Tornadoes of 1976

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1976, 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

Numbers for 1976 were above average, however, the number of fatalities were significantly lower than normal.

Events

January

12 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S. in January.^[3]

February

36 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in February.^[4]

March

180 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in March.^[5] The Chicago area received the most tornadoes ever recorded, including several F2 and F3 tornadoes.^[6]

March 20–21

A major outbreak shifted into mainly Illinois and Indiana. The strongest tornadoes occurred in Illinois, but one F4 came very close to Lafayette, Indiana. Slight activity continued onto March 21 when the system moved across Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.^[6]

March 26

An F5 tornado caused extensive damage in Spiro, Oklahoma, killing 2 people and injuring 64. An F4 tornado killed one when the tornado touched down in the Talihina, Oklahoma area.^[6]

April

113 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in April.^[7]

April 11

Several tornadoes touched down in Arkansas. The Arkansas tornadoes on 11 April 1976 were investigated using regular 30 min interval GOES digital infrared data, rawinsonde observations, Doppler sounder records and radar summaries covering the 3 hour time period immediately preceding the touchdown of the tornadoes. Clouds associated with the tornado were compared to other clouds that were not associated with tornadoes.^[8]

April 19

An F5 tornado hit Brownwood, Texas, causing no fatalities, but at least 15 injuries.

May

155 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in May.^[9]

June

169 tornadoes were reported in June in the U.S.^[10]

June 13

One of the largest tornadoes in Iowa moved in between the cities of Ames, Iowa and Boone, Iowa on the afternoon of June 13, 1976. The tornado began southwest of the small town of Luther, Iowa a little before 3:30 pm and moved north northeast. The tornado strengthened and grew larger as it approached US Highway 30 just east of the intersection of IA 17. The tornado turned toward the north with the small hamlet of Jordan, Iowa in the path. A small satellite F3 tornado formed on the southwest side of the main tornado and moved around the back side and to the east of the tornado around 3:40 pm before merging back with the parent storm north of Jordan by 3:50 pm. The small hamlet of Jordan was raked by the nearly mile wide tornado, destroying nearly everything in its wake.

The parent tornado turned NNW before encountering outflow from a storm to its northwest and pushed the tornado to the east and a little south of east. An anticyclonic tornado (the second tornado image on post) formed to the east of the parent tornado and it went to the north following the parent storm about 2 miles to its east. It too felt the downburst winds from the northwest and was pushed to the east as well. The parent tornado began to shrink and weaken as it approached the Boone and Story County line NW of Ames. The tornado lifted about 4 miles west of Gilbert, Iowa at 4:15 pm, but the storm was not through yet.

The downburst winds that had pushed the tornado to the east were now rampaging the countryside in northern Story County around Gilbert northeastward to Story City, Iowa where more houses and farmsteads were damaged or destroyed by the strong straight line winds. Luckily, there were no deaths and only a few injuries. More than 60 homes, and over 300 farm buildings were hit and destroyed by the family of tornadoes and the downburst winds that followed.^[1]

June 29

An F4 tornado struck Alta, Illinois.

July

84 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in July.^[11]

August

38 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in August.^[12]

September

35 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in September.^[13]

October

11 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in October.^[14]

November

No tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in November, being a record low.^[15]

November 13 (Australia)

An estimated F3 tornado killed 2 people in Victoria, Australia.

December

1 tornado was reported in the U.S. in December.^[16]

See also

• Tornado
  • Tornado climatology
  • Tornado records
  • Tornado myths
• List of tornadoes and 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

References