Spring gets the attention, but the South has a second tornado season in late fall. NOAA’s Storm Events Database lists 3,302 tornado reports in November from 1950 through 2025.
States with the most November tornadoes
| State | November tornado reports since 1950 |
|---|---|
| Texas | 386 |
| Mississippi | 367 |
| Alabama | 358 |
| Louisiana | 280 |
| Arkansas | 209 |
| Oklahoma | 183 |
| Florida | 151 |
| Georgia | 150 |
| Tennessee | 125 |
| Illinois | 124 |
A tornado that crosses a state line is counted once in each state.
The worst Novembers
- 1992: 202 November tornado reports, the most of any year. On November 21 and 22, an outbreak produced violent F4 tornadoes from Texas to Kentucky, including one that killed 10 people in Rankin County, Mississippi.
- November 15, 1989: an F4 tornado struck Huntsville, Alabama, during the evening rush hour, killing 21 people and injuring 463.
- November 9 to 11, 2002: the Veterans Day outbreak killed people in Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio. NOAA records list 37 tornado deaths that month.
- November 6, 2005: an F3 tornado hit Evansville, Indiana, at night, killing 20 people in Vanderburgh County alone.
- November 17, 2013: an EF4 tore through Washington, Illinois, in Tazewell County.
- November 4, 2022: EF4 tornadoes hit Lamar and Red River counties in Texas and McCurtain County, Oklahoma.
Why late fall is dangerous
In November, strong jet stream winds return while warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico can still reach the South. That mix can feed fast-moving storms. Fall tornadoes often strike at night and can be hidden by rain, which makes warnings harder to act on.
What to do
- Have two ways to get warnings at night, such as a weather radio and phone alerts.
- Pick a safe room on the lowest floor, away from windows.
- Mobile homes are not safe in a tornado. Know where you will go before a watch is issued.
See how many tornadoes your county has had on the tornado risk map, and read our tornado risk guide.
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, county tornado reports, November 1950 to November 2025.