🚨 Live tornado watches and warnings United States and Canada · updates every hour
Every tornado warning and tornado watch that is in effect right now across the United States and Canada. A warning means a tornado is happening or is about to: take shelter immediately. A watch means conditions are right for tornadoes to form in the next few hours: be ready to act.
US data: NOAA National Weather Service watch and warning service (warnings are drawn as storm-based polygons, watches as the counties they cover). Canada: Environment and Climate Change Canada weather alerts. This page checks for new alerts every hour. A tornado warning usually lasts only 30 to 60 minutes, so the map can be out of date: for the latest alerts use your phone's emergency alerts, a NOAA Weather Radio, weather.gov or Environment Canada. If a tornado warning is issued for your area, do not wait for this page: take shelter now.
🌪️ Tornadoes Where they happen, and why
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that reaches from a thunderstorm to the ground. Hurricanes and typhoons are hundreds of miles wide and last for days; tornadoes are typically a few hundred feet wide and last minutes, but their winds can exceed 200 mph.
Shaded areas are approximate regions where tornadoes are most common. Tornadoes can occur on every continent except Antarctica.
The recipe
- Warm, humid air near the ground, often from a warm sea or gulf
- Cooler, drier air aloft, which makes the atmosphere unstable
- Wind shear: winds that change speed and direction with height, setting air spinning sideways
- A trigger, such as a cold front or dry line, that lifts the air into a thunderstorm
When a storm's updraft tilts that spinning air upright, it can form a rotating supercell, the parent of most strong tornadoes.
Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale
Counts are rough long-term estimates. Many countries do not systematically record tornadoes, so true numbers are higher than reported, especially in Africa, Asia and South America.
🌊 Waterspouts: tornadoes over water
A waterspout is a rotating column of air over a lake or the sea, usually joined to a cloud above and trailing a cloud of spray below. Some are true tornadoes that happen to be over water, and some are a weaker kind that forms in fair weather.
Two kinds
- Fair-weather waterspouts are the most common. They form at the base of a growing cumulus cloud on a warm, light-wind day, grow upward from the water, and usually last about 5 to 20 minutes. They are usually weaker than a land tornado, often with winds below about 50 mph, although some are stronger.
- Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form in a severe thunderstorm (usually a supercell) over land, or that move out over water. They can be as strong and destructive as any tornado, and they are far less common.
Not a water pump
The funnel is not a column of sucked-up seawater. It is condensation (tiny water droplets from the humid air) and the spray ring at the surface is water whipped up by the spinning winds. Fair-weather waterspouts are often seen in groups, sometimes several at once.
The life of a fair-weather waterspout
- Dark spot: a dark patch appears on the water.
- Spiral pattern: light and dark bands spiral around it.
- Spray ring: a ring of spray forms around the dark spot.
- Mature: the funnel is clearly visible and the spray ring is at its biggest.
- Decay: the funnel thins and fades as rain-cooled air cuts off the updraft.
Where they happen
The Florida Keys are among the most active waterspout areas in the world, with hundreds reported in a typical year, mostly from late spring to autumn. They are also common over the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes (especially in autumn, when cold air crosses warm water), the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, and around Japan.
Dangers and staying safe
- Waterspouts can capsize and wreck small boats, and can move quickly and unpredictably.
- A waterspout that comes ashore is reclassified as a tornado.
- Stay well away. If one is near, the National Weather Service advises boaters to move at a right angle to its path, not toward it, and to head for shore.
- Heed Special Marine Warnings and tornado warnings, which are issued for waterspouts that threaten boaters or the coast.
🏆 Tornado records
The deadliest and the costliest tornadoes in United States history, plus the deadliest in the world. Older tornadoes were rated after the fact from damage, using the original Fujita (F) scale; modern ones use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale.
The 25 deadliest US tornadoes
| # | Where | Date | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tri-State (Missouri, Illinois, Indiana) | 18 Mar 1925 | 695 |
| 2 | Natchez, Mississippi | 6 May 1840 | 317 |
| 3 | St. Louis, Missouri | 27 May 1896 | 255 |
| 4 | Tupelo, Mississippi | 5 Apr 1936 | 216 |
| 5 | Gainesville, Georgia | 6 Apr 1936 | 203 |
| 6 | Woodward, Oklahoma | 9 Apr 1947 | 181 |
| 7 | Joplin, Missouri | 22 May 2011 | 158 |
| 8 | Amite, Louisiana and Purvis, Mississippi | 24 Apr 1908 | 143 |
| 9 | New Richmond, Wisconsin | 12 Jun 1899 | 117 |
| 10 | Flint, Michigan | 8 Jun 1953 | 116 |
| 11 | Waco, Texas | 11 May 1953 | 114 |
| 11 | Goliad, Texas | 18 May 1902 | 114 |
| 13 | Omaha, Nebraska | 23 Mar 1913 | 103 |
| 14 | Mattoon, Illinois | 26 May 1917 | 101 |
| 15 | Shinnston, West Virginia | 23 Jun 1944 | 100 |
| 16 | Marshfield, Missouri | 18 Apr 1880 | 99 |
| 17 | Gainesville, Georgia | 1 Jun 1903 | 98 |
| 17 | Poplar Bluff, Missouri | 9 May 1927 | 98 |
| 19 | Snyder, Oklahoma | 10 May 1905 | 97 |
| 20 | Comanche, Iowa and Albany, Illinois | 3 Jun 1860 | 92 |
| 21 | Natchez, Mississippi | 24 Apr 1908 | 91 |
| 22 | Worcester, Massachusetts | 9 Jun 1953 | 90 |
| 23 | Starkville, Mississippi to Waco, Alabama | 20 Apr 1920 | 88 |
| 24 | Lorain and Sandusky, Ohio | 28 Jun 1924 | 85 |
| 25 | Udall, Kansas | 25 May 1955 | 80 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, "Deadliest US tornadoes". Death counts for events in the 1800s and early 1900s are estimates, because the records of that period were inconsistent. "11" and "17" are ties.
The costliest US tornadoes
| # | Where | Date | Rating | Damage at the time | Adjusted to 2024 dollars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis, MO and East St. Louis, IL | 27 May 1896 | F4 | $10 million | $5.9 billion |
| 2 | Joplin, MO | 22 May 2011 | EF5 | $2.8 billion | $3.8 billion |
| 3 | St. Louis, MO | 29 Sep 1927 | F3 | $53 million | $3.7 billion |
| 4 | Tuscaloosa and Fultondale, AL | 27 Apr 2011 | EF4 | $2.45 billion | $3.4 billion |
| 5 | Tri-State: Ellington, MO to Princeton, IN | 18 Mar 1925 | F5 | $16.5 million | $2.9 billion |
| 6 | Newcastle and Moore, OK | 20 May 2013 | EF5 | $2 billion | $2.6 billion |
| 7 | Petersham to Southborough, MA (Worcester) | 9 Jun 1953 | F4 | $52 million | $2.3 billion |
| 8 | Topeka, KS | 8 Jun 1966 | F5 | $100 million | $2.3 billion |
| 9 | Lubbock, TX | 11 May 1970 | F5 | $135 million | $2.2 billion |
| 10 | Nashville and Mount Juliet, TN | 3 Mar 2020 | EF3 | $1.5 billion | $1.9 billion |
| 11 | North Dallas and Richardson, TX | 20 Oct 2019 | EF3 | $1.55 billion | $1.9 billion |
| 12 | Bridge Creek and Moore, OK | 3 May 1999 | F5 | $1 billion | $1.9 billion |
| 13 | Waco, TX | 11 May 1953 | F5 | $41 million | $1.8 billion |
| 14 | Windsor Locks, CT to Feeding Hills, MA | 3 Oct 1979 | F4 | $420 million | $1.8 billion |
| 15 | Hackleburg and Phil Campbell to Athens, AL | 27 Apr 2011 | EF5 | $1.29 billion | $1.8 billion |
| 16 | Wichita Falls, TX | 10 Apr 1979 | F4 | $400 million | $1.7 billion |
| 17 | Richmond Heights, MO to Edwardsville, IL | 16 May 2025 | EF3 | $1.6 billion | $1.6 billion |
| 18 | Omaha, NE | 6 May 1975 | F4 | $250 million | $1.4 billion |
| 19 | East Peoria, Washington and Long Point, IL | 17 Nov 2013 | EF4 | $935 million | $1.2 billion |
| 20 | Grand Island, NE (the largest of the 1980 tornadoes) | 3 Jun 1980 | F4 | $300 million | $1.1 billion |
| 21 | Atlanta, GA | 14 Mar 2008 | EF2 | $500 million | $0.8 billion |
| 22 | Grand Island, NE (a second tornado) | 3 Jun 1980 | F4 | $200 million | $0.7 billion |
| 23 | Jackson, MS | 3 Mar 1966 | F5 | $75.5 million | $0.7 billion |
| 24 | Fort Worth, TX | 28 Mar 2000 | F3 | $400 million | $0.7 billion |
| 25 | Andover to Wichita, KS | 26 Apr 1991 | F5 | $300 million | $0.7 billion |
Ranked by cost adjusted for inflation and wealth to March 2024, from Wikipedia's list of the costliest tornadoes in the Americas. Costs are estimates of insured and uninsured property damage, and different methods give different rankings. The most expensive tornadoes are not always the deadliest: Dallas in 2019 and Nashville in 2020 cost billions but killed few people.
The deadliest tornadoes in the world
| # | Where | Date | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daulatpur and Saturia, Bangladesh | 26 Apr 1989 | about 1,300 |
| 2 | Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, USA (Tri-State) | 18 Mar 1925 | 695 |
| 3 | Manikganj, Singair and Nawabganj, Bangladesh | 17 Apr 1973 | 681 |
| 4 | Dhaka, Bangladesh | 14 Apr 1969 | 660 |
| 5 | Valletta, Malta (a tornado or waterspout that struck the harbour) | 23 Sep 1551 | about 600 |
| 6 | Jamalpur, Sirajganj and Tangail, Bangladesh | 13 May 1996 | about 600 |
| 7 | Madaripur and Shibchar, Bangladesh | 1 Apr 1977 | 500 |
| 8 | Magura and Narail, Bangladesh | 11 Apr 1964 | 500 |
| 9 | Natchez, Mississippi, USA | 7 May 1840 | 317 |
| 10 | Encarnación, Paraguay | 20 Sep 1926 | 300 |
Source: Wikipedia, "Tornado records". Bangladesh dominates this list: a very dense population, flimsy housing and flat, flood-prone land make tornadoes there deadly. Death tolls can be higher than shown.
🧰 Be prepared
Before the storm
- Know the difference: a watch means conditions favor tornadoes; a warning means one is happening or imminent. Act at once on a warning.
- Pick a shelter: a basement or storm cellar, or the lowest floor, in an interior room away from windows.
- Have more than one way to get alerts, including at night, when many deadly tornadoes strike: phone alerts, a NOAA Weather Radio and local media.
- Keep sturdy shoes, a flashlight, a whistle and a first-aid kit in your shelter.
During a tornado warning
- Go to your shelter immediately. Cover your head and neck with your arms, a heavy blanket or a mattress.
- Mobile homes and vehicles are not safe. Get to a sturdy building if you can.
- If you are caught in a car with no shelter, do not shelter under an overpass. Get out of the path or lie in a low area away from the car and cover your head.
- At sea or on a lake, steer away from a waterspout at a right angle to its path.
After the storm
- Stay out of damaged buildings and away from downed power lines.
- Watch for broken glass, nails and gas leaks.
- Use text messages, not calls, to keep phone lines free for emergencies.
- Photograph damage for insurance, and check on neighbours.
Official sources
- Storm Prediction Center (U.S. tornado watches and outlooks)
- National Weather Service (U.S. warnings)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (Canadian warnings)
- NOAA NCEI severe weather data
For hurricanes and typhoons see our Cyclone Weather Center; for winter storms see Planet Snow and Ice.