an EF4 in France as well. Anonymously high numbers of tornadoes opened and closed the US season, with December in particular sticking out, with a near record 65 tornadoes occurring during that month.

US tornado count
There were 1027 reports of tornadoes reported in the US throughout the year, of which 988 were confirmed.

Canada and France
NOTE:TORNADOES IN FRANCE ARE LABELLED /NUMBER

There were 65 reports of tornadoes in Canada, and 10 in France, including an F4 in the totals.

Elsewhere
Elsewhere around the world, there were 25 reports of tornadoes, including an F4 in Argentina, and an F5 in Italy.

January
12 tornadoes were reported in the US in January, of which 10 were confirmed.

January 9 - 10
On January 8, a complex frontal moved inland along the Gulf Coast, colliding with a dry line over the southern central states of Oklahoma and Kansas and Missouri, which led to the formation of a capping inversion later that night. On the following morning, the inversion broke loose, and a cluster of thunderstorms formed over the Oklahoma-Missouri-Arkansas area. By the late afternoon the same day, some of these storms had evolved into supercells, and the NWS SPC issued a Moderate Risk for severe weather, including tornadoes, for about 1600 the same day. This proved correct when the cells began producing very heavy rainfall over the Kansas-Missouri, where a few tornadoes, including an EF2, touched down, doing minor damages in Joplin in the process. The other tornadoes mostly hit rural areas, causing minor roof and tree damages in the same regions. In total, 1 person died, and $12 million was done in damages from the event.

January 25
An isolated severe thunderstorm formed in Mississippi following anomalously high temperatures, which evolved into a supercell. This allowed an EF2 tornado and its satellite tornado to touch down during the afternoon hours, doing about $2 million in damages and injuring a person after a tree fell on them.

February
81 tornadoes were reported in the US in February, of which 71 were confirmed, including 2 EF4's during the biggest outbreaks of the month.

February 2 - 4
A powerful winterstorm moved into the lower Mississippi Valley on February 1, leading to the development of several supercells the following morning, and causing the NWS SPC to issue a Moderate Risk for severe weather, including tornadoes, for the state, and several weak tornadoes touched down. That day, an EF2 tornado with 125 mph winds hit Laurel, causing extensive damage in the process. The next day, an Enhanced Risk was called, and a large EF4 wedge tornado hit Meridan, causing the issuance of a tornado emergency there as a result. Another large tornado, this one an EF3, touched down in Hopewell, severely damaging the outskirts of the town in the process, and destroying a mobile home park, killing 7 in the process. The following day, a Slight Risk was issued for severe weather, and a few weak tornadoes touched down that day, and the severe weather had cleared up by mid afternoon. In total, 14 people died, and $233 million was done in damages.

February 19 - 22
An extratropical cyclone formed over the midwestern states on February 17, before hitting a capping inversion over the central US the following day, allowing for the development of a severe weather setup. Following the collision of the storm system with a another frontal zone, widespread severe thunderstorms began forming on the morning of February 19,and the NWS SPC issued an Enhanced Risk of severe weather for the central US, calling for a widespread tornado outbreak. The following day, there was another Enhanced Risk issued, with strong to violent tornadoes expected. In addition to this,a large wedge tornado, later rated an EF4, struck Carrollton and Carroll in Missouri,causing widespread devastating damage in the process. An EF3 was also reported in Kansas, but thankfully had less substantial impacts. The outlook for February 21 called for a Moderate Risk for the northwestern states bordering the Canadian border, and another EF3 stuck, this time in Chicago, Illinois, causing substantial damage in the process. On the last day of the sequence, there were a few tornadoes near the border, but most of the activity was focused in the southern Canadian states. In total, 9 people lost their lives in the outbreak, 6 of which occurred in the US, and $400 million was done in damages.

March
97 tornadoes were reported in the US in March, of which 84 were confirmed.

March 7 - 8
A triple point developed over the western US on March 4, but moisture levels were a concern until the morning of March 7, when the system managed to spawn isolated severe thunderstorms along the line. By 0900, the NWS SPC had issued a Moderate Risk for severe weather, including isolated tornadoes,large hail, and damaging winds. By mid afternoon, the tornadoes had touched down, with an EF3 tornado being recorded in Lubbock, Texas, which caused 3 deaths and $27 million in damages.

March 17 - 21
An extratropical cyclone developed along the Great Lakes, and a low pressure area moved into the Gulf coast on March 16, enabling the development for a severe weather outbreak. ON March 17, the NWS SPC issued an Enhanced Risk for severe weather, noting that dangerous thunderstorms were expected. The resulting PDS severe thunderstorm watch covered most of the central states, and a tornado watch was also issued for some of these areas as the setup improved, and several tornadoes, all of them weak, touched down that day over northern Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee. The same alert level was issued for the next 3 days, and on March 19, the strongest tornado of the outbreak sequence touched down outside of Owensboro, Kentucky, which would later be rated an EF3. 2 EF2s were also reported that day in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and in Jonesboro, Arkansas. THe following day, March 20, 2 more EF2s occurred, this time in Albion, Illinois and Brazil, Indiana. On the final day of the sequence, a Moderate Risk for severe weather was issued, and the final EF2 touched down in Rochester, Indiana. In total, there were 61 tornadoes, of which 44 were later rated EF0. 5 deaths occurred during the outbreak, along with $275 million in damages to property.

March 27 - 28
A line of severe thunderstorms that were poorly forecast developed over Oklahoma and Kansas, spawning 6 tornadoes over the latter state as the day progressed. An EF3 tornado hit Salina, severely damaging multiple homes in the process,and killing 1 person. Total damages from the outbreak are estimated at $30 million.

April
There were 88 reports of tornadoes in the US in April, but 3 were confirmed by the SPC in addition.

April 6 - 7
On April 5, a derecho began to take shape across the Gulf Coast states, and moved to the west, setting up for an outbreak in severe weather over the coming days. On the following morning, the NWS SPC issued an Enhanced Risk for severe weather, noting a localised tornado outbreak and severe wind event was highly likely to happen across Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Later that day, several tornadoes, including 2 EF2s and an EF3, touched down, with the EF3 hitting Duran, New Mexico. The following day, another Enhanced Risk was issued, and another 3 EF2 tornadoes touched down. In total, 3 people were injured, and $35 million was done in tornado damages from the event.

April 23 - 25
On April 23, a series of supercells began developing across a dryline, causing a severe weather outbreak, which was poorly forecast. Following reports of tornadoes, the NWS SPC issued an Enhanced Risk outlook for April 23 - 25, calling for a widespread tornado outbreak across the Gulf Coast to the Mid - Atlantic states. On April 23, a violent EF4 wedge tornado hit Ripley, Mississippi, where a tornado emergency was declared for that storm. In addition to the EF4, 2 EF3s hit in Holly Springs, Mississippi and Bear Creek, Alabama, all causing extensive damages. The next day, another 2 EF3's hit in Elkmont, Alabama and in Moore, Tennessee, again causing extensive damage and loss of life. A few more tornadoes touched down on April 25, but most were weak, apart from a destructive EF2 that hit Lebanon, Tennessee, causing 2 deaths in the process. In total, 17 people lost their lives, and damages totalled to $320 million.

April 29
The NWS SPC noted on April 29 that thunderstorms over Mississippi could turn supercellular by late afternoon, and so issued a Moderate Risk for severe weather, noting tornadoes were possible. By late afternoon, a cyclic supercell had developed, and began producing tornadoes in the densely populated areas of the centre of the state. The most notable tornado hit Brandon, and was later rated an EF2. In total, 12 people were injured, and $20 million was done in damages.

May
There were 314 reports of tornadoes in the US in May,of which 308 were confirmed, including 2 EF5's on May 4 and 5.

May 2 - 7
On May 1, a dryline and triple point developed over the Rockies, and the next day, the NWS SPC issued a Moderate Risk for severe weather, including isolated tornadoes, and several tornadoes, including 4 EF2's, touched down. The following day, an Enhanced Risk for severe weather was issued, and this time, 2 large and violent EF4 tornadoes touched down, causing extensive damage and loss of life in the process. On May 4 and 5, the SPC issued a High Risk for severe weeather, and on those 2 days, 4 EF4s and 2 EF5s touched down, causing the issuance of tornado emergencies in every case. On May 6 and 7, an Enhanced Risk for severe weather was issued, including the possibility of large, long lived tornadoes. In total, 53 people died, and $3 billion was done in damages.

May 12 - 14
A tropical disturbance developed in the Gulf of Mexico on May 10, bringing instability to the Gulf Coast as a result. The NWS SPC issued a Moderate Risk for severe weather. That day, an EF3 tornado moved ashore, severely damaging a beach in the process. No deaths were reported during the outbreak, but $80 million was reported in damages.

May 22 - 23
On May 22, a derecho developed across the central US, causing a rapid build of instability in the atmosphere. Due to this, the NWS SPC issued an enhanced risk for severe weather as a result. The most significant tornado, an EF3, hit Zanesville, Ohio in the early hours of May 23, ripping roofs off buildings, and causing high end EF3 damage through much of the city in the process. In total, 2 people died, and $32 million was done in damages from the event.

May 26
A line of severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of May 26, leading to a Moderate Risk for severe weather being issued, which called for a localised tornado outbreak in the Central Plains. 18 tornadoes would touch down, with 2 EF2s hitting in the state of Oklahoma and Kansas, causing $40 million in damages, and 7 injuries in the process.

June
There were 51 reports of tornadoes in the US in June, of which 50 were confirmed.

June 7 - 9
Tropical Depression Two was the cause of this small outbreak of weak tornadoes over Texas. As the depression neared the shore, a slight risk for severe weather was issued, and the shear increased, allowing for thunderstorms within the low level circulation to intensify and become supercellular in some cases, producing tornadoes in the process. After landfall, the storms rapidly weakened, as the parent system dissipated over the island of Galveston.

July
There were 29 reports of tornadoes in the US in July, of which all were confirmed.

August
There were 98 reports of tornadoes in the US in August, of 94 were confirmed.

September
There were 23 reports of tornadoes in the US in September, but an additional tornado was confirmed by the SPC as well.

October
There were 113 reports of tornadoes in the US in October, of which 101 were confirmed.

November
There were 62 reports of tornadoes in the US in November, of which all were confirmed.

December
There were 60 tornadoes reported in the US in December, but the SPC confirmed an additional 5 during storm surveys.