Tornadoes of 1988

Tornadoes of 1988

Raleigh tornado path
Timespan	January–December 1988
Maximum rated tornado	F4 tornado Liberty Chapel, Mississippi on January 19 Raleigh, North Carolina on November 28 Franklin, Tennessee on December 24
Tornadoes in U.S.	702[1]
Damage (U.S.)	$1.1 billion (1988 USD)
Fatalities (U.S.)	32[2]
Fatalities (worldwide)	>32

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1988, 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 1988

class=notpageimage| Approximate touchdown location of killer tornadoes in 1988 Summary of tornadoes[3] January 19 – Tennessee (1 death) January 19 – Tennessee (3 deaths) January 19 – Tennessee (1 death) March 28 – Oklahoma (1 death) April 19 – Florida (4 deaths) May 7 – Nebraska (2 deaths) May 9 – Kentucky (1 death) August 14 – Michigan (1 death) August 28 – South Carolina (1 death) August 28 – New York (1 death) September 17 – Texas (1 death) November 5 – Florida (1 death) November 15 – Missouri (1 death) November 15 – Arkansas (1 death) November 15 – Arkansas (5 deaths) November 19 – Mississippi (2 deaths) November 27 – North Carolina (4 deaths) December 24 – Tennessee (1 death) Total fatalities: 32

1988 was one of the least active tornado seasons on record. March and April saw unusually low activity, as did June. There were some notable outbreaks later in the year, including the Raleigh tornado which was probably the most publicized tornado event of the year.

Events

Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1988 in the United States.

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
0	283	311	81	24	3	0	702

January

There were 17 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.

January 19

A deadly outbreak spawned 14 tornadoes. Three separate tornadoes, rated F2/F3, killed five people in Tennessee, one of which killed 3 and injured 24 in Williston.^[4] An F4 tornado also struck Attala County, Mississippi, but resulted in no fatalities.^{[citation needed]}

February

There were 4 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.

March

There were 28 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March.

April

There were 58 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.

April 19

An F3 tornado killed four people and injured 15 others in Madison, Florida.^{[5][6][better source needed]}

May

There were 132 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.

May 8

A large outbreak saw 57 tornadoes, mainly in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin (two rated as high as F3 in Darlington, Wisconsin and Eldridge, Iowa). There were no fatalities.^{[citation needed]}

June

There were 63 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.

June 7

An F1 tornado in Smyrna, Delaware caused no fatalities, but at least 30 injuries, with damage estimated between 500,000 and 5 million dollars.^{[citation needed]}

June 15

An F3 tornado struck 4.4 miles south of downtown Denver, Colorado.^{[citation needed]}

July

There were 103 tornadoes confirmed in the US in July.

July 5

A tornado outbreak saw three F3 tornadoes in and around Fort Benton, Montana. There were no reported fatalities.^{[citation needed]}

August

There were 61 tornadoes confirmed in the US in August.

September

There were 76 tornadoes confirmed in the US in September.

October

There were 19 tornadoes confirmed in the US in October.

November

There were 121 tornadoes confirmed in the US in November.

November 15

A tornado outbreak spawned 44 tornadoes, including three F3 tornadoes. Seven people were killed, five of which came from F2 tornado in Arkansas.^{[citation needed]}

November 28

Main article: 1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak

The 1988 F4 Raleigh tornado killed four people and was part of a series of moderate outbreaks that month.^{[citation needed]}

December

There were 20 tornadoes confirmed in the US in December.

December 24

An F4 tornado killed one person in Franklin, Tennessee.^{[citation needed]}

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): 1988 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
2. "Tornadoes in 1988". Tornado History Project. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
3. "Severe Weather Database Files (1950-2021)". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
4. "The Most 'Important' US Tornadoes by State". Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
5. "Tornado in Florida Leaves 4 Dead and 15 Injured". New York Times. 20 April 1988. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
6. "KILLED, 7 INJURED AS TORNADO RAVAGES NORTH FLORIDA TOWN". Retrieved 17 September 2022.

External links

• U.S. tornadoes in 1988 - Tornado History Project
• Tornado deaths monthly