Tornadoes of 1979
| Timespan | January 1 - December 23, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Maximum rated tornado |
F4 tornado
|
| Tornadoes in U.S. | 855 |
| Damage (U.S.) | >$1 billion |
| Fatalities (U.S.) | 84 |
| Fatalities (worldwide) | 84< |
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, 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 1979 were similar to that of 1980. Deaths were near normal, but injuries were above normal.
16 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in January, of which all were confirmed.
4 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in January, of which all were confirmed.
53 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in March.
On March 18, a minor outbreak swept across Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The strongest tornado was an F3 that struck Copan, Oklahoma. An F2 tornado hit Catoosa, Oklahoma, a suburb of Tulsa.
On March 29, tornadoes touched down across Iowa and Illinois, including an F4 tornado that hit Elmo, Missouri. An F0 struck a small suburb of Denver.
123 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in April.
A large tornado outbreak also called "Terrible Tuesday", broke out in Texas and Oklahoma. Several deadly tornadoes occurred, including an F4 that decimated buildings in Wichita Falls, killing 42 people. An F2 tornado was notable for killing one person when it struck a mobile home park in Boonville, Indiana. A tornado killed 3 people in Lawton, Oklahoma. Overall, there were 58 deaths and over 2,000 injuries.
There were 112 tornadoes reported in the U.S. in May.
150 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in June.
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Wikipedia