Tornadoes of 1980
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.
![]() Grand Island tornado of June 3, 1980 | |
Timespan | January 11 - December 7, 1980 |
---|---|
Maximum rated tornado | F4 tornado
|
Tornadoes in U.S. | 866[1] |
Damage (U.S.) | Unknown |
Fatalities (U.S.) | 28[2] |
Fatalities (worldwide) | >28 |
Synopsis
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.
January
There were 7 tornadoes in the US in January.[3]
February
There were 11 tornadoes in the US in February.[4]
March
There were 41 tornadoes in the US in March, resulting in two fatalities.[5]
March 1
An F3 tornado struck Pompano Beach, Florida, killing one and injuring 33. [5]
April
There were 137 tornadoes in the US in April, resulting in four fatalities.[6]
April 2
An F4 tornado struck Baylor County, Texas. There were no injuries. [6]
May
There were 203 tornadoes in the US in May, resulting in eight fatalities.[7]
May 13
The Kalamazoo Tornado of 1980 struck downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, on May 13, 1980. The tornado, which touched down at 4:09 pm, was rated F3 on the Fujita scale. The tornado killed 5 people and injured 79. Damage was estimated at 50,000,000 dollars
June
There were 217 tornadoes in the US in June, resulting in seven fatalities.[8]
June 2–3
FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
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 injuring 200. Overall, the outbreak produced 29 tornadoes, killed six people and injured 413.[8][9]
June 29
An F2 tornado in Harford County, Maryland moved onto the Aberdeen Proving Ground resulting in no fatalities, but 10 people were injured.[10]
July
There were 95 tornadoes in the US in July, resulting in five fatalities.[11]
July 9
An F4 tornado killed two and injured 25 in Rushville, Indiana.[11]
August
There were 73 tornadoes in the US in August.[12]
September
There were 37 tornadoes in the US in September, resulting in one fatality from an F3 tornado in St. Cloud, Minnesota on September 3.[13]
October
There were 43 tornadoes in the US in October, resulting in one fatality.[14]
November
There were 3 tornadoes in the US in November.[15]
December
There were 2 tornadoes in the US in December.[16]
References
- "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952 - 2011): 1980 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- "Tornadoes in 1980". Tornado History Project. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- "Tornadoes in January 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in February 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in March 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in April 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in May 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in June 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "NWS Hastings: June 3, 1980 Grand Island Tornadoes". NWS. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- http://www.erh.noaa.gov/Iwx/Historic_Events/MDcnty-tornado-events.htm
- "Tornadoes in July 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in August 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in September 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in October 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in November 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
- "Tornadoes in December 1980". National Climatic Data Center. Tornado History Project. 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.