What are the ten deadliest tornadoes in the United States?

The death toll from the tornadoes that ravaged the central and southern United States last week has risen to 88. An impressive number, but it does not place this series of tornadoes among the deadliest in US history.

At least 88 deaths. This is the latest death toll announced by the authorities following the powerful tornadoes that ravaged the central and southern United States last week. Before this tragedy, other tornadoes have caused many victims in the history of the USA. Here are the 10 most deadly.

1. March 1925: the Tri-State tornado

Occurred on March 18, 1925, the Tri-State tornado is the deadliest tornado in the history of the United States with 695 deaths, or even 747 if you count the victims of small tornadoes that accompanied it, reports the National Weather Service website.

It lasted 7 hours and covered 378 km from southeast Missouri, through southern Illinois, to end in southwest Indiana. This makes it the longest tornado ever recorded worldwide.

2. May 1840: Natchez tornado

On May 6, 1840, the Natchez tornado in Mississippi killed 317 people, making it the second deadliest tornado in the country.

Note that the actual death toll may be higher than what is recorded, as slave deaths were often not counted during this period. The city of Natchez was almost completely destroyed, reports ustorrnadoes.com.

3. May 1896: St. Louis tornado

On May 27, 1986, a tornado in St. Louis, Missouri, killed 255 people. It also injured more than a thousand people and caused more than $10 million in damage (equivalent to $311 million in 2020).

4. April 1936: Tupelo tornado

On April 5, 1936, the Tupelo tornado in Mississippi killed 216 people and injured about 700. Among the survivors were one-year-old Elvis Presley and his parents.

5. April 1936: Gainesville tornado

The Gainesville tornado, which occurred on April 6, 1936 in Georgia, was produced by the same low-pressure system as the Tupelo tornado. It killed 203 people and injured about 1600.

6. April 1947: Woodward tornado

The Woodward tornado, which occurred on April 9, 1947, formed in the state of Oklahoma. It struck the town of Woodward without warning and killed as many as 181 people, according to the National Weather Service website.

7. May 2011: Joplin tornado

The Joplin, Missouri tornado occurred on May 22, 2011. Rated EF5 on the Fujita scale, it killed 158 people and injured an estimated 1,150 others.

The National Weather Service noted in its investigation that approximately 6,954 homes were leveled during this tornado, which lasted 38 minutes.

8. April 1908: Amite tornado

Occurring on April 24, 1908, this F4 tornado swept a two-mile-wide area as it crossed Louisiana into Mississippi, reports Devastating Disasters. By the end of the day, it was responsible for the deaths of 143 people.

9. April 1899: New Richmond tornado

On June 12, 1899, the New Richmond, Wisconsin tornado killed as many as 117 people. The city was so badly damaged that much of it had to be rebuilt.

10. June 1953: Flint tornado

On June 8, 1953, a tornado formed in Flint, Michigan. Over a distance of about 20 miles, it killed 116 people and injured 844.

It was the last tornado to cause triple-digit deaths in the United States until the Joplin tornado in 2011.