National Storms

Washington tornado history

From 1950 through 2025, 135 tornadoes touched Washington, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, the 42nd most of the 48 contiguous states and DC. None was rated F4/EF4 or stronger by the National Weather Service; along their paths they killed 6 people and injured 303. The deadliest, on April 5, 1972, was rated F3 and killed 6 along a path through OR and WA. From 2016 to 2025, Washington averaged 2 tornadoes a year.

135tornadoes since 1950
222016–2025
3F3/EF3 or stronger
6deaths
303injuries
Oct 28, 2024latest in final record

Map of every Washington tornado path since 1950

Rating: 012345 unknown or preliminaryLines run from the start to the end point of each path; dots mark where each tornado touched down.

All 135 paths. Zoom in to your county; click a path for its date and rating.

1954: 1 F21956: 1 F01957: 1 F01957: 2 F21958: 1 F01958: 1 F21962: 1 F11964: 3 F01965: 1 F21966: 1 F21969: 1 F31970: 1 F11970: 1 F21971: 2 F11971: 1 F21972: 2 F21972: 2 F31978: 3 F11978: 1 F21979: 2 F01980: 1 F01980: 1 F11981: 1 F01981: 1 F11982: 1 F01982: 1 F11983: 1 F01983: 3 F11984: 2 F11985: 2 F11986: 1 F01986: 1 F21987: 1 F01987: 1 F11989: 1 F11990: 1 F01991: 2 F01992: 1 F01994: 2 F01996: 1 F01997: 7 F01997: 7 F11999: 2 F02000: 2 F02000: 1 F12001: 1 F02001: 1 F12003: 2 F02004: 8 F02004: 1 F12005: 3 F02005: 1 F12006: 2 F02008: 2 EF02008: 1 EF12009: 4 EF02009: 2 EF12010: 2 EF02011: 2 EF02013: 1 EF02013: 1 EF12014: 2 EF02014: 1 EF12015: 2 EF12016: 4 EF02017: 2 EF02018: 1 EF22019: 1 EF12019: 1 unknown rating2020: 1 EF02020: 1 EF12021: 2 EF02022: 2 EF02023: 3 EF02024: 4 EF019501957196419711978198519921999200620132020max 14
Tornadoes per year in Washington by rating, 1950–2025. Colors: F/EF0 (yellow) to F/EF5 (black); gray = unknown rating.

Source: National Storms (nationalstorms.com), CC BY 4.0, data from NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports.

Most recent tornadoes in Washington

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
Oct 28, 2024EF00.2 mi0 / 0Cowlitz County, WA → OR
May 1, 2024EF00.3 mi0 / 0Kittitas County, WA
Apr 18, 2024EF00.0 mi0 / 0Spokane County, WA
Mar 26, 2024EF00.0 mi0 / 0Lincoln County, WA
Oct 11, 2023EF00.5 mi0 / 0Clark County, WA
Jul 10, 2023EF00.9 mi0 / 0Lincoln County, WA
May 26, 2023EF00.4 mi0 / 0Grant County, WA
May 6, 2022EF02.1 mi0 / 0Spokane County, WA
May 6, 2022EF00.6 mi0 / 0Spokane County, WA
Sep 27, 2021EF03.9 mi0 / 0Clark County, WA
Mar 19, 2021EF00.3 mi0 / 0Pacific County, WA
Oct 9, 2020EF10.5 mi0 / 0Grays Harbor County, WA
Mar 31, 2020EF00.1 mi0 / 0Benton County, WA
Oct 18, 2019EF10.7 mi0 / 0Mason County, WA
Oct 4, 2019EFU0.1 mi0 / 0Thurston County, WA
Dec 18, 2018EF21.4 mi0 / 0Kitsap County, WA
Oct 12, 2017EF00.2 mi0 / 0Clark County, WA
Mar 24, 2017EF02.3 mi0 / 0Clark County, WA
Aug 9, 2016EF00.2 mi0 / 0Spokane County, WA
Jul 22, 2016EF00.2 mi0 / 0Spokane County, WA
Jul 22, 2016EF00.2 mi0 / 0Douglas County, WA
May 21, 2016EF00.1 mi0 / 0Benton County, WA
Dec 10, 2015EF10.8 mi0 / 0Clark County, WA
Jan 18, 2015EF14.1 mi0 / 0Pierce County, WA
Oct 23, 2014EF11.3 mi0 / 0Cowlitz County, WA

Deadliest tornadoes in Washington

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
Apr 5, 1972F38.7 mi6 / 300Multnomah County, OR → WA

The 50 strongest Washington tornadoes, ranked by rating, deaths and path length: Strongest tornadoes in Washington history

Longest tornado paths in Washington

DateRatingPath lengthDeaths / injuriesStarted in
Apr 24, 1958F045.0 mi0 / 0Walla Walla County, WA
May 31, 1997F112.0 mi0 / 0Lincoln County, WA
May 22, 1964F010.7 mi0 / 0Walla Walla County, WA → OR
May 9, 1956F010.2 mi0 / 0Benton County, WA
Jan 10, 2008EF110.1 mi0 / 0Clark County, WA
Sep 6, 2009EF19.6 mi0 / 0Pierce County, WA
Apr 5, 1972F38.7 mi6 / 300Multnomah County, OR → WA
Aug 18, 1964F05.2 mi0 / 0King County, WA
Jul 21, 1997F15.0 mi0 / 0Okanogan County, WA
Jul 21, 1997F15.0 mi0 / 0Okanogan County, WA

For tornadoes that crossed into another state, the path length, deaths and injuries are for the whole path.

Tornadoes by county

CountyTornadoes since 19502016–2025StrongestDeaths along pathsMost recent
Spokane County165F2/EF20Apr 18, 2024
Clark County154F3/EF36Oct 11, 2023
Lincoln County122F3/EF30Mar 26, 2024
Pierce County90F1/EF10Jan 18, 2015
Yakima County80F2/EF20Apr 7, 2008
Snohomish County70F2/EF20Jun 16, 2006
Walla Walla County60F2/EF20Aug 24, 1987
Grant County61F2/EF20May 26, 2023
Thurston County51F1/EF10Oct 4, 2019
Stevens County50F2/EF20Jul 21, 1997
Okanogan County50F1/EF10Aug 26, 1997
King County50F3/EF30Jun 11, 2001
Cowlitz County51F1/EF10Oct 28, 2024
Benton County52F0/EF00Mar 31, 2020
Franklin County40F1/EF10Apr 23, 1983
Whitman County30F2/EF20Oct 5, 2011
Pacific County31F0/EF00Mar 19, 2021
Lewis County30F2/EF20May 27, 2011
Kitsap County31F2/EF20Dec 18, 2018
Grays Harbor County31F1/EF10Oct 9, 2020
Douglas County31F0/EF00Jul 22, 2016
Adams County30F1/EF10Apr 23, 1983
Columbia County20F2/EF20Jan 16, 2000
Whatcom County10F0/EF00Apr 27, 2004
Pend Oreille County10F2/EF20Jul 17, 1978
Mason County11F1/EF10Oct 18, 2019
Kittitas County11F0/EF00May 1, 2024
Garfield County10F2/EF20Mar 14, 1966
Ferry County10F0/EF00Apr 25, 2008

Cities with 5 or more tornadoes within 10 miles

Airway Heights Battle Ground Camas Colville Fife Kelso La Center Lakewood Longview Medical Lake Milton Puyallup Ridgefield Spokane Vancouver Woodland

Tornadoes in Washington by year

YearTornadoesF/EF012345UnknownDeathsInjuries
20244400000000
20233300000000
20222200000000
20212200000000
20202110000000
20192010000100
20181001000000
20172200000000
20164400000000
20152020000000
20143210000000
20132110000000
20112200000000
20102200000000
20096420000000
20083210000000
20062200000000
20054310000000
20049810000000
20032200000000
20012110000000
20003210000000
19992200000000
199714770000000
19961100000000
19942200000000
19921100000000
19912200000000
19901100000000
19891010000001
19872110000000
19862101000000
19852020000000
19842020000000
19834130000000
19822110000000
19812110000000
19802110000000
19792200000000
19784031000000
1972400220006301
19713021000000
19702011000000
19691000100001
19661001000000
19651001000000
19643300000000
19621010000000
19582101000000
19573102000000
19561100000000
19541001000000

More for Washington: strongest tornadoes · damaging wind history · hail history · all states

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Severe Weather Database (SVRGIS) tornado file, 1950–2025, and SPC preliminary storm reports for 2026 (data through November 6, 2026). Ratings are the ones the National Weather Service assigned: Fujita (F) scale before Feb 1, 2007, Enhanced Fujita (EF) after. Paths are drawn as straight lines from the start to the end point SPC records; real paths curve. City and county boundaries: US Census Bureau.