Tornadoes of 1991

Tornadoes of 1991

Damage from the Andover tornado of April 26, 1991
Timespan January–December 1991
Maximum rated tornado

F5 tornado

Tornadoes in U.S. 1,132[1]
Damage (U.S.) unknown
Fatalities (U.S.) 39[2]
Fatalities (worldwide) >39

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

The Tornado "Season" of 1991 looks generally very average on paper. The spring months of March, April, May and June all saw very large numbers of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks. The fall, sometimes referred to as a "second season", was very quiet. The Andover, Kansas outbreak of April 26, 1991 was famous for its violent tornadoes, incredible video and is the signature event of this tornado season. 1991 saw one F5 tornado touch down in Kansas and had recorded wind speeds of 310 miles/hour (500 km/h).

Events

Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1991 in the United States.

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
688 295 103 39 6 1 1132

January

There were 29 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.

February

There were 11 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.

March

There were 157 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March. Late March saw several small to moderate outbreaks. Tornadoes on March 22 killed six people in Kentucky and Tennessee. An 11-year-old boy was killed in the small Kentucky hamlet of Olmstead in Logan County when an F2 tornado picked up a mobile home and slammed it against a tree.[3] A small outbreak on March 26 saw 21 tornadoes including an F4 near Hutchinson, Kansas (no fatalities). Two more people were killed by tornadoes on March 27 (in Wisconsin and Indiana). An F1 tornado in Talladega County, Alabama killed five people on March 29.

April

There were 204 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.

April 26

F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
12 13 18 7 4 1

The April 26, 1991 tornado outbreak was a violent outbreak of 55 tornadoes which 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

There were 335 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.

June

There were 216 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.

July

There were 64 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July.

August

There were 46 tornadoes confirmed in the US in August.

September

There were 26 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.

October

There were 21 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.

November

There were 20 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November. One tornado, rated F4, killed two people near Springfield, Missouri on November 29.

December

There were 3 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.

See also

References

  1. "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952 - 2011): 1991 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  2. "Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  3. Press, From Associated (1991-03-23). "Tornadoes Kill 3 in Tennessee and Kentucky". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
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