NATIONAL U.S. TORNADO TRENDS, 1950-2022

Raw annual tornado counts for all tornadoes from 1950-2022
Raw annual tornado counts for all tornadoes from 1950-2022. Note the jumps in trends between the pre and post-1972 era and again before and after the implementation of the WSR_88D radar network in 1990.
A group of mobile homes on a cloudy day
Modern-era tornado reports after the 1990 modernization of the NWS, and the implementation of the national WSR-88D radar network. Annual tornado counts for all tornadoes F/EF0-F/EF5. Note the weakly negative trendline indicating an overall decline in the numbers.
A group of mobile homes on a cloudy day
Total number of F/EF 5 tornadoes per year from 1950-2022. These events are incredibly rare, but there is an overall downward trend with time.
A group of mobile homes on a cloudy day
Same as previous except for F/EF4 tornadoes.
A group of mobile homes on a cloudy day
Same as previous except for F/EF3 tornadoes.
A group of mobile homes on a cloudy day
Same as previous except for F/EF2 tornadoes.
A group of mobile homes on a cloudy day
Same as previous except for F/EF1 tornadoes. Note, however, that there is now a positive trend to the tornado events. This is largely a result of underreporting of F1 tornadoes prior to 1972, coupled with an increased ability to identify weak tornadoes shown in Doppler velocity data post 1990, and in dual-polarization data after the dual-pol upgrade to the WSR-88D network in 2011.
A group of mobile homes on a cloudy day
Same as previous except for F/EF0 tornadoes. Again, note the similar positive trend as noted in the F/EF1’s.

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