The deadliest U.S. tornado since 1947, killing 158 people and causing $2.8 billion in damage, making it the costliest single tornado in American history.
Key Facts
- Deaths
- 158 (including 8 indirect)
- Injuries
- approximately 1,150
- Total damage cost
- 2.8 billion USD USD
- Buildings damaged
- nearly 8,000
- Tornado rating
- EF5
- Time on ground
- 38 minutes, 21.62 miles
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The tornado formed as part of a larger late-May 2011 sequence of tornadic activity across the central United States. Atmospheric conditions on May 22 produced an extreme supercell thunderstorm west of Joplin, Missouri, generating a tornado that rapidly intensified to EF5 strength.
Beginning at approximately 5:34 p.m. CDT on May 22, 2011, the EF5 tornado tracked through the southern portion of Joplin for 38 minutes, reaching a peak width of nearly one mile. It destroyed over 4,000 houses, damaged nearly 8,000 buildings, and severely impacted a major hospital and critical infrastructure before dissipating at 6:12 p.m.
The tornado killed 158 people, injured roughly 1,150, and caused $2.8 billion in damage, the highest for a single U.S. tornado on record. President Obama visited and spoke at a memorial service. Recovery efforts continued through 2018, and the disaster prompted FEMA to develop the Waffle House Index as a tool for disaster preparedness assessment.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 158 (storm)