This is a list of the ten tornadoes that I find the scariest, for several reasons. This list will likely be updated as the outbreaks go on, but this is my current list as of December 2024.
Rank | F#/EF# | State / Country | Date | Fatalities | Injuries | Article | Image? | Time of day | Rainwrapped? | Hook echo? | Wedge? | TOR-E? | James Spann TOR-E? | Famous? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | EF5 | Alabama | April 27, 2011 | 72 | 145 | 2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado | Day | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
2 | EF5 | Kansas | May 4, 2007 | 11 | 63 | 2007 Greensburg tornado | Night | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
3 | EF4 | Texas | December 26, 2015 | 10 | 468 | 2015 Garland tornado | Night | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
4 | EF5 | Oklahoma | May 20, 2013 | 24 | 212 | 2013 Moore tornado | Day | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
5 | EF5 | Texas | May 27, 1997 | 27 | 12 | 1997 Jarrell tornado | Day | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
6 | EF4 | Alabama | April 27, 2011 | 6 | 48 | 2011 Cullman–Arab tornado | Day | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | |
7 | EF5 | Minnesota | November 29, 2016 | 9 | 125 | 1968 Tracy tornado | Day | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
8 | EF4 | Tennessee | March 3, 2020 | 19 | 87 | 2020 Cookeville tornado | Day | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
9 | EF4 | Mississippi | March 5, 2022 | 0 | 71 | 2013 Hattiesburg tornado | Night | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | |
10 | EF3 | Tennessee | March 31, 2023 | 9 | 23 | Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023 | Night | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | |
Honorable mention | EF4 | Kentucky | December 10, 2021 | 51 | 519 | 2021 Western Kentucky tornado | Night | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |