Tornadoes of 1979
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
- List
– Braddyville, Iowa
on March 29
– Vernon, Texas
on April 10
– Wichita Falls, Texas
on April 10
– Ringwood, Oklahoma
on May 2
– Bad Liebenwerda, Germany
on May 24
– Manson, Iowa
on June 28
– Joliet, Illinois
on June 29
– Changzhou, China
on July 21
– East Zorra-Tavistock, Ontario
on August 7
– Woodstock, Ontario
on August 7
– Windsor Locks, Connecticut
on October 3
– Villas Ciudad de América, Argentina
on December 11
Clockwise from top: An F2 tornado near Seymour, Texas on April 10; A radar velocity signature of an F4 tornado near Wichita Falls, Texas on April 10; Damage to a home in Fairfax, Virginia after a tornado on September 5; A thin F3 tornado in Cheyenne, Wyoming on July 16; An aerial view of Algona, Iowa after an F3 tornado on June 28; Damage to homes in Windsor Locks, Connecticut after an F4 tornado on October 3. | |
| Timespan | January 1 - December 23, 1979 |
|---|---|
| Maximum rated tornado | F4 tornado
|
| Tornadoes in U.S. | 855[1] |
| Damage (U.S.) | Unknown |
| Fatalities (U.S.) | 84 |
| Fatalities (worldwide) | >84 |
Synopsis
  Approximate touchdown location of killer tornadoes in 1979 | |||||
|
Numbers for 1979 were similar to that of 1980. Deaths were near normal, but injuries were above normal.
Events
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 349 | 318 | 116 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 855 |
January
16 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in January, of which all were confirmed.[3]
February
4 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in February, of which all were confirmed.[4]
March
53 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in March.[5]
March 18
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
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.[6]
March 29
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
On March 29, tornadoes touched down across Iowa and Illinois, including an F4 tornado that hit Braddyville, Iowa. An F0 struck a small suburb of Denver.[7]
April
123 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in April.[8]
April 10–12
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 10 | 19 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
A large tornado outbreak also called "Terrible Tuesday",[9] broke out in Texas and Oklahoma. Several deadly tornadoes occurred, including an F4 that decimated buildings in Wichita Falls, killing 42 people. Another F4 in Vernon, Texas killed 11. On the same day, an F3 tornado killed three people and injured 100 in Lawton, Oklahoma. On April 11th, Boonville, Indiana, was hit by an F2 tornado that killed one person and injured two when it struck a mobile home park. Overall, there were 58 deaths and over 2,000 injuries during the outbreak.
May
There were 112 tornadoes reported in the U.S. in May.[10]
May 2–3
A tornado outbreak took place. Several tornadoes were confirmed, including an F4 tornado that killed one person near Ringwood, Oklahoma.[11][12]
May 18 (Dominican Republic)
An F0 tornado went through San Francisco de Macoris destroying several homes and a stadium.[13]
May 24 (Germany)
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
A tornado outbreak occurred across Germany, causing at least five injuries but no fatalities. An F4 tornado struck the Bad Liebenwerda area, where several houses were damaged or destroyed. Combine harvesters were also carried large distances.[14][15]
June
150 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in June.[16]
June 28
A small, but deadly outbreak of tornadoes broke out in Iowa and Minnesota, including an F4 that killed three people in Manson, Iowa.[17][18]
July
132 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in July.[19]
July 16
An F3 tornado struck Cheyenne, Wyoming, causing one fatality and 40 injuries, becoming the most destructive tornado in the state's history. It stayed on the ground for 30 minutes and tracked for approximately nine miles as it moved eastward through the city, impacting the Buffalo Ridge area and a nearby mobile home park. The tornado was the first to receive national attention by videotape as it ripped apart 500 homes.[20][21]
August
126 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in August.[22]
August 7 (Canada)
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
At least three tornadoes touched down in Southern Ontario, killing two people and injuring 142 others. Two F4 tornadoes were confirmed, one in Woodstock and another near East Zorra-Tavistock.[23][24]
September
69 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in September.[25]
September 4-5
A tornado outbreak occurred in the Mid-Atlantic during Hurricane David. An F3 tornado, the strongest of 24 to be spawned by the hurricane, moved through the suburbs of Washington, D.C., killing one person in Tysons, Virginia.[26]
October
47 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in October.[27]
October 3
A violent F4 tornado touched down in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, causing significant damage to the New England Air Museum, before crossing into neighboring Massachusetts and lifting. The tornado was one of the costliest tornadoes in U.S. history and killed three people.[28]
November
21 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in November.[29]
December
2 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in December.[30]
December 11 (Argentina)
A photogenic F4 tornado struck Villas Ciudad de América in Córdoba Province, Argentina.[31]
See also
- Tornado
- List of tornado outbreaks
- List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of 21st-century Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks in Asia
- List of Southern Hemisphere tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
- Tornado intensity