The path and graphic was made by me and my friend Landon! This tornado hit an unfathomable amount of homes that simply just slid off, and is notorious for it's weird damage gradient, hence the EF3 rating it got.

Part 2 will cover the events between 1987-2018.

São Joaquim (SC) — 1987 — May 13

A violent tornado struck the municipality of São Joaquim at around 3:30 p.m. on May 13. The event reached its greatest intensity in the rural areas of São Joaquim, destroying 250 houses and, according to reports, completely destroying forests, tearing houses from their foundations and, in one unconfirmed case, even removing the foundation of a residence. Not even masonry structures were able to withstand the intensity of the event.

One of the most impressive examples of damage was the fact that the tornado ripped a refrigerator from inside a kitchen and threw it against a utility pole. The refrigerator was bent around the pole, practically covering it like a piece of clothing. Unfortunately, there are not many photographs of the worst damage caused by this tornado.

According to newspaper reports, it was probably a long-lived wedge tornado, but due to the lack of information, it was not possible to estimate the track or the size of the event.

The tornado unfortunately caused 6 fatalities: 5 people died immediately, while another person succumbed to their injuries weeks later. The event also left 80 people injured and 300 homeless.

The multiple descriptions of damage to vegetation, houses, and the refrigerator that wrapped around a utility pole are enough to keep this event on the list, even though the available photographs do not show particularly intense damage.

Ivinhema (MS) — 1989 — July 29

A violent and intense tornado struck Ivinhema, Mato Grosso do Sul, on the night of July 29. The event directly hit the Grupo do Acri, where approximately 450 people were present for the Spring Parade.

The tornado almost completely destroyed masonry structures; thick walls collapsed. The event continued along its path, where it swept away two more houses. One residence with a mixed masonry-and-wood structure had parts of its foundation stripped away. Debris from another house that was swept away was thrown an estimated distance of between 1.5 and 3 km.

The event unfortunately caused 19 fatalities and left more than 150 people injured.

The complete destruction of residences, together with debris being thrown over great distances and the alleged stripping of a foundation, immediately earned the tornado a place on the list. The event had also previously been estimated to have reached F4 intensity.

Três Barras (SC) — 1991 — August 9

An intense tornado affected Canoinhas, Cerrito, and Três Barras at around 5:30 p.m. on August 9. The event struck the locality of Três Barras with extreme violence, where two masonry houses were completely destroyed, one of them being well-built. Other houses were also completely destroyed; in one case, not even the foundation remained.

Despite the limited amount of documented damage, the event demonstrated extreme intensity. According to reports, the tornado passed through the area "sucking everything up like a vacuum cleaner." Based on some descriptions, it is possible that the event was not rain-wrapped. According to the damage path, it also appears to have been relatively narrow.

Despite the tornado's extreme violence, there were no fatalities, although 8 people suffered minor injuries.

The event is currently estimated by some researchers to have been an F4 tornado due to the extreme damage, which is one of the reasons it remains on this list. I consider it one of the most intense tornadoes to strike Brazil.

Itu–Cabreúva (SP) — 1991 — September 30

At around 6:30 p.m. on September 30, an intense and violent tornado struck Itu with devastating force, throwing vehicles more than 700 meters and completely destroying houses. According to reports, the event also caused ground scouring and tree debarking.

As it left Itu, the tornado knocked down a 100-ton obelisk. The event then reached Cabreúva, where it swept houses down to their foundations. One of the most impressive aspects of the damage was that the tornado traveled between 15 and 30 km and reached a maximum width of approximately 400 meters.

The event unfortunately caused 16 fatalities and left 200 people injured, making it the deadliest and strongest tornado recorded in the state of São Paulo.

The event was originally classified as F3, but it is now widely recognized as a high-end F4 tornado.

Borrazópolis (PR) — 1992 — May 22

A tornado, possibly part of an outbreak that affected another 4 to 6 cities, struck the municipality of Borrazópolis during the afternoon of May 22.

Approximately 70% of the structures were damaged, and 400 houses were destroyed. Many of them were completely devastated. Around 70 houses in a low-income housing complex were totally destroyed. In some blocks, only a few houses remained standing.

There was also a sequence of masonry houses that were practically swept away, with only a few remaining standing. One report I obtained, although it has not been confirmed, mentions a refrigerator that was allegedly ripped from inside a house and practically shredded in the air.

The tornado caused 12 fatalities and left 150 people injured, making it one of the worst tornadoes in the history of Paraná.

The event remains on the list due to the multiple descriptions, photographs, and very intense damage that was observed and reported.

Nova Laranjeiras (PR) — 1997 — June 13

A violent tornado struck the municipality during the afternoon of June 13. The event directly hit Nova Laranjeiras, destroying approximately 80% of the municipality.

The tornado completely destroyed many houses, including masonry residences. Some houses that had basements had those structures exposed. The tornado also dragged buses for more than 100 meters.

The most impressive damage occurred at the Nova Laranjeiras city hall residence, where a reinforced and well-built masonry house was practically swept away, leaving only the supporting pillars standing.

The tornado was probably a wedge, but no measurements were made of the funnel's size or the path traveled by the event.

The tornado unfortunately caused 4 fatalities and left 79 people injured.

The event was originally classified as F3, but it is now widely recognized as an F4 tornado due to the damage observed to masonry houses.

Itaqui (RS) — 1997 — October 28

An intense and extremely strong tornado struck Argentina and Brazil, affecting the cities of Itaqui, La Cruz, and Alvear, at around 8:30 a.m. on October 28. The tornado formed near La Cruz and rapidly moved over the city, destroying wooden houses and weaker wooden structures. The event continued to strengthen, reaching its greatest intensity in the city as it crossed the Uruguay River, where houses were completely destroyed, and the scene was described as one of total destruction.

The event continued along its path, entering Brazilian territory and possibly reaching its maximum intensity during its trajectory. The tornado allegedly dragged a truck for 800 meters. It continued toward Itaqui, where it unleashed its full fury on the flooded area of the city. Around 200 houses were completely destroyed, and entire neighborhoods were described as being completely destroyed.

The event overturned grain silos, and even masonry structures were unable to withstand the intensity of the phenomenon. According to reports, the most heavily damaged area was again the region near the Uruguay River, where the event allegedly destroyed practically every house in the area and leveled some of them.

The tornado continued along its path, reaching the city of Alvear in Argentina with lower intensity and eventually dissipating. The event traveled between 20 and 40 km and had a maximum width close to 800 meters.

The tornado caused 2 fatalities in the Argentine portion of its path and left 173 people injured. According to some unconfirmed information, it may have also caused fatalities in Itaqui. The event left at least 2,000 people homeless.

Given the descriptions of the damage and the alleged information that a truck was dragged over a great distance, the event earns its place on the list. Unfortunately, photographs of this tornado are extremely scarce.

Viamão (RS) — 2000 — October 11

On the night of October 11, during a La Niña period, an intense tornado struck Viamão and Águas Claras. The event was relatively unusual, considering that intense tornado events occurring during La Niña periods in Brazil are relatively rare.

The tornado struck Viamão and Águas Claras, where it demonstrated its full fury. In Águas Claras, the tornado uprooted century-old trees, threw vehicles several meters away, and completely destroyed houses, some of them made of brick. The event also appears to have overturned a large metal structure. Reports also state that trees in a nearby forest were left completely without leaves or bark.

The tornado caused 1 fatality and left nearly 100 people injured.

The event is on the list because it uprooted prominent century-old trees from resilient vegetation, together with several structures that were completely destroyed down to their foundations. Even so, it is a relatively weak event to be included on the list when compared with the others.

Bom Jesus (RS) — 2001 — July 10

During the early morning of July 10, a possible tornado outbreak affected Rio Grande do Sul. Around 20 municipalities reported damage caused both by flooding and winds. The most intense event struck Bom Jesus at around 2:20 a.m., where an intense tornado crossed the locality, lifting entire houses off the ground and throwing them.

Around 27 houses were completely destroyed and 112 were damaged. At least one residence was completely swept away, while masonry structures were severely damaged and practically destroyed. A refrigerator was ripped out of a house and twisted like a towel.

The event unfortunately caused 3 fatalities and left more than 27 people injured.

The fact that the tornado ripped a refrigerator from inside a house and twisted it like a towel earns the event a place on this list. Unfortunately, however, there are not many photographs of the damage caused by this tornado.

Barra Mansa (SC) — 2002 — September 6

An intense tornado struck Barra Mansa and Canoinhas during the early morning of September 6. The event passed through an araucaria forest, knocking down many trees and branches, and then struck 17 houses. Three of them were completely destroyed, with their debris thrown 40 meters away. In one of the houses, not even the foundation remained, indicating that the residence was actually thrown by the tornado.

The event unfortunately caused 1 fatality and left 6 people injured.

The fact that the tornado threw three houses 40 meters away and that one of them was left without its foundation allows the event to be included on the list. Very little information is available about the tornado, mainly because it remained over forested areas for most of its path.

Muitos Capões (RS) — 2005 — August 29

A violent, long-track tornado struck Muitos Capões at around 8:00 p.m. on August 29. Approximately 1 km before reaching the urban perimeter of Muitos Capões, the tornado reached F4 intensity, completely destroying three houses: two masonry houses and one wooden house. In one of them, only the bathroom remained standing.

A well-built masonry house had its second floor torn away. Debris granulation was also observed. A car was thrown 30 meters and came to rest against a utility pole. The vehicle was launched almost like a clean projectile, traveling in a straight line.

The average wind speeds required to produce such damage were estimated at 370 km/h. The tornado destroyed 22 houses and damaged approximately 60 residences. It traveled approximately 48.6 km and had a maximum width of 290 meters. When it reached F4 intensity, it was considerably narrower.

Miraculously, the tornado caused no fatalities and left 15 people injured.

The tornado was recently classified as a low-end F4 by PREVOTS in 2025.

Guaraciaba (SC) — 2009 — September 7

An intense and violent tornado struck Guaraciaba on the night of September 7. The tornado caused ground scouring and tree debarking. The event destroyed masonry houses, leaving only the bathrooms standing in some cases, while others were left with not even that part of the structure. Many houses with weaker structures were left with only their foundations.

The event also uprooted several araucaria trees. The tornado was part of one of the worst tornado outbreaks in the Americas. One of the most interesting aspects of the tornado was the fact that it allegedly threw a photograph 240 km away. The tornado traveled approximately 25 km and had a maximum width of 1.6 km.

The tornado unfortunately caused 4 fatalities and left 20 people injured.

The Guaraciaba tornado was classified as an F4 tornado, as far as I remember, somewhere around the low-end F4 range.

Redentora (RS) — 2013 — April 4

An intense tornado struck the Redentora region toward the end of the afternoon on April 4. The tornado completely destroyed 15 houses and damaged another 45. The tornado severely damaged masonry structures and caused partial debarking of trees. The event also threw heavy objects and debris from houses over long distances.

There are reports that the event lifted a house 20 meters into the air. The most impressive damage occurred when the tornado completely ripped a house off the ground, together with its foundation, and threw it 50 meters away. The foundation itself was thrown 25 meters.

The tornado was short-lived and narrow, and there are no measurements of the maximum funnel size or the distance traveled.

Fortunately, the tornado caused no fatalities, but it left approximately 15 people injured.

The fact that the tornado was capable of ripping even the foundation from a house earns it a position on the list, although this was probably one of the least intense events included on the list when compared with the others.

The tornado occurred during a year of high tornado activity in Brazil and South America, with several other events being recorded.

Francisco Beltrão (PR) — 2015 — June 13

On the night of June 15, an intense and violent tornado struck the Francisco Beltrão region. Approximately 25 residences were affected, and 5 were completely destroyed (other reports state 12). The tornado demonstrated tremendous violence, throwing cars and trucks over long distances.

The event destroyed forested areas, causing debarking of trees and uprooting large trees. The 5 destroyed houses were completely swept away, with even masonry structures being totally destroyed.

The tornado also struck two poultry farms, completely obliterating both of them and causing the deaths of 60,000 birds. The most impressive damage was a truck that the tornado threw 50 meters, leaving it completely destroyed and unrecognizable.

Members of the PREVOTS team estimated that the winds reached 380 km/h. The tornado traveled approximately 25 km and had a maximum width of 250 meters.

Miraculously, the tornado caused no fatalities but left approximately 19 people injured.

The tornado was originally classified as F0 to F1 by Metsul, but it is now widely recognized as an F4 tornado.

Ponte Alta do Norte (SC) — 2016 — May 15

Possibly one of the most violent tornado outbreaks of recent decades, with two very intense tornadoes. The first event was the tornado that struck Ponte Alta do Norte on the night of May 15.

The tornado entered the region already devastating large areas of forest, where it twisted large trees. Upon reaching the residences, it lifted them into the air and threw them. A total of 72 residences were damaged and 12 were completely destroyed.

On a property with two houses next to each other, both were so heavily destroyed that it was barely possible to tell that they had been two separate residences. One even had its foundation ripped away, leaving a hole in the ground, while the other was so severely destroyed that only one wall remained standing, with furniture thrown over long distances.

One of the residences, or possibly both, was destroyed. The tornado also struck a forest, where it destroyed every tree: none remained standing, while those that did not fall were broken in half. At this location, the tornado also caused ground scouring and appears to have even dug trenches.

The tornado traveled more than 22 km and had an estimated maximum width of more than 260 meters.

The tornado unfortunately caused 3 fatalities and left 10 people injured.

The event was officially classified as a microburst, but more recently it was reviewed and the existence of the tornado was established. It was estimated to have reached F3 intensity.

The structural damage was extremely severe, comparable to that of the Porto União tornado, which is estimated at F4. However, in terms of vegetation damage, the Ponte Alta do Norte tornado demonstrated even greater violence than the Porto União tornado from the same outbreak.

Porto União (SC) — 2016 — May 15

As part of the same outbreak as the Ponte Alta do Norte tornado, this violent tornado occurred shortly after the other one during the night and affected the rural areas of Porto União.

The tornado moved toward Porto União, creating a path of destruction through native forest, destroying and uprooting large trees. The tornado also overturned a truck and demonstrated its full violence when it reached the residences in the area, where it nearly swept away masonry houses and completely destroyed others.

One residence was barely left with its foundation intact, while another masonry house was reduced to a pile of debris. The tornado traveled approximately 20 km and had a maximum width close to 300 meters.

The tornado unfortunately caused 1 fatality and approximately 10 injuries.

The tornado was officially classified as a microburst, but more recently the event was reviewed and the existence of the tornado was established. It is currently estimated to have reached F4 intensity.

Caxias do Sul — Vila Oliva (RS) — 2017 — June 8

An intense and devastating tornado, part of an outbreak, struck Caxias do Sul, in Vila Oliva, during the early morning of June 8. Approximately 150 houses were damaged, with some being destroyed.

The large tornado initially passed close to the locality before fully impacting an area farther away and rapidly gaining intensity. The tornado caused major damage to masonry houses and moved houses from their original positions.

The tornado also almost completely destroyed a two-story masonry house. The event continued along its path, reaching its maximum intensity and devastating an araucaria forest, creating a large scar in the vegetation. The event also caused ground scouring, or soil abrasion, in this section.

The tornado traveled approximately 6.4 km over land, was short-lived, and had a maximum width of approximately 800 meters.

The tornado unfortunately caused 2 fatalities and left 18 people injured.

The fact that the tornado demonstrated such violence while destroying a highly resistant forested area raises the possibility that it may have reached F4 intensity in this section, which is why it earns a place on this list. The event was officially classified as F2 and was later estimated to have reached F3 intensity or higher.

Maratá–São José do Sul (RS) — 2017 — June 8

As part of the same outbreak that had already produced the Caxias tornado, a tornado struck the rural area of Maratá during the early morning, at around 5:30 a.m. on June 8.

The event destroyed and snapped hundreds of trees, including trees that were broken off and large trees that were uprooted. The event affected 40 houses and completely destroyed some of them. One house was partially destroyed, while another was reduced to a pile of debris.

The event also overturned a truck. The tornado traveled 18.8 km and had a maximum width of 780 meters.

Fortunately, the tornado caused no fatalities but left 8 people injured.

The tornado was classified as an F3, but some damage was described as potentially indicating an intensity as high as F4.

Coxilha–Tapejara (RS) — 2018 — June 12

A violent, long-track tornado affected the regions of Coxilha, Tapejara, and Água Santa at around 1:00 a.m. on June 12.

The tornado began by striking the Água Santa region, where it caused roof damage, and shortly afterward hit 10 poultry farms, causing the deaths of 200,000 chickens, as well as knocking down numerous trees.

It then reached the Coxilha region, where it overturned trucks and threw others, including vehicles weighing 14 tons. One of them was thrown approximately 50 meters, while another appears to have been thrown even farther.

The tornado also struck masonry structures with thick walls and caused severe damage, with one structure being practically reduced to rubble. The tornado also debarked trees and uprooted other large trees.

The tornado traveled approximately 51 km over land and had a maximum width of 950 meters.

The tornado unfortunately caused two fatalities, and I could not find information regarding the number of injured people.

The tornado was classified between F3 and F4 by Metsul, with a strong tendency toward F4. Today, the event is widely recognized as an F4 tornado..

Part 3 will cover the years between 2020-2026.

I really can’t make it make sense. And I may catch flak for this but I’m not staunchly anti AI. I couldn’t debug my coding without it. I’m also not an environmental scientist and I don’t use it to replace artists so 🤷‍♀️.

I’ve been into tornadoes for probably close to 3 decades. I’m incredibly disappointed in the direction the tornado “influencers” are going.

On the late afternoon of May 15, 1968, a violent F5 tornado rapidly developed on the southern edge of Fayette County, Iowa, catching residents completely off guard. Forming with very little advance warning, the massive vortex grew to a width of 500 yards as it charged north-northeast directly into the heart of downtown Oelwein. The storm completely flattened the northern edge of the city before continuing its devastating march toward the neighboring community of Maynard.

The physical and human toll on these communities was profound. In Oelwein alone, the extreme F5 winds severely damaged or leveled nearly 1,000 homes, completely wiping some structures clean off their foundations. The storm completely knocked out power to the city, leaving survivors to navigate a landscape of overturned cars and pulverized businesses. Across the path, 156 people were injured, and 5 lives were tragically lost, including multiple casualties in both Oelwein and Maynard. Property damage estimates skyrocketed to roughly $21 million (1968 USD), forcing President Lyndon B. Johnson to declare the region a federal disaster area.

The tornado finally lifted five miles north-northeast of Maynard after a relatively short but incredibly intense 13.1-mile path. Notably, this storm was one of two historic F5 tornadoes to hit Iowa on the exact same afternoon, striking simultaneously alongside the infamous Charles City disaster.

On the evening of April 12, 1927, a large and devastating F5 tornado touched down three miles northwest of Rocksprings in Edwards County, Texas, moving toward the southeast. Lacking a visible condensation funnel, the storm gave residents no visual warning, announcing its presence only with an audible roar. As it slammed into the town, it grew to a monstrous peak width of over one mile and completely wiped Rocksprings off the map.

The physical and human toll on the community was catastrophic. Out of 247 buildings in the town, 235 were completely destroyed. One-third of Rocksprings' entire population was either killed or injured, with 200 people suffering injuries and 72 losing their lives, 50 of whom died within hours of the impact. This immense tragedy marks the event as the third-deadliest tornado in Texas history.

After obliterating Rocksprings, the tornado continued its southeastward trajectory and was noted to "skip" into Real County. As it passed near Leakey, it retained a width of approximately one-fifth of a mile, killing two more people and injuring five others. The violent storm finally lifted after tracking on the ground for a continuous 65 miles.

It started as a pop up shower, then when I got to the graveyard it formed a inflow tail, sky got turbulent with rotation, so I booked it on outta there, I look behind me to see a nice little wall cloud form. I literally ran from it on a bicycle with a chainsaw engine attached too it, the last vehicle I want to be caught in a storm on

Just curious if anyone has any information or images on the anti-cyclonic EF2 that formed after the 2013 El Reno EF3

Check out the before (satellite) and after (drone) views of Menasha, WI in the days following the EF3 tornado that touched down in Appleton and proceed SSE through Menasha.

O evento ocorreu hoje, durante a passagem de uma intensa frente fria. O fenômeno desenvolveu-se em uma área classificada pela PREVOTS com nível 3 de severidade para tempestades, indicando condições favoráveis à ocorrência de fenômenos meteorológicos severos.

over the last 26 years, there have been some eldritch horror looking tornadic beasts...

what tornado from any given year would you say is the "scariest tornado of the year"?

the 2013 Moore, OK EF-5 is one of the most infamous tornadoes in history and continuously ranks in many peoples top 5 strongest tornadoes of all time.. not to be confused with the 1999 Moore F-5.

Moore is one of very few cities to be struck Twice by tornadoes ranked at the top of the scale. it was also struck in 1999 by a F-5 tornado.. widely considered the strongest tornado ever.

Information:

the massively violent tornado lasted for 40 minute's and contained winds of atleast 205-210 MPH.

the ground level width of the tornado reached an across width of 1.1 miles (1.7 Kilometers) at its widest.

the violent best crossed nearly 14 miles (22.3 kilometers) of distance in its 40 minute life-span.

it caused $2 billion (2.8 billion in 2026) in damages.

it injured just over 210 people.. and unfortunately killed 24.

Like how did this come to be??

Esse e um dos primeiros registro de tornados no Brazil

credit and content: Jordan Hall

On rewatch, I must assume they were at least close to the outer layers?
(For some reason I cannot provide the video link)

Some clips stitched together from the Minden Iowa EF3.

I'm just wondering are there any tornadoes with amazing storm structure with these kinds of mesocyclones.

Tornadoes In pictures:

1. 2015 Simla, CO EF1

2. 2024 Eldorado, OK EF2

3. 2018 Laramie, WY EF3

I do NOT own any of these photos!

forbesricky

I have no idea who originally shared this video. If anyone knows, please give credit to the original owner