Names of Allah

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

List of tornadoes causing 100 or more deaths

This is a list of the deadliest tornadoes in world history. This list includes confirmed individual tornadoes which caused 100 or more direct fatalities.
The deadliest tornadoes by far have occurred in a small area of Bangladesh and East India. In this 8,000-square-mile (21,000 km2) area (roughly the size of New Hampshire), 24 of the 42 tornadoes which are known to have killed 100 or more people occurred.[1] This is likely due to the high population density and poor economic status of the area, as well as a lack of early-warning system.[1]
Most of the rest occurred in the United States in 1953 or earlier, before tornado prediction efforts began in earnest.[2]

Contents

  • 1 Uncertainty
  • 2 Tornadoes

Uncertainty

There are many sources of uncertainty in the statistics mentioned on this page. Before the 20th century, and even until recently in third-world countries such as Bangladesh, records-keeping was spotty at best. Before the American Civil War, slave deaths were often not included in tornado death tolls. Many tornadoes from 100 or more years ago had no official government report on damage or casualties, so statistics must be compiled from local newspapers, which are not always a reliable or consistent source. Many death tolls were published with people still missing, or with people critically injured and likely to die later. In Bangladesh and India, exact populations of towns were often not known, so most death figures are approximate. Individual tornado descriptions go into more detail on these uncertainties.
There is also meteorological uncertainty with the nature of many tornadoes on this list. Before the 1970s, and even now outside of North America, most tornado paths were not thoroughly surveyed to ensure that the storm was indeed a single tornado and not a series of tornadoes from the same storm (a tornado family). Often a single supercell can produce a new tornado soon after or even before the demise of an old tornado, giving the appearance to many observers that a single tornado has caused all the damage. On this list, if it is likely that the tornado was in fact one or more tornadoes, it will appear in italics.

Tornadoes

Rank↓ Name (location) Country↓ Date↓ Deaths↓ Injuries#↓ Description
1 Daultipur and Salturia Bangladesh ys1989-04-26 1300 12,000 Likely the deadliest tornado in recorded world history, this storm destroyed everything but a few trees from Daultipur to Salturia.[3][4]
2 Madarganj to Mrizapur Bangladesh yv1996-05-13 700 Unknown Thirty-thousand homes were destroyed. Many victims were blown long distances, up to 0.9 miles (1.5 km).[3]
3 "Tri-State" US n1925-03-18 695 2027 Unlike most historical long-track tornadoes, this was likely a single tornado, not a tornado family. Partially or completely destroyed more than ten towns. The path length of 219 miles (352 km) is a world record. The death toll of 689 is the official National Weather Service total, however, the Red Cross lists a total of 695, and the death toll was likely even higher due to injured people who died after the fact.[5]
4 Manikganj, Singair and Nawabganj Bangladesh yj1973-04-17 681 Unknown The village of Balurchar was completely destroyed, with eight other villages almost totally leveled.[3]
5 NE suburbs of Dhaka Bangladesh yf1969-04-14 660 Unknown Damage was "colossal" in the northeastern suburbs of Dhaka; many survivors were severely injured.[3]
6 Grand Harbour at Valetta Malta aa1551-09-23 600 Unknown Waterspout destroyed a shipping armada, then moved ashore, causing severe damage. The storm may have occurred in 1556; sources conflict.[6]
7 Magura and Narail Districts Bangladesh yc1964-04-11 500 Unknown Wiped seven villages off the map. The death toll may have been as high as 1400, but official records conflict. There were no survivors from the village of Bhabanipur, where around 400 people lived.[3]
7 Sicily Italy aDecember 1851 500 Unknown Two waterspouts moved onshore at the western end of the island, becoming large, violent tornadoes. This was as a pair of tornadoes, but details are very scarce; it may have been a single multiple-vortex tornado.[6][7]
7 Madaripur and Shibchar Bangladesh yl1977-04-01 500 Unknown All buildings and trees in Madaripur and Shibchar were destroyed.[3]
10 Belyanitsky, Ivanovo and Balino Russia yqa1984-06-09 400 213 [6]
11 Natchez, MS US ab1840-05-06 317 109 Killed hundreds in boats on the Mississippi River. May have killed and injured hundreds more slaves on plantations outside of the city; however, slave deaths were traditionally not included in official totals.[8]
12 North of Cooch Behar and surrounding area India,
Bangladesh
yb1963-04-19 300 Unknown Touched down near Cooch Behar, India, and passed across the extreme northern tip of Bangladesh. Debris was found 30 miles (48 km) away from the damaged area.[3] One source only mentions 139 deaths.[9]
12 Bhakua and Haripur unions Bangladesh yh1972-04-29 300 Unknown [3]
14 Comilla Bangladesh yf1969-04-14 263 Unknown Spawned by a separate storm from the Dhaka tornado, which killed 660 earlier in the day.[3]
15 St. Louis and East St. Louis US e1896-05-27 255 1000 Destroyed a large section of downtown in both cities. This death toll likely does not include people living in shanty boats on the Mississippi River.[10]
16 Border of Orissa and West Bengal India yw1998-03-24 250 Unknown [3]
17 Tupelo, MS US q1936-04-05 216 700 Destroyed several hundred homes in the city, many of good construction. Over 100 people were still in hospitals when this official death toll was published, so the actual death toll may be higher.[11]
18 Calcutta India ac1838-04-08 215 Unknown Moved very slowly (6 mph, 10 km/h) through the eastern suburbs of Calcutta, sweeping the ground clean in some places.[3]
19 Faridpur and Dhaka Districts Bangladesh ya1961-03-19 210 Unknown [3]
20 Gainesville, GA US r1936-04-06 203 1600 In the same outbreak as the Tupelo tornado, destroyed a large section of downtown at the start of the work day. Forty people were still missing when this death toll was published.[12]
21 14 miles southwest of Mymensingh Bangladesh yg1972-04-01 200 Unknown A fifteen square mile (38 km2) area was "wiped clean".[3]
21 Faridpur District Bangladesh ua1951-05-12 200 Unknown [3]
21 Baliakandi Bangladesh yi1973-04-12 200 Unknown [3]
21 Parshuram, Fulgazi, Somarpur, and Sonagazi Bangladesh yp1981-04-12 200 Unknown [3]
25 Higgins, TX; Woodward, OK US t1947-04-09 181 970 This death toll may be inflated, as this storm was certainly a family of two or more tornadoes. However, at least 107 were killed in Woodward alone, where 100 city blocks were flattened.[13]
26 Jaipur and Keonjhar Districts India yn1978-04-16 173 Unknown [3]
27 Kandi India yu1993-04-09 145 Unknown [3]
28 Amite, LA and Purvis, MS US i1908-04-24 143 770 Deaths scattered across two states; highest toll in Purvis where 143 of the town's 150 houses were demolished.[14]
29 Naria, Zajira and Bhederganj Bangladesh ye1908-04-24 141 Unknown [3]
30 Karimpur India yo1978-04-18 128 Unknown [3]
31 Kapundi, Erandi, Dhanbeni and Rengalbeda Bangladesh yq1981-04-17 120 Unknown [3]
31 Borni Bangladesh yr1986-04-14 120 Unknown [3]
33 Dhaka Bangladesh i1908-04-24 118 Unknown [3]
34 New Richmond, WI US f1899-06-12 117 200 Struck the town just as a circus was ending, likely inflating the death toll.[15]
35 Flint, MI US v1953-06-08 115 844 Destroyed a one mile stretch of houses on Coldwater Road.[16]
36 Waco, TX US u1953-05-11 114 597 Thirty or more were killed in a six-story furniture store when it collapsed, with several others killed in cars by the falling bricks.[17]
36 Goliad, TX US ga1902-05-18 114 250 Around 100 buildings destroyed. Killed 85 initially, with the rest dying from their injuries later.[18]
38 Mokshedpur, Bhanga and Tungipara Bangladesh ym1977-04-02 111 Unknown [3]
39 Omaha, NE US j1913-03-23 103 350 Cut a 0.25 mile (0.4 km) gouge through the city, destroying or damaging almost 2000 homes.[19]
40 Mattoon and Charleston, IL US k1917-05-26 101 638 In the past, this was plotted as a record-length 293-mile (472-km) long tornado path, killing 110, but scientists now know that it was a family of at least four tornadoes. A single tornado killed at least 93 people in and near these two cities, and 101 deaths is the best modern estimate for a single tornado.[20]
41 Shinnston, WV US s1944-06-23 100 381 Cut a remarkably continuous path at least 60 miles (97 km) through mountainous terrain. Most deaths occurred in a 10-mile (16-km) stretch near Shinnston. May have killed one more in Pine Grove, Wetzel County.[21]
41 11 miles West of Bogra Bangladesh yk1974-04-11 100 Unknown [3]
''This was likely not a single tornado, but a tornado family (a group of tornadoes formed by the same supercell).
May have been higher.
#Most injury figures are approximate

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