| Season | 2020 |
| Timespan | January 8th - December 23rd |
| Maximum rated tornado | EF5 |
| Dates of maximum rating | Jonesboro, AR on April 20
Plumfield, IL on April 20 Murdo, SD on May 7 |
| Tornadoes | 1,078 |
| Damage | {{{damages}}} |
| Fatalities | {{{deaths}}} |
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2020. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions.
There have 1,183 preliminary filtered reports of tornadoes in the United States, of which 1,078 were confirmed.
*This is a WIP*
Events[]
Untied States yearly total[]
Confirmed tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Scale
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 1,078 | 579 | 360 | 93 | 33 | 10 | 3 |
January[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
January 8-9[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |
On January 8, a slight risk for severe weather was issued by the Storm Prediction Center for parts of southwestern Oklahoma and northern Texas. A 5% risk of tornadoes was also issued. A small tornado outbreak of 11 tornadoes impacted these areas in the late afternoon and evening.
Damage in Waldron, Arkansas.
An EF1 tornado caused moderate damage in the city of Sherman, Texas. Another EF1 tornado damaged a farmhouse south of Boswell, Oklahoma. Severe weather continued into the night and into the early morning hours of January 9. The storms moved over Arkansas where an EF2 tornado struck Waldron, Arkansas, causing significant damage in southern parts of the city. 7 people were killed when the tornado struck a neighborhood of mobile homes.
February[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 32 | 21 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
February 14[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
On February 14, an area of slight risk was issued for parts of Georgia and South Carolina along with a 5% chance of tornadoes. Severe weather occurred around mid-day, including an EF0 that caused minor tree and roof damage to homes in Bulloch County, Georgia. An EF1 tornado caused damage in the town of Ridgeland, South Carolina, injuring 2 people.
March[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 116 | 60 | 42 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
March 4-6[]
Main Article: Tornado Outbreak of March 4-6, 2020
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 38 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 67 | |
The Henrietta, Texas tornado.
On March 4, an area of enhanced risk was issued for parts of southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. A 10% hatched risk for tornadoes was also issued along with high chances for damaging winds and large hail. In the afternoon, numerous supercell thunderstorms blossomed and produced a tornado outbreak. A large, violent EF4 tornado killed 2 people and injured 32 others as it struck the town of Henrietta, Texas. Well-constructed homes were leveled, trees were debarked, and cars were thrown and left beyond recognition. The tornado continued into Oklahoma, striking the town of Terral at EF2 strength before dissipating south of Oscar, Oklahoma. Near Wichita Falls, Texas, an EF2 tornado struck a prison and a chemical plant, causing significant damage. An EF1 tornado caused damage in the city of Admore.
On March 5, the storms moved eastward into Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. An enhanced risk and 10% hatched chance for tornadoes was issued again. A long-tracked EF3 tornado caused major damage in Monroe, Louisiana. An EF2 tornado struck Greenville, Mississippi, injuring 4. The storms continued into the early morning hours of March 6 into Mississippi and Alabama where a few minor tornadoes occurred.
March 18[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | |
EF3 damage in Hoisington, Kansas.
On March 18, the Storm Prediction Center issued a slight risk over portions of central and southern Kansas. A 5% chance for tornadoes was issued. A small tornado outbreak began to occur with weak tornadoes touching down in rural areas. A powerful EF2 tornado touched down in Hodgeman Coutny, Kansas. This tornado was tracked by mobile dopplar radar wind speeds up to 221 mph (356 km/h) were recorded near ground level. However, the tornado moved over rural farmlands for most of its life preventing any potential EF5 damage. The tornado struck a few farmhouses at EF2 intensity before dissipating in Pawnee County. The same supercell would produce an EF3 tornado that would strike the town of Hoisington.
April[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 268 | 117 | 95 | 31 | 16 | 7 | 2 |
April 12[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 19 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | |
On April 12, the Storm Prediction Center issued an enhanced risk for parts of Mississippi and Alabama with 10% hatched risk for tornadoes. A small tornado outbreak impacted the area, with an EF2 tornado striking the city of Tupelo, Mississippi. An EF1 tornado casued damage in the town of Phil Campbell, Alabama. The strongest tornado of the outbreak was a rain-wrapped EF3 tornado that struck homes near the towns of Moulton, Trinity, and Tanner, Alabama.
April 19-21[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 80 | 57 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 182 | |
Main Articles: 2020 Super Outbreak, 2020 Jonesboro tornado, and 2020 Louisville tornado
Between April 19 and 21, a large, historic tornado outbreak took place over the Midwestern United States. 182 confirmed tornadoes occurred across 11 states, 9 of them were violent EF4/5 tornadoes. 135 people were killed and several thousand were injured.
The possibility of a large tornado outbreak was present when On April 18, the SPC issued a moderate risk for severe weather for April 19 and 20. On April 19, a area of moderate risk was issued for parts of central Oklahoma and northern Texas. By late afternoon, multiple tornadoes touched down across Oklahoma and Texas, one of which was rated EF3 for causing damage in Chickisha, Oklahoma.
High risk outlook for April 20, 2020.
On April 20, a high risk for sever weather was issued for parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee and a PDS tornado watch was issued for these areas. As the day progressed, multiple significant tornadoes struck across the warned region. The first official EF5 tornado to occur in Arkansas struck the city of Jonesboro, killing 58 people. An EF4 tornado struck suburbs in Lousiville, Kentucky. The second EF5 tornado of the outbreak struck the towns of Plumfield and West Frankfort, Illinois.
Photo of the Burlington-Parkersburg tornado as it approached Parkersburg.
On April 21, the storms moved east into the Ohio River Valley. A moderate risk was issued for areas in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. A 15% hatched risk for tornadoes was also issued. A violent tornado struck homes near Coolville, Ohio before it crossed the Ohio River into West Virginia and hit the city of Parkersburg, causing EF4 damage. This tornado was officially the first violent tornado to occur in West Virginia.
May[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 214 | 102 | 78 | 23 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
May 5-10[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 72 | 49 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 146 | |
Main Articles: Tornado outbreak sequence of May 5-10, 2020 and 2020 Murdo tornado
On May 5, a group of thunderstorms formed over rural areas in northeastern Colorado. Meanwhile, another group of thunderstorms formed in central Texas, southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area. Multiple tornadoes touched down in Wash and Yuma Counties. Most of them moved over rural grasslands causing no damage, apart from an EF2 tornado that struck a farmhouse near the town of Yuma. In Texas, a large EF3 tornado caused major damage in Brownwood, Texas. Intense ground scouring occurred in a field before the tornado struck any populated areas, indicating that the tornado might have reached an EF4 or EF5 strength. An EF2 tornado caused damage near Hamilton, Texas.
On May 6, an area of enhanced risk was issued for parts of Kansas and Missouri, with Kansas City in its boundaries. A 10% chance for tornadoes was also issued. A short-lived EF3 tornado caused major damage in downtown Kansas City. An EF1 tornado occurred near the city of Topeka.
The 1.5 mile wide EF5 tornado as it moved over Murdo. This image was taken from over a mile away.
On May 7, the SPC issued a moderate risk for severe weather for areas in southern South Dakota and northern Nebraska. A 15% hatched risk for tornadoes was also issued. In the afternoon, several strong supercells began to develop. An EF4 tornado occurred near Valentine, Nebraska, three homes were leveled west of town and 2 people were killed. An extremely large, violent, multi-vortex EF5 tornado struck the town of Murdo, South Dakota, killing 47 people and injuring 79. The tornado was 1.5 miles wide and destroyed the entire town. The damage in Murdo was described by meteorologists as "some of the most violent and destructive tornado damage ever surveyed." Mobile Doppler radar recorded wind speeds up ranging from 270 to 290 mph.
Damage in Raleigh, North Carolina.
On May 8, the storm system that produced violent tornadoes in South Dakota and Nebraska moved east into Minnesota and Iowa, producing multiple minor tornadoes. On May 9, another storm system began to develop in areas over North Carolina and Virginia. An EF2 tornado struck the town of Cortland, Virginia. An EF3 tornado caused damage in and around Raleigh, North Carolina.
On May 10, an area of enhanced risk was issued for central Oklahoma with a 10% hatched risk for tornadoes. An EF3 tornado occurred near Calument, causing major damage to farmhouses. An EF1 tornado caused damage in Bridge-Creek.
May 23[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 12 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | |
On May 23, the Storm Prediction Center issued an enhanced risk with a 10% risk for tornadoes over areas in Iowa and Illinois. A storm system with supercell thunderstorms began producing tornadoes in Iowa. A large tornado touched down south of Pitzer in Madison County. The tornado began tracking northeast towards Des Moines and was gainging in size and strength. Multiple homes in rural areas suffered EF2 damage as the the tornado grew to 1 mile in width and became rain-wrapped. A tornado emergency was issued for Des Moines and its surrounding suburbs before the tornado turned northward and dissipated. An EF3 tornado caused damage in Marshalltown, killing 1 person and injuring 12. An EF1 tornado caused minor damage in Jo Daviess County, Illinois.
June[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 144 | 83 | 50 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
June 29[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 21 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 47 | |
On June 29, the SPC issued am enhanced risk for severe weather for areas in Montana and Wyoming with a 10% chance for tornadoes. By the late afternoon, supercell thunderstorms erupted and began producing tornadoes. An EF2 tornado casued significant damage in Broadus, Montana. An EF1 tornado caused damage near Pine Heaven, Wyoming. The strongest tornado of the outbreak was an EF3 tornado that struck Miles City, Tusler, and Kinsey, Montana. The storms continued into the night and into North Dakota. An EF2 tornado caused damage near Four Bears Village.
July[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 88 | 58 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
July 8[]
On July 8, a cluster of thunderstorms began developing over northern Minnesota and by the late afternoon they began producing tornadoes. An EF2 tornado damaged 2 homes near the town of Togo. An EF0 tornado caused minor damage in Sliverdale.
August[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 47 | 32 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | |
August 18-19[]
On August 18, the SPC issued a slight risk for sever weather over parts of Kansas and Nebraska with a 5% risk for tornadoes. Storms were originally forecasted to form in the afternoon but did not appear until the evening hours. The storms quickly intensified into strong supercell thunderstorms and became tornadic, with the first tornado being an EF0 that moved over an open field in Osborne County in Kansas. Multiple weak tornadoes occurred over grasslands causing little to no damage. An EF2 tornado struck the town of Clifton, Kansas. The storms continued into the early morning hours of August 19. A 1 kilometer wide EF2 tornado struck the towns of Odell and Wymore, Nebraska, causing significant damage.
September[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 83 | 52 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
September 18[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 26 | |
Main Article: 2020 New England tornado outbreak, 2020 New Miliford-Mt. Kisco tornado
On September 18, an area of enhanced risk was issued for areas in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. A 10% hatched risk for tornadoes was also issued. At 2:15 PM (EST), the first thunderstorms began developing over eastern Pennsylvania. At 3:00 PM (EST), the first tornado of the outbreak touched down in Susquehanna County as an EF2 and caused damage near New Milford, Pennsylvania. In New York, a large EF3 tornado caused damage in the communities of Belden, Nineveh, Arctic, Walton, and Colchester.
Violent EF4 tornado moving through Sussex County, New Jersey.
A long-tracked, violent EF4 tornado touched down near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and tracked east. The tornado rapidly grew in size and intensity as it damaged and destroyed multiple homes for several miles. High-end EF4 damage occurred in the town of New Milford, New Jersey. The tornado continued into Connecticut and dissipated near Westport. 37 people were killed and 144 were injured along the tornado's 128.5 mile long path. An EF2 tornado caused damage in the northern suburbs of Springfield, Massachusetts.
September 25-28 (Hurricane Kyle)[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | |
Over a three-day period, the approach and landfall of Hurricane Kyle produced numerous tornadoes that impacted North Carolina and Virginia. Of the 32 tornadoes, only 3 of them were strong. An EF2 tornado damaged homes and businesses in Nags Head. An EF3 tornado caused damage severe damage in the city of Hampton, multiple houses were destroyed.
October[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 30 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
October 7-11 (Hurricane Laura)[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
Over a four-day period, the approach and landfall of Hurricane Laura produced a few tornadoes that impacted Texas and Louisiana. The only strong tornado of this event occurred on October 9 when an EF2 tornado caused damage in Galveston, Texas.
October 28[]
Main Article: 2020 San Antonio, Texas tornado
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
On October 28, the SPC issued an area of slight risk over areas in southern Texas with a 5% risk for tornadoes. Supercell thunderstorms began producing tornadoes in the late afternoon. An EF1 tornado caused moderate damage near Boerne. The strongest tornado of this small outbreak was a large, multi-vortex EF3 tornado that stuck the city of San Antonio, killing 5 and injuring 23.
November[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 19 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
November 17 (England)[]
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
A brief but strong F3 (T7) tornado caused severe damage in the city of Leicester. The King Power Stadium was heavily damaged along with several other houses. An F1 (T3) caused moderate damage near Loughborough. 7 people were injured.
November 26-27[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
On November 26, the Storm Prediction Center issued an area of slight risk over parts of Mississippi and Alabama. Several weak tornadoes would touch down throughout the night and early morning of November 27. An EF1 tornado caused damage in Meridian, Mississippi.
December[]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
December 9[]
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
On December 9, an area of slight risk was issued for parts of Louisiana and Arkansas along with a 5% risk for tornadoes. An EF2 tornado caused damage in Sheverport, Louisiana. An EF1 tornado caused damage in Union County, Arkansas and killed one person when a tree fell on a house.