This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1960, 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.
There were 28 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March.[10]
March 8
A rare F1 tornado touched down in West Stayton, Oregon, causing moderate damage but no casualties.[11]
April
There were 70 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.[12]
April 12–18
FU
F0
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
0
2
18
10
7
0
0
An outbreak sequence spawned 37 tornadoes across the Midwest and the Northeast.[12] The first tornado of the outbreak occurred on April 12, when an F2 twister struck Laverne, Oklahoma, injuring three.[13] Later, another F2 twister hit Friona, Texas injuring another three.[14] That night, the worst tornado of the outbreak sequence moved through rural Castro County west of Hart, Texas at F3 intensity, killing three and injuring 32.[15][16]
More isolated activity occurred over the next three days, but strong tornadoes continued to bring destructive and deadly weather. On April 13, an isolated, but strong F2 tornado struck rural Saline County, Kansas.[17] The next day, a large, 833 yd (762 m) wide F3 tornado hit the towns of Alma, Dyer, and Mulberry, Arkansas, injuring three.[18] That evening, another F3 tornado then hit Johnson County, Arkansas causing major damage.[19] On April 15, a .25 mi (0.40 km) wide F3 tornado injured two near Louisburg, Kansas before growing to 500 yards (460 m) and passing near Cleveland, Missouri.[20]
Tornado activity continued into Illinois during the early morning hours of April 17 with an F2 tornado damaging Edgewood, Mason, northern Elliottstown and Dieterich and an F1 tornado injured four in Urbandale.[28][29][30] The outbreak ended on April 18 after an isolated, early-morning F1 tornado caused some minor damage southeast of Polhemustown, New Jersey.[31] In the end, the outbreak sequence affected 11 states, killing four and injuring 60.[12]
After a brief, one-hour lull in activity, multiple strong tornadoes tore through the Oklahoma City metro.[32] An F3 tornado moved through areas northwest of Tuttle, injuring one.[41][42] A very destructive F3 tornado then tore through southeastern Oklahoma City, just barely missing the downtown area before also striking Forest Park, Oklahoma. This tornado injured 57 people.[43][44] Later, an F2 tornado struck southwestern Oklahoma City and Moore, injuring six.[45][46] A 800 yards (730 m) wide F2 tornado then killed three and injured one near the town of Schoolton.[47][48][49]
Limited tornado activity continued over the next two days.[12] The strongest tornado to occur on April 29 was a massive, 1,667 yd (1,524 m) wide F2 tornado that struck Raymond and Panchoville, injuring four.[50][51] The final tornado of the outbreak occurred the next day when an F1 tornado injured one near Morgan Park, Indiana.[52][53] In the end, the outbreak affected five states, killing three and injuring 79.[12]
May
There were 201 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May.[54]
May 5 ended up being the worst day of the outbreak sequence as large outbreak of 31 tornadoes hit the Great Plains, Ozarks and Midwest with Oklahoma taking the brunt of the destruction as several deadly tornadoes touched down across state during the mid-afternoon.[60] It started when the strongest tornado of the year touched down and became a large, 800 yd (730 m) wide F5 storm as it tore through northern Tecumseh, eastern Shawnee (both of which had been hit by a long-tracked F3 tornado or tornado family earlier in the day), Prague, southeastern Kellyville, and Sapulpa, killing five and injuring 81 along its long 71.8 miles (115.6 km) track.[61][62] Later, a short-lived, but strong F3 tornado struck Hoffman, killing two and injuring 15.[63] Later, another long-tracked, violent F4 tornado became the deadliest of the outbreak when it struck Wilburton, western McCurtain, Keota, and southwestern Sallisaw, killing 16 and injuring 106 on its 62.4 miles (100.4 km) path.[64] At the same time, a destructive F2 tornado hit Texanna and eastern Duchess Landing, killing two and injuring six.[65]
More tornado activity continued into the evening and overnight hours and strong tornadoes began to hit other states, although the bulk of them remained in Oklahoma at first.[60] An F3 tornado struck western Moffett and western West Fort Smith, killing one.[66] A violent F4 tornado then ripped through Roland and Remy, killing five and injuring 13.[67] The final Oklahoma tornado of the outbreak was an F3 twister that blew through Bokoshe, Gans, and Akins, killing one.[68] Early the next morning in Arkansas, a deadly F3 tornado struck Menifee, Wooster, Greenbrier, and southern Enders, killing one and injuring 30.[69] An F2 then hit southeastern Formosa, injuring four.[70] The last twister to cause casualties occurred that afternoon when a large, 500 yd (460 m) wide F2 tornado ripped through Antioch and Searcy, injuring three.[71]
In all, the tornado outbreak sequence affected 10 states, although 31 of the 71 tornadoes, including all five violent tornadoes, occurred in Oklahoma alone. A total of 33 people were killed and 302 others were injured.[54]
May 13
A rare F0 tornado touched down northeast of Klamath, California. There was no damage or casualties reported.[72]
May 17–20
FU
F0
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
0
21
29
9
2
2
0
Another outbreak sequence of 63 tornadoes struck the Great Plains, Midwest, and Virginia with the bulk of the activity occurring on May 19.[54][73] The first tornado to cause casualties was on May 18, when an F2 twister injured one northeast of Orafino, Nebraska.[74] The next day featured four catastrophic F3+ tornadoes all produced by the same supercell.[73] An F4 tornado hit Wabaunsee, St. Marys, Kansas, injuring 12.[75] This tornado was rated F5 by tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis based on two farms being swept away.[76][77][78] The same cell produced another catastrophic F4 tornado that grew to .5 miles (0.80 km) wide and tore through Shawnee and Jefferson Counties, including the town of Ozawkie, killing one and injuring 92.[79] The cell then dropped another significant F3 tornado that hit the town of Oskaloosa, injuring one.[80] Later, the cell dropped another F3 tornado that hit the town of Springdale, causing another injury.[81]
The next day saw only one tornado cause casualties when an F1 twister moved through northern Bonham and White Shed, Texas, injuring one.[82] Overall, the outbreak killed one and injured 108.[54]
May 20 (Poland and Ukraine)
FU
F0
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
5
1
0
0
1
1
0
A significant and deadly outbreak of eight tornadoes struck Southern Poland and Northern Ukraine. The worst event was a violent F4 tornado that struck the town of Niechobrz causing the total destruction of some houses and killing three people. The tornado may have reached F5 intensity as well. Two more fatalities were recorded from tornadoes in Dynów and Gorliczyna.[83][84]
June
There were 125 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.[85]
June 14–17
FU
F0
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
0
4
14
8
0
0
0
A tornado outbreak sequence affected the Great Plains and the Midwest, as well as Alabama.[85] The main day of the outbreak was June 15, when 11 tornadoes touched down.[86] An F1 tornado killed one and injured three in rural Phelps County, Nebraska.[87] Another F1 tornado injured one in Freedom, Nebraska.[88] Overall, a total of 26 tornadoes touched down, killing one and injuring four.
^ abc"April 28, 1960 Tornadoes". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
^Oklahoma Event Report: F3 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Kansas F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
^"Kansas Event Report: F3 Tornado". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F2". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma Event Report: F2 Tornado". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
^Oklahoma Event Report: F3 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma Event Report: F3 Tornado". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma Event Report: F3 Tornado". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F2". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^Oklahoma Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F2". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^Oklahoma Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Louisiana F2". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Louisiana Event Report: F2 Tornado". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Indiana F1". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Indiana Event Report: F1 Tornado". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^ abcde"May 1960 Tornadoes". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Kansas F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Texas F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F4". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F4". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F5". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 5 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F4". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F2". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F4". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Oklahoma F3". National Weather Service. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Arkansas F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Arkansas F2". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Arkansas F2". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"California F0". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^ ab"May 19, 1960 Tornadoes". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Nebraska F2". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^"Kansas F4". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
^Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN1-879362-03-1.
^ ab"Hurricane Donna tornadoes". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
^"South Carolina F3". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
^"North Carolina F2". Tornado History Projects. Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.