As of 2026-10-12, Grand Harbour of Malta tornado tops the list with 600 deaths.
- #1 Grand Harbour of Malta tornado — 600 deaths
disastrous weather event in 1551
The Grand Harbour of Malta tornado was a tornado in Malta, killing at least 600 people. It supposedly began as a waterspout, hitting the Grand Harbour of Malta where it killed hundreds of people who drowned when their ships capsized. At least four of the Order's galleys, named Santa Fè, San Michele, San Filippo and San Claudio, capsized in the tornado. The date of the tornado is unknown, as sources vary between 23 September 1551 or 23 September 1556. TORRO indicates a rating of T7 on the... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #2 2011 Joplin tornado — 161 deaths
tornado in Missouri, US
The Joplin tornado was an extremely devastating EF5 tornado that struck the city of Joplin, Missouri during the early evening hours of May 22, 2011, causing catastrophic damage to Joplin and surrounding regions. As part of a larger late-May sequence of tornadic activity, the extremely violent tornado began just west of Joplin at about 5:34 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) and quickly reached a peak width of nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) as it tracked through the southern part of the city, before later... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #3 2016 Jiangsu tornado — 98 deaths
tornado destruction China
On the afternoon of June 23, 2016, a severe thunderstorm produced an extremely large, deadly and violent tornado over the province of Jiangsu, China. Striking areas northeast of Yancheng around 2:30 p.m. local time, the tornado killed 98 people and injured 846 others (152 critically). The China Meteorological Administration later rated the tornado as an EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. Another tornado spawned by the same supercell killed one person in the Sheyang area. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #4 1898 Fort Smith, Arkansas tornado — 55 deaths
severe weather event in the United States
On January 11, 1898, a series of tornadoes affected the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri, as well as the Indian Territory, presently Oklahoma. At least five in all, these included the Fort Smith tornado, which struck the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Retroactively rated a violent (F4) tornado on the modern-day Fujita scale, it was part of a tornado family that formed 60 mi (97 km) to the southwest, and struck the city around midnight, killing 55 people and injuring 113. The twister... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #5 1917 Hebron-Kouts tornado — 53 deaths
tornado in Porter county, Indiana
source Wikidata - #6 Tornado, May 12, 1886, Madrid, Spain — 47 deaths source Wikidata
- #7 1970 Venice tornado — 36 deaths
F4 tornado that struck Venice, Italy, in September 1970
source Wikidata - #8 Regina Cyclone — 28 deaths
tornado
On Sunday, June 30, 1912, a violent and deadly tornado devastated the city of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The tornado, also known as the Regina Cyclone or the Regina tornado of 1912, remains the deadliest tornado in Canadian history with a total of 28 fatalities and about 300 people injured. At about 4:50 p.m., green funnel clouds formed and touched down south of the city, tearing through the residential area between Wascana Lake and Victoria Avenue, and continuing through the downtown... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #9 Edmonton tornado — 27 deaths
F4 tornado that hit Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in 1987
The Edmonton tornado, known as Black Friday to Edmontonians, was a powerful and devastating tornado that ripped through the eastern suburbs of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and parts of neighbouring Strathcona County on the afternoon of Friday, July 31, 1987. Six other tornadoes occurred in central Alberta the same day. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #10 Evansville tornado outbreak of November 2005 — 25 deaths
deadly F3 tornado in Evansville, Indiana
During the overnight hours of November 6, 2005, an intense, destructive, and deadly high-end F3 nocturnal tornado inflicted severe destruction to areas around Evansville, Indiana. The tornado resulted in 24 confirmed fatalities across the region, making it the deadliest and most destructive November tornado in Indiana's history. The tornado also became the deadliest of the first decade of the 2000s. The tornado touched down in Kentucky near the community of Smith Mills. Read more on Wikipedia.
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