This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1980, 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. NOTE: On June 7, 1980, Red Lion, Pennsylvania was struck by an F3 tornado.
Numbers for 1980 were below average, both in terms of number of tornadoes and number of fatalities; however, there were over 1,100 injuries related to tornadoes.
A destructive F3 tornado tore through Downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, killing five, injuring 79, and causing an estimated at $50 million in damage. The tornado was one of four damaging tornadoes on this day. There were five fatalities and 94 injuries.[9]
A two-day tornado outbreak caused widespread damage from North Dakota and Nebraska to Pennsylvania. The outbreak is best remembered for a slow-moving supercell complex that moved across Grand Island, Nebraska, spawning seven tornadoes, three of which were anticyclonic. The tornadoes also did not move in a straight line, with most looping back over their own path at least once. This part of the outbreak, which is also known as The Night of the Twisters, killed five and injured 200. Overall, the outbreak produced 29 tornadoes, killed six people and injured 413.[10][11]
A deadly outbreak sequence of 22 tornadoes tore through the Northern United States with July 9 producing an F4 tornado that killed two and injured 25 in Rushville, Indiana. Overall, two people were killed and 37 others were injured.[13]
An intense weather system spawned a derecho that trigged the start of a two-day tornado outbreak from South Dakota to Pennsylvania, although it started with an F1 tornado in Florida. Three people were killed in separate tornadoes in Wisconsin on July 15, with tornadoes also injuring 27 others.[13]
July 22 (Canada)
FU
F0
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
An extremely rare F0 tornado touched down in Roseway, Nova Scotia, Canada. This was the third tornado recorded in Nova Scotia, moving and overturning a trailer, and uprooting trees.
^"Tornadoes in January 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on June 12, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
^"Tornadoes in February 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
^ ab"Tornadoes in March 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on June 12, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
^ abc"Tornadoes in April 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
^"Tornadoes in May 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
^ ab"Tornadoes in June 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
^ abc"Tornadoes in July 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on June 12, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
^"Tornadoes in August 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on June 12, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
^"Tornadoes in September 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
^"Tornadoes in October 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
