Tornadoes of 1991
Clockwise from top: A large F5 tornado approaching McConnell Air Force Base at F3 intensity on April 26; A church in Maskinongé, Quebec that was struck by an F3 tornado on August 27; Damage in Durant, Oklahoma after an F2 tornado on March 21; Twin tornadoes near Amherst, Texas on May 10; A bus toppled by an F4 tornado that struck Itu, São Paulo on September 10; A radar loop of tornado producing supercells across Kansas and Oklahoma on April 26. | |
| Timespan | January–December 1991 |
|---|---|
| Maximum rated tornado | F5 tornado
|
| Tornadoes in U.S. | 1,132[1] |
| Damage (U.S.) | >$589 million |
| Fatalities (U.S.) | 39[2] |
| Fatalities (worldwide) | >134 |
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1991, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.
Synopsis
[edit]Summary of tornadoes[3]
|
1991 saw an average to below average amount of tornadoes, with the majority of tornadoes occurring between a time period of March - June with several tornado outbreaks. However, the Andover, Kansas F5 tornado was known for its incredible video footage and was the most notable tornado outbreak of the year. (Andover would later be hit again more than 30 years later in 2022 by an EF3 tornado.)
Events
[edit]Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1991 in the United States.
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 688 | 295 | 103 | 39 | 6 | 1 | 1,132 |
January
[edit]There were 29 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.
February
[edit]There were 11 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.
March
[edit]There were 157 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March.
March 22
[edit]An outbreak produced 23 tornadoes, with six fatalities being confirmed in Kentucky and Tennessee. An 11-year-old boy was killed in Olmstead in Logan County, Kentucky when an F2 tornado picked up a mobile home and slammed it against a tree.[4]
March 26–29
[edit]An outbreak produced 50 tornadoes over a two day span. An F4 tornado passed near Hutchinson, Kansas on March 26, while two people were killed by tornadoes in Wisconsin and Indiana on March 27. After only two weak F0 tornadoes touched down on March 28, another outbreak of 21 tornadoes struck the Southeastern United States on March 29.[5] An F1 tornado struck Munford, Alabama, where it destroyed several trailer homes, killing five people, four of them in one family.[6] An F3 tornado moved through Clarkdale, Georgia, destroying 15 townhouses, damaging 120 others, and injuring 25 people.[7] An F2 tornado destroyed 16 homes and heavily damaged 39 others in Ladonia, Alabama, injuring 16 people.[8] In all, 73 tornadoes touched down during the outbreak sequence.
April
[edit]There were 204 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.
April 26
[edit]| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
This violent tornado outbreak of 53 tornadoes took place on April 26, 1991, killing 24 people and injuring hundreds more. The killer Andover tornado was rated F5, while four others were rated F4, including the monstrous Red Rock tornado. At the time, the Red Rock tornado generated the highest wind speeds, detected by mobile doppler radar, until the May 3, 1999, Bridge Creek-Moore F5 tornado. This is also the outbreak from which the infamous video was shot by a news crew hiding under an overpass in Kansas. This early viral video spread the myth that sheltering underneath an overpass was safer during a tornado. The television crew was hit by a F2 tornado.
May
[edit]There were 335 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.
May 10
[edit]Three tornadoes formed in Lazbuddie, Texas.
May 15
[edit]An outbreak of five tornadoes struck Western and Northwestern Oklahoma. The strongest was an 800–900 yard wide F3 tornado that tracked 11.5 miles near Laverne, injuring three people. The same cell also dropped hail up to the size of grapefruits.[9]
June
[edit]There were 216 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.
June 14
[edit]An F0 tornadic waterspout (starts as a tornado) reported near Lake Okeechobee, Florida created a surreal nighttime sight of a tornado and lightning while only doing minor damage. A famous photo of the event, which includes a mixture of brown and black color of the tornado accompanied with a lightning strike, was taken by Fred Smith, who was photographing the tornado from his backyard.[10][11]
July
[edit]There were 64 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July, including one in Cass County, Minnesota, on July 5, 1991. This particular tornado started as a waterspout, came ashore and destroyed a dock, uprooted trees and overturned a boat. This tornado was also featured on some tornado-themed documentaries.
August
[edit]There were 46 tornadoes confirmed in the US in August.
September
[edit]There were 26 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.
September 30 (Brazil)
[edit]A violent F4 tornado struck the municipalities of Itu and Salto, causing catastrophic widespread damage, throwing various cars hundred of metres away and overturning a 22-ton bus, the tornado also toppled a 100-ton 25-metre-high obelisk and completely destroyed several houses including the San Raphael Hotel. The tornado caused 2 million dollars in damage and would cause sixteen fatalities and approximately 350 injuries, where eleven of the sixteen fatalities would occur when the bus overturned.[12][13][14]
October
[edit]There were 21 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.
November
[edit]There were 20 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November.
November 29
[edit]An F4 tornado tore through areas near Springfield, Missouri, killing two people.
December
[edit]There were 3 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.
See also
[edit]- Tornado
- List of tornado outbreaks
- List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of 21st-century Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks in Asia
- List of Southern Hemisphere tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
- Tornado intensity
References
[edit]- ^ "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952 - 2011): 1991 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ "Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
- ^ "Severe Weather Database Files (1950-2021)". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- ^ "Tornadoes Kill 3 in Tennessee and Kentucky". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 1991-03-23. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
- ^ "Storm Prediction Center WCM Page". www.spc.noaa.gov. Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
- ^ "Storm Events Database March 29, 1991" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ "Storm Events Database March 29, 1991" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ "Storm Events Database March 29, 1991" (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Norman, OK". www.weather.gov.
- ^ "Tornado History Project: Florida in June 1991". www.tornadohistoryproject.com. Retrieved 2019-10-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)[dead link] - ^ "Who Originally Took This Somewhat Famous Photo?". Stormtrack. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-21.
- ^ MetSul.com (2013-05-21). "Pode um tornado como dos Estados Unidos atingir o Estado ?". MetSul Meteorologia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- ^ Acca (2015-02-02). "Zona de Risco: História:Tornado destrói e mata 15 pessoas em Itu". Zona de Risco. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- ^ Londrina, Folha de (1999-09-26). "Itu faz missa pelas vítimas do tornado de 91". Folha de Londrina (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2026-04-01.
External links
[edit]- U.S. tornadoes in 1991 - Tornado History Project
- Tornado deaths monthly