3/6/2019

Tornadoes of 2018

A Review of Significant U.S. Severe Active Weather Events and Tornadoes in 2018

Jared Guyer Dr. Patrick Marsh Dr. Russell Schneider NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, Norman, OK

National Tornado Summit 2019

Tornadoes of 2018 Tornadoes of 2018

Active Below Active Below Slightly Above Normal Normal Normal

Tropical

Six Decades of Normalized Tornado Counts 100 years of EF3+ Tornado Counts

Retrospective Ratings 1934 11 1931 1987 2018 8 15 11

+1 SD +1 SD

Normal Normal

-1 SD -1 SD

5 of the last 7 years have been below normal

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100 years of EF4+ Tornado Counts Severe Storm Reports of 2018 through 12/18/2018

Retrospective Ratings 1931 1987 2005 2018 2 3 1 0

Tornado Reports each Day with Annual Trend Tornado Reports each Day with Annual Trend

May 1 12 tornadoes April 13-15 26-28 June 74 tornadoes 39 tornadoes March 19 July 19 20 tornadoes 23 tornadoes Oct 31 50* tornadoes Feb 24 May 15 Aug 28 30 tornadoes 13 tornadoes Dec 1 25 tornadoes 29* tornadoes

2018 Fatalities: 10 2018 Fatalities: 10

24 February 2018: Southeast Tornadoes 24 February 2018: Southeast Tornadoes

30 Tornadoes (6 EF2; 15 EF1) 2 Fatalities, 23 injuries (AR & KY) 11 mile EF2 – near Adairville, KY

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24 February 2018: Southeast Tornadoes 24 February 2018: Southeast Tornadoes

Two Tornado-Related Fatalities 24 February 2018 ended a record-breaking streak

Longest tornado fatality-free streak: 16 May 2017 to 24 February 2018 spans 284 days (283 of which were fatality free)

Prior longest: 24 June 2012 to 30 January 2013 spans of 220 days (219 of which were fatality free) 30 Tornadoes (6 EF2; 15 EF1) 2 Fatalities, 23 injuries (AR & KY) Surface Plot & Radar 11 mile EF2 – near Adairville, KY 0300 UTC 25 Feb 2018

19 March 2018: Southeast Tornadoes 19 March 2018: Southeast Tornadoes

2200-2230 UTC GOES-16 Visible 2300-0300 UTC Radar Summary

22 tornado reports; 2 EF3; 4 EF2 with 0 fatalities & 10 injuries

19 March 2018: Southeast Tornadoes

Jacksonville AL

20 tornado reports; 1 EF3; 4 EF2; 7 EF1 with 0 fatalities & 6 injuries Jacksonville, AL Tornado: EF3 - 34.3 mile path, 0 fatalities & 4 injuries 23 buildings damaged at Jacksonville State University

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13-15 April 2018: Severe Weather Sequence 13-15 April 2018: Severe Weather Sequence

705 Severe Reports; 74 tornadoes; 1 EF3; 10 EF2 with 1 fatality & 23 injuries

13 April 2018: Severe Weather – South Central US 15 April 2018: Severe Weather - Mid Atlantic

Reed Timmer - Accuweather

40 tornadoes; 0 EF3; 7 EF2; 24 EF1 with 1 fatalities & 4 injuries 18 tornadoes; 1 EF3; 2 EF2; 10 EF1 with 0 fatalities & 17 injuries

15 April 2018: Mid Atlantic 15 April 2018: Mid Atlantic

Greensboro NC - 33.6 mi EF2 with 0 fatalities & 10+ injuries Greensboro NC - 33.6 mi EF2 with 0 fatalities & 10+ injuries

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1 May 2018: KS NE Tornado Cluster 1 May 2018: KS NE Tornado Cluster

Surface Plot & Radar 12 tornadoes; 1 EF3; 4 EF1 with 0 fatalities & 0 injuries 0000 UTC 2 May 2018

1 May 2018: KS NE Tornado Cluster 1 May 2018: KS NE Tornado Cluster

Surface Plot & Radar 0000 UTC 2 May 2018 Tescott KS EF3 - 14.5 mile long, ½ mile wide, no fatalities or injuries

1 May 2018: KS NE Tornado Cluster 15 May 2018: Northeast Tornadoes & Severe MCS

Power Outages 500,000 +

Most widespread damage and power outage since Hurricane Sandy

13 Tornadoes; 1 EF2; 7 EF1 with 1 fatality; 45 65+mph Wind Gusts, 100 mph max with 4 fatalities & 7 injuries; 2.75” Hail Credit: Michael Snyder

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15 May 2018: Northeast Tornadoes & Severe MCS 6 June 2018: Laramie WY Tornado

11.3 mi EF3 Tornado (rural – north of Laramie crossing Highway 30)

6 June 2018: Laramie WY Tornado 6 June 2018: Laramie WY Tornado

Wyoming experienced a well-above- average number of tornadoes and a relatively rare number of significant (EF2+) tornadoes in 2018. This is in contrast to the well-below-normal yearly tornado numbers for much of the Great Plains states.

Wyoming’s 3 EF3+ tornadoes in 2018 were a first on record.

11.3 mi EF3 Tornado (rural – north of Laramie crossing Highway 30) 64 tornadoes; 1 EF3; 11 EF2 with 11 fatalities & 55 injuries

6 June 2018: Laramie WY Tornado 13 June 2018: Wilkes-Barre, PA EF2 Tornado

64 tornadoes; 1 EF3; 11 EF2 with 11 fatalities & 55 injuries 5 tornadoes; 2 EF2, 1 EF1; EF2 with extensive damage in Wilkes-Barre Retail Area at 10:22pm

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26 June 2018: Eureka KS EF3 Tornado Supercell: near Douglas KS (26 June 2018)

18 tornadoes; 1 EF3 - 2 mile path through Eureka with 0 fatalities & 8 injuries, 2 critical; 4 EF1

28 June 2018: MT-SD Border EF3 Tornado 28 June 2018: MT-SD Border EF3 Tornado

16 tornadoes; 1 EF3 – 5 Ton SD tractor tossed 2mi to MT; 4 EF2; 5 EF1 with 0 fatalities & 0 injuries Credit: Roger Hill

28 June 2018: Severe MCS - IA, IL, KY, TN, MS, AL 528 Wind Reports; 94 - 65mph+ with 113 mph max; 1 fatality & 7 injuries

Credit: Roger Hill

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Wind Reports of 2018 California: Carr Fire Intense Fire Whirl (26 July 2018)

13,460 Wind Reports; with 113 mph max; 33 fatalities & 104 injuries

Over 229,000 acres burned; large intense Fire Whirl (est. EF3) – 1 firefighter fatality

19 July 2018: IA Tornado Cluster; MO Boat Disaster

23 tornadoes; 2 EF3; 2 EF2; 3 EF1 with 0 fatalities & 35 injuries; Wind Gusts to 89 mph; 4.00” Hail

19 July 2018: Iowa Tornado Cluster 19 July 2018: Iowa Tornado Cluster

Marshalltown EF3

Pella EF3 1 minute GOES-16 Visible: 1900 - 0000 UTC GOES-16 Visible: 1927 UTC NWS Tornado Survey Summary

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19 July 2018: Iowa Tornado Cluster 19 July 2018: Iowa Tornado Cluster

8.9 mi EF3 Tornado with 22 injuries – Marshalltown, Iowa 9.6 mi EF3 Tornado with 6 injuries – Approaching Pella, Iowa Credit: Colin Davis

19 July 2018: Iowa Tornado Cluster 19 July 2018: Table Rock Lake Boat Disaster

Table Rock Boat Disaster: 17 fatalities – Largest convective wind fatality event in the US since 1955 9.6 mi EF3 Tornado with 6 injuries - Extensive damage to Pella, IA Vermeer Corp.

6 August 2018: Colorado Springs Hailstorm Large Hail Reports of 2018

August 6 2018 - Hail Storm (4”) in Colorado Spring caused est. $173 Million in damage

$173 Million in damage; 28 2+ inch Hail reports, 2.75+ max; 8 injuries; Cheyenne Mountain Zoo devastated

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Tropical Cyclone Florence Tropical Cyclone Michael

Florence – 13-17 Sept: 44 tornadoes; 1 EF2; 16 EF1; 1 fatality & 1 injury Michael – 10-11 October: 16 tornadoes including 3 EF1

31 October 2018: Gulf Coast Tornadoes and Severe 1 December 2018: Illinois Tornado Cluster

Taylorville EF3

Robert Wolfe

50 tornadoes in TX, LA, MS; 6 EF2; 32 EF1 with 1* fatality & 5 injuries; Wind Gusts to 62 mph 29 tornadoes; 1 EF3 - Taylorville, IL; 3 EF2; 14 EF1; with 0 fatalities & 23 injuries

1 December 2018: Illinois Tornado Cluster 1 December 2018: Illinois Tornado Cluster

Paul Hadfield

Andrew Pritchard

GOES-16 one minute visible: 1924-2221 UTC 29 tornadoes; 1 EF3 - Taylorville, IL; 3 EF2; 14 EF1; with 0 fatalities & 23 injuries

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19 December 2018: Port Orchard, WA EF2 Tornado 2018 Recap

• Another year of below-average tornado counts • 5 of the past 7 years (since 2011) have been below normal • Very low number of tornado fatalities (10) • Hail also well-below normal, although thunderstorm wind damage reports were near normal • No (E)F4/(E)F5 tornadoes in a calendar year is a first in the modern record • Great Plains states were much less active

Robert Wolfe

EF2 – Port Orchard, WA (west of Seattle); with 0 fatalities & 0 injuries

3 March 2019 Tornado Outbreak

• Outbreak across the Deep South Thank You! • Deadly EF4 tornado in Polk County, Alabama • At least 23 fatalities, which are the most for a single tornado since Questions? You can reach me at: 2013 Moore, OK [email protected] @JaredGuyer

www.spc.noaa.gov NWSSPC NWSSPC

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