This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1989, 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.
Synopsis
1989 was an average year in terms of numbers of tornadoes and fatalities. May and June both saw over 200 tornadoes and after the usual summer lull, a significant November outbreak led to the devastating Huntsville, Alabama F4 tornado. There were three tornadoes in Nevada including an F0 on June 7 and two F1 tornadoes on September 17 and October 14, (both in Clark County) which is an unusually high number for the state.
Events
January
There were 14 tornadoes confirmed in the US in January.
January 7
A small tornado outbreak impacted parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Mississippi. An F4 tornado destroyed dozens of homes and businesses in Allendale, Illinois before moving into Indiana, injuring 55 people. An F2 tornado injured six people along an intermittent path in eastern Illinois, destroying six homes and damaging 46 in Mill Shoals. Another F2 tornado caused significant damage in the business district of Prairie, Mississippi.
February
There were 18 tornadoes confirmed in the US in February.
February 20–21
An outbreak brought 17 tornadoes to the Southern United States on February 20 and 21. Four F2 tornadoes touched down in northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama. One caused significant damage near Sulligent, Alabama on February 20. All six tornadoes that touched down the next day were weak. An F0 tornado injured one person north of Dillon, South Carolina.
March
There were 43 tornadoes confirmed in the US in March.
March 4–5
An outbreak of tornadoes 13 tornadoes, stretching from Mississippi to Georgia, occurred through the overnight hours of March 4 and into the night of March 5. An F2 tornado traveled 53 miles through Chambers County, Alabama, Randolph County, Heard County, Georgia, and Coweta County, the tornado caused the first tornado-related fatality in Georgia since 1977 when a 68-year-old man was killed in his mobile home near Franklin. A tornado also hit south and east of Newnan, Georgia, dealing F3 damage to a motel, ripping the roof off and collapsing walls injuring 8 people. Other buildings, such as those in the White Oaks subdivision were damaged or destroyed. Another F3 tornado occurred in Hinds County, Mississippi,the second of three tornadoes in a family, it destroyed 9 houses and 2 barns, injuring 5 and killing many cattle.
April
There were 82 tornadoes confirmed in the US in April.
April 3
An F3 tornado hit Fort Branch, Indiana. Although there were no fatalities, eight people were injured and damage was estimated between 5 and 50 million dollars.
April 26 (Bangladesh)
An extremely destructive and deadly tornado struck the Manikganj District in central Bangladesh. The tornado affected the cities of Daulatpur and Saturia the most, moving east through Daulatpur and eventually northeast and into Saturia. In total, this tornado killed an estimated 1,300 people making it the deadliest single tornado in world history.
May
There were 231 tornadoes confirmed in the US in May, including seven F4 tornadoes.
May 5
A deadly outbreak spawned 17 tornadoes in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, and was responsible for a combined total of $169 million in damage in the four states. It also caused seven deaths and 168 injuries.
May 24
On May 24, an outbreak brought 29 tornadoes to the Upper Midwest. An F4 tornado destroyed a farm near Prescott, Iowa, scattering three hundred pigs across a field. A second F4 tornado destroyed two farms east of Liscomb, Iowa. This storm injured three people on one farm according to Thomas P. Grazulis, but no injuries are listed in official records. An F2 tornado destroyed a home and several outbuildings near Cainsville, Missouri. All other tornadoes in this outbreak were weak, rated F0 or F1.
June
There were 252 tornadoes confirmed in the US in June.
June 8
Two tornadoes killed five people in Florida and Louisiana. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, an F2 hit an aluminum plant at 6:30 AM, killing two. The same storm spawned a brief multi-vortex F1 in Plaquemine, Louisiana with no serious damage. Later in the afternoon, an F2 came ashore east of Apalachicola, Florida, killing three.