Sudden downturn of F5 tornadoes
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The United States has been experiencing a somewhat unusual lack of tornadoes ranked at "F5" on the Fujita scale. As of May 2005, no F5s have occurred since the Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak of May 1999. However, it is not unheard-of to go five or six years between F5 tornadoes. There were no F5s during stretches within 1947-1953, 1977-1982, and 1985-1990.
So far this century, there have been several F4s in the US:
- Hoisington, Kansas - April 21, 2001 - 1 death.
- College Park, Maryland - September 24, 2001 - 2 deaths.
- La Plata, Maryland - April 28, 2002 - 1 death. (originally classified as F5 but later assessments confirmed it was an F4)
- Van Wert, Ohio - November 10, 2002 - 5 deaths.
- Leavenworth, Kansas - May 4, 2003 - 4 deaths.
- Kansas City, Kansas - May 4, 2003 - 1 death.
- Jackson, Tennesee - May 4, 2003 - 11 deaths.
- Grand Chain, Illinois - May 6, 2003 - 2 deaths.
- Moore, Oklahoma - May 8, 2003
- Coleridge, Nebraska - June 23, 2003 - 1 death.
- Manchester, South Dakota - June 24, 2003
- Hallam, Nebraska - May 22, 2004 - 1 death.
- Weatherby, Missouri - May 29, 2004 - 3 deaths.
- Roanoke, Illinois - July 13, 2004
Deaths in a Home
In every recorded year until 2004, there had always been one tornado-related death inside a home before that year's May 10. The May 22, 2004 Hallam, Nebraska death is the latest date inside of a year for a tornado death in a home. The previous record is May 7, 1900.