4 states stand out in this 1,000-tornado season
The United States has seen 1,000 preliminary tornado reports so far this year, and four states lead the pack.
This video shows the aftermath of a powerful EF3 tornado that struck Grinnell, Kansas, with winds peaking at 140 mph on May 18.
While still far above the historical average, the 2025 tornado season in the United States has fallen to fourth place in the 15-year record, after spending most of the year as the second-most active year, behind only the blockbuster 2011 tornado season.
Fueled by a series of major outbreaks in mid-March, early April and mid-May, four states have emerged as the hardest hit so far this year.
Texas leads all states with 109 tornado reports this year. Illinois and Missouri are next with 105 reports each. Mississippi recorded 100 preliminary reports. This stands in comparison to last year's stats at the end of May— when the top five states were Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma.
The biggest change since last year is for Iowa, which had over 100 tornado reports in 2024 and only 11 in 2025. Meanwhile, Mississippi had only 11 reports last year but has 100 this year.
Over 1,000 tornadoes this year, 260 above normal
As of May 31, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has logged 1,042 preliminary filtered tornado reports nationwide—260 more than the historical average of 782.
The Pacific Northwest, Wyoming, West Virginia and New England have had no tornado reports this year.
5 major tornado outbreaks drove the surge
Much of 2025’s activity has been driven by four major tornado outbreaks in March and April, followed by a week-long outbreak in May. The highest days with tornadoes reported have been as follows.
• March 14-16: 182 reports
• March 30-31: 56 reports
• April 2-3: 112 reports
• April 4-7: 56 reports
• May 15-16: 77 reports
A likely tornado tears through Blodgett, Missouri, on Friday, May 17.
Counting tornadoes: What the numbers mean
The figures reported here are preliminary filtered tornado reports submitted to the SPC. These numbers reflect all reported tornado sightings but are subject to change. Multiple sightings may be merged into one tornado track, while damage surveys may uncover previously unknown twisters. Tornadoes that cross state lines are counted only in the state where their tracks began. Final numbers—based on official ground surveys conducted by NOAA—are typically released more than a year after the season ends.
Sarah, a volunteer from Knoxville, Tennessee, puts an American flag up on May 18, in the community of Sunshine Hills outside of London, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images)
When is the peak of tornado season?
Historically, May 25 is the most active day of tornado season. During the summer and fall seasons, tornado activity wanes, typically spreading northward across the nation. A secondary tornado season occurs in November.
