Louisiana, Arkansas, or Texas: which state has most deadly tornadoes?

SHREVEPORT, La. ( KTAL/KMSS ) – A new study uses information reported by the National Centers for Environmental Information , including the number of tornadoes per 1000 square miles and the number of direct and indirect deaths, to calculate the top ten most deadly states for tornadoes.

The study was conducted by Gatti, Keltner, Bienvenu & Montesi, PLC , personal injury attorneys who examined state-wide data that was obtained from Jan. 2019 until May 2024. Only tornadoes rated EF2 and above, with wind speeds of more than 111 miles per hour, were calculated in the study’s figures.

The study found that Mississippi was the worst state for twisters, with 13 tornadoes per 1000 square miles and 41 direct and indirect deaths and 428 direct injuries resulting from the tornadoes. Mississippi had a total of 96 EF2 or stronger tornadoes between 2019 and May of 2024.

The top five states that are safest from tornadoes are Hawaii, Alaska, Maine, Nevada, and Utah.

Arkansas ranked second worst in the nation, with 7 direct and indirect deaths from tornadoes between 2019 and 2024. Thirty-six Arkansas tornadoes were rated at EF2 or higher. There were 155 direct injuries and 7 direct and indirect deaths.

Louisiana ranked 7 ^th on the list with 15 direct and indirect deaths and a total of 45 EF2 or stronger tornadoes from 2019 until May 2024.

Where does Texas rank on the list? Nowhere—Texas isn’t on the top ten list of the deadliest U.S. states for twisters.

Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, South Carolina, and Ohio also made the top ten list.

Mike Montesi, Managing Partner at Gatti, Keltner, Bienvenu & Montesi, PLC , said that 2024 has been the worst year for severe active weather since 2011. There were more than 1000 tornadoes across the nation in just the first half of the year.

“Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia have been named the most dangerous,” he said. “It’s interesting to note that Texas has not been named among the worst states. Despite typically seeing more tornadoes than other states, with 686 being recorded from January 2019 to May 2024, Texas is the second-largest state in the U.S. Therefore, the events taking place are more spread out per 1,000 square miles and EF2 twisters are fewer per 100,000 people.”

To learn how to stay safe during a tornado, visit ready.gov/tornadoes

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