Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

The 10 Worst Tornadoes In US History

The 10 Worst Tornadoes In US History

The largest tornado outbreak on record before 2011 claims 310 lives as 148 confirmed tornadoes over a 24-hour period rage across 13 US states.

More than 70 people are feared dead after tornadoes devastated the southeastern US state of Kentucky overnight Friday into Saturday.

Here is a list of the deadliest tornado days in the US' recorded history:


1. 747 deaths - March 18, 1925 - The Tri-State Tornado: The deadliest single tornado in American history claims 695 lives as the monster twister crosses Missouri, southern Illinois and into southwestern Indiana. The wider tornado outbreak leaves 747 people dead.

2. 332 deaths - March 21, 1932 - The Deep South tornado outbreak: Tornadoes are produced from Texas to South Carolina -- 270 of the dead are in Alabama alone.

3. 317 deaths - May 17, 1840 - The Great Natchez Tornado: The second-deadliest single tornado in US history strikes the Mississippi town of Natchez, killing 317 people. Most of the dead are killed on flatboats on the river.

4. 314 deaths - April 24, 2011 - The 2011 "Super Outbreak": Approximately 300 tornadoes lash the southeastern United States between April 22 and April 28, killing at least 354 people. On April 27 alone, 314 people die in five states. Alabama suffers around 250 deaths. Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas and Virginia are also affected.

5. 310 deaths - April 3, 1974 - The original "Super Outbreak": The largest tornado outbreak on record before 2011 claims 310 lives as 148 confirmed tornadoes over a 24-hour period rage across 13 US states.

6. 305 deaths - May 27, 1896 - St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado: Rounding off a deadly two-week storm period, 305 people are killed by tornadoes in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.

7. 260 deaths - April 11, 1965 - The Palm Sunday outbreak: Some 50 twisters hit the Midwest, killing 260 people and leaving more than 1,000 injured in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

8. 249 deaths - April 5, 1936 - Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak: Most of the 249 people killed are in one Mississippi town, Tupelo.

9. 224 deaths - April 20, 1920 - Alabama-Mississippi: The deadly tornado-packed spring of 1920 ends with 224 people killed in an unusual early morning outbreak in Alabama and Mississippi.

10. 220 deaths - April 24, 1908 - Dixie tornado outbreak: Dozens of twisters stretching from South Dakota to Texas leave 220 dead.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
×