2024 Tornado Season

According to the NOAA’s National Weather Service, 2024 marks the second-highest number of tornadoes on record year in the U.S. since records began in 1950 (only 2004 was higher). Several states set annual tornado records in 2024, including Illinois (142), Iowa (125), New York (32), Ohio (74), Oklahoma (152), and West Virginia (20). This high activity included numerous strong tornadoes (Enhanced Fujita Scale, EF3/EF4), reflecting a season with unusually widespread severe weather. 

(This content was created with assistance from generative AI. The content has been reviewed and edited by a human.)

Date of event: April 26-December 29, 2024*

*The listed dates correspond to the earliest and latest U.S. tornadoes in 2024 that resulted in at least one fatality. The range is not intended to represent the full duration of the 2024 tornado season or all tornado activity globally.

Impact:

• 1,796 total tornadoes in the U.S. for 2024 (NOAA National Weather Service)
• 54 fatalities (NOAA National Weather Service)
• ≥ $1.7 billion economic impact (Statista) 

Related Resources:

• • Tornadoes: Forecasting, Detection, and Communication [Updated November 20, 2025]
  • Tornadoes: Agencies Promote Resilience but Actions Needed to Improve Access to FEMA Assistance, Report to Congressional Requesters

• Preliminary Damage Assessment Report: Iowa – Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, FEMA-4796-DR, ‘Declared June 24, 2024’

• Weather Safety: Agencies Face Challenges Related to Multilingual Weather Alerts, and AI Project Needs Better Planning, Q&A Report to Congressional Committees

• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 4672, Border Weather Resiliency Act of 2024

HSDL Featured Topics: Disaster Economics | Disaster Fatigue | Severe Winter Weather

HSDL Search: Natural Disasters | Disaster Response | Tornadoes