The Worst Tornadoes in US History — Deadliest, Widest, Longest
45 tornadoes since 1950 + 17 before 1950 · colour = rating · SPC, NWS, DisasterAWARE archive · as of 2026-10-09
Legend
F5 / EF5 (11)
F4 / EF4 (21)
F3 / EF3 (6)
F2 / EF2 or weaker (7)
Before 1950 (17; town marker)
NWS tornado warning polygons as issued (IEM, 2002+): 66 warnings on 13 of the 13 tornadoes since 2002
NWS damage-survey points (DAT, 2011+): 4,343 on 9 of the 10 tornadoes since 2011; colour = rating at the point:
Survey point EF0
Survey point EF1
Survey point EF2
Survey point EF3
Survey point EF4
Survey point EF5
Survey point unrated / not given
NWS survey EF contours (DAT, 2011+): 92 on 9 of the 10 tornadoes — colours as survey points
Path width (shaded band): each track drawn at its maximum reported width (DAT, else SPC) along its whole length (real width varied); all 42 tornadoes since 1950 with a track, in its rating colour
Hail report, measured (17)
Hail report, estimated / not flagged (155) — 22 tornadoes, 1955+
Wind report, measured (13)
Wind report, estimated / damage only (179) — 24 tornadoes, 1955+
Radar scan details (16 tornadoes, 1998+; near peak 9, at touchdown 7) — click a dot
Click a dot for the tornado's record. Lines: SPC database start-to-end; 5 of the 6 tornadoes since 2015 follow complete NWS damage-survey paths. 3 tornadoes since 1950 have only a start point in SPC and are drawn as dots. Pre-1950 events have no surveyed track. As of 2026-10-09.
NEXRAD reflectivity near peak / at touchdown — OBSERVED
20–35 dBZ
35–45
45–50
50–60
60+ dBZ
One 5-min national composite frame (IEM) per tornado, about ±50 km, cut where another radar-era mapped path is nearer. 16 of the 16 tornadoes since 1995: near peak (highest-rated NWS survey point) for 9, at touchdown for the other 7 (no rated survey point or no end time). n0q (0.5 dBZ) from late 2010, n0r (5 dBZ) for the 6 earlier ones. No national radar archive exists for the tornadoes before 1995.
NEXRAD storm-relative velocity near peak / at touchdown — OBSERVED
≥ 60 kt toward radar
30–60 kt toward
10–30 kt toward
under 10 kt either way
10–30 kt away
30–60 kt away
≥ 60 kt away from radar
Lowest scan of the nearest radar with a volume within 8 min before / 3 min after the frame time (NOAA Level II), about ±50 km, cut where another radar-era mapped path is nearer; 16 tornadoes, 1998–2025. Dealiased, minus each tornado's own forward motion. A tight green–red pair is the rotation.
Radar-estimated max hail size (MRMS MESH) — MODELED
0.75–1 in
1–1.5 in
1.5–2 in
2–2.5 in
≥ 2.5 in
24 h to 12 UTC after each tornado day, cropped near the path. 5 tornadoes (MESH exists from late 2019). A radar estimate, not measured stones.
Radar rotation track (MRMS, 24 h) — MODELED
0.006–0.010 s⁻¹
0.010–0.015
0.015–0.020
0.020–0.030
≥ 0.030 s⁻¹
Max low-level rotation (azimuthal shear), 24 h to 12 UTC, cropped near the path. 5 tornadoes (late 2019 onward).
