Tornadoes of 2000

Tornadoes of 2000

File:2000 U. S. tornado tracks.png Tracks of all tornadoes in the United States in 2000
Timespan	January - December 2000
Maximum rated tornado	F4 tornado Granite Falls, MN on July 25 Xenia, OH on September 20 Tuscaloosa, AL on December 16
Tornadoes in U.S.	1,075
Damage (U.S.)	$424 million
Fatalities (U.S.)	41
Fatalities (worldwide)	>41

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 2000, primarily (but not entirely) in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally, particularly in parts of neighboring southern Canada during the summer season.

Synopsis

The 2000 tornado season as a whole was slightly below normal to near average. There were 1,075 tornadoes confirmed in the United States. January was inactive with just 16 tornado reports. Activity in February was high, with several strong tornadoes throughout the South. March was also quite active, with a notable tornado in Fort Worth, Texas taking place at the end of the month. The spring months saw normal activity, with substantial outbreaks in both April and May. Most of June was marked by below normal activity, with 135 tornadoes confirmed. The end of June and all of July had tornado reports nearly every day, resulting in an active early summer period. This activity continued into the beginning of August, but the latter part of the month saw few tornadoes, as well as the start of September. The rest of September was slightly more active. The fall months had normal activity, however a pattern shift at the end of November caused December as a whole to be inactive, even though the F4 storm in Tuscaloosa, Alabama was the second-deadliest December tornado since 1950.

Events

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
723	267	62	20	3	0	1075

January

There were 16 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in January.

February

There were 56 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in February.

Damage in Camilla, Georgia from an F3 tornado.

February 13–14

Main article: 2000 Southwest Georgia tornado outbreak

A storm system spawned strong tornadoes across the Southeast on February 13 which killed 19 people, all in Southwestern Georgia. The most notable tornado was an F3 storm that caused 11 fatalities in the city of Camilla, Georgia. Several other states, such as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Tennessee were affected on the 13th, and a few weak tornadoes struck the Carolinas on the 14th.

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
7	6	2	2	0	0	17

March

There were 102 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in March.

March 28

Main article: 2000 Fort Worth tornado

A low-end F3 tornado struck the city of Fort Worth, Texas on March 28 killing 2 people and injuring 80. The storm took a 4-mile path through the city, damaging skyscrapers and other high-rise buildings. In addition to this tornado, a small outbreak of tornadoes produced another F3 storm which traveled one mile through Arlington, Texas caused $500 million dollars in damage and left about 80 people homeless.

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
7	1	0	2	0	0	10

April

There were 135 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in April.

April 3

A storm system spawned 29 tornadoes from Texas to South Carolina on April 3, mainly F0 and F1 storms. One of the strongest tornadoes, an F2, killed 1 person in Piedmont, Alabama

April 23

An outbreak of tornadoes on April 23, Easter Sunday, produced 33 tornadoes across Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, with 3 of these being rated F3. An F1 tornado moved through Shreveport, Louisiana injuring 6 people.

May

There were 241 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in May.

May 11–12

On May 11, an F3 tornado killed 1 person near Cedar Falls, Iowa. On May 12, another F3 storm caused 2 fatalities in Laguna Park, Texas.

May 17–18

Main article: 2000 Brady, Nebraska tornado

A storm system produced 69 tornadoes from May 17 to May 18, which occurred from Colorado to New York. Most were rated F0, but one powerful F3 storm near Brady, Nebraska injured 2 and can be seen on video at [1].

June

There were 135 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in June.

July

There were 148 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in July.

File:Pine Lake Tornado.jpg

Pine Lake tornado

July 14 (Canada)

Main article: Pine Lake tornado

A severe thunderstorm over the rockies tracked eastward across the province during the early evening on July 14. At 7:00 MDT, an F3 tornado touched down and moved toward Green Acres Campground at Pine Lake. 12 at the campground were killed and over 100 were injured. Winds up to 300 km/h (190 mph) caused $15.2 million dollars (2000 Canadian Dollars) in damage to the campground. Overall, it ranks as the fourth-deadliest tornado in Canadian history.

July 25

On July 25, a moderate outbreak of 14 tornadoes took place across Minnesota. 12 of these were rated F0, however a violent F4 storm hit the city of Granite Falls, which killed one and injured 15. Millions of dollars in damage occurred across the city's residential areas. This tornado is ranked as one of the strongest in Minnesota's history.

August

There were 52 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in August.

September

There were 47 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in September.

September 20

On September 20, 4 tornadoes touched down across Ohio. The most notable storm was an F4 tornado that moved through Xenia, Ohio. 1 person was killed and 100 were injured along its 21 mile path, which paralleled the path of the famous tornado in 1974. It was that tornado which prompted local officials to install 10 tornado sirens across Greene County, Ohio, which failed to function during the tornado, due to power outages and no battery backup system. In the end, 48 homes were destroyed and 125 were damaged by the tornado.

October

There were 64 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in October.

November

There were 50 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in November.

December

There were 26 tornadoes confirmed in the U.S. in December.

December 16

Main article: December 2000 Tuscaloosa tornado

After a lull in activity, a storm system produced a moderate outbreak of tornadoes on December 16, the strongest which killed 11 and injured 125 in Tuscaloosa and was rated as a violent F4 storm. The tornado moved through portions of Southeastern Tuscaloosa destroying 110 homes and causing $12 million in damages (2000 US Dollar). This tornado is tied as the second-deadliest December tornado since 1950, only behind the F5 in Vicksburg, Mississippi on December 5, 1953. In the end, the entire outbreak of 24 tornadoes was responsible for 12 fatalities and $35 million in damage across 7 states.

External links

• U.S. tornadoes in 2000 - Tornado History Project
• Storm Data "2000 Annual Summaries" (NCDC)