Tornadoes of 1990

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1990, 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, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.

Tornadoes of 1990
Hesston, Kansas F5 tornado
TimespanJanuary–December 1990
Maximum rated tornadoF5 tornado
Tornadoes in U.S.1,133[1]
Damage (U.S.)unknown
Fatalities (U.S.)53[2]
Fatalities (worldwide)>148

Synopsis

1990 saw some unusual and powerful tornadoes and tornado outbreaks. On March 13 not one, but two F5 tornadoes struck Kansas, both coming from the same supercell. This was the only day since the 1974 Super Outbreak to have more than one F5 on the same day until the 2011 Super Outbreak, when four EF5 tornadoes touched down on April 27. In June, a strong outbreak struck the upper midwest United States and in late August a powerful F5 tornado struck the city of Plainfield, Illinois, resulting in significant loss of life and damage.

Events

Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1990 in the United States.

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 537 385 155 41 12 3 1133

January

There were 11 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.

February

There were 57 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.

March

There were 86 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March.

March 11–13
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 12 25 13 10 2 2

This destructive tornado outbreak produced at least 64 tornadoes across the region including four violent tornadoes. Two F5 tornadoes touched down north and east of Wichita, Kansas, including the most publicized tornado, which struck Hesston. In Nebraska, several strong tornadoes touched down across the southern and central portion of the state including an F4 that traveled for over 125 miles. Two people were killed in the outbreak in Kansas, both from the F5 tornadoes.

April

There were 108 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.

May

There were 243 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.

May 14
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 7 6 3 1 0 0

An outbreak of 17 tornadoes injured nine people in Texas and Kansas, with the strongest being an F3 tornado in Anson, Texas.

June

There were 329 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.

June 2–3
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 16 21 17 5 7 0
Main article: June 1990 Lower Ohio Valley tornado outbreak

This outbreak occurred in southern Illinois, central and southern Indiana, southwestern Ohio, and northern Kentucky on June 2 and June 3. 66 tornadoes struck the Ohio River Valley, including seven F4 twisters, resulting in nine deaths. One F4 tornado trekked 106 miles (171 km) from southeastern Illinois into southern Indiana, killing one person. 37 tornadoes occurred in Indiana, eclipsing the previous record of 21 set during the 1974 Super Outbreak. In addition, 12 tornadoes struck Illinois.

July

There were 106 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July.

August

There were 60 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in August.

August 28
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 4 4 2 1 0 1
Main article: 1990 Plainfield tornado

A storm system spawned numerous tornadoes on August 28th, including the devastating F5 Plainfield, Illinois tornado. The violent, rain wrapped tornado killed 29 people and injured 350. It is the only F5 tornado ever recorded in August and is the only F5 tornado on record to ever strike the Chicago area. Other tornadoes were also reported in parts of Canada, Michigan, and New York as well. An F3 tornado occurred near Elgin, Manitoba as well.

August 31
Main article: Typhoon Abe (1990)

A tornado occurred in a suburb of Shanghai in association with Typhoon Abe.[3]

September

There were 45 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.

October

There were 35 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.

October 18
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 4 6 2 4 0 0

A large tornado outbreak in the Eastern United States produced 16 tornadoes, including four F3 tornadoes in Union County, North Carolina, King William County, Virginia, Orange County, Virginia and Somerset County, New Jersey. There was one fatality and 76 injuries from the outbreak.

November

There were 18 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November.

December

There were 35 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.

December 20–23
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 1 22 4 4 0 0

A large, late-season outbreak of tornadoes affected Mississippi and Louisiana on December 20–22. Two tornadoes killed one person each in Mississippi on December 21. An F1 tornado touched down in Ohio on December 23 before the outbreak ended. In all, the outbreak killed two and injured 23.

See also

References
  1. "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952 - 2011): 1990 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  2. "Tornadoes in 1990". Tornado History Project. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  3. Tropical Cyclones in 1990 (PDF) (Report). Hong Kong: Royal Observatory. February 1992. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
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