This page documents the

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

es and

tornado outbreak __NOTOC__ A tornado outbreak is the occurrence of multiple tornadoes spawned by the same synoptic scale weather system. The number of tornadoes required to qualify as an outbreak typically are at least six to ten, with at least two rotational l ...

s of 1993, primarily in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. 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, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.

Synopsis

Like 1992, the 1993 tornado season was unusually late. While April and May saw less activity than normal, June again was very busy with 313 tornadoes and July saw 242. Fall was very quiet and saw no large outbreaks. 1993 was also the first year since 1989 to be without an F5 tornado.

Events

Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1993 in the United States.

January

There were 17 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.

February

There were 78 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.

February 21–23

A severe weather outbreak in the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

produced 24 tornadoes rated as high as F3. A particularly destructive tornado struck the community of Lenoir City, Tennessee. Multiple buildings and businesses were destroyed resulting in damages more than $2 million. The line of severe thunderstorms also blasted the area with marble-sized hail and left 7,000 residents without power into much of the night.

March

There were 48 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March.

March 12

Five people were killed in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

by three separate tornadoes spawned by a major derecho with embedded supercells. This derecho was the southern edge of the

1993 Storm of the Century The 1993 Storm of the Century (also known as the 93 Superstorm, The No Name Storm, or the Great Blizzard of '93/1993) was a cyclonic storm that formed over the Gulf of Mexico on March 12, 1993. The cold weather, heavy snowfall, high winds and st ...

April

There were 85 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.

April 8

Two weak F1 tornadoes touched down in

South Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...

during the early morning hours of April 8. That afternoon, a strong waterspout moved ashore and struck Grand Isle, Louisiana as a devastating F2 tornado. A wood frame high school and a post office were destroyed, and many homes, mobile homes, apartments, and businesses were also damaged or destroyed. A female high school senior was killed on the second school floor of the destroyed high school while two construction workers were killed on the first floor of a home they were remodeling near the high school. Along with the fatalities, 39 other people were injured. The tornado then crossed over the Caminada Bay and moved into Cheniere Caminada before dissipating.

April 24

Seven people were killed and 100 injured by an F4 tornado in

Catoosa, Oklahoma Catoosa is a city in Rogers and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 7,159 at the 2010 census compared to 5,449 at the 2000 census. This was a 31.2 percent increase during the decade.Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

resulted in one fatality from an F4 tornado in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

June

There were 313 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.

June 7–9

A prolific early-summer tornado outbreak took place between June 7–9, mainly in the northern

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

and

Upper Midwest The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the Midwest. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed-upon, the region is defined as referring ...

states. On June 7, 41 tornadoes were confirmed.

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

was the hardest hit, with two F4 tornadoes confirmed in the eastern part of the state. One of the F4 tornadoes tracked for miles, beginning just west of

Lyons Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of th ...

, and ending just south of Astoria, crossing Interstate 29 in its path. On June 8, 57 tornadoes were confirmed. While most tornadoes did stay around the Upper Midwest, the highest rated tornado that day was an F3 tornado which occurred north of

Kildare, Oklahoma Kildare is a town in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 100 at the 2010 census, an 8.7 percent increase from the figure of 92 in 2000. History According to the ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', the Atchison, ...

. A cluster of tornadoes also occurred in central

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

on that day, including an F2 tornado that hit near

Ripon Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city ...

. The outbreak finished off on June 9, with nine weak tornadoes confirmed, primarily in

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, however, an F0 tornado killed one person in

Caln, Pennsylvania Caln is a census-designated place (CDP) in Caln Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Caln Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The population was 1,519 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is located ...

that same day. Overall, 107 tornadoes were confirmed over three days. At the time, it was the second largest June outbreak after the Mid–June 1992 tornado outbreak which occurred just under a year earlier.

June 21

Two F3 tornadoes occurred in eastern

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

. The first one occurred near

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, while the second one occurred south of

Dubuque Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...

about an hour later. No fatalities were reported.

June 29–30

An F3 tornado near Beaver Crossing, South Dakota kicked off the final tornado outbreak of the month. Multiple tornadoes were recorded in

on June 29, with the strongest being an F2 tornado that occurred north of Pocahontas. 33 tornadoes occurred on June 30, with

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

primarily affected. The second F3 tornado of the outbreak struck near Hillsboro, Ohio. 49 tornadoes were confirmed in total, and no fatalities were reported.

July

There were 242 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July. That set a new all time record high for July, breaking the previous record high of 213 in 1992.

July 7–9

A widespread tornado outbreak took place over most of the Plains and

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

states, dropping 51 tornadoes in three days. The strongest was an F3 tornado that hit

Bethune, Colorado The Town of Bethune is a Statutory Town located in Kit Carson County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 183 at the 2020 United States Census. Bethune has access with Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 24. Geography Bethune is loca ...

causing 8 significant injuries.

August

There were 112 tornadoes confirmed in the US in August.

August 6

A rare tornado outbreak occurred in the

on August 6. It was very rare in that most tornado outbreaks in this region occur in the spring. 22 tornadoes touched down, with one F4 killing four people and injuring over 200.

August 8–9

A small, but deadly tornado outbreak occurred over the

of the

. An F0 tornado near Littlefork, Minnesota lifted and moved a mobile home, killing its two occupants. It is

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

's most recent single tornado to cause multiple deaths. Other minor tornadoes occurred in Minnesota,

and

, causing limited damage.

September

There were 65 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.

October

There were 55 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.

October 30

An F2 tornado killed three people in Lee County, Georgia.

November

There were 19 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November.

December

There were 6 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.

References

External links

U.S. tornadoes in 1993
- Tornado History Project

{{1993 tornado outbreaks 1993 meteorology Tornado-related lists by year

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