2025 US Tornadoes and Severe Storms
About
CDP knows from experience that tornadoes do not receive as much funding as other natural hazards. As of May 1, media coverage at the national level for recent storms has been diluted due to other breaking news. The needs of rural communities most affected by the storms within large geographic areas are largely ignored. Funders must consider these circumstances when investing in disaster recovery.
Key Facts
- NOAA says, “Historically, for every 100 preliminary tornado reports, at least 65 tornadoes are confirmed.” CDP often uses preliminary NWS or NOAA/NCEI data because final numbers take significant time.
- For 2025, there have been 689 reported tornadoes in the U.S., including 81 that were EF-2 or higher.
- The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) confirmed 35 tornado-related deaths as of April 19. Of these deaths, 23 occurred in manufactured housing, highlighting the risk this type of housing brings.
- In 2024, there were at least 1,473 confirmed tornado reports. This is well above the 20-year U.S. average (from 1991 to 2010) of 1,225.
- The United States has not experienced an EF-5 twister since the Moore Tornado in 2013. While most tornadoes (90%) are rated EF-0 or EF-1, they can still cause severe damage to mobile homes and manufactured housing.
- Since 1880, the percentage of fatalities during daytime tornadoes has decreased by 20%, while the percentage of deaths during nighttime tornadoes has increased by the same amount. Annually, nighttime tornadoes kill twice as many people as daytime tornadoes.
Communities Served
About the Host
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy Inc (CDP) mobilizes philanthropy to strengthen communities and help them withstand and recover from disasters. They provide information, analysis, and educational resources about disasters through their website, online community, and webinars. CDP also collaborates with Candid to collect and analyze data on disaster-focused charitable giving, aiming to support the full arc of a disaster response. They have released the State of Disaster Philanthropy report and the Disaster Philanthropy Playbook, which offers promising practices and innovative approaches for the philanthropic community to respond to future disasters.
EIN
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