{"id":440938,"date":"2026-04-22T11:45:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T18:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=440938"},"modified":"2026-04-22T11:45:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T18:45:08","slug":"tornado-damage-and-frequency-through-2025-no-upward-trends-in-normalized-losses-or-major-tornado-incidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=440938","title":{"rendered":"Tornado Damage and Frequency Through 2025: No Upward Trends in Normalized Losses or Major Tornado Incidence"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

According to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and Storm Prediction Center (SPC), the contiguous U.S. recorded 1,559 preliminary tornadoes<\/strong> in 2025. This was 127% of the 1991\u20132020 annual average (~1,225 tornadoes) and ranked as the fifth-highest annual total on record (behind 2004, 2024, 2008, and 2011). Some tallies list slight variations (e.g., ~1,429\u20131,591) due to preliminary vs. confirmed counts, but the year was clearly above average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activity concentrated in the southern Plains, central Gulf Coast states, and Mid-Mississippi\/Ohio valleys<\/strong>, with notable outbreaks from March through June. March set a record with ~300 tornadoes. November was the quietest month. North Dakota shattered its state record with 72 (or up to 82 in final tallies) tornadoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strong\/violent tornadoes:<\/strong> The year included the first EF5<\/strong> since 2013\u2014the Enderlin, North Dakota tornado on June 20 (upgraded in October 2025 after detailed surveys showing winds >210 mph, with extreme damage indicators like derailed loaded train cars and swept foundations). There were also multiple EF4s<\/strong> (at least five confirmed), including events in Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois, and Kentucky during March and May outbreaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fatalities:<\/strong> Approximately 67\u201368 direct deaths <\/strong>in the U.S. (higher than 2024’s 54 but well below 2011’s 553). Major contributors included the March 14\u201316 outbreak (multiple fatalities across states) and the May 16 outbreak (dozens of deaths, notably in Kentucky). Many fatalities occurred in mobile\/manufactured homes. Worldwide, tornado fatalities totaled ~105.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damage:<\/strong> Preliminary U.S. property damage estimates were at least $1.9 billion<\/strong>, with specific outbreaks contributing significantly (e.g., March 14\u201316: ~$11 billion in one billion-dollar disaster analysis; May 14\u201316: ~$6.3 billion). These fit within recent-year ranges rather than historical extremes when considering broader severe weather context. Billion-dollar tornado\/severe storm events were part of 23 such disasters totaling ~$115 billion across all weather events in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early 2026 (through mid-April) showed near- to above-average activity in some regions, with outbreaks like April 17 in the Upper Midwest, but full-year data is pending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reported tornado counts have risen since the mid-20th century, driven primarily by improved detection of weak (EF0\u2013EF1) events<\/strong> via Doppler radar<\/strong>, storm spotters, and media. In contrast, strong\/violent tornadoes (F\/EF3+) <\/strong>show no increase\u2014and a clear decline in consistent-quality data periods:<\/p>\n\n\n\n