NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Visit:NCEI U.S. Tornadoes
According to data from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, during April, there were 209 preliminary tornado reports. This was 135 percent of the 1991-2010 average of 155 tornadoes for the month of April. For the year-to-date period, the preliminary count of 565 tornadoes is approximately 189 percent of average and the highest tornado count observed for the January-April period since 2017. There were two multi-day tornado outbreaks that produced a majority of the month's tornadoes, which accounts for the relatively high April tornado count.
The first significant tornado outbreak was April 4, 5 and 6 where a combined 100 preliminary tornadoes were reported. The tornadoes occurred across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. Many of these tornadoes were clustered along the southern regions of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. During this three-day period many of these tornadoes were rated as either EF-1 or EF-0, but there were also nine EF-2, three EF-3 and one EF-4 tornado. This EF-4 occurred in Pembroke, Georgia on April 5th with winds of 185 mph that destroyed several neighborhoods. Many of the other tornadoes across the South caused considerable damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, and other infrastructure. There was also one reported fatality associated with the EF-4 tornado in Georgia and twelve injuries.
The second notable tornado outbreak was on April 11, 12 and 13 and produced a combined 70 preliminary tornadoes. These tornadoes occurred across Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. On April 11 the tornadoes were clustered across central Arkansas producing damage to homes, vehicles, outbuildings and farms and vegetation. On April 12 the most impactful tornadoes developed in Iowa and Texas. Nearly two dozen injuries resulted from a high-end EF-3 tornado with a peak wind speed of 165 mph and a peak width of 770 yards that tracked through Williamson and Bell counties in Texas. During this three-day period many of these tornadoes were rated as either EF-1 or EF-0, but there were also five EF-2 and the one EF-3. April 13 was the most prolific day with 40 reported tornadoes focused across central Mississippi and west-central Kentucky. These tornadoes produced damage to homes, businesses, farms, outbuildings and other infrastructure. There were several injuries reported but no fatalities.
Did You Know?
Tornado Count
Final monthly tornado counts are typically less than the preliminary count. This can be due to some phenomena being inaccurately reported as tornadic activity or a single tornado being reported multiple times. Tornado accounts are reported to the local National Weather Service forecast offices who are responsible for going into the field and verifying each tornado reported. This process often takes several months to complete. Once all reports have been investigated, the final count is published by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC).
The Tornado Monthly Climate Reports are written using the preliminary numbers because the final data is not available at the time of production. Historically, for every 100 preliminary tornado reports, at least 65 tornadoes are confirmed. An error bar is depicted on the tornado count graphic representing this uncertainty in the preliminary tornado count.
The following U.S. studies performed by SPC meteorologists offer deeper context and discussion regarding the frequency and distribution of tornado intensity climatologies:
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Edwards, R., H. E. Brooks, and H. Cohn, 2021: Changes in tornado climatology accompanying the Enhanced
Fujita scale. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol., 60, 1465-1482
DOI: 10.1175/JAMC-D-21-0058.1. - Mccarthy, Daniel & Schaefer, Joseph. (2004). Tornado trends over the past thirty years. paper presented at 14th Conference on Applied Meteorology.