Tornadoes of 1977
Birmingham, AL F5 tornado damage.
|
|
| Timespan | January 3 - December 25, 1977 |
|---|---|
| Maximum rated tornado |
F5 tornado
|
| Tornadoes in U.S. | 680 |
| Damage (U.S.) | >$1 billion |
| Fatalities (U.S.) | 43 |
| Fatalities (worldwide) | >43 |
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1977, 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.
Numbers for 1977 were below average, both in terms of number of tornadoes and number of fatalities; however, there were over 700 injuries related to tornadoes.
5 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in January.
17 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in February.
64 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in March.
A small, widespread tornado outbreak caused an F2 tornado to strike the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Another F2 struck the downtown area of Lafayette, Louisiana. An F3 struck 5 to 10 houses northwest of Camden, Mississippi. Overall, there were only 10 injures, but no fatalities.
88 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in April.
Violent F5 tornado struck the Smithfield area in northern Birmingham, Alabama, sweeping away many homes and killing 22 people. Outbreak extended from Mississippi to North Carolina, with several strong tornadoes documented. The storm system also caused the crash of Southern Airways Flight 242, which happened on the same day, in the same area. Not only an F5 tornado occurred, but an F3 tornado struck the Lindale, Georgia area, where 12 trailers were completely swept away off their foundations killing 1 person. Many people don't know that Ted Fujita flew over the damage and toyed with rating the tornado an F6.
22 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in May. A rare, strong F4 tornado struck the Oklahoma Panhandle. Another large tornado struck a small town in Missouri.
A low-pressure system swept across the Great Plains and Great Lakes regions, producing 3 F4 tornadoes: two in Missouri and one in Atlanta, Illinois. An F3 hit Harrisonville, Missouri. Overall, there were no fatalities, but several injuries.
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