List of tornadoes striking downtown areas of large cities

This article is a list of tornadoes that have impacted the central business district (downtown or city center) of a large city (that is, one having at least 50,000 people, not counting suburbs or outlying communities, at the time of the storm).

It is a common myth that tornadoes do not strike downtown areas. The odds are much lower due to the small areas covered, but tornadoes can go anywhere, including over downtown areas. St. Louis, Missouri has taken a direct hit four times in less than a century. Many of the tornadoes listed were extremely destructive or caused numerous casualties, and the occurrence of a catastrophic event somewhere is inevitable.

This list is not exhaustive (listing every single tornado that has struck a downtown area or central business district of any city), as it may never be known if a tornado struck a downtown area, or if it was just a microburst (powerful downward and outward gush of wind, which cause damage from straight-line winds), particularly for older events or from areas with limited information. Downbursts often accompany intense tornadoes, extending damage across a wider area than the tornado path. When a tornado strikes a city, it is occasionally very difficult to determine whether it was a tornadic event at all or if the affected area was indeed the "downtown", "city center", or "central business district" consisting of very high population density and mid to high-rises, as opposed to other heavily urbanized/built-up parts of the city or suburbs. It is sometimes also difficult to determine tornadoes that strike urban cores before 1950, when tornado records (particularly in the US) started to be consistently logged with detail. Before this, lack of details on information from the events, as well as that most cities were far smaller in area and population complicate the record.

For the list of cities that are not listed here for certain reasons, see below.

North America

Note: The F-Scale was superseded by the EF scale in the U.S. on February 1, 2007, and in Canada on April 1, 2013
For tornadoes and cities in: United States, Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Cuba, Central America, and the Caribbean.[Does this refer to the previous or the following sentence?] Ratings for tornadoes in the United States prior to 1950 are not official but are instead estimates made by tornado expert Tom Grazulis.

List of tornadoes striking downtown areas of large cities
F#/EF# Location Date Casualties Summary
F3 St. Louis, Missouri March 8, 1871 9 See article on this tornado — The tornado killed 9 and injured a further 60 in downtown St. Louis.
F3 Chicago, Illinois May 6, 1876 2 A multi-vortex tornado moved through downtown Chicago, destroying several buildings.
F2 Kansas City, Missouri May 13, 1883 3 The tornado moved along an erratic path in Kansas City, killing 3 and injuring several more.
F2 Washington, D.C. September 16, 1888 0 The tornado tracked 2 miles across downtown Washington, D.C. along Maryland Avenue, damaging two homes and partially deroofed the Smithsonian Institution Building.
F4 Louisville, Kentucky March 27, 1890 76 See section on this tornado — The tornado tracked 15 miles (24 km) through downtown Louisville, inflicting $75 million (1890 USD) in damages to several structures.
F2 Dallas, Texas January 20, 1894 1 A tornado tore through Dallas, killing one person. It was one of two tornadoes to touch down in Texas on January 20.
F4 St. Louis, Missouri May 27, 1896 255+ See article on this tornado — A violent tornado inflicted heavy damage to downtown St. Louis, killing 255 or more and injuring a further 1,000 or more. Damage from the tornado totaled $10+ million (1896 USD).
F3 Indianapolis, Indiana May 18, 1927 2 A tornado tracked through areas on the east side of Indianapolis, destroying multiple structures and killing 2.
F3 St. Louis, Missouri September 29, 1927 72–79+ See section on this tornado — A high-end F3 tornado moved through East St. Louis, killing 72 or more, injuring 555 or more, and inflicting a total of $22 million (1927 USD) in damages to the city.
F3 Columbus, Ohio May 2, 1929 2 1929 Rye Cove tornado outbreak — A tornado moved through central Columbus, destroying the Columbus Division of Police headquarters.
F3 Nashville, Tennessee March 14, 1933 15 See section on this tornado — A tornado tracked across East Nashville, inflicting heavy damage to structures in the Donelson area. Damage costs from the tornado totaled an estimated $2.2 million (1933 USD).
F2 Charleston, South Carolina September 29, 1938 27 A tornado hit downtown Charleston, damaging several buildings.
F5 Waco, Texas May 11, 1953 114 See article on this tornado
F4 St. Louis, Missouri February 10, 1959 21 St. Louis tornado outbreak of February 1959
F3 Galveston, Texas September 21, 1961 0 Hurricane Carla tornado outbreak — Shortly after a comparable F4 tornado killed 8, an F3 tornado damaged commercial buildings in Galveston.
F5 Topeka, Kansas June 8, 1966 17 See section on this tornado
F5 Lubbock, Texas May 11, 1970 28 See article on this tornado
F3 Columbus, Ohio May 10, 1973 0
F2 Shreveport, Louisiana April 17, 1978 0
F4 Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana December 3, 1978 2 1978 Bossier City tornado outbreak
F3 Kalamazoo, Michigan May 13, 1980 5 (79 injured) 1980 Kalamazoo tornado
F0 South Bend, Indiana May 31, 1991 0 A brief tornado touched down in the bounds of downtown South Bend, producing no damage.
F1 Houston, Texas November 16, 1993 0 (26 injured)
F3 Fort Smith, Arkansas April 21, 1996 2 (≥40 injured) Tornado outbreak sequence of April 1996#April 21 - An F3 tornado caused significant damage across Fort Smith's downtown, industrial, and residential areas.
F1 Miami, Florida May 12, 1997 0 1997 Miami tornado
F3 Nashville, Tennessee April 16, 1998 1 1998 Nashville tornado outbreak
F3 Little Rock, Arkansas January 21, 1999 2 January 21–23, 1999 tornado outbreak § Little Rock, Arkansas tornadoes
F1 Hull, Quebec May 8, 1999 0 (6 injured) List of 1999 Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak tornadoes
F2 Salt Lake City, Utah August 11, 1999 1 1999 Salt Lake City tornado
F1 Shreveport / Bossier City, Louisiana April 23, 2000 0 (6 injured) A tornado damaged windows, trees, and bus stops in downtown Shreveport and Bossier City. Damage estimated at 10 million dollars.
F3 Fort Worth, Texas March 28, 2000 2 2000 Fort Worth tornado
F2 Guelph, Ontario July 17, 2000 0
F1 Springfield, Illinois April 2, 2006 0 Damaged the office of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
F2 Iowa City, Iowa April 13, 2006 0 (30 injured) A high-end F2 damaged 1016 residential and 35 commercial buildings across Iowa City and the University of Iowa. Damage totals estimated at near 15 million dollars.
EF1 Des Moines, Iowa October 2, 2007 0 Tornadoes of 2007 § October 2
EF2 Atlanta, Georgia March 14, 2008 1 2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak
EF2 Shreveport, Louisiana April 9, 2009 0 April 2009 tornado outbreak – A strong tornado damaged businesses, power lines, and trees in Shreveport, as well as causing significant damage to Barksdale Air Force Base.
EF2 October 29, 2009 0 (1 injured) The second EF2 tornado to strike Shreveport in 2009 caused an estimated 1 million dollars in damage to downtown Shreveport and threw the steeple of the First United Methodist Church onto an occupied car, injuring the person inside.
EF0 Minneapolis, Minnesota August 19, 2009 0
EF2 Huntsville, Alabama January 21, 2010 0
EF3 Raleigh, North Carolina April 16, 2011 6 Tornado outbreak of April 14–16, 2011
EF3 Springfield, Massachusetts June 1, 2011 3 (200 injured) 2011 New England tornado outbreak
EF0 Tampa, Florida February 26, 2013 0
EF4 Garland / Rowlett, Texas December 26, 2015 10 See article on this tornado
EF1 Davenport, Iowa October 6, 2016 0 An EF1 tornado caused damage to the roofs of a homeless shelter and Scott County Jail, as well as widespread tree damage.
EF1 Shreveport / Bossier City, Louisiana April 14, 2018 0 Tornado outbreak and blizzard of April 13–15, 2018 – An EF1 tornado caused an estimated 4 million dollars in damage across downtown Shreveport and Bossier City.
EF3 Gatineau, Quebec September 21, 2018 0 (25 injured) 2018 Dunrobin-Gatineau EF3 - An intense, high-end EF3 tornado tracked through the National Capital Region of Canada, inflicting major damage to the town of Dunrobin, Ontario before crossing the Ottawa River into Quebec. There, at mid-EF3 intensity, it struck the heavily populated downtown area of Gatineau, ripping the roofs, walls, and top floors off of apartment buildings, as well as damaging several car dealerships.
EF4 Havana, Cuba January 27, 2019 8 See article on this tornado - An intense tornado produced during the passage of a cold front produced a damage path about 18 km long through central Havana. The tornado caused 8 deaths and 190+ injuries along its path. The tornado was a strong EF4 with winds estimated at 185 mph.
EF2 San Angelo, Texas May 18, 2019 0 Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019 § May 18–19
EF3 Nashville, Tennessee March 3, 2020 5 See the article on this tornado – An intense tornado, 0.9 mi (1.4 km) wide at one point, caused severe damage to numerous structures along its path, particularly in eastern sections of Nashville. Numerous homes and large warehouse buildings were completely demolished, consistent with a high-end EF3 rating. Along its 60.13 mi (96.77 km) path, 5 people were killed and 220 others were injured. The tornado was spawned during an overnight outbreak across Middle Tennessee which collectively killed 24 people, injured 307 others, and resulted in $1.6 billion in damage.
EF0 Orlando, Florida June 6, 2020 0
EF1 Suffolk, Virginia August 4, 2020 0 See the article on this tornado – An EF1 tornado, part of a larger tornado outbreak spawned by Hurricane Isaias, caused significant damage to at least eight buildings in downtown Suffolk. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted along the path.
EF0 New Orleans, Louisiana May 12, 2021 0 A weak tornado occurred in the Uptown area of New Orleans. It peeled back the roof of a large metal building before crossing the Mississippi River into Algiers. There, a few homes and businesses sustained minor roof damage. Trees and power lines were downed along the entire path of the tornado.
EF1 Arlington, Virginia/Washington, D.C. July 1, 2021 0 (1 injured) An EF1 tornado began in Arlington, snapping and uprooting numerous trees, including one that had its bark removed. Homes sustained exterior damage. The tornado crossed the Potomac River into the District of Columbia, causing tree damage at the National Mall and across Constitution Gardens. It mangled temporary fencing for an Independence Day celebration at The Mall before lifting. A second, brief tornado touched down east of the National Mall, causing additional damage to trees, some of which fell on cars.
EF1 Sarasota, Florida March 16, 2022 0 The roof of an industrial building sustained significant damage.
EF1 Jackson, Mississippi March 30, 2022 0 (1 injured) See the article on this tornado – Homes sustained largely minor structural damage, except when downed trees inflicted additional damage.
EF1 Rockford, Illinois March 31, 2023 0 See the article on this tornado – An EF1 tornado caused widespread damage to trees and intermittent damage to roofs as it moved through Rockford.
EF2 Hendersonville, Tennessee December 9, 2023 3 (22 injuries) See the article on this tornado – A strong tornado damaged over 200 buildings in Hendersonville alone. No fatalities were reported from Sumner County.
EF2 Tallahassee, Florida May 10, 2024 0 See the article on this tornado – The northernmost of three tornadoes in Leon County, Florida, the tornado destroyed warehouses and caused significant tree damage across its 27.22 miles (43.81 km) path, being accompanied by significant straight-line winds to 100 mph (160 km/h), reaching a width of 0.5 miles (0.80 km) as it impacted downtown Tallahassee.
EF1 Lake Charles, Louisiana May 13, 2024 0 A tornado caused minor damage to trees, power lines, and a business in downtown Lake Charles.
EF2 Rogers, Arkansas May 26, 2024 0 See article on this tornado – A strong and very large tornado damaged hundreds of homes and businesses. Thousands of trees and many power poles were snapped or uprooted.
EF2 Port Arthur, Texas April 10, 2024 0 A strong tornado severely damaged a church, a home had its roof completely removed and numerous other homes were damaged as the tornado moved offshore onto Sabine Lake.
EF1 Chicago, Illinois July 15, 2024 0 See the article on this tornado — A tornado touched down just west of downtown and uprooted many trees. It then caused roof and fascia damage near the Chicago Police Academy, and weakened before dissipating next to the Presidential Towers.
EF1 Buffalo, New York August 5, 2024 0
EF0 Gary, Indiana March 19, 2025 0 See the article on this tornado — Three weak tornadoes struck Gary, including an EF0 tornado that briefly went through the downtown area.

South America

South America has no default tornado strength measurement system, so the storms here are listed using the Fujita scale.

F# Location Date Casualties Notes
F3 Concepción, Chile May 27, 1934 27 (599 injured) A rare tornado razed downtown Concepción in 1934. Tornadoes in Chile are not common, and this is considered to be the deadliest on record.
FU Santa Fe, Argentina November 6, 1945 8 injuries An unrated tornado damaged 15 homes and downing powerlines.
FU Lages, Brazil August 14, 1959 15 (unknown injuries) Destructive tornado blew up roofs, destroyed houses and trees, and tossed vehicles. The tornado was never rated.
F1 Buenos Aires, Argentina November 16, 1993 0 An F1 tornado hit the northern district of Villa Urquiza in north-eastern downtown Buenos Aires. Trees and a pavilion were damaged.
F3 Córdoba, Argentina December 26, 2003 5 (90 injured) Produced severe structural damage to homes and infrastructure, uprooted trees, and left large areas of the city without power. The tornado lasted for about 24 minutes, making it one of the longest-lasting tornadoes ever recorded in South America.
F2 Chivilcoy, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina January 7, 2006 1 (9 injured)
F1 Paraná, Argentina March 17, 2006 0 An F1 tornado caused material damage within the city.
F3 Barranquilla, Colombia September 15, 2006 0 (13 injured) Damaging tornado that directly struck downtown, and was followed by severe flash flooding.
F1 Bogotá, Colombia November 6, 2007 (1 injured) Roofs were torn off buildings, including a car dealership. Windows were blown out and trees were uprooted.
FU Paraná, Argentina February 15, 2010 0 A tornado was reported within the city, causing no known damage.
F2 Los Ángeles, Chile May 30, 2019 0 (43 injured) Around 367 houses were damaged and a street pole was ripped out in this rare event.
F2 Concepción, Chile May 31, 2019 1 (23 injured) Several homes were damaged and some cars and trucks dumped. One person died in the city of Talcahuano.

Europe

Note: The UK uses the TORRO scale. Tornadoes reported after August 2023 are listed on the IF scale, as the ESSL implemented it in their database in that month after its initial release on July 28, 2023

T#/F# Location Date Casualties Notes
T8/F4 London, England October 23, 1091 2 fatalities, unknown amount of injuries London tornado of 1091, destroyed London Bridge
F4 Vyšehrad (now Prague), Bohemia July 30, 1119 Unknown Vyšehrad tornado of 1119.
FU Prague, Bohemia May 14, 1144 Unknown
F2 Kyiv, Ukraine May 9, 1159 Unknown An F2 tornado touched down in Kyiv.
F1 Prague, Bohemia April 8, 1255 Unknown
T7/F3 Valletta, Malta September 23, 1551 (or 1556) 600 Valletta, Malta tornado
FU Augsburg, Germany July 2, 1587
FU Rome, Italy December 4, 1645
F3 Utrecht, Netherlands August 1, 1674 Unknown Damaged Dom Tower and Cathedral of St. Martin
F3 Rome, Italy June 12, 1749 2
F3 Padua, Italy August 17, 1756 Unknown Padua, 17th August Tornado. Heavy damage to the city; the leaded roof of the Palazzo della Ragione was thrown nearly 30km away
T8/F4 Portsmouth, England December 14, 1810 Unknown
T6/F3 Solingen, Germany August 13, 1832 Unknown Low-end F3 tornado
FU Cologne, Germany March 8, 1858 Unknown A tornado struck Cologne along a 2 kilometer long path. The tornado was never rated.
F3 Frankfurt, Germany Summer of 1860 Unknown
FU Brno, Moravia October 13, 1870 (Then Austrian Empire, now Czech Republic.)
T4/F2 Vienna, Austria June 29, 1873 Unknown ESWD rated it F2. The severe storms killed many chickens.
FU Berlin, Germany November 3, 1876 Unknown A damaging tornado was observed in Berlin. Windmills were picked up and thrown. Tornado was never rated.
F3 Madrid, Spain May 12, 1886 45 dead The most catastrophic and deadliest tornado in Spain in the past 200 years, but not the most powerful.
F0 Berlin, Germany April 13, 1892 0 A tornado was observed in Berlin. No damage observed.
F2 October 5, 1893 1 injured ESWD mentions that an F2 tornado hit Berlin. 12-year-old boy injured. Planks carried about 50 meters. Roofs damaged or destroyed and trees were uprooted or snapped.
F2 Paris, France September 10, 1896 5 dead Tornado touched down in the heart of downtown Paris.
F0 Munich, Germany May 27, 1897 0
F4 Cologne, Germany August 7, 1898 3
FU Tambov, Russia June 2, 1902 2 Tornado struck Tambov, causing 2 fatalities. Tornado was never rated.
F4 Moscow, Russia June 29, 1904 >100 1904 Moscow tornado. The destroyed areas are within the city limits today, but were suburbs in 1904.
FU Cologne, Germany August 14, 1906 Unknown A tornado struck Cologne. The tornado was never rated.
FU Berlin, Germany July 25, 1909 Unknown
FU Nuremberg, Germany July 22, 1910 Unknown A long-track tornado was observed in Nuremberg, tracking 35 kilometers. The tornado was never rated.
F3 Chemnitz, Germany May 27, 1916 0
T5/F2 Düsseldorf, Germany June 8, 1924 2
F3 Nice, France December 1, 1924 Unknown deaths, 30 injured
IF1.5 Copenhagen, Denmark November 24, 1927 0, 1 injury A IF1.5 tornado took a 3.5 km-long (2.2 mi) path through downtown Copenhagen, causing moderate damage. Trees were snapped and uprooted, some of which were tossed. Buildings in downtown sustained heavy roof damage, with one being partially destroyed. Open windows were ripped out of homes and sheds were destroyed. As it hit a allotment area, a roof was torn off, which injured 1 woman. It is noted that it may have reached IF2 intensity.
FU Berlin, Germany July 4, 1928 0 A tornado struck Berlin along a 6 km-long (3.7 mi) path. Tornado was never rated.
F2 Salzburg, Austria June 4, 1929 1 Fatality A tornado struck Salzburg, resulting in 1 fatality, associated with a derecho. ESWD rated the tornado F2.
F3-F4 Lublin, Poland July 20, 1931 3 dead (1 in Lublin, 2 behind[clarification needed] Lublin), a dozen injured Lublin tornado of 1931
F4 Düsseldorf, Germany January 10, 1936 2
FU Nuremberg, Germany September 18, 1939 Unknown A tornado was observed in Nuremberg. Tornado was never rated.
FU Randers, Denmark July 17, 1941 Unknown No damage known.
T1/F0 May 15, 1945 0 A tornado struck the dock area of Randers, lifting circus tents and tossing around benches.
F2 Hannover, Germany September 15, 1950 0
T3/F1 Oldenburg, Germany May 16, 1953 0 A high-end F1 tornado touched down in Oldenburg.
T2/F1 Slough, United Kingdom September 17, 1953 0 A low-end F1 tornado touched down in Slough.
F3 Castelo Branco, Portugal November 6, 1954 5 dead, 220 injured
F0 Magdeburg, Germany July 25, 1955 0
F1 Düsseldorf, Germany October 6, 1955 Unknown
F1 Szczecin, Poland August 25, 1956 0
F1 Perm, Russia June 17, 1960 Unknown
F1 Voronezh, Russia August 14, 1961 Unknown
FU Minsk, Belarus May 18, 1963 Unknown Tornado reported in Minsk. The tornado was never rated.
F2 Esbjerg, Denmark August 1, 1966 Unknown ESWD mentions that a tornado destroyed roofs in Esbjerg.
F4 Padua and Venice, Italy September 11, 1970 36 Struck the area between the Province of Padua and Venice Lagoon.
F3 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia July 3, 1974 Unknown
F1 Sanremo, Italy January 20, 1981 5 injured Tornado started as a waterspout, moving inland in Sanremo. Houses and vehicles damaged and trees were uprooted. Rated F1 by ESWD.
T3/F1 Wallasey, UK November 23, 1981 0 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak
T2/F1 St Helens, UK November 23, 1981 0 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak
T3/F1 Warrington, UK November 23, 1981 0 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak. Tornado started over Croft, but then later hit Warrington. Traveled 6.8 miles.
T2/F1 Oldham, UK November 23, 1981 0 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak. Tornado started in Hollinwood and traveled 3.1 miles, impacting Oldham.
T2/F1 Dudley, UK November 23, 1981 0 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak
T1/F0 Luton, UK November 23, 1981 0 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak
T1/F0 Norwich, UK November 23, 1981 0 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak
T2/F1 Chelmsford, UK November 23, 1981 0 1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak
T3/F1 Berlin, Germany May 16, 1983 0 A high-end F1 tornado was observed in Berlin.
F4 Ivanovo/Yaroslavl/Perm/Tver/Kostroma June 9, 1984 More than 400 deaths in the outbreak 1984 Soviet Union tornado outbreak
F2 Oulu, Finland August 11, 1985 Unknown A waterspout made landfall in Oulu, causing F2 damage.
F2 Turku, Finland July 21, 1988 Unknown A tornado struck Turku, causing F2 damage.
F1 Copenhagen, Denmark June 30, 1997 0 A tornado hit Copenhagen along a 0.7 km-long (0.43 mi) and 60-meter-wide (200 ft) path. Rated F1 by ESWD.
F2 Moscow, Russia June 21, 1998 11 deaths, 200 injuries An F2 tornado damaged over 2000 homes, damaged over 120,000 trees, and damaged cranes and vehicles.
F2 St Pölten, Austria July 7, 1998 3 injuries A tornado hit Pölten along a 5 km-long (3.1 mi) and 250-meter-wide (820 ft) path. ESWD gave the tornado an F2 rating.
FU Sochi, Russia September 24, 1998 Unknown A tornado touched down in Sochi. The tornado was never rated.
F1 Saransk, Russia April 26, 1999 0 A tornado went through Saransk along a 0.5 km-long (0.31 mi) and 10-meter-wide (33 ft) path. Two cars were moved. ESWD rated it F1.
F2 Monza, Italy 15 April 2000 Monza-Villasanta tornado of 2000.
F1 Copenhagen, Denmark June 11, 2004 0 Tornado over Copenhagen, tracking 1 kilometer. Rated F1 by ESWD.
F1 Randers, Denmark July 3, 2004 0 Tornado damaged homes across a 2 km-long (1.2 mi) path in Randers. Rated F1 by ESWD.
F2 Duisburg, Oberhausen, Germany July 18, 2004 6 injured
F1 Oslo, Norway October 22, 2004 0 F1 Tornado hit the dock area of Oslo, causing moderate damage. Trees were downed, cars were moved & a street sign was bent 35 degrees.
FU Örebro, Sweden July 15, 2005 Unknown A tornado hit Örebro along a 3 kilometer long path. The tornado was never rated.
FU Växjö, Sweden July 15, 2005 Unknown A tornado hit Växjö. The tornado was never rated.
F1 Halmstad, Sweden July 16, 2005 Unknown An F1 tornado hit Halmstad.
FU Helsinki, Finland August 28, 2005 0 killed, 7 injured A tornado hit Helsinki, causing 7 injuries. The tornado was never rated.
F2 Hamburg, Germany March 27, 2006 2 killed, ≥2 injured A tornado hit Hamburg, killing 2 crane operators and injuring at least two people.
T4/F2 Nuremberg, Germany August 28, 2006 0 A tornado was observed in Nuremberg, tracking 1.7 kilometers with a max width of 250 meters. Roofs and chimneys were damaged, some of which were severely damaged. 10 - 15-meter-tall (49 ft) trees were snapped.
F2 Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany June 25, 2007 Unknown Oberrad tornado of 2007
F1 Helsingborg, Sweden August 16, 2007 Unknown An F1 tornado hit Helsingborg.
F2 Ålborg, Denmark August 10, 2009 Unknown southern part of downtown Ålborg was hit by an F2/IF2 tornado that tracked 6.6 km. Roofs sustained high-end F1/IF1 damage with some buildings being partly deroofed. Trees were uprooted or snapped, including A healthy hardwood tree that was snapped at F2/IF2 intensity.
T4/F2 Málaga, Spain February 1, 2009 0 Málaga tornado of 2009
F1 Kolpino, Russia July 9, 2010
F3 Blagoveshchensk, Russia July 31, 2011 1 killed, 38 injured Blagoveshchensk tornado
T2/F1 Chorzów, Poland August 21, 2016 0 Chorzów - Siemianowice Śląskie tornado
T2/F1 Amsterdam, Netherlands August 9, 2019 0 A waterspout hit land and caused damage in Amsterdam's Centrum.
F2 Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine October 17, 2020 3 injuries A tornado caused damage in Kropyvnytskyi. More than 100 roofs were damaged, lots of them badly, occasionally walls collapsed or were badly damaged, dozens of trees were snapped, debranched or uprooted. 3 people sustained injuries.
F1 Barking, UK June 25, 2021 0 A tornado caused moderate damage in Barking.
F1 Kiel, Germany September 29, 2021 7 injuries A long-track tornado hit Kiel. Started in Meimersdorf [de], moving through Kiel across a 14.5 km-long (9.0 mi) and 70-meter-wide (230 ft) path. It ended near Dorf (Kiel). Roofs were severely damaged by this tornado. A supercell waterspout was also spawned in parallel to the main tornado as it was crossing the rivers near Kiel's dock. The tornado remained on the ground for 31 minutes. Several people were injured when they were thrown into the water.
F1 Mechelen, Belgium October 12, 2021 0 A brief F1 tornado partly blew off the roof of a garage & damaged another apartment.
F0 Anapa, Russia January 29, 2022 0 ESWD mentions that a tornado started as a waterspout, moving inland in Anapa. Roofs were damaged.
T1/F0 Sandnes, Norway February 6, 2022 0 A brief high-end F0/T1 tornado hit Sandnes. Roof tiles ripped off, sheds blown away, fencing downed & a tree was uprooted. The tornado tracked 0.1 km, reaching a max width of 30 meters.
F2 Lippstadt, Germany May 20, 2022 0 A large wedge tornado hit Lippstadt, associated with a cyclic supercell that produced several tornadoes. Considerable damage occurred during this tornado's 13.4 km-long (8.3 mi) path. Roofs were damaged or partly deroofed. Roof tiles were stripped off homes. One Farm sustained heavy deroofing. A church had its wooden tower demolished. Trees lost large branches and were uprooted or snapped, some of which landed on vehicles. Some trees sustained debranching as well. No injuries were reported.
F2 Paderborn, Germany May 20, 2022 43 injuries A tornado, associated with a cyclic supercell that produced several tornadoes, caused considerable damage to buildings, trees, and vehicles in Paderborn, leaving 43 injured along its 21.5 km-long (13.4 mi) path. Roofs were severely damaged or destroyed, including a church that saw severe roof tile loss. A factory had its steel roof structure severely destroyed and peeled back. A building had its garage port blown in. Windows were broken and debris was impaled into buildings, vehicles, and objects, including a Ford Transit Connect van that saw significant damage to the trunk when it was impaled by debris. Trees lost large branches and were uprooted, snapped, or twisted, some landing on vehicles. Several cars, trucks & caravans were overturned, flipped, or destroyed.
FU Sergiyev Posad, Russia July 18, 2023 0 A weak tornado hit Sergiyev Posad, but was never rated.
FU Mahilyow, Belarus July 27, 2023 0 A tornado hit Mahilyow, but was never rated.
IFU Salerno, Italy November 21, 2023 0 A waterspout made landfall in Salerno. The tornado was never rated.
IFU Genoa, Italy November 29, 2023 0 A waterspout made landfall in the port area of downtown Genoa. The tornado was never rated.
IFU Rhodes, Greece February 12, 2024 0 A waterspout made landfall in the port area at downtown Rhodes, causing damage to ships & downing trees. The tornado has not yet been rated
IF1 Rhodes, Greece April 1, 2025 0 Amid strong storms and severe weather in Southern Europe, an IF1 tornado hit downtown Rhodes, damaging buildings, trees, and cars.

Africa

Africa has no default tornado strength measurement system, so the storms here will be listed using the Fujita Scale.

F# Location Date Casualties Notes
F4 Roodepoort, South Africa November 26, 1948 4 The parent cell produced 15 known tornadoes, wrecked 700 homes, and caused an estimated R150,000,000 in damage.
F? Albertynesville, South Africa November 30, 1952 20 Albertynesville, South Africa Tornado
F2 Paynesville, South Africa December 2, 1952 11 Paynesville, South Africa Tornado
F3 Mtata, South Africa December 15, 1998 15 Mtata, South Africa Tornado
F3 Klerksdorp, South Africa March 3, 2007 1 Klerksdorp, South Africa Tornado
F4 Duduza/East Rand, South Africa October 2, 2011 2 East Rand – Duduza, South Africa Tornado

Asia

Most of Asia has no default tornado strength measurement system (though Japan has been known to use the Fujita Scale in the past), so the storms here are listed using the Fujita Scale.

F#/EF# Location Date Casualties Notes
F? Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan September 26, 1881 16 deaths Miyazaki Tornado of 1881
F? Dhaka, Bangladesh April 7, 1888 184 dead, 1200 injured
F? Yodobashi City, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan September 23, 1903 10, 14 injured
F? Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan November 28, 1941 12 dead, 177 injured, 347 homes destroyed
F4 Shanghai, China September 24, 1956 68 deaths, hundreds injured A typhoon-related event
F? Tomiye City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan November 10, 1957 8
F? Tokyo, Japan May 24, 1964 480 homes damaged
F4 Yancheng, China March 3, 1966 87 deaths, 1246 injured Lifted a transfomer of tons to the other side of a big river and severely damaged a concrete factory
F4+ Bazhou and Tianjin, China August 29, 1969 >94 deaths, hundreds injured This tornado first caused high casualties in several villages before entering downtown Tianjin with near peak intensity.
Concrete factories were severely damaged and some leveled.
F3+ Hulan, China[citation needed] July 3, 1987 1 dead, 161 injured Hulan, Heilongjiang Tornado
F? New Delhi, India March 17–18, 1978 28 dead, 700 injured New Delhi Tornado
F3 Dalatpur Upazila, Manikganj/Saturia, Bangladesh[citation needed] April 26, 1989 1300+ Daulatpur-Saturia Tornado
F3 Mobara, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan December 11, 1990 0, 78 injured, 1000 homes damaged Mobara Tornado
F? Shanghai, People's Republic of China August 11, 1995 4
F? Dhaka Division, Bangladesh May 13, 1996 700+
F3 Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan September 24, 1999 4 Toyohashi City, Japan Tornadoes
F? Tokyo, Japan September 12, 2000 0, several homes damaged
F3 Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyūshū, Japan September 18, 2006 3 Nobeoka, Miyazaki Tornado
EF3 Longgang, China August 18, 2007 11 dead, 60+ injured Related to Typhoon Sepat
EF3+ Lingbi County, Anhui, People's Republic of China June 20, 2008 1 Lingbi, Anhui Tornado
EF1 New Taipei, Taiwan May 12, 2011 0 known, some light damage Xindian District, New Taipei city Tornado
F? New Manila, Quezon City, Philippines June 24, 2011 At least 1 injured, >30 homes damaged New Manila Tornado
F3 Tsukuba and Jōsō, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan May 6, 2012 1 dead, 30 injured, 345 homes damaged Tsukuba and Jōsō, Ibaraki Tornado
F2 Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, Japan September 2, 2013 63 injured,89 homes damaged Koshigaya, Saitama Tornado
F? Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines November 4, 2013 13 injured, more than 20 homes damaged Tropical Depression Wilma
F? Cebu City, Philippines April 8, 2014 1 injured, more than 20 homes damaged Cebu City Tornado
EF4+ Yancheng, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China June 23, 2016 99 dead, 846 injured Jiangsu tornado
F? Manila, Philippines August 14, 2016 1 injured Manila tornado
F? Marikina, Philippines September 14, 2018 2 injured Typhoon Mangkhut
EF4 Kaiyuan, China July 3, 2019 7 deaths, 190 injured Kaiyuan, Liaoning Tornado
EF1 Yingkou, China August 16, 2019 Yingkou, Liaoning Tornado
EF2 Danzhou, China August 29, 2019 8 dead, 8 injured Related to Tropical Storm Podul
EF2 Guangzhou, China June 16, 2022 0 Tornadoes of 2022#June 16 (China)

Notable omissions

The 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak that spawned the deadly F5 tornado which struck Oklahoma City and some of its suburbs, including Moore and Midwest City, is not listed because it did not reach the downtown core of Oklahoma City. The 2013 Moore tornado is also not included for the same reason.

The downtown areas of two then-small towns (now large cities) in North Carolina were struck during the 1884 Enigma outbreak: Concord and Cary. Downtown Concord was struck a second time by a tornado in May 1936.

The 1987 Edmonton Tornado is not listed because it struck industrial parks, trailer parks, and suburban areas, and was far away from Edmonton's downtown core. The "Oak Lawn tornado" of April 21, 1967 which killed 33 people, mostly those in rush hour traffic at a busy intersection, and moved across southern Chicago onto Lake Michigan is not included because it missed the downtown core. Most recently, the 2008 Memphis tornado on February 5, 2008, also missed the downtown area (by a significant distance).

The Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence in 1953 produced several tornadoes that struck metropolitan areas. However, none of the tornadoes hit downtown areas, moving through areas just north or west of the city cores. Therefore, these twisters are not included.

Tornado-warned supercells have moved into cities, including Toronto in August 2005 and Chicago in July 2023, however only storms that produced confirmed tornadoes in downtown city centers are included.

The devastating and violent EF5 tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri in 2011 is not listed as the tornado did not impact downtown, instead impacting residential areas in the south of the city. The F3 tornado that affected Joplin on May 5, 1971, is not included as the population was below 50,000.

Another notable absence is the July 7, 1915 storm that struck Cincinnati, killing 38 people. This was determined to be most likely a windstorm causing downbursts or even a series of microbursts (with much of the damage coming from the straight-line winds), and not a tornado.

European tornadoes that are listed before 1950 are for cities that had at least 50,000 people in them at the time. Tornadoes dating back to 1054 are confirmed, due to extensive record-keeping for many weather events and other until-then unexplained weather occurrences.

On September 8, 2010, Tropical Storm Hermine went over the state of Texas and produced a few tornadoes in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. One notable tornado was located in an industrialized area west of downtown Dallas before it lifted up over Interstate 35E just south of Dallas Love Field. However, the EF2 tornado was about 3–4 mi (4.8–6.4 km) away and did not strike the immediate downtown Dallas area. Similarly, the 1957 Dallas tornado hit areas northwest and north and downtown, missing the core of the city. The May 26, 1976 and October 20, 2019, Dallas tornadoes were also not listed for the same reasons (striking the northern Dallas neighborhoods in an almost identical track between each other).

The city of Auckland in New Zealand has experienced multiple fatal tornadoes in its history, including one in 2012 which killed 3 people. However, none of these tornadoes have reached the downtown district of the city.

The July 2024 Midwest derecho produced multiple tornadoes impacting large cities, including Des Moines, Iowa, Davenport, Iowa, Peoria, Illinois, Joliet, Illinois, and Chicago, Illinois; none of the tornadoes reached a downtown area.

On May 16, 2025 an EF3 tornado with estimated winds of 152 miles per hour hit the city of St Louis however it did not hit the direct downtown urban area and went through Forest Park and St Louis suburbs therefore it is not included on this list.

Tornadoes that have struck cities that fell short of 50,000 at their previous census include Hattiesburg, Mississippi's 2013 EF4, Fort Smith, Arkansas's 1898 F4, Portage, Michigan's 2024 EF2, Newnan, Georgia's 2021 EF4, and Barrie, Ontario's 1985 F4. The city of Rome, New York was hit by an EF2 tornado in July 2024; it is not included as the city's population, which exceeded 50,000 in the past, had a 2020 population of under 40,000. Athens, Alabama was hit by a High end EF1 tornado that stripped several roofs off of businesses in the Limestone County Court Square. Athens was not included as it only had about 31,000 people in the 2023 census estimates, although it is the 2nd largest suburb in the Huntsville metropolitan area after Madison.

See also

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