Tornadoes of 1949

Tornadoes of 1949

Tornado at Manhattan, Kansas, on May 31, 1949.
Timespan	January 1 — December 23
Maximum rated tornado	F4 tornado 19 different locations on 13 different days
Tornadoes in U.S.	≥279[note 1]
Damage (U.S.)	Unknown
Fatalities (U.S.)	≥217[1]
Fatalities (worldwide)	>217
1947 1948 1949 1950 1951

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1949, primarily in the United States. Most recorded 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.

This was the final year when tornadoes were not officially surveyed by the U.S. Weather Bureau, which would later become the National Weather Service, as well as the final year where tornadoes had no official rating. All documented significant tornadoes prior to 1950 were given unofficial ratings by tornado experts like Thomas P. Grazulis, which this article uses for the ratings below. Most of these records are limited to significant tornadoes; those rated F2 or higher on the Fujita scale, or which caused a fatality.^[2] There are also no official tornado counts for each month, so not every month is included in this article. In subsequent years, the documentation of tornadoes became much more widespread and efficient, with the average annual tornado count being around 1,253.^[3] Outside the United States, various meteorological organizations, like the European Severe Storms Laboratory rated tornadoes, which are considered official ratings.

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