Tornadoes of 1995

Tornadoes of 1995
	The Dimmitt, Texas tornado
Timespan	January - December 1995
Maximum rated tornado	F4 tornado 11 locations; on 6 different days;
Tornadoes in U.S.	1,235
Damage (U.S.)	Unknown
Fatalities (U.S.)	30
Fatalities (worldwide)	>70
	1993; 1994; 1995; 1996; 1997;

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1995, 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, but by the 1990s, tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers seen today.

Synopsis

The season peaked in May with a near-record of 392 tornadoes that month. June brought over 200 tornadoes, including several that became famous for their videos. The death total for the year was relatively low at 30 (fewest since 1986).

Events

Confirmed tornado total for the entire year 1995 in the United States.

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
0	822	234	98	20	11	0	1235

January

There were 36 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in January. A total of three people were killed in the Southeast US from separate tornadoes during the month.

February

There were seven tornadoes confirmed in the United States in February. An F3 tornado on February 16 killed six people and injured 130 in Arab, Alabama, making it the tornado responsible for the most deaths in 1995.

February 13 (Ireland)

A strong F3 tornado struck the town of Youghal, in County Cork. At 7:20 am GMT, the tornado began over the sea and moved onshore, where it struck a campsite. Here, mobile homes were picked up and thrown up to 20 m away, some of which were destroyed. Roofs and chimneys were damaged as well. The tornado traveled for 3 km, and was 50 metres wide. No casualties were reported. It is the strongest tornado ever recorded in Ireland.^[4]

March

There were 49 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in March.

April

There were 130 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in April.

May

There were 392 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in May.

May 6–27

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
0	137	84	39	14	4	0

A long-lived series of deadly tornado outbreaks occurred throughout almost the entire month of May; 13 deaths occurred due to the outbreaks. Nearly 300 tornadoes, including four that were rated F4, occurred during this period from the Central US through the Southeast and into the Mid-Atlantic.

May 29

An unusual F4 tornado killed three people in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. A car was thrown 1000 ft, which was the basis for the F4 rating.

June

There were 216 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in June.

June 2

An F3 tornado scraped the south side of Friona, Texas before maturing into a major wedge east of town. A dozen injuries were reported, but no fatalities.

An F2^[5] tornado near Dimmitt, Texas was covered closely by the Probe 1 Vortex team, making it "the most comprehensively observed tornado in history." The tornado resulted in 3 injuries.

June 5

A large wedge-shaped tornado crossed Highway 70 near Dougherty, Texas as it tracked southeast.

June 8

Several tornadoes in the Texas Panhandle caused widespread destruction on June 8, 1995. The Pampa F4 tornado, among the first tornadoes of the day, struck the industrial section of the town.^[6] Storm chasers and meteorologists Alan Moller and Charles A. Doswell III were in the town when the tornado began and were able to capture significant photos and video as the tornado tore through the city. As the Pampa, Texas tornado began to dissipate, the initial ground circulation for the second and larger tornado from that supercell began at 4:50 pm east of Pampa and developed into a large, intense tornado as it passed just north of the Rufe Jordan Unit Prison.^[7] This tornado is called the "Hoover Tornado" by storm chasers since it passed close to the small community of Hoover, Texas northeast of Pampa. The Hoover, Texas tornado was rated F5 by storm chaser Martin Lisius and meteorologist Dr. Herbert Fiala based on video photogrammetry the team conducted after the event. Two other intense tornadoes spawned later by a separate supercell near Allison and Kellerville, Texas were also captured on video. None of those tornadoes caused fatalities. The Kellerville tornado^[8] has been debated to be of F5 strength, though the final National Weather Service rating was F2. Both the Hoover and Kellerville tornadoes were especially intense and removed asphalt from roadways leaving only dirt behind as shown in the documentary film, "The Chasers of Tornado Alley" produced by Martin Lisius.

July

There were 162 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in July.

August

There were 53 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in August.

September

There were 19 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in September.

October

There were 74 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in October.

November

There were 79 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in November.

November 7

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
0	21	13	6	0	1	0

A moderate tornado outbreak took place mainly over North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, with 41 tornadoes confirmed in total. 28 tornadoes were confirmed in South Carolina alone, which made it the largest tornado outbreak in the state at the time until the Hurricane Frances tornado outbreak in 2004, when 42 tornadoes touched down in that state. A rare, short lived F4 tornado touched down just east of Marion, South Carolina, although the rating is disputed. It would be the last F4/EF4+ tornado confirmed in South Carolina until April 13, 2020.

November 10–11

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
0	9	19	3	2	0	0

An F2 tornado killed two people north of Des Arc, Arkansas during the overnight hours of November 11.

December

There were 18 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in December.

References

^ "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952 - 2011): 1995 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
^ "Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
^ "Severe Weather Database Files (1950-2021)". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
^ "European Severe Weather Database". eswd.eu.
^ Texas Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
^ "Pampa, Texas 6/8/95 Tornadoes". stormtrack.org. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
^ "Pampa - Hoover, Texas Chase | Tempest Tours | Storm Chasers". Tempest Tours. 1995-06-08. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
^ "Tornado damage at Kellerville, Texas from June 8, 1995 tornado". NOAA Photo Library. Retrieved 2024-01-09.

External links

U.S. tornadoes in 1995 - Tornado History Project
Tornadoes of 1995 (The Tornado Project)
Tornado deaths monthly

[1] "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952 - 2011): 1995 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 15, 2015.

[2] "Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 18, 2016.

[3] "Severe Weather Database Files (1950-2021)". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. July 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.

[4] "European Severe Weather Database". eswd.eu.

[5] Texas Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 3 February 2022.

[6] "Pampa, Texas 6/8/95 Tornadoes". stormtrack.org. Retrieved 2024-01-09.

[7] "Pampa - Hoover, Texas Chase | Tempest Tours | Storm Chasers". Tempest Tours. 1995-06-08. Retrieved 2024-01-09.

[8] "Tornado damage at Kellerville, Texas from June 8, 1995 tornado". NOAA Photo Library. Retrieved 2024-01-09.

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