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Tornadoes of 1981

Tracks of all US tornadoes in 1981.
Timespan	January–December 1981
Maximum rated tornado	F4 tornado 7 locations on 7 different days
Tornadoes in U.S.	782
Damage (U.S.)	Unknown
Fatalities (U.S.)	24
Fatalities (worldwide)	>24
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1981, 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.

Synopsis

Fatal United States tornadoes in 1981

class=notpageimage| Approximate touchdown location of killer tornadoes in 1981Summary of tornadoes February 10 – Texas (1 death) February 11 – North Carolina (1 death) March 30 – North Carolina, Virginia (1 death) April 1 – Alabama (2 deaths) April 4 – Wisconsin (3 deaths) April 19 – Oklahoma (5 deaths) April 22 – Missouri (1 death) April 22 – Missouri (1 death) April 30 – Oklahoma (1 death) June 13 – Ohio (4 deaths) June 14 – Minnesota (1 death) June 19 – Kansas (1 death) June 21 – Missouri (1 death) June 21 – Illinois (1 death) Total fatalities: 24

Numbers for 1981 were below average, both in terms of number of tornadoes and number of fatalities.

Events

January

Only two tornadoes touched down in January, both were rated F0 and took place in California.

February

There were 25 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in February, injuring 82 people.

February 10–11

The first fatal tornadoes of the year occurred during a relatively small outbreak between February 10 and 11. Two F2 tornadoes, one in Walker County, Texas and the other in Hoke/Cumberland County, North Carolina, killed one person each.

March

There were 33 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in March.

March 30

One person was killed by an F2 tornado in Hertford County, North Carolina.

April

There were 84 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in April. Most of the year's fatalities took place during the month, with 13 people perishing.

April 4

A rare anticyclonic tornado struck West Bend, Wisconsin at F4 intensity, killing three people and injuring 53 others. It was part of a small outbreak that produced five tornadoes with 10 additional injuries also taking place.

April 19

Five people were killed in Bixby, Oklahoma by an F3 tornado.

May

There were 187 tornadoes in the US in May.

May 22–23

An outbreak of 43 tornadoes occurred in areas from Western Oklahoma to Central Iowa. A large F4 tornado struck Scott, Oklahoma northeast of Binger. The outbreak injured 12 people, but there were no fatalities.

June

There were 223 tornadoes in the US in June, resulting in eight fatalities.

June 3

A small tornado outbreak affected Colorado, including the Denver metro area.

June 13

An F3 tornado killed four people in Cardington, Ohio.

July

There were 98 tornadoes in the US in July.

July 30

An F3 tornado in North Dakota tracked through Bismarck and Mandan without causing any fatalities or injuries.

August

There were 64 tornadoes in the US in August.

September

There were 26 tornadoes in the US in September.

October

There were 32 tornadoes in the US in October.

November

There were seven tornadoes in the US in November.

November 23 (U.K.)

A large tornado outbreak occurred in central England and Wales. About 104 tornadoes were reported to have touched down in what remains the largest tornado outbreak in European history.

December

There was one tornado in the US in December.

See also

• Tornado
  • Tornadoes by year
  • Tornado records
  • Tornado climatology
  • Tornado myths
• List of tornado outbreaks
  • List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
  • List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of 21st-century Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks in Asia
  • List of Southern Hemisphere tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
• Tornado intensity
  • Fujita scale
  • Enhanced Fujita scale

References

1. "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952 - 2011): 1981 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
2. "Severe Weather Database Files (1950-2021)". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
3. "A look back at the most destructive tornado in Denver metro history: June 3, 1981 Thornton, Colorado | ThorntonWeather.com". Retrieved 25 May 2022.

External links

• Tornado deaths monthly

• Tornadoes of 1981
• 1981 meteorology
• Tornado-related lists by year
• 1981-related lists