Timespan January–December 1991 Damage (U.S.) unknown Fatalities (worldwide) >39 | Tornadoes in U.S. 1,132 Fatalities (U.S.) 39 | |
 | ||
Maximum rated tornado F5 tornado
Andover, Kansas
on April 26 | ||
This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1991, 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, however by the 1990s tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers we see today.
Contents
Synopsis
The Tornado "Season" of 1991 looks generally very average on paper. The spring months of March, April, May and June all saw very large numbers of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks. The fall, sometimes referred to as a "second season", was very quiet. The Andover, Kansas outbreak of April 26, 1991 was famous for its violent tornadoes, incredible video and is the signature event of this tornado season. 1991 saw one F5 tornado touch down in Kansas.
Events
Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1991 in the United States.
January
There were 29 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.
February
There were 11 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.
March
There were 157 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March. Late March saw several small to moderate outbreaks. Tornadoes on March 22 killed six people in Kentucky and Tennessee. An 11-year-old boy was killed in the small Kentucky hamlet of Olmstead in Logan County when an F2 tornado picked up a mobile home and slammed it against a tree. A small outbreak on March 26 saw 21 tornadoes including an F4 near Hutchinson, Kansas (no fatalities). Two more people were killed by tornadoes on March 27 (in Wisconsin and Indiana). An F1 tornado in Talladega County, Alabama killed five people on March 29.
April
There were 204 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.
April 26
The April 26, 1991 tornado outbreak was a violent outbreak of 55 tornadoes which took place on April 26, 1991, killing 24 people and injuring hundreds more. The killer Andover tornado was rated F5, while four others were rated F4, including the monstrous Red Rock tornado. At the time, the Red Rock tornado generated the highest wind speeds, detected by mobile doppler radar, until the May 3, 1999, Bridge Creek-Moore F5 tornado. This is also the outbreak from which the infamous video was shot by a news crew hiding under an overpass in Kansas. This early viral video spread the myth that sheltering underneath an overpass was safer during a tornado. The television crew was hit by a F2 tornado.
May
There were 335 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.
June
There were 216 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.
July
There were 64 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July.
August
There were 46 tornadoes confirmed in the US in August.
September
There were 26 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.
October
There were 21 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.
November
There were 20 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November. One tornado, rated F4, killed two people near Springfield, Missouri on November 29.
December
There were 3 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.