Over 900 tornadoes makes this season worst since 2011
The United States is 220 tornado reports above historical average for this time of year after a long week of twisters, and four states lead the pack.
AccuWeather’s Jon Porter reports estimated damage and economic losses from the central U.S. tornado outbreak totaling between $9 billion and $11 billion as the peak of severe weather season looms.
The 2025 tornado season in the United States is the most active in over a decade, with more preliminary tornado reports by May 20 than in any year since 2011. Fueled by a series of major outbreaks this spring, four states have emerged as the hardest hit so far this year.
Over 900 tornadoes in 2025, 280 above normal
As of May 20, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has logged 922 preliminary filtered tornado reports nationwide— 281 more than the historical average of 641. That puts 2025 well ahead of every tornado season in the past decade at this point in the year, including last year.
Four states stand out with unusually high tornado reports. Mississippi leads with 97 tornado reports this year. Illinois follows with 93 reports. Missouri comes in third with 89, and Texas rounds out the top four with 87 tornado reports.
The ranking of the top four states has not changed since the end of April.
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 last week's 161 tornadoes:
• 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.
Mark Sexton kisses his daughters dog after it was pulled out of the debris of his parent's house following the tornado that struck the neighborhood of Sunshine Hills on May 17 in London, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images)
Still, the preliminary totals show that 2025 is not only active, but significantly above the historical average—and on track to rival some of the most intense seasons in recent history.
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