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What are the 10 deadliest U.S. tornadoes?

Posted by
Deborah Byrd
and
May 21, 2013

These are the 10 deadliest tornadoes since 1900, according to AP and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

— 695 deaths. March 18, 1925, in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
— 216 deaths. April 5, 1936, in Tupelo, Miss.
— 203 deaths. April 6, 1936, in Gainesville, Ga.
— 181 deaths. April 9, 1947, in Woodward, Okla.
— 158 deaths. May 22, 2011, in Joplin, Mo.
— 143 deaths. April 24, 1908, in Amite, La., and Purvis, Miss.
— 116 deaths. June 8, 1953, in Flint, Mich.
— 114 deaths. May 11, 1953 in Waco, Tex.
— 114 deaths. May 18, 1902 in Goliad, Tex.
— 103 deaths. March 23, 1913, in Omaha, Neb.

May 22, 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri via TornadoChasers.com
May 22, 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri via TornadoChasers.com
A radar image of the supercell that produced the 2011 Joplin tornado. Base reflectivity is on the left and storm relative velocity on the right. The area of high reflectivity just to the right of the Joplin label is debris lofted into the air by the tornado.
A radar image of the supercell that produced the devasting tornado in Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011. Base reflectivity is on the left and storm relative velocity on the right. The area of high reflectivity just to the right of the Joplin label is debris lofted into the air by the tornado. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Reposted from Caitlin Dewey via the Capitol Weather Gang at the Washington Post

Bottom line: Ten deadliest U.S. tornadoes since 1900.

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May 21, 2013
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Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.

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