History of Tornado in Timeline

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air extending from the Earth's surface to a cloud. Visible as a condensation funnel and a cloud of debris, most tornadoes have wind speeds under 180 km/h, are about 80 meters wide, and travel a few kilometers. Extreme tornadoes can exceed 480 km/h, be over 3 kilometers in diameter, and travel over 100 km. Tornadoes are also known as twisters.

November 1915: Great Bend, Kansas Tornado

In November 1915, a tornado that affected Great Bend, Kansas, resulted in debris fallout 80 miles away, with a cancelled check from the Great Bend bank found 305 miles away in Palmyra, Nebraska.

March 18, 1925: The Tri-State Tornado

On March 18, 1925, the Tri-State Tornado affected parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, remaining on the ground continuously for 219 miles, setting a record for path length.

1936: The Gainesville Tornado

In 1936, the Gainesville Tornado, one of the deadliest tornadoes in history, occurred at 8:30 am local time.

1950: First Public Tornado Warnings Issued

In 1950, the first public tornado warnings were issued in the United States.

1952: First Tornado Watches and Convective Outlooks

In 1952, the first tornado watches and convective outlooks came about in the United States.

1953: Hook Echoes Associated with Tornadoes

In 1953, it was confirmed that hook echoes were associated with tornadoes, enabling meteorologists to detect potential tornado-producing thunderstorms from a distance.

1974: 1974 Super Outbreak

In 1974, the Super Outbreak affected a large area of the central United States and extreme southern Ontario on April 3 and 4, featuring 148 tornadoes in 18 hours and resulting in more than 300 deaths.

1974: TORRO spotter network in the United Kingdom

Since 1974, the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) has maintained a network of spotters in the United Kingdom.

April 26, 1989: Daultipur-Salturia Tornado

On April 26, 1989, the Daultipur-Salturia Tornado in Bangladesh killed approximately 1,300 people, becoming the deadliest tornado in world history.

1991: Video captured during the 1991 tornado outbreak near Andover, Kansas

During the 1991 tornado outbreak near Andover, Kansas, a news crew and several other people took shelter under an overpass on the Kansas Turnpike and safely rode out a tornado as it passed nearby.

May 3, 1999: Overpass fatalities during the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak

On May 3, 1999, during the Oklahoma tornado outbreak, three highway overpasses were directly struck by tornadoes, and at each of the three locations there was a fatality.

1999: Bridge Creek-Moore tornado wind speed

In 1999, the Bridge Creek-Moore tornado produced an estimated wind speed of 486 ± 32 km/h (302 ± 20 mph), setting a record for the fastest wind speed ever logged (using Doppler radar).

2000: Tri-State Tornado Estimated as Third Costliest

In 2000, it was estimated that the Tri-State Tornado was the third costliest tornado when adjusted for inflation.

June 24, 2003: Pressure Decrease Near Manchester, South Dakota

On June 24, 2003, near Manchester, South Dakota, a probe measured a 100-millibar pressure decrease during a tornado, with the pressure dropping rapidly to 850 mbar in the core of the vortex.

May 22, 2004: Hallam, Nebraska Tornado

On May 22, 2004, a tornado affected Hallam, Nebraska, and was up to 2.5 miles wide at the ground.

2005: Birmingham Tornado

In 2005, the Birmingham tornado registered F2 on the Fujita scale and caused significant damage and injury.

2006: London Tornado

In 2006, the London tornado registered F2 on the Fujita scale and caused significant damage and injury.

2007: Reanalysis of the Tri-State Tornado Path

In 2007, a reanalysis of the Tri-State Tornado's path suggested that the tornado may have begun 15 miles further west than previously thought.

2007: Implementation of the Enhanced Fujita Scale in the United States

In 2007, the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF) was implemented in the United States as an update to the older Fujita scale, using engineered wind estimates and better damage descriptions.