2011 tornado information

Preliminary tornado statistics including records set in 2011

May 2011

• 
  NOAA satellite shows storm system moments before spawning tornado in Joplin, Mo.
  (Credit: NOAA)
  The May 22, Joplin, Missouri tornado, with an estimated 89 fatalities, is the highest death toll from a single tornado since the 1953 tornado that hit Worcester, Mass., which caused 90 fatalities on June 9, 1953.
  
• If the fatalities exceed 90, the Joplin tornado will become the deadliest since Flint, Michigan (116 fatalities - June 8, 1953).
  
• National Weather Service's (NWS) preliminary estimate is more than 100 tornadoes have occurred during the month of May 2011.
• 
  The record number of tornadoes during the month of May was 542 tornadoes set in May 2003.
  

• Deadliest Tornado Years in US History (Official NOAA-NWS Record: 1950 - present; Research by Grazulis: 1875-1949)
  1925	794
  1936	552
  1917	551
  1927	540
  1896	537
  1953	519
  1920	499
  1908	477
  2011	454
  (365 + 89 estimated Joplin fatalities as of May 23)
  1909	404
  1932	394
  1942	384
  1924	376
  1974	366
  1933	362

  The average number of tornadoes for the month of May during the past decade is 298.
  
• May is historically the most active month for tornadoes.
2011 Year-to-Date (and record annual) Statistics
• NWS’s preliminary estimate is that there have been approximately 1,000 tornadoes so far this year.
  
• The previous yearly record number of tornadoes was set in 2004 with 1,817.
  
• The overall yearly average number of tornadoes for the past decade is 1,274.
  
• The preliminary estimated number of tornado fatalities so far this year is 454. NWS records indicate that there were 365 tornado fatalities before the Joplin tornado. Media reports currently indicate 89 fatalities in the Joplin event.
  
• The US tornado death toll is the highest ever through the month of May in the NOAA-NWS official record (1950-present).
  
• The highest recorded annual death toll from tornadoes in the NOAA-NWS official record (1950-present) was set in 1953 with 519 fatalities.
April 2011
• April 2011 set a new record for the month with 875 tornadoes.
  
• The previous record was set in April 1974 with 267 tornadoes.
  
• The average number of tornadoes for the month of April during the past decade is 161.
  
• The previous record number of tornadoes during any month was 542 tornadoes set in May 2003.
  
• NWS records indicate 321 people were killed during the April 25-28 tornado outbreak.
  
• NWS records indicate 361 people were killed during the entire month of April 2011