Tornadoes of 2021 (Casey)

Tornadoes of 2021 (Casey)

A map of confirmed U.S. tornadoes in 2021 by their Enhanced Fujita scale ratings.
Season	2021 Tornado Season
Timespan	January 8 - December 29
Maximum rated tornado	EF5 at 5 locations on 4 different days
Dates of maximum rating	4 days
Tornadoes	1,956
Damage	~$26.2 billion (2021 USD)
Fatalities	778

The Tornadoes of 2021 (Casey) was a very active and deadly tornado season. The total number of tornadoes reports were 1,948, but a total of 1,956 tornadoes were confirmed. The number of deaths were 778 and an estimated ~11,000 additional injuries, and a total of ~26.2 billion (2021 USD) in damages was incurred.

There was 778 tornadic deaths: all in the United States. The U.S. state of Oklahoma recorded 287 tornadoes in 2021, the most out of any U.S. state.

Synopsis

Worldwide Total

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
1,956	902	758	202	63	26	5

There were 1,948 reports of tornadoes worldwide, with 1,956 being confirmed.

United States

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
1,956	902	758	202	63	26	5

There were 1,948 reports of tornadoes in the United States, with 1,956 being confirmed.

Tornadoes by Country

Country	Number of Tornadoes
United States	1,956

There was an estimated 400 tornadoes elsewhere around the world, with all being rated F0/EF0 or F1/EF1.

Tornadoes by State

State	Number of Tornadoes
Oklahoma	287
Texas	275
Kansas	169
Colorado	153
Alabama	109
Georgia	103
Mississippi	83
Arkansas	79
Louisiana	76
Missouri	73
South Carolina	48
Indiana	40
Tennessee	40
Illinois	34
Iowa	33
North Dakota	32
Virginia	29
Ohio	28
Nebraska	25
North Carolina	23
Florida	22
Kentucky	20
Montana	20
New Mexico	19
South Dakota	17
Wyoming	15
Wisconsin	14
Minnesota	13
Pennsylvania	13
Michigan	10
Idaho	5
New Hampshire	5
Utah	5
Arizona	4
California	4
Delaware	4
Maine	4
Nevada	4
New York	4
Washington	4
Oregon	3
Vermont	2
West Virginia	2
Connecticut	1
Maryland	1
Massachusetts	1
Rhode Island	1
United States	1,956

Map showing the number of confirmed tornadoes in the United States in 2021.

Events

January

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
39	28	10	1	0	0	0

39 tornadoes were reported in the United States in January, with all 39 being confirmed. The strongest tornado caused moderate damage in Brantley County, Georgia during a round of thunderstorms on January 19 that was rated as an EF2.

February

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
128	62	48	12	6	0	0

124 tornadoes were reported in the United States in February, with 128 tornadoes being confirmed. The strongest tornado caused severe damage in Elbert County and Washington County, Colorado on February 7 that was rated as a very high-end EF3.

February 6-7

Main Article: Tornado Outbreak of February 6-7, 2021

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	47	36	11	6	0	0	100
Deaths: 46				Injuries: 919

On the 6th and 7th of February, there was a tornado outbreak in the Great Plains region. There was 96 reports of tornadoes, with 100 tornadoes being reported. A large tornado in Elbert County and Washington County, Colorado caused a tornado emergency at 10 PM. The tornado caused high-end EF3 damage in rural areas in the Eastern Colorado counties, where 17 were killed. A large wedge EF3 in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma killed 4, while several other EF3s caused fatalities across Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. An EF3 in Kit Carson County, Colorado killed 5 and another EF3 in Cheyenne County, Colorado killed 2. An EF3 near Dodge City, Kansas caused high-end EF3 and destroyed dozens of mobile homes in the Western Kansas city. A total of 14 were killed in the city. Another EF3 near Chase, Kansas killed 2. An EF3 near Imperial, Nebraska killed 2. All 6 of the rated EF3 tornadoes in the outbreak caused tornado emergencies.

A total of 46 people were killed during the outbreak, with the Colorado Governor stating that 24 were killed in the state, while the Kansas Governor said 16 were killed in the state, 4 were killed in Nebraska according to the Nebraska Governor and 2 were killed in Oklahoma according to the Oklahoma Governor. The National Weather Service confirmed 100 tornadoes, even though only 96 tornadoes were reported. 63 tornadoes were confirmed in Colorado, while 19 were confirmed in Kansas, 9 in Nebraska, and 9 in Oklahoma. An estimated $1.6 billion (2021 USD) in damage occurred.

March

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
166	81	58	18	5	3	1

166 tornadoes were reported in March in the United States, with all 166 being confirmed. The strongest tornado was the Anadarko, Oklahoma EF5 that killed 49 people on March 20.

March 9

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	8	6	2	0	1	0	17
Deaths: 16				Injuries: 124

A 10% risk for EF2+ tornadoes was issued for the western St. Louis metro area. A large, damaging tornado was confirmed to be on the ground around 11:30 PM local time near St. Charles. Devastating damage was reported in the city by 2 AM. By 5 AM, at least 9 people were confirmed dead. That number was raised to 11 6 hours later. By 5 PM on March 10, 16 people were confirmed dead. St. Charles County Sheriff Scott Lewis stated that 16 people in all were killed by the tornado the previous day. The National Weather Service rated the St. Charles tornado an EF4 with winds speeds estimated at 180 miles an hour. An additional 124 were injured.

March 20-22

Main Article: Tornado Outbreak of March 20-22, 2021; 2021 Anadarko, Oklahoma Tornado; and 2021 Danville, Ohio Tornado

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	56	39	14	5	2	1	117
Deaths: 161				Injuries: 4,952

March 20 saw 45 tornadoes, with 21 EF0s, 11 EF1s, 7 EF2s, 4 EF3s, 1 EF4 and 1 EF5. March 21 saw 36 tornadoes, with 17 EF0s, 13 EF1s, 4 EF2s, 1 EF3 and 1 EF4. March 21 saw 36 tornadoes, 18 EF0s, 15 EF1s, and 3 EF2s.

Tornadoes by state: Oklahoma 23, Kansas 11, Texas 9, Arkansas 2, Illinois 11, Michigan 7, Kentucky 3, Tennessee 1, Indiana 28, Ohio 13, Pennsylvania 5, New York 4

Deaths: Oklahoma 63, Kansas 10, 4, Illinois 6, Indiana 1, Ohio 76, Pennsylvania 5

Deaths and injuries:

3/20 69 2,716

3/21 92 2,229

3/22 0 7

161 people dead, 4,952 injuries, $5.1 billion (2021 USD) damage

April

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
249	116	103	22	6	2	0

247 tornadoes were reported in April in the United States, however, 249 tornadoes were confirmed. The strongest tornado in April was the Clarkesville, Georgia tornado on April 15. The high-end EF4 with winds up to 190 mph devastated parts of Habersham County, Georgia and its county seat Clarkesville, where 22 people were killed.

April 14-16

Main Article: Tornado Outbreak of April 14-16, 2021

April 14 saw 47 tornadoes, with 26 EF0s, 16 EF1s, 4 EF2s, and 1 EF3. April 15 saw 37 EF0s, 29 EF1s, 13 EF2s, 4 EF3s, and 2 EF4s. April 16 saw 29 tornadoes, with 9 EF0s, 18 EF1s, and 2 EF2s.

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	72	63	19	5	2	0	161
Deaths: 81				Injuries: 512

Tornadoes by state: Georgia 55, Alabama 33, South Carolina 18, Florida 13, North Carolina 13, Tennessee 10, Kentucky 9, Virginia 8, West Virginia 2 $2 billion in damage

Deaths: 46 in Georgia, 28 in Alabama, 6 in South Carolina and 1 in Kentucky

Deaths and injuries:

4/14 4 22

4/15 63 424

4/16 14 66

81 dead, 512 injured, $2 billion in damage

May

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
477	178	205	59	24	10	1

477 tornadoes were reported in May in the United States, all of which were confirmed. The strongest tornado in May was the Piedmont-Guthrie, Oklahoma EF5 on May 7 that killed 5 and injured 74.

May 6-8

Main Article: Tornado Outbreak of May 6th - 8th, 2021 and 2021 Piedmont - Guthrie, Oklahoma Tornado

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	34	44	25	9	6	1	119
Deaths: 124				Injuries: 2,037

A large outbreak struck much of the Midwest United States from May 6 to May. The first deadly tornado of the outbreak was the EF4 tornado that struck Wiley, Colorado, killing a total of 12 people and injured 156 people. A large EF4 struck Streator, Illinois, where 136 people were injured, but no one was killed. A large, high-end EF4 tornado struck Dighton, Kansas on May 7, where 6 people were killed and 98 people were injured. A large, high-end EF4 struck the Kansas state capital of Topeka. Just as the the other tornadoes mentioned, the Topeka EF4 caused a tornado emergency. In all, the Topeka EF4 was responsible for 34 deaths and causing almost 300 injuries. 4 people were killed when a high-end EF3 tornado struck Great Bend, Kansas. An additional 364 people were injured by the EF3. A high-end EF3 near Watonga, Oklahoma killed 1 and injured an additional 53 people. The lone EF5 of the outbreak struck areas west of Oklahoma City, especially Piedmont and Guthrie. Despite the intensity of the tornado, the path was very rural. Only 5 people were killed, with an additional 74 injuries. A large EF3 struck Langston, Oklahoma almost right after the Piedmont-Guthrie EF5 did. A total of 6 people were killed and 122 people were injured. A large EF4 struck the Northwestern Oklahoma city of Woodward in the middle of the night. The tornado caused EF4 damage to numerous structures in Woodward and scoured grass. A mobile home park in Woodward was devastated. A total of 27 people were killed by the tornado, most in the mobile home park, and caused a further 187 injuries. A brief tornado struck the northern banks of Fall River Lake in Greenwood County, Kansas. Numerous structures were impacted, with many being obliterated. Despite its 9 minute lifespan, a total of 21 people were killed and 78 people were injured. Another EF3 struck Solon, Iowa, where 3 people were killed and 49 people were injured. Delta, Louisiana was struck by a high-end EF2, where 5 people were killed.

A total of 124 people were killed during the outbreak, with as many as 65 in Kansas alone, with another 39 fatalities in Oklahoma, 12 in Colorado, 5 in Louisiana, and 3 in Iowa. The governors of Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma declared states of emergencies due to the impacts of the outbreak. A total of 119 tornadoes were also confirmed during the outbreak, with 29 in Oklahoma, 28 in Kansas, 20 in Arkansas, 17 in Texas, 6 in Illinois, 4 each in Indiana, Iowa, and Louisiana, 3 in both Colorado and Michigan, and a single tornado in Mississippi.

In all, 119 tornadoes were confirmed, with 124 fatalities, over 2,000 injuries, and an estimated $3.8 billion (2021 USD) in damage.

May 22-30

Main Article: Late May 2021 Tornado Outbreak Sequence; 2021 Gladstone, New Mexico Tornado; and 2021 Piedmont, Oklahoma Tornado

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	78	68	31	11	4	0	192
Deaths: 59				Injuries: 651

May 22 saw 10 tornadoes, with 4 EF0s, 5 EF1s and 1 EF2. May 23 saw 13 tornadoes, 7 EF0s, 2 EF1s, and 4 EF2s. May 24 saw 15 tornadoes, with 9 EF0s and 6 EF1s. May 25 saw 7 tornadoes, with 4 EF0s and 3 EF1s. May 26 saw 17 tornadoes, with 11 EF0s and 6 EF1s. May 27 saw 72 tornadoes, with 18 EF0s, 22 EF1s, 19 EF2s, 10 EF3s, and 3 EF4s. May 28 saw 44 tornadoes, with 14 EF0s, 21 EF1s, 7 EF2s, 1 EF3, and 1 EF4. May 29 saw 8 tornadoes, with 6 EF0s and 2 EF1s. May 30 saw 6 tornadoes, with 5 EF0s and 1 EF1.

Tornadoes by state: Oklahoma 43, Texas 33, Kansas 22, Missouri 34, Louisiana 18, Arkansas 16, New Mexico 6, Colorado 20

Deaths: New Mexico 5, Oklahoma 33, Texas 11, Kansas 4, Missouri 6

Deaths and injuries:

4/22 0 4

4/23 0 15

4/24 0 9

5/25 0 8

5/26 0 22

5/27 54 479

5/28 5 88

5/29 0 24

5/30 0 2

59 deaths, 651 injuries, $4.2 billion in damage

June

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
177	84	61	19	8	4	1

177 tornadoes were reported in the United States in June, with all 177 being confirmed. The strongest tornado of the month was the Ashley-Walcott, North Dakota EF5 that killed 39 people on June 10.

June 9-13

Main Article: Tornado Outbreak of June 9-13, 2021; 2021 Ashley-Walcott, North Dakota Tornado; and 2021 Paris, Texas Tornado

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	56	44	16	7	4	1	128
Deaths: 82				Injuries: 1,602

June 9 saw 15 tornadoes with 8 EF0s, 6 EF1s and 1 EF2. June 10 saw 49 tornadoes, with 22 EF0s, 15 EF1s, 6 EF2s, 3 EF3s, 2 EF4s, and 1 EF5. June 11 saw 20 tornadoes, with 11 EF0s, 7 EF1s and 2 EF2s. June 12 saw 34 tornadoes with 12 EF0s, 10 EF1s, 6 EF2s, 4 EF3s, and 2 EF4s. June 13 saw 10 tornadoes with 3 EF0s, 6 EF1s, and 1 EF2.

Tornadoes by state: Texas 22, Oklahoma 16, Kansas 14, Colorado 8, New Mexico 6, Nebraska 12, South Dakota 9, North Dakota 24, Montana 11, Wyoming 6

Deaths: North Dakota 52, Texas 22, Oklahoma 4, Kansas 4

$3.5 billion in damage

Deaths and injuries:

6/09 6 72

6/10 44 587

6/11 10 518

6/12 17 329

6/13 5 96

82 deaths, 1,602 injuries, $3.5 billion in damage

July

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
97	53	35	8	1	0	0

97 tornadoes were reported in the United States in July, with all 97 being confirmed. The strongest tornado of the month was an EF3 tornado that struck areas east of Burt and Bancroft, Iowa on July 24.

August

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
114	58	44	11	1	0	0

114 tornadoes were reported in the United States in August, with all 114 being confirmed. The strongest tornado of the month was an EF3 tornado that struck Beersheba Springs, Tennessee on August 9, killing 3.

August 9

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	7	3	1	1	0	0	12
Deaths: 3				Injuries: 14

A tornado outbreak in Tennessee caused the deaths of 3. An enhanced risk was issued for much of the state, with the largest city and state capital of Nashville in the enhanced risk. Tornado warnings were issued for areas well south of Nashville. A large, damaging tornado was confirmed to be on the ground near Beersheba Springs. Trees were uprooted in wooded areas, slight ground scouring occurred and several homes were severely damaged, with several homes being reduced to interior walls. Several mobile homes were impacted, with one double wide mobile home being completed destroyed, killing all 3 homeowners. A total of 12 tornadoes were confirmed in Tennessee on August 9, with 7 of them being rated EF0, 3 being rated EF1, 1 being rated EF2, and the Beersheba Springs killer tornado being rated EF3.

September

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
184	63	77	26	9	7	2

182 tornadoes were reported in September in the United States, however, 184 tornadoes were confirmed. The strongest tornadoes in September were the EF5s on September 1 that struck Abilene, Texas and Waurika, Oklahoma, killing 27 people and 90 people respectively, with the latter being the deadliest tornado in the 2021 calendar year.

September 1-2

Main Article: Tornado Outbreak of September 1-2, 2021; 2021 Abilene, Texas Tornado; and 2021 Waurika, Oklahoma Tornado

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	46	53	24	9	7	2	141
Deaths: 187				Injuries: 7,819

September 1 saw 126 tornadoes, with 38 EF0s, 47 EF1s, 23 EF2s, 9 EF3s, 7 EF4s, and 2 EF5s. September 2 saw 15 tornadoes, with 8 EF0s, 6 EF1s, and 1 EF2.

Tornadoes by state: Texas 49, Oklahoma 55, Kansas 14, Missouri 22, Colorado 1

Deaths: Oklahoma 116, Texas 44, Kansas 7, Missouri 17

$4 billion in damage

Deaths and injuries:

9/1 184 7,787

9/2 3 32

187 deaths, 7,819 injuries, $4 billion in damage

October

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
119	67	41	9	2	0	0

119 tornadoes were reported in the United States, with all being confirmed. The strongest tornadoes in October were the EF3s that struck Tippecanoe, Ohio on October 8 and Petersburg, Virginia on October 26. The Tippecanoe EF3 killed 3 people along its path. The Petersburg EF3 along its path killed 8 people.

October 8

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	8	5	1	1	0	0	15
Deaths: 3				Injuries: 18

A series of thunderstorms rolled through Ohio on October 8. Warnings were issued for much of east central and southeastern Ohio from these storms. Multiple tornadoes were confirmed on the 8th. An EF3 tornado struck the city of Tippecanoe, Ohio, where 3 people were killed, all mobile homes. A total of 15 tornadoes were confirmed on October 8, with 8 of them being EF0s, 5 of them being EF1s, 1 being an EF2 and the Tippecanoe tornado being the lone EF3.

October 26

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	11	7	2	1	0	0	21
Deaths: 8				Injuries: 37

Severe weather was expected for much of the Richmond metro area from a series of thunderstorms with a slight possibility for tornadoes. Warnings were issued for all of Petersburg, parts of Richmond and areas west and south of the Richmond metro area. Numerous tornadoes were confirmed, with the strongest and lone killer tornado being an EF3 that struck far northern Petersburg, where several mobile homes were destroyed, where 6 were killed. A poorly built home immediately north of Petersburg city limits was swept away, where 2 additional fatalities occurred. A grand total of 21 tornadoes were confirmed, with 11 EF0s, 7 EF1s, 2 EF2s, and the Petersburg tornado being the lone EF3.

November

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
144	76	54	13	1	0	0

144 tornadoes were reported in the United States in November, with all 144 being confirmed. The strongest tornado in November was the Nazareth, Texas EF3 on November 28.

December

Confirmed Total	Confirmed EF0	Confirmed EF1	Confirmed EF2	Confirmed EF3	Confirmed EF4	Confirmed EF5
62	36	22	4	0	0	0

62 tornadoes were reported in the United States in December, with all 62 being confirmed. The strongest tornadoes in December were the Oakwood, Oklahoma EF2 on December 6, the Elkin, Kentucky EF2 on December 16, the Jewell, Kansas EF2 on December 21, and the Brookhaven, Mississippi EF2 on December 29. The Brookhaven, Mississippi EF2 on December 29 killed 8 people, all in mobile homes.

December 29

EFU	EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
0	4	3	1	0	0	0	8
Deaths: 8				Injuries: 44

Severe thunderstorms rolled through southwestern Mississippi in the evening of December 29. Only 8 tornadoes were confirmed, but a large and damaging tornado was confirmed on the ground near Brookhaven around 8:45 PM central time. The tornado was confined to rural areas, although several mobile homes were completely destroyed, where 8 people were killed. The total number of tornadoes confirmed was 8, with 4 EF0s, 3 EF1s, and the Brookhaven EF2 was the lone EF2 of the outbreak.

See Also

• Tornado Outbreak of February 6-7, 2021
• Tornado Outbreak of March 20-22, 2021
• 2021 Anadarko, Oklahoma Tornado
• 2021 Danville, Ohio Tornado
• Tornado Outbreak of April 14-16, 2021
• Tornado Outbreak of May 6th - 8th, 2021
• 2021 Piedmont - Guthrie, Oklahoma Tornado
• Late May 2021 Tornado Outbreak Sequence
• 2021 Gladstone, New Mexico Tornado
• 2021 Piedmont, Oklahoma Tornado
• Tornado Outbreak of June 9-13, 2021
• 2021 Ashley-Walcott, North Dakota Tornado
• 2021 Paris, Texas Tornado
• Tornado Outbreak of September 1-2, 2021
• 2021 Abilene, Texas Tornado
• 2021 Waurika, Oklahoma Tornado

Gallery

EF3 damage in Elbert County, Colorado from a high-end EF3 on February 6.

EF3 damage near Dodge City, Kansas after an EF3 in the early morning of February 7.

EF4 damage in St. Charles, Missouri from the EF4 that struck the area on March 10 that killed 16.

The Anadarko, Oklahoma EF5 on March 20.

Overhead view of Anadarko, Oklahoma after an EF5 killed 49 on March 20.

More damage from the Anadarko, Oklahoma EF5 on March 20.

The Danville, Ohio high-end EF4 on March 21 that killed 61.

A violent EF4 causing damage in Clarkesville, Georgia on April 15.

EF5 damage in rural Oklahoma from an EF5 that struck the area on May 7.

High-end EF4 damage in Piedmont, Oklahoma from an EF4 on May 27.

Low-end EF4 damage from the Gladstone, New Mexico EF4 on May 28.

EF5 damage from an intense tornado that struck Walcott, North Dakota on June 10.

Damage from an intense EF4 tornado that struck Paris, Texas on June 12.

The EF3 tornado that struck Burt and Bancroft, Iowa on July 24.

The Beersheba Springs, Tennessee EF3 that killed 3 on August 9.

Tornado damage from the Abilene, Texas EF5 on September 1.

The Waurika, Oklahoma EF5 that killed 90 on September 1.

EF3 damage in Tippecanoe, Ohio from the EF3 that struck the area on October 8.

The Petersburg, Virginia EF3 on October 26.

The Nazareth, Texas large wedge EF3 on November 28.

EF2 damage in Brookhaven, Mississippi from the deadly EF2 tornado on December 29.

Hitman's 2021 EF4 Tornadoes
2021 Gladstone, New Mexico Tornado • 2021 Piedmont, Oklahoma tornado