Each year, over 1,000 tornadoes sweep through the United States, inflicting billions in damages and resulting in numerous fatalities.
These storms can occur at any time, but they are particularly prevalent in the spring and summer seasons, especially in the Deep South and certain regions of the Great Plains and Midwest.
You can monitor their occurrence and recent activity on this page, which refreshes daily.
The National Weather Service, along with the Storm Prediction Center, records reports of severe weather as they occur, including tornado events. This map displays the quantity and positions of preliminary tornado reports from the past week:
March marks the beginning of the typical tornado season, while April, May, and June are considered the peak months. Historically, May tends to see the highest activity with an average of 268 tornadoes based on data from 1991 to 2020.
Certain areas in the U.S. report a higher frequency of tornadoes, with concentrations found in the Midwest, Plains, and South. These regions are identified as tornado-prone areas, as indicated by a USdaily analysis that maps occurrences within a 25-mile hexagonal grid across the contiguous United States.
Besides the extensive property damage each year due to powerful winds, tornadoes also result in numerous fatalities annually, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors severe weather incidents.
On average, nearly 70 individuals lose their lives to tornadoes each year since 1991. This number was significantly affected by the year 2011, when 553 fatalities were reported. A substantial portion of these deaths occurred during a late-April outbreak, which was among the deadliest and most financially damaging in history. Shortly after, a tornado in Joplin, Missouri, claimed over 150 lives, making it the 7th deadliest tornado recorded in the U.S.
