Tornadoes of 2011
Graph of the 2011 United States tornado count
|
|
| Timespan | January 1 – December 22, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Maximum rated tornado |
EF5 tornado
|
| Tornadoes in U.S. | 1,699 |
| Damage (U.S.) | ~$10 billion (Record costliest) |
| Fatalities (U.S.) | 553 (>5,370 injuries) |
| Fatalities (worldwide) | 571 |
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2011. Extremely destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the U.S., Bangladesh and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also appear regularly in neighboring southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer season, and somewhat regularly in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
There were 1,699 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in 2011. 2011 was an exceptionally destructive and deadly year for tornadoes; worldwide, at least 571 people perished due to tornadoes: 12 in Bangladesh, two in South Africa, one in New Zealand, one in the Philippines, one in Russia, one in Canada and 553 in the United States (compared to 564 U.S. deaths in the prior ten years combined). Due mostly to several extremely large tornado outbreaks in the middle and end of April and in late May, the year finished well above average in almost every category, with six EF5 tornadoes and nearly enough total tornado reports to eclipse the mark of 1,817 tornadoes recorded in 2004, the current record year for total number of tornadoes.
553 confirmed fatalities is also the second-most tornadic deaths in a single year for tornadoes in U.S. history, behind only 1925 in terms of fatalities attributed to tornadic activity. This total is due in large part to the 324 tornadic deaths that occurred during the 2011 Super Outbreak across the Southeastern United States and the 161 tornadic deaths in the 2011 Joplin tornado.
An ongoing outbreak at the end of 2010 continued into the first three hours of 2011. During that period seven tornadoes touched down in Mississippi. However, during the remainder of the month, tornadic activity was suppressed by a cold air mass, with nine additional tornadoes – all weak – taking place. This inactivity continued through much of February before a pattern shift. Two consecutive outbreaks took place on February 25 and 27 – 28, producing a combined 55 tornadoes. Overall, 63 tornadoes were confirmed in the month, ranking it as the fourth-busiest February on record. Activity in March was split between the start and end of the month, with a total of 75 tornadoes touching down, which ran slightly above average for the month.
...
Wikipedia