Tornadoes of 1949

This page documents all tornadoes in the United States in 1949. 1949 had the record most tornadoes for its time, surpassing the total amount of 260 in 1933.

Lists by month

 * List of United States tornadoes from January to March 1949
 * List of United States tornadoes from April to May 1949
 * List of United States tornadoes from June to August 1949
 * List of United States tornadoes from September to October 1949
 * List of United States tornadoes from November to December 1949

January
At least 7 tornadoes were reported in the United States in January.

January 3
On January 1, a blizzard had begun in the Pacific Northwest and was moving eastward, bringing heavy snowfall totals of 12-40 inches in the Blackhills Region of South Dakota. On the warm side of the system, a cold front developed, with supercells developing on the edge of the cold front. One of these supercells produced a very intense tornado that struck Warren, Arkansas. The tornado was rated F4 and killed 55 people in the city of Warren alone. A tornado in El Dorado, Arkansas killed at least 2 people. Multiple other tornadoes touched down in Arkansas, including an F3 tornado that killed 2 people when it passed through Lincoln and Union counties. The next day, tornadoes were produced in Kansas by the same system. One tornado, rated F3, struck the Vilas, Kansas area, destroying a church and several homes. The Warren tornado became the second-deadliest tornado on record in Arkansas' history. Overall, 60 people were killed in the small, but significant tornado outbreak.

January 18
An intense, F3 tornado, struck Caledonia, Mississippi, demolishing buildings and killing 3 people. Not only were homes destroyed, but a church was also destroyed, with a total of $100,000 in losses.

February
At least 7 tornadoes were reported in the United States in February.

March
At least 30 tornadoes were reported in the United States in March.

March 24-26
A significant tornado outbreak erupted across portions of the Dixie Alley, producing significant (F2+) tornadoes in Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, mainly in the region that was heavily affected by the January 3 tornado outbreak. A violent F4 tornado touched down in Grant County, Arkansas, moving through Sheridan and England, killing 13 people, and damaging or destroying 100 homes. Another tornado, rated F3, struck Chesterfield, Mississippi, where two people were killed. Another F4 tornado struck Desdemona, Texas, causing 18 injuries but miraculously no fatalities. Overall, this was one of the most severe outbreaks of the year.

March 30
A tornado outbreak occurred in the Great Plains, with one of the most significant tornadoes being a tornado that struck Canton, Oklahoma.

April
At least 34 tornadoes were reported in the United States in April.

April 30
Two strong tornadoes touched down in the Oklahoma City area, including an F3 tornado and an F4 tornado.

May
At least 118 tornadoes were reported in the United States in May.

May 7
An intense tornado struck Sundown, Texas, killing 2 people.

May 15-22
A very significant tornado outbreak occurred between May 15-22, 1949, with many violent tornadoes touching down throughout the Great Plains and Midwest. An F4 tornado struck Amarillo, Texas, killing 7 people and injuring numerous. The next day, a significant tornado struck near Guymon, Oklahoma, killing a farmer. On May 17, more tornadoes touched down, with an F5 tornado near Spur, Texas, which killed one person. On May 21, several violent tornadoes touched down in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The strongest on May 21 was an F5 tornado near Palestine, Illinois. A couple F4 tornadoes touched down in Indiana, which caused very extensive damage. In Cape Girardeau, Missouri, a high-end F4 tornado killed 22 people. Overall, the outbreak was one of the worst and most significant of the 1940s decade.

June
At least 33 tornadoes were reported in the United States in June.

July
At least 11 tornadoes were reported in the United States in July.

August
At least 11 tornadoes were reported in the United States in August.

September
At least 3 tornadoes were reported in the United States in September.

October
At least 21 tornadoes were reported in the United States in October.

October 9-10
A significant tornado outbreak took place across the Great Plains.

November
At least 5 tornadoes were reported in the United States in November.

November 24
A deadly tornado outbreak occurred in Alabama, with three significant (F2+) tornadoes. The first tornado of the outbreak touched down in Blount County, Alabama near Fairview, which damaged or destroyed 116 buildings and resulted in 4 fatalities, being the first violent (F4+) tornado since the F4 tornado in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on May 19. The second tornado, which was the deadliest, touched down in Hackneyville, where a woman and nine children were killed as their home was picked up and thrown 150 yards away and into another home. The Hackneyville tornado caused 10 fatalities and was rated F2. The final known tornado of the outbreak occurred in Sand Mountain, where one fatality occurred and was rated F2.

December
At least 10 tornadoes were reported in the United States in December.

December 11
On December 11, several tornadoes touched down in Missouri and Arkansas, resulting in 39 fatalities. One tornado, rated F3, struck the communities of Providence and Crossroads, both in Arkansas, resulting in five fatalities. In Missouri, an F4 tornado touched down in Butler County, Missouri.